MA in Culture Industry

What you'll study Core modules Module title Credits. Practices of the Culture Industry Practices of the Culture Industry 30 credits One of the problems that the study of the culture industry presents is that - in its very nature, its key object of analysis - the culture industry as a whole has the status of a theoretical or policy-oriented fiction. Such a status does not negate its analytical use, but reflection on the particularly fragile and temporary nature of the field and its associated circumscription by notions of policy need to be brought into productive comparison with actual cultural practices. Equally, those active in the field described by this term recognise the term as belonging to a separate category of knowledge than that required to succeed in the production of culture. Culture involves complex networks of production ranging from the institutional and the transnational to the interpersonal and aesthetic. Here questions of genre, of variegated economic models and ultimately of existential and aesthetic rationale, break up any treatment of the culture industry as a coherent whole. Driven by questions of practice, this module is organized around a series of more detailed analyses of specific cultural dynamics, where the theoretical models from ‘Theories of the Cultural Industry’ are brought to bear on individual areas of practice and the ways that they can and cannot be thought of in terms of ‘industry’. The section will focus on the empirical structure of particular methodologies for researching the culture industries, and the practice of cultural workers within these fields. In addition to lectures by academic researchers with particular expertise in music, fashion, radio and new economies, you will have access to practitioners from the fields of radio, film, music and art. 30 credits. MA in Culture Industry Major Placements / Major Projects / Dissertation MA in Culture Industry Major Placements / Major Projects / Dissertation 60 credits Major Placements A more substantial, possibly overseas, placement could provide the major focus for your dissertation. Placements are organized by students, in dialogue with departmental staff, and will be supervised by the module convenor or an appropriate lecturer from within the department. Placements will result in a 10,000 word dissertation. As such, the placement is not strictly focused on the delivery of training, but on placing you in a context within the culture industry in which you are able to make a study of specific practices. The written components provide a space for you to explore the connections between the practical issues concerning your placement and the theoretical issues addressed in the other parts of the degree. Reports may be submitted with a multimedia and/or visual component alongside the written part. Major Projects Alternatively, you'll be able to undertake projects towards your dissertation. These projects are self-initiated and are expected to engage with practices of culture in significant terms. Rigorous work within an interdisciplinary context will be crucial. While such self-initiated work can be of a purely experimental or speculative nature, you may also wish to establish some kind of connection with outside agencies, such as competitions, exhibitions, NGOs, and community groups. Dissertation Your research may also take the form of an academic dissertation of 10-12,000 words. 60 credits. Research Lab Research Lab Supports projects, placements and dissertation A key part of the MA is the Research Lab, a platform for experimental research and practice in culture. The Lab is a weekly space by which, through the use of a learning plan and in discussion with teaching and support staff, you customise your practical and theoretical skills in culture industry research. The Research Lab is a key aspect of the support for Projects and Placements (see above). Taught by Dr Josephine Berry Supports projects, placements and dissertation. Recommended option modules You take option modules to the value of 30 credits. Modules can be chosen from across Goldsmiths departments and centres. There are a number of Media modules , which are recommended for your programme. Other option modules by department You may prefer to look through the full range of option modules available across Goldsmiths departments: Anthropology. Politics. Sociology. You can also choose modules from the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE) and the Department of Visual Cultures. For details of the modules available please email the relevant department at icce@gold.ac.uk or visualcultures@gold.ac.uk Please note that not all the modules listed may be open to you. Your final selection will depend upon spaces available and timetable compatibility. Assessment Essays; project report and documentation/placement report and documentation; research lab participation. Download the programme specification for the 2018-19 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office. Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.