MSc International Events Management
Module Handbook:
Experiencing Events (MMN809535)
Module Leader: Dr Matt Frew
Division of Cultural Business (DCB)
2009/10 Semester A
Credit Points 15
Pre-requisites: None
Introduction
This module aims to examine the experience of international events from the perspective of the contemporary consumer. It highlights the atomizing impacts of Western consumer culture and the attraction, re-animation and enchantment experience in the consumption of international events. International events are critically analyzed as sites of spectacle and neo-tribal identity that perpetuate and legitimate cultural consumption. The module draws upon and applies, through case evidence, critical theory to focus on the range of possible consumptions and their respective cultural significances.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
¨ Analyse contemporary preoccupations in the consumption of international events;
¨ Evaluate the theoretical positions upon the roles and typologies of consumers of international events;
¨ Analyse the influences of contemporary culture, lifestyles and settings on the experience of international events;
¨ Evaluate aspects of the experience and attention economies upon the context of international events;
¨ Highlight key trends facing those currently delivering leisure in the public, commercial and voluntary sectors.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
A programme of distance learning materials will form the core of the module material, utilising readings, recorded audio lectures, and Blackboard discussion contributions. The key contact hours will centre on two eight hour weekends delivered via a case study approach and involving a series of interactive seminars, guest speakers, field visits, Blackboard evaluations and discussion of formative assessments. A second and final phase of further distance learning thereafter will prepare students for necessary reflection for the summative case study assessment.
The primary hub of delivery for the module will be via the web based learning resource Blackboard. Lectures will be uploaded in MP3 format for students to download and listen to at their leisure. Each lecture will be 30-40 minutes in length and students will have access to these lectures a week in advance (this will allow students time to have listened to lectures prior to the intensive teaching weekends (which take place at the end of weeks 4 and 8). Lectures will be accompanied by a number of set readings which can be downloaded from the Blackboard site.
A Discussion Board will run simultaneously alongside lectures. Here students can interact with fellow students and module staff. In the first four weeks ‘discussion threads’ will be posted for students to practice and become comfortable with this medium of communication. This is essential as the module carries an examined element of Discussion Board (assessed content from weeks 5 through 8).
Notional Student Hours
Lectures 8
Seminars 16
Independent Learning 100
Directed Learning 16
Assessment 10
Total Hours 150
Transferable skills
This module aims to provide students with the following transferable skills:
§ C & I.T. skills
§ Critical and analytical skills
§ Interactive and group skills
§ Independent learning
Attendance Policy
Students must allow adequate time each week to engage with the materials provided. Presence and contributions to discussion threads is essential for the collegiate and collective nature of the learning experience of the module. Attendance at the intensive weekends is a compulsory requirement. If a situation occurs which may jeopardise contributions and, in particular, attendance at the intensive weekend’s students must inform the MSc Programme Leader (Jenny Flinn) at the first available opportunity.
Staff Information
Dr Matt Frew
Room M318 (George Moore Building)
+44 (0) 141 331 8468
Jenny Flinn
Room M314 (George Moore Building)
+44 (0) 141 331 3061
Experiencing Events: At a Glance 2009
Lecture & weekend programme
This sheet gives an overview of the module structure, content, timeline and delivery team. Audio Lectures will be pre-loaded on the Blackboard site for students to access and download a week in advance. This will allow students time to acquaint themselves with materials prior to the intensive teaching weekends. These lectures will provide generic coverage. This module, as with others, is supported by Case Studies drawn from across the international events industries. The FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 will be used as the Teaching Case Study for the module and will provide primary contextualisation, though not exclusively, at the first intensive teaching weekend. The Teaching Case Study will be loaded on Blackboard, and can be accessed, from week one of the module programme. Additionally, students will be directed to contribute to a Discussion Forum to discuss, interact and clarify points of content with their lecturer and fellow students.
This teaching and learning will culminate with the Intensive Teaching Weekends in weeks four and eight. These Intensive Teaching Weekends will have a comprehensive programme of activities. They are designed to facilitate a learning experience that is collaborative and challenging but informally interactive and fun. As such they will draw upon a series of support materials such as PDF articles, MPEG4 video clips, JPEG image files and web links. The focus of these weekends demands student assertiveness, energy and enthusiasm. It is emphasised that these Intensive Teaching Weekends will be student led with sessions facilitated, rather than directed, by the lecturing team. Therefore, students must engage with lecture content, materials provided and complete the readings (as indicated) to ensure the value of these sessions.
Lecture Content / Discussion Board Threads / Essential (e) and Recommended (r) Readings1. Emergence of the experience economy
(Matt Frew) / Non-Assessed General Discussion (Loaded weekly) / (e) Pine, J. P. and Gilmore, J. H. (1998) Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp. 97-105.
(e) Pine, J.P. and Gilmour, J.H. (2002) Customer Experience Places: the new offering frontier. Strategy and Leadership, Vol. 30 (4), pp. 4-11.
2. Experiential consumption: a critical journey
(Matt Frew) / Non-Assessed General Discussion (Loaded weekly) / (e) Miles, S. (2001) Social Theory in the Real World, London, Sage: Ch 4
(r) Holt, D. (1995) ‘How Consumers Consume: A Typology of Consumption Practices’, In The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 22, No. 1: 1-16.
3. Events: symbolic meaning and value
(Matt Frew) / Non-Assessed General Discussion (Loaded weekly) / (e) Waterman, S. (1998) ‘Carnivals for elites? The cultural politics of arts festivals’, in Progress in Human Geography, Vol. 22, No. 54.
(r) Richards, G. and Wilson, J. (2004) ‘The Impact of Cultural Events on City Image: Rotterdam, Cultural Capital of Europe 2001’, In Urban Studies, Vol. 41, No. 10.
(r) Sullivan, O. and Gershuny, J. (2004) ‘Inconspicuous Consumption: Work-Rich, Time-Poor in the Liberal Market Economy’, In Journal of Consumer Culture, Vol. 4, No. 79
4. Authenticity and Identity: lifestyle experiences
(Matt Frew) / Non-Assessed General Discussion (Loaded weekly) / (e) Harris, D. (2005) Key Concepts in Leisure Studies, London: Sage Ch 24.
(r) Muller, D. K. and Pettersson, R. (2006) ‘Sámi Heritageat the Winter Festival in Jokkmokk, Sweden’, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, Vol. 6, No. 1: 54-69
(r) G. McCartney and Osti, L. (2007) Cultural Events to Sport Events: A Case Study of Cultural Authenticity in the Dragon Boat Races’ In Journal of Sport & Tourism, Vol. 12, No1: 25-40
5. Accelerating and Accentuating Experiences
(Matt Frew) / Assessed Discussion / (e) Hannigan, J. (2006) ‘”Sanitized razzmatazz’: technology, simulated experience and the culture of consumption’, In Fantasy City: Pleasure and profit in the postmodern metropolis, London: Routledge.
(r) Manzenreiter, W. (2006)
Sport spectacles, uniformities and the search for identity in late modern Japan’ In The Sociological Review
6. Enchantment and Alienation: managing modern event experiences
(Matt Frew) / Assessed Discussion / (e) Ritzer, G (1999) Enchanting a disenchanted world London: Routledge
(r) Gabriel, Y. (2005) ‘Glass Cages and Glass Palaces: Images of Organization in Image-Conscious Times’, in Organization, Vol 12, No. 9
7. Deviance and resistance in Events Experiences
(Matt Frew) / Assessed Discussion / (e) Kates, S. M. and Belk, R.W. (2001) ‘The Meanings of Lesbian and Gay Pride Day: Resistance through Consumption and Resistance to Consumption’, In Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Vol: 30, No. 392.
(r) Toohey, K., Taylor, T. and Lee, C. (2003) The FIFAWorldCup2002: The Effects of Terrorism onSport Tourists’, In Journal of Sport Tourism, Vol. 8, No. 3: 167–185
(r) Jamieson, K. (2004) ‘Edinburgh: The Festival Gaze and Its Boundaries’, in Space and Culture, Vol. 7, No. 64
8. The consumer as ‘performer’
(Matt Frew) / Assessed Discussion / (e) Frew, M. and McGillivray, D. (2008) ‘Exploring Hyper Experiences: Performing the Fan at Germany 2006’, in Journal of Sport & Tourism, Vol. 13, No. 3: 181-198.
(e) Azara, I and Crouch, D. (2006) ‘La Cavalcata Sarda: performing Identities in a Contemporary Sardinian Festival’, in Festivals, Tourism and Social Change: remaking worlds, Toronto: Channel View Publications
(r) Bennett, A. (1999) Subcultures or Neo-Tribes? Rethinking the Relationship between Youth, Style and Musical, Sociology, Vol, 33, No. 3.
Assessments
There are two elements of assessment for this module:
1. Discussion Board Assessment (30%)
The first assignment will consist of an assessed contribution to the blog discussion board. This assignment will take place in weeks 5-8 and will be worth 30% of the final mark for this module.
Students will be introduced to the Discussion Board format in weeks 1-4 in order to provide preparation for this element of the assessment. Initial discussion threads will look to engage students with this format in an easy and informal manner. The module team will develop and encourage responses through question threads that relate to the content of the lectures.
In week 5 the module staff will post an assessment thread which will ask students to provide an original contribution of 500 words. In addition, each student will be asked to provide a 500 word response to a contribution from a fellow student. These contributions will be marked using the discussion board marking criteria which can be found further on in this handbook.
2. Assessed Case Study (70%)
The second assignment will be a summative assessment based upon a case study. Students will be provided with a case study in week 7 which they should familiarise themselves with before attending the second conference weekend. Following on from this conference weekend students will be issued with two questions that relate to the case study. Each question will have a total wordage limit of 2000 words each and will be equally weighted.
This assessment is worth 70% of the final mark.
This assessment is designed to meet the requirements of the following learning outcomes:
1. Analyse contemporary preoccupations in the consumption of international events;
2. Evaluate the theoretical positions upon the roles and typologies of consumers of international events;
3. Analyse the influences of contemporary culture, lifestyles and settings on the experience of international events
4. Evaluate aspects of the experience and attention economies upon the context of international events
Feedback Strategy
In accordance with the Division of Cultural Business Feedback Strategy all modules adopt three mechanisms for feedback. These are related to general module content, formative and summative assessment and are:
General Module Issues – through the blog portal students will be able to access a ‘module issues’ discussion board. This mechanism provides on going feedback for students. Here students can post questions regarding general module content and any issues which may arise. Anonymous posts are enabled on this board. Feedback for this discussion board will be given within 48 hours of posting.
Discussion Board – the discussion board element of the assessment will provide formal feedback via the ‘Discussion Board Marking Criteria and Feedback’ proforma shown overleaf. Students will be able to access such feedback within 3 weeks of the submission date. Should students wish to discuss their performance they are asked to contact the module leader.
Case Study Assessment – the case study assessment will provide formal feedback via the ‘Assessment Marking Criteria and Feedback’ proforma shown overleaf. Students will be able to access such feedback within 3 weeks of the submission date. If students should wish to discuss their assessment performance they should contact the module leader.
Discussion Board Marking Criteria and Feedback
MSc International Events Management
Discussion Board Feedback Sheet
Name:
Matric Number:
Date Marked:
Marked by:
Mark for Original Contribution: Mark for Response:
Final Mark:
Original Discussion Board Contribution / % Marks Available / % Marks AwardedPresentation: including standard of written English / 5%
Structure of the Submission: Ensures that the response is relevant to the assignment and constructs a logical argument. / 10%
Knowledge and Understanding:. Ability to accurately outline relevant concepts, theories, policies and/or practice / 25%
Use of Evidence: Draws on appropriate materials (e.g. course materials, texts, web-sites) and personal reflection whilst excluding extraneous materials. Examines materials critically / 20%
Analysis and Evaluation: Demonstrates critical analysis and exploration of relevant issues. Examines the relationship between theory and practice and engages in self-evaluation where appropriate. / 25%
Conclusions: Demonstrates an ability to develop clear and coherent conclusions and recommendations relevant to the purpose of the assignment. / 15%
Structure: -50% 50-60% 60-70% 70%+
Relevance / Response lacks relevance to the assignment / Attempts have been made to respond but this is limited in its scope / Response adheres to the assignment but loses focus in places / Response adheres fully to the assignment
Sequencing / Under developed and poorly structured response / Attempts have been made to structure response but fails to fully support the response / Structure is satisfactory although further development may have enhanced / Well written, providing a well developed and structured argument
Knowledge and Understanding:
Theory / Little understanding shown / Some understanding but without clear links to purpose of response / Sound discussion of relevant theory with some linkage to purpose of response / Full and precise understanding of theory demonstrated with sufficient depth to underpin response
Practical Application / No attempt to integrate theory with practical application / Limited attempt to integrate theory with practice / Makes good linkage between theory and practice using examples where required but could be further developed / Demonstrates clear links between theory and practice using relevant examples where appropriate