Investigating Cultural Industries
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CULT4018 | Cultural, Media and Visual Studies | 4 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- CULT4018
- School
- Cultural, Media and Visual Studies
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This core module aims to outline the specific characteristics of the cultural industries and the main dynamics which shape the operations of those industries. Students will be introduced to key critical perspectives on the cultural industries and across the teaching programme a range of thematic and critical issues will be addressed: the processes of cultural production; distinctions between cultural industries and ['creative industries'; the concept of 'cultural economy'; matters of industry structure and cultural markets; the specificities of cultural work and the challenges confronting employment in the cultural industries; the role and importance of intellectual property rights in the cultural industries; and the impacts of digitalization and globalization. These concerns will be addressed in general terms but will also be explored with particular reference to the cultural industries in the UK including case studies of selected industries. This core module is aimed at students registered on the MSc Cultural Industries and Entrepreneurship. It is also available as an elective module to Erasmus students in their 4th years and to students on other MA programmes covering related issues. Students are reminded that enrolments which are not agreed by the Offering School in advance may be cancelled without notice. Available to JYA/Erasmus students. There are a limited number of places on this module.
Target Students
Only available to students on MSc Cultural Industries and Entrepreneurship, MA International Media and Communication, MA Film, Television and Screen Industries.
Classes
- One 1-hour-30-minute seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 1-hour-30-minute lecture each week for 11 weeks
The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies operates an attendance policy. The details of this policy can be found in the student handbook on Workspace and in module handbooks.
Assessment
- 30% Coursework 1: 1,000 word position paper
- 70% Coursework 2: 3,000 word essay
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
Combining critical perspectives on cultural production with the examination of issues relating to industry structure, cultural work, intellectual property, digitalization and globalization, this module aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the cultural industries. It is the intention of the module to develop knowledge of how the cultural industries operate, the specific characteristics which distinguishes these from other industrial sectors, and the contextual circumstances which define the practices and challenges of working in those industries. By covering this range of concerns, the module establishes the foundations for the wider study of cultural industries across the degree programme. While specific emphasis is placed on the study of cultural industries in the UK context, the module equips students with a range of critical viewpoints and operating concepts which can be transferred and applied to cultural industries in other national or regional contexts. The module will enable students to understand culture industry environments, processes and working patterns, and to undertake a critical analysis of the industry’s problems and strategies. In the context of the course as a whole, this module provides students with specialist understanding of the culture industry and of the challenges and opportunities offered by its work processes.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: on completion of this module, students will demonstrate:
• An understanding of the relevance of academic debates on the relationship between culture and its industrial production• A knowledge and understanding of the main critical theoretical paradigms and analytical frameworks suitable to the study of the relationship between culture and its industrial production
• An ability to apply a variety of theories to current developments and trends in the cultural industries
Intellectual skills: students of this module will have developed:
• The cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, including the ability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, to detect false logic or reasoning, to identify implicit values, and to define terms adequately and to generalise appropriately
• Knowledge of the specific conditions that characterise the organization, operations and working environment of the cultural industries
• An appreciation of the complexity of the concepts of ‘cultural industries’, ‘creative industries’, ‘cultural production’, ‘cultural labour’, ‘cultural economy’ and ‘intellectual property’
• The ability to gather, assess and interpret evidence
• The ability to make reasoned arguments
• The ability to reflect critically on the production of knowledge
Transferable skills: on completion of this module, students will demonstrate:
• The capacity to conduct library and internet-based independent research
• The capacity to critically evaluate different sources of information (historical accounts, media reports, visual and written narrative forms, research and reports from governmental bodies and NGOs, academic research)
• The ability to apply abstract theoretical paradigms to empirical examples and to evaluate their value
• Self-management in terms of time planning and management