Marvellous Melbourne: A Cultural History

This subject is not offered in 2008.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

From Batman's Swamp to Kath & Kim's Fountain Lakes, Melbourne symbolises the achievements and the uncertainties of Australian urban and suburban life. Marvellous Melbourne comprises lectures, tutorials and excursions that provide a wide-ranging social and cultural history of Melbourne from national and comparative urban perspectives. The subject overviews the physical and social development of Melbourne from the 1830s to the present, probes representations of the city in popular culture, draws on sources ranging from detective novels, slummer journalism and archaeological artefacts, to maps, graffiti and Royal Commissions. In exploring the diverse local horizons of its inhabitants, the subject informs understandings of the growth of cities and the fashioning of urban life in both New and Old World cities.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;

• show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument;

• demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural context through the contextualisation of judgements, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities and by constructing an argument.