The emphasis will be on the laws, policies and attitudes which inform cultural production. In this course, films and television programmes are placed within a broader understanding of culture as something which is the subject of policy, promotion and debate and part of a broader field which can include museums, architecture, art, music, shopping and tourism.

10 x 2 hour sessions involving lectures, guest speaker presentation and seminar

None

None

The standard assessments for this course:

■ Essay (1000-word description of a particular film and/or TV regulation) - 20%

■ Project (3000-word report on a topic of the student's choice - the subject being first cleared and discussed with the convenor) - 70%

■ Participation (based on quality and frequency of contribution to class discussion and response to guest presentations) - 10%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but flexible deadlines and extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

■ There is no alternative to the project, but flexible deadlines and extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on seminar contribution as an alternative to participation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

This course aims to: 

■ develop students' understanding and response to the frameworks within which media texts are produced and shown.

■ examine how media and cultural policy is linked to notions of identity.

■ develop students' understanding and response to the way in which cultural and media policies are created and implemented.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ demonstrate a broad understanding of what is as stake in the development of media and cultural policies;

■ demonstrate an understanding of different forms of media regulation;

■ show how such policies have an impact on the way in which film and television programmes are produced and watched;

■ show how such policies interact with ideas about identity in terms of nationality, ethnicity and community;

■ demonstrate skills in report writing.