Courses | Resources
In 2006 the Centre’s Director, Bridget Griffen-Foley, contributed an overview of Australian press, radio and television historiography since the 1980s to Media International Australia. The bibliography is periodically updated. Click here to download the PDF.
Macquarie University’s Department of Modern History offers a range of courses in media history.
These include:
HIST243 & HIST366: History on Film
HIST243
HIST366
Many people gain much of their knowledge of history through film and television. In this course, students will be invited to think about the promise and problems of history on film. Through lectures, film screenings and discussions, students will explore how historical films are constructed, whether it is possible for the filmmaker to tell an interesting and plausible historical story and show that historical ideas are open to debate, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of film as a medium for history. These issues point to underlying questions about how we think about history (historiography) and why we want to know about the past. Students will also examine the role film can play in stimulating public debate about the past and identify ways to foster critical discussion.
Questions considered will include: Why study history on film? Can film show us ‘what really happened’? Is there more to documentaries than facts? Are all historical films ‘propaganda’? and Can historical films be educational? Films to be screened will include: Gladiator; Joan of Arc (1999, dir. Luc Besson); Rashomon; Saving Private Ryan; Shoah; and Life is Beautiful. HIST243/366 will be of interest to students from all parts of the University.
When Offered:
D2 - Day; offered in the second half-year 2007
Staff Contact:
Dr Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Kyle Harvey and Bruce Dennett.
HIST265 & HIST365: From Hula Hoops to Heroin Chic: Popular Culture Since the Fifties
HIST265
HIST365
This unit will present a cultural history of Great Britain, Australia and the United States from the beginning of the Fifties until the end of the millennium, tracing changes in popular culture through developments such as the evolution of consumer culture, the rise of globalisation, environmentalism and the rise of visual media. The unit will also particularly focus on how class, gender and race have shaped the experience of popular culture throughout this period.
Film/television/music and music video will be used in this unit to evoke seminal moments in popular culture. Students will be encouraged to think about their own experience of popular culture historically.
Unit topics include: What is Popular Culture? Historians and Popular Culture; The Culture of Consumption; Cultural Cringe; Television; Youth Culture; Cultures of Protest; Gang Culture; Counter Culture; Black Power; Space; Celebrity; Cultures of Crisis; Sport; Sexual Revolution; HIV/AIDS and the New Puritanism; Royal Watching; Cyber-Culture, Girl Power; Drug Culture.
When Offered:
2008
Staff Contact:
Associate Professor Mary Spongberg, Dr Michelle Arrow
MHPG915: Bulletin to Big Brother: The Media in Australia Since 1880
Exploring the Australian media, this unit begins in 1880 with the launch of the Bulletin, legendary for its radical nationalism, and concludes with reality television, a contemporary media phenomenon. It investigates the print radio and television sectors, considering their audiences; the role of gender in media content and workplaces; and the media’s political interventions.
Postgraduate level
When Offered:
X2 - External study; offered in the second half-year 2007
Staff Contact:
Dr Bridget Griffen-Foley
MHPG916: Australian Popular Culture from the Fifties to Now
A survey of Australian popular culture from the 1950s to now with an emphasis on its place in everyday life and its wider meanings. The unit examines the changing roles played by television, radio, popular music, film, print media and new media encouraging students to think about their own experiences of popular culture historically.
Postgraduate level
When Offered:
X2 - External study; offered in 2008
Staff Contact:
Dr Michelle Arrow
HIST480: Modern History Honours: Media and Methods
History study at undergraduate level develops a range of generic skills: this honours unit extends those skills into new and exciting areas. This unit consists of nine, two-hour workshops over the semester: including sessions on history and radio, history and television, writing for non-specialist audiences, web designs and history and museums. Taught by staff in Modern History, the Department of Media and Communications, and specialist industry professionals, these introductory workshops will offer a glimpse into the ways history can be practised outside academic environments, and the ways in which these methodologies and skills can enhance and enrich academic work. This unit is open to honours students in the departments of Modern History and Media. Assessment consists of a review of a film/exhibition/television series or other piece of public history, and a longer project proposal for a hypothetical (or actual) public history project.
Honours level, restricted entry
When Offered:
D1
Staff Contact:
Dr Michelle Arrow