Last modified: 20 Jun 2025 15:13
This course examines popular music’s relationship with and to culture and society. Explored through the lens of cultural studies, this course examines key developments since the 1950s as they relate to contemporary music genres, subcultures, and wider socio-cultural issues and movements.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This course examines popular music’s relationship with and to culture and society. Explored through the lens of cultural studies, this course considers key developments in popular (and broadly contemporary) music since the 1950s as they relate to music genres, subcultures, and wider socio-cultural issues and movements. Students will explore these issues on a decade-by-decade and genre-by-genre basis in order to examine the ways in which popular music culture has evolved since the 1950s.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 25 | |
| Feedback |
4000-word essay on a specific topic related to course content from the fifth week of classes onward. A list of topics statements/ questions will be provided to the students as a guide to this assessment. Written feedback to be provided within three weeks of submission. |
Word Count | 4000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will be able to analyse and reflect on the connections between key social and cultural movements and popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Factual | Understand | Students will be able to understand key social and cultural movements and developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to critically evaluate key social and cultural developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 25 | |
| Feedback |
Students are to prepare a 15-minute presentation examining one of the topics discussed in the first four weeks of classes. Written feedback to be provided within three weeks of submission. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | Students will be able to understand key social and cultural movements and developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to critically evaluate key social and cultural developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 50 | Feedback Weeks | 51 | |
| Feedback |
Students are to resubmit a 4,000-word final essay if they achieve a grade for the course below D3. Written feedback provided within three weeks of the submission. |
Word Count | 4000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | Students will be able to understand key social and cultural movements and developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will be able to analyse and reflect on the connections between key social and cultural movements and popular music culture since the 1950s. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to critically evaluate key social and cultural developments in popular music culture since the 1950s. |
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