54098 Becoming Australia
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): (32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10359 Bachelor of Communication (Digital and Social Media) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10361-C10364, and Category Type = Bachelor's Degree OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10365-C10368, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10369 Bachelor of Communication (Writing and Publishing) OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10370 Bachelor of Communication (Writing and Publishing) Bachelor of International Studies OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10371 Bachelor of Communication (Digital and Social Media) OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10372-C10383, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10434-C10439 OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10405 Bachelor of Communication (Writing and Publishing) Master of Teaching Secondary Education OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C09126-C09128, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Honours OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10416-C10442, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10451 Bachelor of Communication (Media Business) OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10452 Bachelor of Communication (Media Business) Bachelor of International Studies OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10454 Bachelor of Communication (Media Business) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 32 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10455 Bachelor of Communication (Media Business) Bachelor of Laws)) OR ((24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10246-C10251, and Category Type = Bachelor's Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10252-C10263, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10311 Bachelor of Arts Communication (Creative Writing) OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10312-C10313, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10314 Bachelor of Arts Communication (Digital and Social Media) OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10315-C10316, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10317 Bachelor of Arts Communication (Cultural Studies) OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10318-C10319, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10332-C10337, and Category Type = Bachelor's Combined Degree OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10264 Bachelor of Global Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10269 Bachelor of Sound and Music Design OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10270 Bachelor of Sound and Music Design Bachelor of Arts International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10276 Bachelor of Music and Sound Design OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10277 Bachelor of Music and Sound Design Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10425 Bachelor of Music and Sound Design Bachelor of Languages and Cultures OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10465 Bachelor of Music and Sound Design Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation)) OR ((24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10020 Bachelor of Business Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10129 Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10167 Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10215 Bachelor of Construction Project Management Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10243 Bachelor of Science Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10272 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10302 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10303 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10305 Bachelor of Design Product Design Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10307 Bachelor of Design Fashion and Textiles Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10309 Bachelor of Design Visual Communication Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10320 Bachelor of Property Economics Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10343 Bachelor of Management Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10388 Bachelor of Forensic Science Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10396 Bachelor of Public Health Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10447 Bachelor of Criminology Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10458 Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences Bachelor of International Studies OR 24 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10239 Bachelor of Information Technology Bachelor of International Studies)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 58224 Australian Pasts and Places AND 58327 Indigenous Rights
Description
This subject looks at the ways Australia is understood and imagined both internally and on the world stage, and the forces that have influenced its development. Students engage in hands-on learning with a variety of media to critically analyse and creatively interpret the meanings of Australia, and how the country has arrived at contemporary issues and ideas. Through digitised historical sources, news reports, film, literature, television, music and the visual arts, students explore recurring tropes and motifs in Australian culture. A variety of concepts are investigated from how Australia deals with the legacies of its colonial past to the way the nation has been shaped by the land's environmental extremes. Students develop skills in the critical evaluation of different types of sources, and learn how to conduct case study research by tracing the histories of specific places, people and issues to explore what these reveal about broader patterns in Australian society and its sense of self across time.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Reflect on experiences of ‘Australia’ by different individuals and groups |
|---|---|
| b. | Critically analyse a variety of texts using theories of race, colonialism and nationalism |
| c. | Develop arguments and justify with appropriate evidence |
| d. | Create new understandings of Australia through historical contextualisation and analysis of cultural productions |
| e. | Communicate in a creative and critical manner |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Apply theoretically informed understanding of the communication industries in independent and collaborative projects across a range of media (1.2)
- Possess information literacy skills to locate, gather, organise and synthesise information across diverse platforms to inform the understanding of the communication industries (2.1)
- Be reflexive critical thinkers and creative practitioners who are intellectually curious, imaginative and innovative, with an ability to evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Possess the awareness of ethical practice in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society (5.1)
- Possess well-developed skills and proficiencies to communicate and respond effectively and appropriately across different contexts (6.1)
- Demonstrate digital literacy and production skills across a range of media and media texts (6.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
Teaching in this subject will occur online. Student learning and investigation will follow a structured set of activities to facilitate knowledge consolidation and research skill development each week.
Students will be required to read course material and listen to/watch recorded lectures. Online multiple-choice quizzes will provide formative feedback on students’ understanding of key concepts and terminology. Formative feedback will also be provided in relation to students’ skills in critical analysis, research and communication by completing small skill builder tasks each week, such as conducting a brief source analysis. Opportunities will be made available for interactive learning and critical reflection through online discussion groups.
Assessment for the subject consists of three assignments where students contextualise specific topics within broader national patterns and developments. Online assessment workshops hosted via video chats will be offered where students can ask questions about assessments, workshop their ideas and receive feedback on their progress.
In the Summer Session this subject is run in an intensive mode with all students expected to enrol in and attend 2 tutorials per week, so that we can cover the same content that we would normally cover in 12 weeks in Autumn (in 6 weeks of teaching + breaks in between every 2 teaching weeks for working on assessments).
Content (topics)
The temporal and spatial assumptions about Australia will be examined through the idea that Australia is both an imagined and material entity. How it is represented through both its cultural productions and its iconic sites will be analysed using theories of race, colonialism, materiality and forms of experimental history. Students will be encouraged to create new and relevant imaginings of ‘Australia’.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Digital Timeline
| Objective(s): | a, b and c | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 500 words in annotations of events | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Research Essay
| Objective(s): | b, c and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words including in-text referencing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Applied History
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Length will depend on chosen format but should be equivalent to around 2000 words including in-text referencing. Creative outputs that cannot easily include in-text referencing (e.g. film, historical fiction) will need to be accompanied by a short exegesis that explains how the project has been informed by research sources. More details about expected scope in different formats will be provided in assessment briefing information on the subject site, and students should consult about the approach and expectations for their individual project with instructors by the end of Week 9. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Attendance at classes is essential in this subject. Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor to build capacities towards meeting the subject learning objectives. A roll will be taken at each class (whether on campus or online). Students who have more than two absences from class will be refused marking of their final assessment (see Rule 3.8).
Required texts
See weekly program for list of required texts. These will be available on the Canvas subject site on the 'Knowledge Gathering' page of the weekly module.
Recommended texts
A list of additional texts on each week's topic can be found on the Canvas subject site on the 'Extension activities and further resources' page of the weekly module.