Understanding Culture

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the role of culture in identity formation; the social and political functions of culture and criticism;
• the importance of historical and national contexts in reading cultural texts;
• the implications of working across cultures and across different cultural forms,
• the intellectual history of cultural criticism;
• ethical issues involved in the study of culture.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• plan and organise your learning, exercising independence and initiative
• communicate your ideas in clear, concise writing
• adhere to guidelines and deadlines
• make use of research skills to locate appropriate secondary material for assessments where instructed to do so

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• define, present and exemplify concepts related to selected topics and issues in cultural studies
• use new critical and theoretical frameworks relevant to this area of study
• engage in close analysis of primary texts from a range of genres and media

This module will introduce you to a range of topics and approaches in cultural, literary and film studies. You will learn to analyse selected texts from a range of fiction, poetry, film, digital media, photography, and of course cultural criticism. In addition, the module will expose you to a range of texts in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, taught in English translation, as well as material in English.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

• weekly lecture and seminar

Learning activities include

• small group work
• individual presentations
• independent learning

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Rivkin, J. and Ryan, M. (1998). Literary Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell.

Hall, Stuart (ed.) (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. Sage/Open University.

Barry, Peter (1995). Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester University Press.

Assessment strategy

Assessments designed to provide informal, on-module feedback

• Group discussion in seminars

Individual feedback

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

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.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External