EUB252 Australian Society and Culture
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EUB252 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | CRB250 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | EUB252 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | CRB250 |
| Coordinator: | Danielle Gordon | danielle.m.gordon@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Australian Society and Culture combines literary, cultural, political, social, and historical sources (both born digital and analogue) to investigate your positionality in relation to Australia. It provides a context through which you can acquire knowledge about Australian institutions and traditions.
Numerous social, cultural and political ideas, policies and actions have shaped and re-constructed Australian society. Understanding how Australia has evolved as a colonial nation, a community, a culture and a people involves critically analysing various constructions, meanings and interpretations. These skills are essential for understanding the past but also the decisions of the contemporary world.
A study of Australian society and culture will therefore involve an appreciation of the people who call the continent of Australia home and the significant political and social debates that they engage in.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse, synthesise and evaluate information and historical debates from numerous primary, secondary and historiographical sources.
- Compose hypotheses and historical, evidence-based arguments that effectively communicate knowledge and ideas.
- Show how historians shape the contemporary understandings of history.
- Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural historical and contemporary contexts to reflect on individual positionality.
- Discuss how digital humanities platforms, including databases and artificial intelligence tools are shaping the development of Australian society and culture
Content
The achievement of learning outcomes will be carried out by examining central aspects of Australia's history. Activities will expose you to the contestability interpretation and the way in which these interpretations are influenced by cultural and political considerations. You will carefully evaluate evidence and draw conclusions including making informed decisions about the popular image of controversial people and the nature of Australian society. The content presents a past in Australia that is constructed, invented, contested and open to interpretation.
Content
- Understand the policies that shaped Australia - key pieces of policy, legislation and regulation that have contributed to shaping Australian society and culture.
- Australia and the World Wars - the history of Australia and its involvement in WWI and WWII shape the concept of who Australians are today.
- Recognise First Australians and South Sea Islander societies, identities and knowledges
- Reframe incomplete representations of Australia over time: where they come from and why they persist
- Evaluate developing contemporary Australian identities - the ideas, practices and policies that have shaped the dynamic nature of Australian society. The unit will utilise traditional and contemporary avenues of the history discipline that focus on diversity, Australia’s place in the world, digital heritage and culture, and storytelling in diverse Australian historical settings.
- Appraise the role of Australian historians, authors, artists, filmmakers, media and public intellectuals in shaping Australian identity.
- Evaluate the contestation of Australian identity across time through academic, cultural and popular texts, artefacts and contexts.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn through exposure to various interpretations of the sources that have informed Australia’s identity formation over time. Australian Society and Culture consists of lectures and tutorials.
• Lecturer-provided asynchronous information will emphasise the contested nature of historical knowledge with often pivotal historical understandings exposed to scrutiny.
• Tutorials are student- centred with discussion and expressions of different opinion strongly encouraged. Student- directed or lecturer-initiated discussions and debate are designed to promote understanding, the exercise of higher order thinking and the formulation of original hypotheses and stances. The unit thus provides diverse perspectives and multi-disciplinary approaches to methods of learning.
• Asynchronous content and tools, like discussion boards and peer review, will be used to encourage discussions and differences of opinion.
• Self-directed learning is a core component of this unit where you will be expected to engage asynchronously with QUT Readings and other materials via Canvas modules
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will gain feedback in this unit by participating in online discussion forums and weekly tutorials with academics, and peers. You will also receive feedback on your initial development of your research question for Assessment 1.
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises will be discussed in class
- comments where appropriate on summative assessment work
- generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
- engagement with asynchronous activities via QUT Canvas
- criteria sheet grading
- feedback from peers.
Assessment
Overview
The summative assessment consists of three principal items:
- Peer discussion: Participation in discussion activities that guide the development of an independent hypothesis for the development of Assessment Task 3 (AT3). Students will develop a research statement and discuss it with peers with in diverse contexts.
- Source Investigation: You will independently research a topic investigated in this unit. This task requires the demonstration of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of research material that will be used to support development of an independent hypothesis and materials for approved use in the invigilated examination (AT3).
- Argumentative essay examination involving unseen questions on the topics studied. Students will write two essays responding to primary and secondary historical sources prepared and approved in AT2.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Research Design Presentation
Students will propose a research project drawn from the topics within the unit. Students will consider the Artificial Historians reading, Indigenous Australian perspectives reading and one other historiographical reading of their choice and explain their influence on their proposed research project.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Response to sources
Responses to a series of Canvas activities that support preparation of the 5 pages allowed in Assessment 3. These might include:
- Research statement
- Draft outline
- Quote extracts with Chicago referencing
- Images analysis
- Generative AI source analysis
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions
Assessment: Argumentative Essay Examination
This is a written response to historical evidence involving questions on the topics studied during the semester. Utilising knowledge acquired during the semester, you will write two essays using the primary and secondary historical sources prepared in Assessment Task 2.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
All students are requested to visit and review the Health and Safety information on the HiQ web pages.
You will be advised if a unit requires additional mandatory health and safety inductions.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit. They will be made available through the QUT Library Readings link on QUT Canvas
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Clark, A. (2022). Making Australian History. Random House Australia.
Gare, D., & Ritter, D. (2008). Making Australian History - Perspectives on the Past since 1788. Cengage.
Hughes-Warrington, Marnie, Anne Martin, and Lewis Yarlupurka O'Brien. "Artificial Historians." (2025): 206.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit.
For risks associated with using campus buildings or QUT facilities, refer to the HiQ Health and Safety information.
You are advised to take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work and ensure that your workstation is set up for optimal comfort to prevent strain or injury.
Please be advised that this unit may include the presentation and scholarly analysis of material and subject matters that may be considered confronting, such as certain representations of race, class, gender and violence. QUT counselling support is available should you feel the need to avail yourself of these services.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BA01 Bachelor of Arts
- Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply knowledge about society, culture and technology, for a range of contexts, audiences and purposes.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO4, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Recognise, develop and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge through critical and creative processes.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Research Design Presentation, Argumentative Essay Examination - Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise information and evidence to inform decision-making, problem solving and argumentation.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO5, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Independently formulate questions, and apply foundational research methods and analysis to investigate relationships between society, culture and technology.
Relates to: ULO2, ULO4, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Communicate to diverse audiences using a range of modes and technologies to share and disseminate knowledge, skills and ideas.
Relates to: ULO2, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural contexts to reflect on individual positionality, ethical practice, integrity, and adaptability.
Relates to: ULO3, Research Design Presentation, Argumentative Essay Examination
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Online
| Unit code: | EUB252 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | CRB250 |
Overview
Australian Society and Culture combines literary, cultural, political, social, and historical sources (both born digital and analogue) to investigate your positionality in relation to Australia. It provides a context through which you can acquire knowledge about Australian institutions and traditions.
Numerous social, cultural and political ideas, policies and actions have shaped and re-constructed Australian society. Understanding how Australia has evolved as a colonial nation, a community, a culture and a people involves critically analysing various constructions, meanings and interpretations. These skills are essential for understanding the past but also the decisions of the contemporary world.
A study of Australian society and culture will therefore involve an appreciation of the people who call the continent of Australia home and the significant political and social debates that they engage in.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse, synthesise and evaluate information and historical debates from numerous primary, secondary and historiographical sources.
- Compose hypotheses and historical, evidence-based arguments that effectively communicate knowledge and ideas.
- Show how historians shape the contemporary understandings of history.
- Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural historical and contemporary contexts to reflect on individual positionality.
- Discuss how digital humanities platforms, including databases and artificial intelligence tools are shaping the development of Australian society and culture
Content
The achievement of learning outcomes will be carried out by examining central aspects of Australia's history. Activities will expose you to the contestability interpretation and the way in which these interpretations are influenced by cultural and political considerations. You will carefully evaluate evidence and draw conclusions including making informed decisions about the popular image of controversial people and the nature of Australian society. The content presents a past in Australia that is constructed, invented, contested and open to interpretation.
Content
- Understand the policies that shaped Australia - key pieces of policy, legislation and regulation that have contributed to shaping Australian society and culture.
- Australia and the World Wars - the history of Australia and its involvement in WWI and WWII shape the concept of who Australians are today.
- Recognise First Australians and South Sea Islander societies, identities and knowledges
- Reframe incomplete representations of Australia over time: where they come from and why they persist
- Evaluate developing contemporary Australian identities - the ideas, practices and policies that have shaped the dynamic nature of Australian society. The unit will utilise traditional and contemporary avenues of the history discipline that focus on diversity, Australia’s place in the world, digital heritage and culture, and storytelling in diverse Australian historical settings.
- Appraise the role of Australian historians, authors, artists, filmmakers, media and public intellectuals in shaping Australian identity.
- Evaluate the contestation of Australian identity across time through academic, cultural and popular texts, artefacts and contexts.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn through exposure to various interpretations of the sources that have informed Australia’s identity formation over time. Australian Society and Culture consists of lectures and tutorials.
• Lecturer-provided asynchronous information will emphasise the contested nature of historical knowledge with often pivotal historical understandings exposed to scrutiny.
• Tutorials are student- centred with discussion and expressions of different opinion strongly encouraged. Student- directed or lecturer-initiated discussions and debate are designed to promote understanding, the exercise of higher order thinking and the formulation of original hypotheses and stances. The unit thus provides diverse perspectives and multi-disciplinary approaches to methods of learning.
• Asynchronous content and tools, like discussion boards and peer review, will be used to encourage discussions and differences of opinion.
• Self-directed learning is a core component of this unit where you will be expected to engage asynchronously with QUT Readings and other materials via Canvas modules
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will gain feedback in this unit by participating in online discussion forums and weekly tutorials with academics, and peers. You will also receive feedback on your initial development of your research question for Assessment 1.
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises will be discussed in class
- comments where appropriate on summative assessment work
- generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
- engagement with asynchronous activities via QUT Canvas
- criteria sheet grading
- feedback from peers.
Assessment
Overview
The summative assessment consists of three principal items:
- Peer discussion: Participation in discussion activities that guide the development of an independent hypothesis for the development of Assessment Task 3 (AT3). Students will develop a research statement and discuss it with peers with in diverse contexts.
- Source Investigation: You will independently research a topic investigated in this unit. This task requires the demonstration of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of research material that will be used to support development of an independent hypothesis and materials for approved use in the invigilated examination (AT3).
- Argumentative essay examination involving unseen questions on the topics studied. Students will write two essays responding to primary and secondary historical sources prepared and approved in AT2.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Research Design Presentation
Students will propose a research project drawn from the topics within the unit. Students will consider the Artificial Historians reading, Indigenous Australian perspectives reading and one other historiographical reading of their choice and explain their influence on their proposed research project.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Response to sources
Responses to a series of Canvas activities that support preparation of the 5 pages allowed in Assessment 3. These might include:
- Research statement
- Draft outline
- Quote extracts with Chicago referencing
- Images analysis
- Generative AI source analysis
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions
Assessment: Argumentative Essay Examination
This is a written response to historical evidence involving questions on the topics studied during the semester. Utilising knowledge acquired during the semester, you will write two essays using the primary and secondary historical sources prepared in Assessment Task 2.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
All students are requested to visit and review the Health and Safety information on the HiQ web pages.
You will be advised if a unit requires additional mandatory health and safety inductions.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit. They will be made available through the QUT Library Readings link on QUT Canvas
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Clark, A. (2022). Making Australian History. Random House Australia.
Gare, D., & Ritter, D. (2008). Making Australian History - Perspectives on the Past since 1788. Cengage.
Hughes-Warrington, Marnie, Anne Martin, and Lewis Yarlupurka O'Brien. "Artificial Historians." (2025): 206.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit.
For risks associated with using campus buildings or QUT facilities, refer to the HiQ Health and Safety information.
You are advised to take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work and ensure that your workstation is set up for optimal comfort to prevent strain or injury.
Please be advised that this unit may include the presentation and scholarly analysis of material and subject matters that may be considered confronting, such as certain representations of race, class, gender and violence. QUT counselling support is available should you feel the need to avail yourself of these services.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BA01 Bachelor of Arts
- Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply knowledge about society, culture and technology, for a range of contexts, audiences and purposes.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO4, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Recognise, develop and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge through critical and creative processes.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Research Design Presentation, Argumentative Essay Examination - Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise information and evidence to inform decision-making, problem solving and argumentation.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO5, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Independently formulate questions, and apply foundational research methods and analysis to investigate relationships between society, culture and technology.
Relates to: ULO2, ULO4, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Communicate to diverse audiences using a range of modes and technologies to share and disseminate knowledge, skills and ideas.
Relates to: ULO2, Research Design Presentation, Response to sources, Argumentative Essay Examination - Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural contexts to reflect on individual positionality, ethical practice, integrity, and adaptability.
Relates to: ULO3, Research Design Presentation, Argumentative Essay Examination