ABST2020

Pacific Pop Culture

Session 1, Online-scheduled-weekday 2024

Department of Indigenous Studies

Contents
Disclaimer
General Information 2 Macquarie University has taken all reasonable
measures to ensure the information in this
Learning Outcomes 2 publication is accurate and up-to-date. However,
the information may change or become out-dated
as a result of change in University policies,
General Assessment Information 3 procedures or rules. The University reserves the
right to make changes to any information in this
Assessment Tasks 4 publication without notice. Users of this
publication are advised to check the website
Delivery and Resources 6 version of this publication [or the relevant faculty
or department] before acting on any information in
Unit Schedule 6 this publication.

Policies and Procedures 6

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General Information
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor
Innez Haua
[email protected]

Bronwyn Carlson
[email protected]

Credit points
10

Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above AND (ABST1000)

Corequisites

Co-badged status

Unit description
Focusing on the Pacific as a global centre of Indigenous relationality for Australia, Aotearoa
and the numerous Indigenous cultures of the Pacific, this unit introduces students to
significant, contemporary Pacific artists, performers, authors, musicians, meme makers and
other producers of popular culture. This unit also considers the way Pacific peoples and
communities consume and subvert popular culture. Students will engage with Indigenous
Pacific collaborations expressing resistance, resurgence and rebellion against colonial
representations. Graduates of this unit will be able to demonstrate an understanding of
contemporary Indigenous Pacific political creativity and activism.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are
available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Discuss significant contemporary Indigenous artists, performers, authors,

musicians, meme makers and other producers of popular culture.
ULO2: Articulate the way Indigenous people and communities consume and subvert
popular culture.

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Unit guide ABST2020 Pacific Pop Culture

ULO3: Engage critically with colonial representations of Indigenous peoples

ULO4: Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary Indigenous political creativity.

General Assessment Information

Late Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the
total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the
7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of‚ 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the
assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A
1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters,
portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/
exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will
only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special
Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Terminology protocols for Indigenous Studies

In Australia there are two distinct Indigenous peoples: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait
Islander people.

When writing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not use the acronym ‘ATSI’, write in
full. Capital letters should always be used when referring to Aboriginal peoples and or Torres
Strait Islander peoples.

While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are acceptable terms to use, it should be recognised
that these are collective terms and often used improperly to impose a single identity on the many
different communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people generally prefer to be known by the language/
cultural groups or communities, to which they belong, that is, own names rather than terms such
'the Aboriginals' or 'the Islanders'. For example, Aboriginal people in the area surrounding
Macquarie University may refer to themselves as Dharug. It is important that you always check
the correct name or terms to use for people in the area/region.

The use of incorrect, inappropriate or dated terminology is to be avoided as it can give offence.
Many historical terms or those in common usage some years ago are now not acceptable,
including terms such as 'aborigine' ‘native’, ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. Similarly, do not use the
terms ‘half-caste’, ‘part-Aborigine/Aboriginal’ or any reference to skin colour or physical features,
as they do not signify that a person is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and may cause
offence. When quoting from academic or other sources that uses inappropriate, dated
terminology or racists language, use (sic) directly after the inappropriate term of phrase, thus
calling attention to the fact that it has been sourced from the original and that you understand it
to be outdated, inappropriate or problematic in the contemporary context.

For more information please refer to the Terminology Guide available in iLearn.

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Referencing

Referencing is an essential component of academic writing or presentation since it enables the

reader to follow up the source of ideas and information presented in your work, and to examine
the interpretation you place on the material discovered in your research. Reliable referencing
clearly indicates where you have drawn your own conclusions from the evidence presented.
Importantly, much of the material you will use is covered by copyright which means that you must
acknowledge any source of information, including books, journals, newsprint, images and the
internet. It is obligatory for students to reference all sources used in their written work including
electronic material. Students should consult the University library website for a detailed
explanation and examples of how to reference electronic material correctly Different programs
use different referencing styles to reflect the needs of their discipline. It is the student’s
responsibility to check which referencing style is used. Critical Indigenous Studies uses the APA
referencing style.

Assessment Tasks
Name Weighting Hurdle Due

Brief analysis of readings 20% No 11/03/2024 to 15/03/2024 (Week 4)

Case Study 30% No 10/04/2024 (Week 8)

Major Essay 50% No 29/05/2024 (Week 13)

Brief analysis of readings

Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 11/03/2024 to 15/03/2024 (Week 4)
Weighting: 20%

Students will be required to complete a short analysis, based on readings. Please see iLearn for
further details.

On successful completion you will be able to:

• Discuss significant contemporary Indigenous artists, performers, authors, musicians,
meme makers and other producers of popular culture.
• Articulate the way Indigenous people and communities consume and subvert popular
culture.
• Engage critically with colonial representations of Indigenous peoples
• Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary Indigenous political creativity.

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Unit guide ABST2020 Pacific Pop Culture

Case Study
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 10/04/2024 (Week 8)
Weighting: 30%

Students will write a 1000 word evaluation of a case study relating to weekly topics. Please see
iLearn for further details.

On successful completion you will be able to:

• Discuss significant contemporary Indigenous artists, performers, authors, musicians,
meme makers and other producers of popular culture.
• Articulate the way Indigenous people and communities consume and subvert popular
culture.
• Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary Indigenous political creativity.

Major Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 29/05/2024 (Week 13)
Weighting: 50%

Students will write a 2000 word essay relating to weekly topics. Please see iLearn for further
details.

On successful completion you will be able to:

• Discuss significant contemporary Indigenous artists, performers, authors, musicians,
meme makers and other producers of popular culture.
• Articulate the way Indigenous people and communities consume and subvert popular
culture.
• Engage critically with colonial representations of Indigenous peoples
• Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary Indigenous political creativity.

1
If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

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Unit guide ABST2020 Pacific Pop Culture

• the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this
type of assessment
• the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2
Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment
task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Units can be accessed online at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. Students are to attend online tutorials,
and access weekly material including lectures, video/film and readings on ilearn. PC and Internet
access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g. internet browsing) and skills in word processing
are also a requirement. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

Unit Schedule
See iLearn for further details.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policie
s.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to
Learning and Teaching:

• Academic Appeals Policy

• Academic Integrity Policy
• Academic Progression Policy
• Assessment Policy
• Fitness to Practice Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
• Special Consideration Policy

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/su
pport/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about
throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.e
du.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of
Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released

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Unit guide ABST2020 Pacific Pop Culture

directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the
University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be
made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA
student contact [email protected]

Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and
courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the
expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a
range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing an
d maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://stu
dents.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic
writing, and communication skills.

• Workshops
• Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
• Access StudyWISE
• Upload an assignment to Studiosity
• Complete the Academic Integrity Module

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant
information resources.

• Subject and Research Guides

• Ask a Librarian

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

• IT Support
• Accessibility and disability support with study
• Mental health support
• Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual
assault
• Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
• Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and

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processes

Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/
offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy.
The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.03 of the Handbook

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