Rock, Pop & Resistance

This subject is not offered in 2016.

170 hours

Spanish 4 or Spanish 6 or equivalent.

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

In the Hispanic World, music, literature and cinema generally respond to specific socio-political contexts. This course explores different forms of resistance. protest songs, disident social movements, alternative literature, cinema and artistic reactions to socio-political events. Each of the forms of expression selected for this course are explored within the socio-cultural space/time from which they emerge, telling stories of pain, loss and defeat but also the complexity and endurance of the resistance. Despite the racial, geographical, national, genre and ideological differences, all these cultural expressions share the constant search for identity and freedom.

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

• understand and use at an academic level strategies in the use of linguo-cultural genres at an advanced level with a focus on researching the cultures of Spanish-speaking societies in late 20th- and 21st centuries;
• be able to contextualize and research the dissident music, literature and social movements in the Latin America;
• understand the role of popular music studies and cultural studies in shaping Hispanic Studies research as a global discipline;
• have researched and explored issues of social and cultural dissidence in Latin America;
• understand and research the social, political, historical and cultural contexts and international awareness of the major Spanish-language cultural practices around the world as expressed via popular music;
• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly, bilingually and economically through researching in the form of academic essays on Spanish-language culture;
• understand and research the linguo-cultural acquisition and contextualisation of judgements and knowledge process, developing a critical self-awareness and being open to new ideas and new aspects of contemporary Hispanic cultures both in English and Spanish showing autonomous, self-directed and academic-level skills;
• be able to develop critical interpretation of song lyrics as a way of cultural expression of resistance based on research.

• Discussion Board (750 words) every Monday (a minimum of two 35-word contributions per week) and weekly contribution to class discussion [20%]
• Research Project 1) Abstract (250 words) due in week 9 [10%]
• Research Project 2) Oral Presentation (1500 words) due in week 10 [30%]
• Research Project 3) Final Essay (2000 words) due in week 13 [40%]

In this subject, your final outcome will be your own research project, an approach to an interpretation of a song, an artist’s work, or any work of art or social resistance/ dissident movement. Therefore, all pieces of assessment are connected. First, you will have to write your abstract to let others know what your project is about. Then, you will give an oral presentation to the class and after testing your ideas, you will write a final essay. Meanwhile, you will participate on a discussion board on LMS and in class, to contribute to group discussion of issues emerging from everybody’s chosen topics and those presented in the lectures.

Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Subject Reader

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• have an understanding of social, political, historical and cultural contexts and international awareness/openness to the world: through the contextualisation of judgements and knowledge, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and new aspects of Hispanic culture, and by formulating arguments;
• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay and assignment writing, tutorial discussion and class presentations;
• have developed public speaking skills and confidence in self-expression through tutorial participation and class presentations.