MUSIC, MEDIA AND SOCIETY - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module examines the significance of popular music in mediated societies, focusing on industries, texts, technologies
and audiences. We explore a range of topics, including authenticities, standardisation, global music flows and a range of
issues regarding music consumers and the ways popular music relates to divisions relating to class, gender and ethnicity.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

HODKINSON Paul (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

1. Understandings of authenticity in relation to new technologies

2. Music industries

3. Global flows of music

4. Questions of power, manipulation and democratisation

5. Music sub-cultures, fans and audiences

6. Questions of class, gender and race in relation to popular music.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

Assessment one assesses students’ ability to convey and discuss ideas in an online forum throughout the semester. Discussion topics tie in with lectures and readings at the time each one takes place. Discussions particularly assess lo 4 but incorporate the first three learning outcomes too.

Assessment two focuses directly on lo 5 and encourages close critical reading and written discussion, but also assesses understanding of concepts and application of theories (1 and 3).

Assessment three focused directly on lo 6 but also assesses all of los 1-3, on familiarity with terms and concepts, the ways popular music can be studied and application of theory.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Online participation (20%), requiring students to contribute to each of five discussion topics throughout the semester, drawing upon reading and examples and interacting with the comments of others.


• 1500 word explication essay (40%) requiring students to select an article from a list provided and write a critical explication of the arguments therein.


• 1 hour exam (40%), requiring students to answer one question from a list that covers the key issues and topics discussed on the module.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students gain formative feedback throughout the semester via the interaction of their ideas with peers and the lecturer, both in class and via the online discussions. All students are encouraged to ask questions and test ideas in relation to the assignments during the weeks preceding their submission. Students will be offered the opportunity to mark and provide their own feedback on anonymised previous exam scripts as part of preparation for the examination.

Module aims

• To provide an overview of role and significance of popular
  music in mediated societies
• To elucidate and differentiate between approaches related
  to music in relation to texts, technologies, industry and
  audiences
• To identify and relate to one another a range of theoretical
  and empirical studies relating to specialist topics relating to
  popular music studies

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Lectures components provide a core background, enthusing students about the significance and importance of the topics and arguments, and enabling the understanding of core concepts and examples. Seminar discussions enable students to develop greater depth of understanding through practical exercises and discussions centred on reading and connecting to key concepts from the lecture. Sometimes lecture and seminar are discrete whereas in other weeks a more integrated approach is taken. SurreyLearn discussions take place throughout the module and enable interaction and feedback on a range of ideas and understandings.

The learning and teaching methods include:

The teaching strategy consists of 22 combined lecture/seminar sessions, plus a revision session. Students complete compulsory readings each week as preparation for the seminar discussions.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC3079

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.