Module overview
The module examines selected written texts and films in the areas of travel, cultural encounter and identity. These will cover a variety of topics and cross-cultural encounters, within the broad area of Francophone film and non-fiction writing. Critical frameworks from mobility studies, postcolonial studies, cultural semiotics, and film studies will be introduced. This will allow you to explore work which makes cultural crossings, and reflects upon them, in relation to travels in Japan, the Americas, the Middle East, and travelling 'at home' in multicultural European cityspaces such as Paris.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- define, present and exemplify specifc concepts related to Francophone cultural texts, to a specialised level
- select, synthesize and focus critical ideas about the travel writing and cultural encounter in relation to films and nonfiction writing
- apply specialised level of knowledge, understanding and analysis to primary texts studied through appropriate use of own secondary reading and research
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- adhere to guidelines and deadlines
- critically evaluate and analyse cultural texts and secondary sources to a specialised level
- communicate your ideas in clear, concise and sophisticated writing
- plan and organise your learning, exercising independence and initiative
- make use of libraries and online resources to access relevant information
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- specific 20th and 21st century Francophone texts and films
- relevant theoretical frameworks in travel and mobility studies
Syllabus
Key themes will include
- recent postcolonial film
- Cultural encounter
- Anthropology as literature
- tourism as exploitation
- recent postcolonial film
- Political and ethical engagement
- Cultural authenticity
- Cultural diversity and the modes of contemporary exoticism
- Questions about home and belonging, migration and diaspora
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching and learning methods include
- lectures introducing basic concepts and contexts
- seminars, where we will discuss cultural texts and concepts both as a whole and in small groups
- independent reading, thinking and writing
- one-to-one tutorials
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Completion of assessment task | 40 |
| Seminar | 11 |
| Lecture | 11 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Wider reading or practice | 38 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Augé, Marc (1997). L’impossible voyage. Le tourisme et ses images.
Lévi-Strauss, Claude (1955). Tristes Tropiques.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Literature review | 35% |
| Essay | 55% |
| Individual Presentation | 10% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Literature review | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Literature review | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External