Module Information

Module Identifier
TFM0120
Module Title
Gender and Media Production
Academic Year
2021/2022
Co-ordinator
Semester
Distance Learning
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Written Assignment  (3,000 words)  50%
Semester Assessment Written Assignment  (3,000 words)  50%
Supplementary Assessment Written Assignment  (3,000 words) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module  50%
Supplementary Assessment Written Assignment  (3,000 words) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

​Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the complex relationship between gender and media, with in-depth knowledge in a specialised area.

Engage in advanced critical evaluation and analyse of consumption habits and representation issues.

Critically evaluate issues within industry practice and regulation by applying rigorous academic analysis at an advanced level.

Demonstrate mastery of the subject by articulating sophisticated solutions to historical and contemporary gender equality problems using a theory-informed, work-place practical plan.

Brief description

This module examines key trends in audience consumption and gender representation and then examines those trends through a close textual analysis of multiple media formats. This module also looks at the real-world manifestation of gender bias within the media industry itself, taking into consideration workplace practices which inhibit gender equality, and the contemporary regulations which attempt to counter discrimination. Ultimately this module draws connections between the texts which the media produces and the industry conditions which generate those texts.

Content

The module uses a series of recorded lectures, guided reading, group tutorials and practical worksheets, concentrating on the following areas:

Block 1 – Laying the foundations
Media consumption habits: Analysis in historical and philosophical context
Media representation: Trends and issues in historical and contemporary context


Block 2 – Textual critical review
Advertising, marketing and gender
Film, television and gender
Journalism, broadcasting and gender
Digital cultures, trans-media platforms and gender

Block 3 – Practical critical review
Industry: Human rights, work place behaviour and discrimination
Regulation: Wage gap, division of labour and equal opportunities
Connecting: Aligning textual gender bias and real-world media-workplace issues

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Students will be given the opportunity to reflect upon some basic statistical data from various research studies.
Communication Students will nurture oral communication skills through online weekly group seminars. Oral and interpersonal communication skills will also be integral to successfully utilizing the content of this module in the workplace. Written communication skills (appropriate language and style, accuracy, relevancy and precision) will be enhanced and assessed in written assignments.
Improving own Learning and Performance Students will develop research and writing skills, critical thinking skills, and practice-based problem solving skills (including enhanced interpersonal communication). Through small group and class discussions, as well as reflective written work, students will be given the opportunity to assess how their knowledge has increased or changed, and how this knowledge has impacted their view of the industry.
Information Technology Students will be given the opportunity to develop their authorial and note-taking skills when planning and preparing for the written assignments, and will be encouraged to develop their note-taking skills in lectures. Students will be given opportunities to develop their skills using electronic search and retrieval of sources both on the web and on the AU LIS. Students will develop their skills when referencing from the web and related sources, and will focus on the selection of materials appropriate to the task. E-mail and Blackboard will be the main forms of communication and information-sharing in this module, so students will be encouraged to actively engage in these processes.
Personal Development and Career planning Students will be given the opportunity to self-evaluate their own ideologies and practices. They will be asked to consider how their new knowledge of gender-politics can be applied to their professional workplace.
Problem solving Students should be able to identify both historical and contemporary tensions within the field, and will be asked to produce practical, workplace solutions for these tensions.
Research skills Students will develop their data/information scoping, locating and retrieval skills. Students will also be asked to synthesize published scholarly work effectively.
Subject Specific Skills The following subject specific skills are developed and assessed. Students will demonstrate an ability to:  •Engage critically with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the field. •Critically examine (through interpretation and analysis) media texts with appropriate reference to relevant gender scholarship and theory. • Show insight into the range of attitudes and values arising from the complexity and diversity of contemporary media production and gender inequality. •Demonstrate in-depth knowledge in a specific intersection of gender theory and media production. •Consider and evaluate their own work practices and industry relations in a reflexive manner. •Apply traditionally theoretical material to a practical scenario or industry setting to alleviate conflict surrounding gender inequality.
Team work Students will be asked to consider how the application of gender theory to media production workplaces contributes to better group morale, productivity and equality. No specific team tasks are employed in assessment though.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7