Culture and Society, Major (0264)

  • Western Sydney University Major Code: 0264

Previous code:  M1131

Available to students in other Western Sydney University Programs:  Yes.  Check that your program has the available credit points required to complete the subjects in this field of study. Any requisite requirements must also be met. Consult your Program Advisor for further advice.

Culture and Society is an interdisciplinary major developing knowledge, research skills and analytic capacities relevant to understanding and interpreting landscapes of cultural diversity and social difference in our contemporary world, both in terms of the broad contours, as well as specific micro-social environments. This major provides grounding in contemporary debates and methodologies in cultural studies and social theory, and draws on various disciplines including history, sociology, communications, and linguistics. Topics include popular culture, everyday urban life, cultural and social impacts of scientific theories and new technologies, multiculturalism, and contemporary spirituality. Study in this area is relevant for work involving commentary and analysis of contemporary social issues and cultural practices (e.g. journalism, teaching, activism) and fields concerned with designing, delivering and evaluating cultural and artistic productions, and education, communication, welfare or health services, in culturally diverse communities.

Campus Mode Advice
Bankstown City Campus Internal EnquiriesHCA@westernsydney.edu.au
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road Internal EnquiriesHCA@westernsydney.edu.au
Penrith Campus Internal EnquiriesHCA@westernsydney.edu.au

Major Structure

Students must successfully complete 80 credit points as follows.

Please note all Bachelor of Arts students including Pathways to Teaching, Dean’s Scholars and double degrees must complete the structure under the heading Bachelor of Arts.

Please note all Bachelor of Creative Industries students including double degrees must complete the structure under the heading Bachelor of Creative Industries.

Note: Not all subjects will be offered each year. Subjects will be offered on a rotational basis.

Bachelor of Arts Students

Arts students must complete the four compulsory subjects below and must complete four subjects from the Level 2/Level 3 subject pool with a minimum of two subjects at Level 3. See below.

Subject Title Credit Points
HUMN 3033Digital Cultures10
HUMN 1066Introduction to Culture and Society10
HUMN 2046Researching Culture10
HUMN 1049Understanding Visual Culture10

Bachelor of Creative Industries Students

Creative Industries students must complete their Introduction to Major subject as part of the core requirements of the program, prior to enrolling in this major.

Subject Title Credit Points
HUMN 1066Introduction to Culture and Society10

Creative Industry students must complete the three compulsory subjects below and must complete five subjects from the Level 2/Level 3 subject pool with a minimum of two subjects at Level 3. See below.

Subject Title Credit Points
HUMN 3033Digital Cultures10
HUMN 2046Researching Culture10
HUMN 1049Understanding Visual Culture10

Pool Subjects

Bachelor of Arts students must complete four subjects from the list below, with a minimum of two subjects at Level 3.

Bachelor of Creative Industries students must complete five subjects from the list below, with a minimum of two subjects at Level 3.

Note: Not all subjects will be offered each year. Subjects will be offered on a rotational basis.

Subject Title Credit Points
Level 2 Subject Pool
COMM 2009Cinema and Censorship10
LANG 2015Cultural History of Books and Reading10
HUMN 2020Digital Humanities and Research Methods (UG)10
COMM 2020Introduction to Film Studies10
HUMN 2040Politics of Sex and Gender10
HUMN 2044Representing Everyday Life in Literary and Visual Cultures10
HUMN 2056The Racial State10
PHIL 2015Thinking Cinema10
HUMN 2058Urban Life/Urban Culture10
HUMN 2062Youth Cultures and Moral Panics10
Level 3 Subject Pool
Select at least two subjects from the following:
POLI 3001Activism, Engagement and Social Change10
CULT 3002Children's Culture10
LANG 3018Children's Literature: Image and Text10
COMM 3006Cinema and Experience10
HUMN 3023Climate Change and Culture10
CULT 3004Consumer Culture10
LANG 3029Culture, Discourse and Meaning10
HUMN 3029Cultures of Crime and Punishment10
HUMN 3030Cyber Justice (UG)10
HUMN 3031Death and Culture10
HUMN 3034Emotions, Culture and Community10
LANG 3033Film and Drama10
HUMN 3039Food: A Cultural History10
HUMN 3044Healing and Culture10
HUMN 3048History of Sexuality10
HUMN 3051Human Rights and Culture10
HUMN 3057Islam, Media and Conflict10
HUMN 3107Labour and Culture10
HUMN 3113Migration and Social Change10
PHIL 3018Philosophy of Race and Racism10
HUMN 3064Politics, Power and Resistance10
HUMN 3065Postcolonial Australian Cinema10
HUMN 3069Queer Culture10
CULT 3020Representing Crime10
PHIL 3017The Body in Culture10
HUMN 3090Understanding Power10
HUMN 3091Violence in Everyday Life10
HUMN 3096What is the Human?10

Equivalent Subjects

The subject listed below count towards completion of this Major for students who passed this subject in 2021 or earlier. 

HUMN 1017 - Everyday Life, replaced by HUMN 1066 Introduction to Culture and Society