AMU3580 · Political economy of digital media

Overview

What are the most pressing, broader questions for contemporary societies confronted with the breakneck pace of change in digital media technologies and industries? What policies, strategies and frameworks have different societies and governments developed to cope with and benefit economically, culturally and politically from digital media innovations yet retain their core values and ensure social inclusion? This unit builds upon the previous units in the Bachelor of Digital Media Studies to bring together digital literacy skills and academic analysis of the dynamics of socioeconomic, cultural, and political impacts of the internet and digital media. It will focus on the implications of networked communication technologies drawing upon relevant theories and case studies. It will ask you to prepare a comparative report based on an issue selected across two different nations, to examine and analyse the approaches taken, initiatives attempted and strategies developed by nations, corporations and professional associations.

Areas of study: Communication Communication, media and screen studies Global studies in communication and media

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Explain and demonstrate how the internet and digital media influence emerging socioeconomic, cultural, and political policies and practices;
2. Contextualise and explain how the internet and digital media relate to diverse interpersonal, local and global contexts;
3. Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of common scholarly explanations of the emergence and diffusion of the internet and digital media within society;

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.