Communication Studies (CMNS) 401

Overview

This course provides an overview of cultural policy in Canada, with a focus on national policies within the context of international, provincial, and municipal cultural policy developments. This context is important in a time when jurisdictions collaborate, borrow from each other, and share resources to promote, protect, and develop cultural expression. The course examines:

• the conceptual foundations of cultural policy
• definitions of culture
• the evolution of cultural policy in Canada over the past 100 years
• some of the major ideas and discourses that have shaped policy development over the years

Outline

• Unit 1—Bird on the Wire: Foundations of Cultural Policy
• Unit 2—When We Were Almost Young: Inventing Cultural Policy
• Unit 3—Came So Far For Beauty: The Arts
• Unit 4—Tower of Song: The Cultural and Creative Industries Part 1
• Unit 5—Take this Waltz: The Cultural and Creative Industries Part 2
• Unit 6—She Gets You On Her Wavelength: Broadcasting and Sovereignty
• Unit 7—New Skin for the Old Ceremony: Diversity and Cultural Expression
• Unit 8—Old Ideas (or) Who by Fire: The Heritage Sector— Museums, Libraries, and Archives
• Unit 9—Go Back to the World: Cohesive Communities, Sustainability, and the Social Effects of Culture
• Unit 10—I’ve Seen the Future Brother: The Impacts of Digital Technology
• Unit 11—Mighty Ship of State: Cultural Governance
• Unit 12—Closing Time: How Do We Know the Value of Culture?

Evaluation

To receive credit for CMNS 401, students must complete and submit all of the assignments, and achieve a minimum overall grade of D (50 percent) for the course.

The final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.

All course materials are online.

Challenge for credit

Overview

The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the CMNS 401 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the examination and a minimum composite  grade of D (50 percent).

Important links

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