Cultures, Histories, Lectures
Units of Study
TitlePhilosophical Inquiry
CodeHC150
Level 1
Credit rating20
Pre-requisitesNone.
Type of unitCompulsory
Two weekly lectures of 1 hour each, and weekly seminar of 1 hour.
IntroductionThis unit introduces fundamental concepts and basic methodologies in critical and philosophical theory.
AimsThis unit aims to (1) introduce key concepts, theories and questions in Philosophy; (2) encourage the critical application of these to contested aspects of social life;(3) develop awareness the various branches of philosophy, notably moral philosophy, political philosophy and epistemology and the main issues they address.
ContentThis units aims to introduce two key areas of philosophical inquiry- the relationship between moral and political philosophy, and the relationship between philosophy of science and epistemology. The unit begins by tracing the roots of Philosophy in the Athenian polis, specifically in the thought of Plato and Aristotle. This is followed with consideration of basic moral theory, with an emphasis on the limits of utilitarianism as the dominant moral ideology. The unit then analyses argument and proof in relation to the various attempts to establish criteria for truth claims in epistemology and in moral theory. This is complemented with reflection on Descartes’ account of knowledge and being. The unit then goes on to consider key issues in political philosophy, asking whether or not philosophical thought can provide adequate means of justifying particular social systems.
Learning outcomesBy the end of the unit students will: (1) be familiar with some basic methodologies of Philosophy laying foundations for the work of Parts 2 and 3; (2) have developed their capacities for independent and self-motivated learning; (3) have developed their abilities to organise and present argument through oral and written work; (4) have gained an introductory understanding of key concepts – including morality, argument, dialectic, epistemology and ontology and (5) be able to analyse their relevance to the analysis of political issues in the contemporary world.
Teaching and learning
strategiesLectures (2 hours per week)
Seminars (1 hour per week)
Pre- and post essay tutorials: 0.5 hours each
Private Study (12 hours per week)
Learning support• indicative reading/reference
Hollis, Martin. Invitation to Philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell. 1985
McFee, Graham. Free Will. Teddington: Acumen. 2000
Morton, Adam. Philosophy in Practice. Oxford: Blackwell. 2004
Nagel, Thomas. What Does It All Mean? Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press. 1987
Norris, Christopher. Uncritical Theory: Postmodernism, Intellectuals and the Gulf War. London: Lawrence and Wishart. 1992
Plato. Republic. Harmondsworth: Penguin. 1955
Assessment(1) 2 x 800 word essays
(2) Seminar Presentation and Participation
(3) Unseen Examination
• Assessment criteria
The essays are assessed in relation to all five Learning Objectives, with particular attention to students’ ability to (1) produce a clearly structured and cogently argued essay; (2) draw on a range of interdisciplinary resources and demonstrate their relevance to the question at hand; (3) identify the key issues and problems in their analysis, and in the upper range begin to question the assumptions of the texts discussed; (4) demonstrate an ability to engage in close but critical reading of key philosophical texts.
The seminars and oral presentations are assessed in relation to (1) students’ ability to contribute effectively to group work, listening and responding appropriately to the contributions of others, (2) clarity of thought and of argument in presentation, (3) knowledge of key concepts and arguments in relation to required reading.
• Assessment process
All essays are assessed by the tutor, and then discussed with each student on return.
Seminars are assessed continuously by the tutor. All students receive feedback on their contributions from the tutor, and marks and comments are also fed back to students at the end of the semester.
Examinations are assessed at the end of the semester.
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Unit of study description
TitleHistorical Inquiry
CodeHC151
Level 1
Credit rating20
Pre-requisitesAdmission to the Humanities programme
Type of unitCompulsory
Two weekly lectures of 1 hour each; weekly seminar of 1 hour; pre and post essay tutorials.
IntroductionThis unit will introduce students to the practice of historical inquiry through an exploration of various approaches to the study of British experience during the Second World War.
Aimsi) to familiarise students with some basic methodologies of history; ii) to consider problems of interpretation of historical evidence; iii) to explore a variety of historical approaches through a case study using primary and secondary sources.
Content
The unit will begin by examining some of the central problems of historiography such as the nature of historical knowledge, its relationship to a number of theoretical and philosophical approaches and the different agendas of fields such as political, cultural and intellectual history. Students will also be encouraged to consider how ideology shapes historical interpretation. A critical understanding of the use of a wide variety of historical sources will be developed including film, personal and public records, oral and life-history sources. Issues relating to the researching, interpretation and presentation of historical material will be pursued throughout a case study focused on Britain during the Second World War. This will explore issues such as the dilemmas that the study of the Second World War poses for historians; what the terms ‘war socialism’ and ‘equality of sacrifice’ tell us about changes in wartime Britain; whether we can convincingly argue that the war liberated British women; and the ways in which memory of the war is used in Britain today.
Learning outcomesBy the end of the unit students will: (i) be familiar with some of the basic methodologies of historical inquiry, laying the foundations for work at Levels 2 and 3; (ii) have developed their capacities for independent and self-motivated learning; (iii) have developed their abilities to organise and present argument through written and oral work; (iv) have gained an introductory understanding of key concepts of historical inquiry and explored their use in analysing British experience during the Second World War; (v) be able to discuss problems of interpretation of historical evidence and explore a variety of historical approaches through a case study using primary and secondary sources.
Teaching and learning
strategiesLectures (2 x1 hours per week)
Seminars (1 hour per week)
Pre- and post-essay tutorials (0.5 hours each)
Private Study (12 hours per week)
Learning support
• indicative reading/reference
Braybon, G. & Summerfield, P., Out of the Cage. Women's Experiences in Two World Wars, London:Pandora, 1987
Broad. R. & Fleming, S., Nella Last's War. A Mother's Diary 1939-1945, Bristol: Falling Wall Press, 1981
Calder, A., The People's War: Britain 1939-1945, London: JonathanCape, 1969
Carr, E.H., What is History? London: Penguin, 1961 (2nd ed. 1987)
Jordanova, L., History in Practice, London: Arnold, 2000
Tosh, J., The Pursuit of History, Pearson: Harlow, 4th ed., 2006, (first published 1984)
Specialist materials and equipment
Course Reader
Assessment• Assessment tasks
(i) 2 x 800 word essays
(ii) Seminar Presentation and Participation
(iii) Unseen examination.
• Assessment criteria
The essays taken together are assessed in relation to all Learning Objectives, with particular attention to students’ ability to: (i) produce a clearly structured and cogently argued essay; (ii) draw on a range of historical resources and demonstrate their relevance to the question at hand; (iii) identify the key issues and problems in their analysis, and in the upper range begin to question the assumptions of the texts discussed; (iv) demonstrate an ability to deploy key concepts in the analysis of historiographical issues and of primary and secondary historical material related to Britain during the Second World War.
The seminarsand oral presentations are assessed in relation to: (i) students’ ability to contribute effectively to group work,
responding and listening appropriately to the contributions of
others; (ii) clarity of thought and of argument in presentation; (iii)
knowledge of key concepts and arguments in relation to required
reading.
Exams
• Assessment process
All essays are assessed by the tutor and then discussed with each student on return.
Seminars are assessed continuously by the tutor. All students receive feedback on their contributions from the tutor, and marks and comments are also fed back to students at the end of the semester.
Examinations are assessed at the end of the semester.
TitleStudying Cultures
CodeHC152
Level 1
Credit rating30
Pre-requisitesNormally admission onto the Humanities programme.
Type of unitCompulsory
Two weekly lectures of 1 hour each; weekly seminar of 1.5 hours; pre- and post essay tutorials.
IntroductionThis unit introduces fundamental concepts and basic methodologies in cultural studies, focusing on the distinction between ‘lived cultures’ and ‘cultural texts’, grounded in case studies from Britain in the period 1968-74.
AimsThis unit aims to(i) introduce key concepts and theories in cultural studies and their application in the analysis of actual cultures, (ii) promote understanding of cultural conflict over ‘the British way of life’ centred on questions of ‘race’, gender, class and youth at a key moment of historical change, (iii) develop awareness of the structuring of meanings, values and identities by cultural texts, and the ability to analyse a range of narratives in relation to their historical context.
ContentThis unit introduces two key approaches in the study of cultures: historical analysis of ‘lived cultures’, and critical reading of ‘cultural texts’. It examines key concepts and theories of culture that underpin these approaches, and explores how to apply them in case studies from Britain in the period 1968-74. Consideration is given first to the problem of how to conceptualize culture in Britain at this time as a ‘whole way of life’. Contemporary perceptions of changes to and restructuring of ‘the British way of life’ are investigated, using theories of ideology, hegemony and cultural conflict over meanings, values and identities. Specific instances of conflict involving questions of ‘race’, gender, class and youth are situated and explored within this historical context. Attention turns next to the structuring of meanings, values and identities by cultural texts, with a particular emphasis on forms of narrative. Theories of cultural representation and signification are introduced and applied to the analysis of language, narrative conventions, visual rhetoric and ideology in various texts produced during 1968-74, ranging from a girls’ magazine to an avant garde film. The unit concludes with critical interpretation of two complex narratives - a ‘popular’ film and a ‘literary’ novel - read in relation to the conflicts and ideologies of lived culture, both at the moment of their production and at the present time.
Learning outcomesBy the end of the unit students will: (i) be familiar with some basic methodologies of cultural studies, laying the foundations for the work of Levels 2 and 3; (ii) have begun to develop their capacities for independent and self-motivated learning; (iii) have developed their abilities to organise and present argument through oral and written work; (iv) have gained an introductory understanding of key concepts and explored their use in analysing cultural conflicts in Britain from 1968-74, (v) be able to analyse the structuring of meanings, values and identities in a range of cultural texts with reference both to their formal conventions and historical context.
Teaching and learning
strategiesLectures (2 hours per week)
Seminars (11/2 hours per week)
Pre- and post essay tutorials: 0.5 hours each
Private Study (14 hours per week)
Learning support• indicative reading/reference
Barthes, Roland. Mythologies.London: Vintage. 2000.
Bennett, Tony, and Woolacott, Janet. Bond and Beyond: the Political Career of a Popular Hero.Basingstoke: Macmillan Education. 1987.
Cohan, Steven, and Shires, Linda M. Telling Stories: A Theoretical Analysis of Narrative Fiction. London: Routledge. 1988.
Gilroy, Paul. ‘There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack’: The Cultural Politics of ‘Race’ and Nation. London: Hutchinson. 1987.
Mitchell, Juliet. Women’s Estate.Harmondsworth: Penguin. 1971.
Turner, Graeme. British Cultural Studies: An Introduction. (Second edition.) London and New York: Routledge. 1996.
• specialist materials and equipment
Course Reader.
Assessment(1) 2 x 1000 word essays
(2) Seminar Presentation and Participation
(3) Examination
• Assessment criteria
The essays taken together are assessed in relation to all five Learning Outcomes, with particular attention to students’ ability to (i) produce a clearly structured and cogently argued essay; (ii) draw on a range of interdisciplinary resources and demonstrate their relevance to the question at hand; (iii) identify the key issues and problems in their analysis, and in the upper range begin to question the assumptions of the texts discussed; (iv) demonstrate an ability to deploy key concepts in the analysis of lived cultures and cultural texts in Britain in the period 1968-74.
The seminars and oral presentations are assessed in relation to (i) students’ ability to contribute effectively to group work, listening and responding appropriately to the contributions of others, (ii) clarity of thought and of argument in presentation, (iii) knowledge of key concepts and arguments in relation to required reading.
• Assessment process
All essays are assessed by the tutor, and then discussed with each student on return.
Seminars are assessed continuously by the tutor. All students receive feedback on their contributions from the tutor, and marks and comments are also fed back to students at the end of the semester.
Examinations are assessed at the end of the semester.
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TitleDemocracy: From Athens to Baghdad
CodeHC153
Level 1
Credit rating30
Pre-requisitesNone
Type of unitCompulsory
Two weekly lectures of 1 hour each; weekly seminar of 1.5 hours; 2 hours pre- and post-essay tutorials
IntroductionThis unit introduces fundamental concepts and basic methodologies in democratic theory.
AimsThis unit aims to (i) to introduce the learning and teaching strategies of the degree with emphasis on the development of students’ abilities to organise and present argument, both written and oral; (ii) encourage critical reflection on the cultural, political and material preconditions for democracy;(iii) develop awareness of a set of key texts and methods relevant to thinking critically about democratic societies.
ContentDemocracy as a contested term goes to the heart of debates about the exercise of power in the contemporary world, and is not solely about governance. This unit introduces students to the histories and contexts within which the concept and practice of democracy developed. Students study classical, republican, liberal, Marxist, communitarian, and global conceptualisation of democracy. In each case the cultural, political and historical context of these practices of government is critically discussed and their relevance to current circumstances considered. The unit addresses the cultural preconditions for democratic freedoms and the representation of democratic values in the social and political movements which have fought to establish democratic freedoms. It also introduces the different forms of inequality that characterise most democracies.
Learning outcomesBy the end of the unit students will: (1) be familiar with the contested terrain on which historical struggles for democracy have been fought; (2) have developed their capacities for independent and self-motivated learning; (3) have developed their abilities to organise and present argument through oral and written work; (4) have gained an introductory understanding of interdisciplinary ways of working; (5) be able to analyse the limitations of current forms of democratic practice relating these to the cultures and histories within which democracy has been fostered.
Teaching and learning
strategiesLectures (2 hours per week)
Seminars (1.5 hour per week)
Pre- and post essay tutorials: 0.5 hours each
Private Study (14 hours per week)
Learning support• indicative reading/reference
*Held, DavidModels of Democracy, Cambridge, Polity, 2006.
Dunn, J Setting the People Free: The Story of Democracy, London: Atlantic Books, 2006.
Hobsbawm, E,Globalisation, Democracy and Terrorism, London: Abacus, 2008.
Dahl R Who Governs?New Haven: Yale, 2005.
Machiavelli, N The Discourses, London: Penguin Books, 2003.
Aristotle, The Politics, London: Penguin Books, 1992.
Gutmann, Amy Identity in Democracy, Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press, 2004.
Assessment(1) 2 x 1000 word essays
(2) Seminar Presentation and Participation
(3) Unseen Examination
• Assessment criteria
The essays are assessed in relation to all five Learning Objectives, with particular attention to students’ ability to (1) produce a clearly structured and cogently argued essay; (2) draw on a range of interdisciplinary resources and demonstrate their relevance to the question at hand; (3) identify the key issues and problems in their analysis, and in the upper range begin to question the assumptions of the texts discussed; (4) demonstrate knowledge of a range of debates and perspectives on the history of democracy.
The seminars and oral presentations are assessed in relation to (1) students’ ability to contribute effectively to group work, listening and responding appropriately to the contributions of others, (2) clarity of thought and of argument in presentation, (3) knowledge of key concepts and arguments in relation to required reading.
• Assessment process
All essays are assessed by the tutor, and then discussed with each student on return.
All seminars are assessed weekly. Students are advised of their marks at the end of the semester.
Students are examined at the end of the semester.
TitleAcademic Development Programme Year One
Code: HC154
Level: Level 1
Credit rating: 20 credits
Pre-requisites:
Type of unitCompulsory two semester course.
Fortnightly lectures and group meetings.
IntroductionThis unit provides the necessary study skills for first year undergraduate work.
AimsThis unit aims to (i) introduce students to effective learning strategies for higher education; (ii) to enable students to plan, structure and write essays using the appropriate referencing and bibliographical conventions; (iii) to introduce students to the use of electronic communications, library and other learning resources; (iv) to support and guide students in the development of the necessary skills for seminar participation and presentations.
ContentThrough a series of workshops students are acquainted with key elements of higher education learning modes: note-taking for lectures, seminars and independent study; seminar preparation, participation and presentations; resources for independent study; revision strategies and exam technique. Students receive specialist input at the appropriate moments on bibliographical searching and the effective utilisation of reading lists. Integral to the delivery of the course is increasing familiarisation with assessment criteria and procedure, placing emphasis on the role of pre and post-essay tutorials, of seminar report feedback. Assessment takes the form of preparation for degree choices through bibliographic searches, written submissions, and participation in workshops.