COURSE CURRICULUM

The Music and Society major within the Bachelor of Arts at The University of Western Australia is structured to help students critically understand music as a cultural, historical, and social phenomenon rather than only a form of performance. In Level 1, students begin with foundational units such as Musical Revolutions, Popular Music in Global Perspective, and Women in Music, which introduce key ideas about how music evolves across cultures, how global popular music develops, and how gender influences musical history and representation. In Level 2, students progress to more analytical study through Music and Practices of Listening and Music in Action, focusing on how people experience music and how music functions in everyday life and social settings. In Level 3, the program becomes more advanced and specialised with units such as Music in the Sixties, Music in Film, TV and Video Games, and Music, Society, and Ideas, which explore the relationship between music, media, historical movements, and social thought. Across all levels, students develop strong critical thinking, listening, and analytical skills while engaging with diverse musical styles and contexts. The major prepares graduates for careers in cultural studies, media, arts administration, education, research, and other fields where understanding music’s social and cultural impact is valuable, while also fostering broader communication and interpretive abilities.