BA Philosophy and Film Studies (VP53)

Course Code UNU1VP53301
Duration 3 Years
Attendance Full Time
Award Degree of Bachelor of Arts

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Overview

Blade Runner, Memento, The Matrix: many films illustrate philosophical themes and problems. Can film do more and actually do philosophy? Can cinema argue as well as show? And what can philosophy bring to the study of film, to our understanding of the practise of film-making, to films as texts? These kinds of question can be explored in the BA in Philosophy and Film Studies, which offers an interdisciplinary study of two subjects that are deeply interlinked, at least in the manner in which they are taught by staff in the Schools of Philosophy and Film & TV Studies. Students engage fully in the disciplines of philosophy and film studies.

Course Structure

Year 1

This year includes introductions to philosophical reasoning and to the history of the subject via major modern philosophers, to methods and issues in studying films and to the history of modern cinema. You take six compulsory modules, three from each discipline:

Classic Readings in Philosophy
Reasoning and Logic
Modern Readings in Philosophy
Studies in Film History
Analysing Film and Television
What is Film History?

Year 2

You must take the compulsory film module Film Theory plus another second-level module from a list which presently includes options in the economics of film and television, other film modules as well as modules in Literature and Politics for example. And you must take any two second-level philosophy modules, from a wide range of options including Aesthetics, Mind, Religion, Ethics, and many historical modules. Film & Literature as Philosophy must be taken either in the second year or the third year. In addition, you are entitled to two free choice modules, which can be chosen from any eligible module within the University. You may choose to focus, doing more philosophy or film modules, or to broaden your interests by taking modules from another humanity, a social science or even a science (subject to satisying any entry requirements). Or you can take a language or a more practical career-based module, in preparation for employment after university.

Year 3

You must take any two level 3 philosophy modules; again these are drawn from a wide range of options. And you must take two level 3 film modules, from a list that might include Ethnicity in American Film, Genre and Gender, and Contemporary Japanese Visual Media. Some students choose the dissertation module (in either philosophy or film) in the final year: the 10,000-word dissertation, on a philosophical or film studies subject, or interdisciplinary between the two, is prepared under the guidance of a tutor. (This is recommended for students thinking of going on to do postgraduate study).

Teaching and Assessment

This degree is taught jointly by the School of Philosophy and the School of Film and Television Studies.

Philosophy thrives on discussion and the exchange of views. Only some parts of it can be done in large lecture classes. So we do have some of those—but when we do, they are designed to set you thinking, not to tell you facts. It's about learning how to think, and how to express what you think, not learning what to say. All the units have small group seminars or tutorials in which you work on the problems with a member of staff.

During the year your written work is marked by the seminar tutors. They give you comments and feedback to help you improve. Time is set aside for you to call on the lecturers to discuss your work or to get individual guidance.

Assessment is by a mixture of essays, longer projects or dissertation, and examinations. Each unit has its own mix of assessment. The degree result is calculated from the results of all the units in your final two years. You can find more information on the modules available on this course on the 'What will I study?' page.

Course Organiser

Dr Jeremy Goodenough

Course Brochure

View Course Brochure

Related Courses

Entry Requirements

A Level ABB-BBB
International Baccalaureate 32-31 points
Scottish Advanced Highers ABB-BBB
Irish Leaving Certificate AABBBB
Access Course Please contact the university for further information
HND Please contact the university for further information
European Baccalaureate 75%

Students for whom English is a foreign language

If English is not your first language you must have a recognised English Language qualification: Minimum IELTS 6.5 with a 6 in each sub-section, or TOEFL 585 (238 CBT / 93 IBT). Please contact us for more information about other qualifications that we may consider.

Interviews

The School does not currently interview all applicants for undergraduate entry as standard, however we may interview mature students, those returning to study or applicants with alternative qualifications. All applicants who are made an offer are given the opportunity to meet with an academic on a Visit Day in order to gain a deeper insight into the course(s) you have applied for.

Gap Year

We welcome applications for deferred entry, believing that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry and may wish to contact the appropriate Admissions Office directly to discuss this further.

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.

GCSE Offer

Students are required to have Mathematics and English at grade C or above at GCSE level.

Assessment

For the majority of candidates the most important factors in assessing the application will be past and future achievement in examinations, academic interest in the subject being applied for, personal interest and extra-curricular activities and the confidential reference. We consider applicants as individuals and accept students from a very wide range of educational backgrounds and spend time considering your application in order to reach an informed decision relating to your application. Typical offers are indicated above. Please note, there may be additional subject entry requirements specific to individual degree courses.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Year 1

Compulsory Study (100 credits)

Students will select 100 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Analysing Film and Television The module is designed to provide students with core study skills and techniques and methods of textual analysis. The module will cover the analysis of a range of formal features and frameworks such as narrative, mise-en-scene, camera work, editing and sound used in the analysis of film and television. The study skills covered will include use of the library and internet for research, as well as note taking, essay planning and the conventions of academic writing. In the process the module will cover issues such as referencing and plagiarism. It will be taught by lecture, seminar and screening. more...	FTVF1F09	20	Semester 1
Classic Readings in Philosophy This introductory module for first year students is designed to invite you into philosophical enquiry by way of a detailed study of some of the most famous books by the founding fathers of Western Philosophy. The set texts typically include a classic work by Plato, from the birth of philosophy in Classical Greece, and a classic work by Descartes, the father of modern philosophy. One or two texts by Aristotle or later Greek and Mediaeval thinkers may also be included. The texts are studied in modern English. No prior knowledge of philosophy is required, and this module is suitable for students from other disciplines who are taking no other philosophy modules It is taught annually. more...	PHI-1A01	20	Semester 1
Modern Readings in Philosophy This module introduces students to the history of modern philosophy by studying the work of a number of major philosophers, including Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Russell and Wittgenstein. We look at the different answers they give to a common set of problems, beginning with problems in epistemology, i.e. problems about the nature and limits of human knowledge, about what we can know and how we can know it. These problems then connect with questions about what the world must be like in order for us to know it and what we (our minds) must be like in order to know the world. Close reading of texts is assessed by argument analysis exercises and there is also an examination. The module is taught annually. more...	PHI-1A04	20	Semester 2
Studies in Film History This module provides an introduction to the narrative history of film from the mid 20th century to the present, as it is commonly understood within Film Studies. The purpose here is not to convince students of the rightness of this history but rather to familiarise them with the key points of reference in the field. The module is also designed to familiarise students with a range of objects and methods within the practice of film history and to use these to encourage students to start asking questions about the construction of the established and accepted narrative of film history. more...	FTVF1F06	20	Semester 2
What Is Film History? This module provides an introduction to the narrative history of film in the late 19th century and early 20th century, as it is commonly understood within Film Studies. The purpose here is not to convince students of the rightness of this history but rather to familiarise them with the key points of reference in the field. The module is also designed to familiarise students with a range of objects and methods within the practice of film history and to use these to encourage students to start asking questions about the construction of the established and accepted narrative of film history. more...	FTVF1F11	20	Semester 1

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Great Books In `Great Books', students will read three or four of the greatest books that the world has ever seen. The module will normally be team-taught, with experts on the books in question lecturing on them and seminars following in which the books will be close-read. `Great Books' will be themed each year: possible examples of themes include 'Literary masterpieces on existential and spiritual need' (e.g. a Greek tragedy, Augustine's City of God, Nietzsche's Thus spoke Zarathustra, and Coetzee's Disgrace); or 'Great books of science' (e.g. Galileo's Dialogues, Darwin's Origin of Species, Freud's Interpretation of Dreams); or 'The essence of religion' (e.g. Feuerbach's The essence of religion, Buber's I and thou, Tolstoy's The gospel in brief and Gandhi's Hind Swaraj); or 'War and philosophy' (e.g. Sun-Tze's The art of war, Machiavelli's The Prince, Kant's Perpetual peace, Primo Levi's, If this is a man). The module is assessed on the basis of two essays. `Great Books' is suitable for students from across the university. more...	PHI-1A08	20	Semester 2
Reasoning and Logic Philosophy is the study of arguments. But what exactly are philosophical arguments and how can we handle them? How should we read, understand and interpret philosophical texts? And how can we develop arguments ourselves? This module is designed to equip students with basic philosophical skills for answering these questions. The module is taught annually. more...	PHI-1A06	20	Semester 2

Year 2

Compulsory Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Film Theory This module explores aspects of film theory as it has developed over the last hundred years or so. It encompasses topics including responses to cinema by filmmaker theorists such as Sergei Eisenstein; influential formulations of and debates about realism and film aesthetics associated with writers and critics such as Andr?? Bazin, Siegfried Kracauer, Rudolf Arnheim and Bela B??l??zs; the impact of structuralism, theories of genre, narrative and models of film language; theories of authorship; feminist film theory and its emphasis on psychoanalysis; intertextuality; theories of race and representation; reception models. The module is taught by lecture, screening and seminar. Students will work with primary texts - both films and theoretical writings - and have the opportunity to explore in their written work the ways in which film theories can be applied to film texts. more...	FTVF2F43	20	Semester 1

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).

Name

Code

Credits

Period

Adaptation: Shakespeare On Stage and Screen

This module explores the rich dramatic and cinematic traditions of Shakespearean adaptation. It considers a range of adaptations, from the seventeenth-century restoration versions of Macbeth, King Lear and The Tempest to more recent film versions of Shakespeare's plays, examining the light that adaptive transformations may cast on both the original plays and on the different social and cultural circumstances of the new productions. Through exploration of specific adaptations of Macbeth, King Lear and Henry V, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet, the module explores the place of Shakespeare's plays on the Caribbean stage, in Japanese film, in Germany and Britain in the 1930s and 1940s, and in more contemporary twentieth and twenty-first-century culture. more...

LDCD2X45

Semester 1

An Introduction to Latin American Film

Recent Latin American films like the Mexican 'Love's A Bitch' and the Brazilian 'City of God' have received critical acclaim at home and abroad and have been great commercial successes. This module takes these films as its starting point and moves on to offer a survey of Latin American cinema up to the present day, including golden age, 'pulp' cinema and horror genres, political cinema, recent co-productions, the cinema of 'smaller' countries, and grassroots video work. more...

LCS-2H57

Semester 1

Politics and Mass Media

Mass media are an inescapable part of contemporary political life. This module examines the many dimensions of mass media's political involvement. We start with arguments about media power, and then go on to look at questions of media bias, before turning to the ways in which political communication has changed (and is changing). We look at the role of the state in using and controlling mass media and the new techniques of media management. This leads to a discussion about media effects. We end by asking what is meant by a democratic media and how new media are changing the relationship between politics and media. This module links closely to Level 3 modules such as Political Communication and Politics and Popular Culture. more...

PSI-2A02

Semester 2

Subtitling and Dubbing (Level 2)

This module is an introduction to aspects of subtitling and dubbing in different media and multimedia contexts (television, radio, cinema, world wide web), and to issues associated with these activities in the age of globalisation. A range of materials and processes will be considered (e.g. film subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, subtitling and dubbing in news reports or documentaries, subtitling and dubbing in the context of multimedia localisation) to investigate key features and concerns involved in transposing text across communication channels, media, forms and codes. Assessment commensurate with level. Taught with LCS-3T17. more...

LCS-2T11

Semester 1

The Economics of Film and TV

The module examines the economic underpinning of Film and Television production and the likely directions of these industries. What will happen to the quality of television programmes after the digital revolution? Why are movie stars paid such fabulous sums of money? Should the BBC continue to exist? And, if so, should it be funded by the licence fee? Why does Hollywood dominate the film industry? These are some of the questions addressed by the module. No previous knowledge of economics is assumed. more...

ECO-2B09

Semester 1

The Economics of Film and TV (Cw)

This is a coursework only version of ECO-2B09 The Economics of Film and TV. more...

ECO-2B09C

Semester 1

You may also pick any of the modules that begin with:

FTVF2F

Film Theory This module explores aspects of film theory as it has developed over the last hundred years or so. It encompasses topics including responses to cinema by filmmaker theorists such as Sergei Eisenstein; influential formulations of and debates about realism and film aesthetics associated with writers and critics such as Andr?? Bazin, Siegfried Kracauer, Rudolf Arnheim and Bela B??l??zs; the impact of structuralism, theories of genre, narrative and models of film language; theories of authorship; feminist film theory and its emphasis on psychoanalysis; intertextuality; theories of race and representation; reception models. The module is taught by lecture, screening and seminar. Students will work with primary texts - both films and theoretical writings - and have the opportunity to explore in their written work the ways in which film theories can be applied to film texts. more...	FTVF2F43	20	Semester 1
Media Internship AVAILABLE ONLY TO STUDENTS ON COURSE(S): U1W610301 and U1P300302. This module is intended to provide students with an opportunity to experience working within a media organisation. The organisation will provide a clear sense of their structure and activities and students will work to a precise job description. The internship will therefore offer students the opportunity to work as individuals within a team and develop skills and experience vital to future career in the media. more...	FTVF2F42	20	Semester 2
Popular Music This module encourages students to explore the ways in which popular music has been understood by scholars in the field of media and cultural studies. The module will examine the debates over popular music industries, texts and audiences, and incorporate an exploration of a range of popular musical forms, including folk music, rock, pop, rap and/or hip-hop, and dance music cultures. It will also examine the relations of popular music to other media, such as television and the internet. more...	FTVF2F52	20	Semester 2
Film and Television Studies Semester Abroad A Semester Abroad for students in the School of Film and Television Studies. more...	FTVF2F98	60	Semester 2
Research Training The module is designed to provide students with the key concepts and methods necessary to devise and execute an independent research project whether using traditional academic methods or practice based research. As a result, it will cover the key processes involved in devising and focusing a research project, reflexively undertaking the research itself and writing up one's results. In the process, students will be shown how to position their work in relation to an intellectual context; devise the research questions that are practical and realistic; and developing research methods through which to address these questions. The module will be taught by lecture and seminar. more...	FTVF2F34	20	Semester 2
British Cinema and the Past Literary adaptations, historical epics, war films, spoofs, bio-pics and romantic comedies: British films feature a range of filmmaking styles that deal with and represent 'the past'. This module examines the prominent position that period films have occupied within British film culture of the last century. Their enduring popularity among both filmmakers and audiences raises a range of aesthetic, ideological and practical issues. What techniques and conventions do they use to depict the past? What visions of the British past do they offer? What pleasures do they provide for their audiences? How important are foreign audiences and investment? Do films about the past provide escapist entertainment, or do they enable filmmakers (and audiences) to address contemporary concerns? Investigating films such as 'Zulu', 'A Room with a View', 'Elizabeth', the 'Carry On' series and 'The Queen', the module examines the depiction of the past in British cinema from the 1930s to the present. The module is taught by seminar and screening. more...	FTVF2F18	20	Semester 2
Media Internship AVAILABLE ONLY TO STUDENTS ON COURSE(S): U1W610301 and U1P300302. This module is intended to provide students with an opportunity to experience working within a media organisation. The organisation will provide a clear sense of their structure and activities and students will work to a precise job description. The internship will therefore offer students the opportunity to work as individuals within a team and develop skills and experience vital to future career in the media. more...	FTVF2F41	20	Semester 1
Reception and Audience Studies in Film and Television This module seeks to understand the ways in which audiences engage with film and television. It will introduce students to some of the key research on, and theoretical debates about, audiences and the processes of reception, from work on encoding and decoding, through studies of the social activities of television consumption, to research on marketing, critical reception and exhibition. It will also introduce some of the methodological issues involved in the actual practice of doing audience studies. In this way, the module will not only encourage students to learn about the study of film and television audiences, but also equip them with the tools necessary to undertake their own studies. The module is taught by seminar. more...	FTVF2F29	20	Semester 1
Animation Animation is one of the most popular and least scrutinised areas of popular media culture. This module seeks to introduce students to animation as a mode of production through examinations of different aesthetics and types of animation from stop motion through to cel and CGI-based examples. It then goes on to discuss some of the debates around animation in relation to case study texts. Example debates include: who animation is for (children?), the limits of the term 'animation' in relation to CGI, the industrial frameworks for animation production (art vs commerce) and character vs star debates around animation icons. A range of approaches and methods will therefore be adopted within the module, including political economics, cultural industries, star studies and animation studies itself. The module is taught by seminar and screening. more...	FTVF2F33	20	Semester 1
The Business of Film and Television The module provides an intensive introduction to the business of film and television; including the development, financing, production, distribution and exploitation of films and television programmes. It is based around a detailed understanding of the film and television value chain, showing how different businesses and creative people work together to create and exploit programmes. It will also cover the process by which scripts or TV programme ideas are written and developed. Emphasis will be placed on UK, European and American Independent film models, as well as the US studio model. It includes a wide range of recent case studies and real-life examples, with companies from Pixar to Working Title, and film-makers from Ken Loach to Terry Gilliam. Issues raised will include the impact of new technologies; changing business models; the conflict between commerce and art; entrepreneurship and managing creative people; and the complex and difficult relationships between writers, directors, producers, executives, financiers, and distributors. It is a practical forward-looking course about current and future business practise, which will be a valuable foundation for anyone interested in working in the media, film or television sectors. It will also be valuable to anyone studying film and television programmes and culture, so that they can fully understand the financial and business context in which programmes are created. By the end of the module you will know how films and TV programmes get dreamt up, how they get developed, and how they get financed and distributed. You will learn how the industry actually works. more...	FTVF2F35	20	Semester 1
Script Analysis and Story Structure This module investigates the theory and practice of script analysis for film and television. Students will have an opportunity to learn professional approaches to reading and evaluating scripts and source material for production. The module will explore basic dramaturgy and learn a variety of paradigms to describe story structure and character development. Students will learn several approaches to evaluating material, and will have the opportunity to create industry standard story reports. Each week, students will read and analyze scripts and/or books, and then screen films based on the material. Seminars will introduce key concepts and explore the narrative elements in the scripts and final films. In addition, the unit will look at story development as a facet of media practice. The module will draw on a variety of texts. Original scripts will form the backbone of the module, but the reading will also include novels and other forms of source material. This will also include a brief survey of dramaturgy, from the `Poetics' to modern manuals for script analysis. Other readings will examine the area as media practice. Formative work will play an important role in the module. Students will produce written reports virtually every week, which they will peer-correct in small support groups. This provides an opportunity to work in a variety of formats or with different types of material. In addition, it provides much-needed practice, as it takes many repetitions to learn the proper style and produce effective, professional-style work. The instructor will monitor formative work submitted through the Portal/Blackboard. more...	FTVF2F64	20	Semester 2
Film and Authorship This module will introduce students to the theory and analysis of authorship within film. In the process, it will introduce students to the key theoretical debates over film authorship before moving on to examine a range of case studies. The module is taught by seminar and is supported by a separate programme of screenings. more...	FTVF2F36	20	Semester 2
Television Genre Work on television genre continues to draw on theories developed in relation to film, despite the fact that these theories have been heavily criticised. Not only can this ignore the differences between film and television genres, it can also work to privilege film over television, so that television is often seen as an inferior copy of genres developed elsewhere. The module will therefore explore the theory of genre in relation to television, the historical development of television genres, and the operation of genre in the production, mediation and consumption of television and its programmes. The module will also examine these debates in relation to concrete case studies. The module is taught by seminar and screening. more...	FTVF2F54	20	Semester 2
Film Genres Film Genres introduces students to the range of theories and methods used to account for the prevalence of genres within filmmaking. The module investigates historical changes in how film genres have been approached in order to consider how genres have been made use of by industry, critics and film audiences. Genre theories are explored through a range of case studies drawn from one or more of a range of popular American film genres that may include the Western, melodrama, romantic comedy, the road movie, the buddy movie, film noir, the gangster film, the war film and action/adventure film. In exploring concepts and case studies relating to film genres the module aims to demonstrate the impact of genres within contemporary culture. more...	FTVF2F71	20	Semester 1
British Cinema Since 1990 The period since 1990 has been one of rapid change in the British film industry and this module explores this changing landscape. It will explore key areas including institution (the role of screen agencies, the BFI and key film making institutions such as Aardman, Working Title and Warp films) and policy as well as looking at areas such as genres, stars and directors. We will consider the interplay between the British film industry and the wider global film industry and will draw on a range of both familiar and less well known texts in order to analyse some of the key developments in British cinema during this time and to consider how recent developments such as the closure of the Film Council might impact upon British cinema culture. more...	FTVF2F51	20	Semester 1

Option B Study (40 credits)

Students will select 40 credits from the following module(s).

You may pick any of the modules that begin with:

PHI-2

Semester Abroad - Autumn The School of Philosophy has various ERASMUS arrangements with European Universities where it is possible to spend a semester abroad. For more information on this please contact the ERASMUS Director, Dr O Kuusela. more...	PHI-2A21	60	Semester 1
Semester Abroad - Spring The School of Philosophy has various ERASMUS arrangements with European Universities where it is possible to spend a semester abroad. For more information on this please contact the ERASMUS Director, Dr O. Kuusela. more...	PHI-2A24	60	Semester 2
Language and Reality Twentieth century philosophy is characterised by a preoccupation with language. This attention involved a great deal of reflection on language itself and also on the possibility that traditional philosophical problems might be resolved or dissolved by thinking about the language in which the problems are posed. The period also witnessed great upheavals, with the rise and fall of logical positivism and ordinary language philosophy, the development of formal theories of meaning, and the eventual resurgence of pragmaticism and metaphysics. The module will explore these major themes through consideration of the work of major thinkers from the last fifty years, including Quine, Davidson, Putnam, and Kripke. This is a compulsory module for all students taking V500 Philosophy, and is available as an option for all other Philosophy students. more...	PHI-2A55	20	Semester 1
Knowledge and Perception The module provides a problem-focused introduction to epistemology. It explores how some simple and compelling arguments led to the view that whenever we perceive (see or hear, etc.) anything we (also) perceive `ideas' or `perceptions' in our minds, how this lastingly influential view led to some mind-boggling paradoxes that question the possibility of knowledge, and how the struggle with that view and its consequences led to the major philosophical theories of perception and to attempts to properly understand the concept of `knowledge' and related notions like `justification'. The module is assessed primarily by examination, but students must also give a seminar presentation. This module will be offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A66	20	Semester 2
Philosophy of Science As any intellectual enterprise, natural science poses fascinating and deep problems. Think e.g. of mechanics: in order to describe observable motion it appeals to such unobservable entities as forces, and in order to talk about real bodies it refers to ideal entities like points endowed with a mass. These facts lead to challenging questions: what is the role of unobservable entities within a scientific theory? Why do we need to resort to ideal hypotheses in order to study the real world? Is there a fundamental divide between theoretical science and experimental science? We will explore these issues by looking at scientific practice from a philosophical standpoint. This module is self-contained and presupposes no previous knowledge of physics or other sciences. It is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A78	20	Semester 2
Early Analytical Philosophy and Wittgenstein Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the most influential philosophers in the 20th century. This module focuses on his early philosophy, especially as articulated in his 'Tractatus', and its background in the thought of Frege and Russell. Central topics discussed are the 'Tractatus' conception of logic and language as well as the nature of philosophical problems and philosophical inquiry, including ethics. Students will benefit most from this module if they are already taken one or both of the following: Philosophy of Mind, Logic and Language. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A76	20	Semester 2
Nietzsche and Post-Kantian Philosophy Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) radically challenged traditional ideas of what philosophising involves and has had an enormous influence on subsequent thinkers. This module will explore some of Nietzsche's key writings, situating them in the context of Post-Kantian philosophy. Some or all of the following themes will be explored: appearance and reality, genealogy, truth, naturalism, nihilism, aesthetics and the critique of morality and religion. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A46	20	Semester 2
The Rationalists The great rationalist philosophers Descartes (1596-1650), Spinoza (1632-77) and Leibniz (1646-1716) were preoccupied by the same themes: substance, God, knowledge and the relationship between mind and body. All of them were in the vanguard of the new scientific culture of the XVIIth century, but all were also concerned to reconcile science with religion. If Descartes and Leibniz ultimately seek to support an orthodox theism, Spinoza arrives at a humanistic and pantheistic ethic of living. We shall explore the different paths taken by the three thinkers from a shared starting point, rooted in reason and commitment to method. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A29	20	Semester 1
Moral Philosophy - the Basics What is morality? What is it to be a moral agent and to engage in moral deliberation? What is it to justify moral judgments and is there such a thing as a justification of moral practices themselves? What does it mean to be or try to become a good person? In this module we take a look at various theories about the nature of morality as well as examine critically the idea that what one needs to understand the phenomenon of morality or to engage successfully in moral thinking is a moral theory. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A25	20	Semester 1
Philosophy of Religion The module focuses on the claims of theistic religion, and on the nature of religion, including non-theistic religion. It seeks to clarify the concept of God. It also seeks to examine some of the standard arguments for and against the existence of God. In doing this, we see how some central issues in the philosophy of religion are inter-related with questions of epistemology, logic and mind. We will furthermore investigate conceptions of God which bypass the standard arguments for and against God's existence, which takes us close to the claims of Buddhism and other more or less non-theistic religions/philosophies. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A18	20	Semester 2
The Enlightenment and Its Critics The 18th century saw a radical change take place in European culture. A new value was placed upon knowledge, new views of the ways in which society should be run were formed, new attitudes towards religion occurred, new theories of art and culture arose. This module looks at these changes and the effects they had upon epistemology, political philosophy and aesthetics. Enlightenment figures studied include Diderot, d'Alembert, Voltaire, David and Condorcet in France, Kant in Germany, Hume in Scotland. As a counterpoint to this we study some of the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, both an Enlightenment figure and yet perhaps its greatest critic. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A44	20	Semester 2
Philosophy of History What is history? Is it reasonable to apply moral criteria to the historical process? In what sense, if any, can we understand history as progressive? On what basis can we divide history into epochs and how should we understand the change from one epoch to the next? Are there laws in history? From the 18th century enlightenment to Marxist historical materialism, strong claims have been made in response to these questions. They have come under severe attack from the later 19th century on to the present. The module will examine the arguments and concepts employed in this debate. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A31	20	Semester 1
"Space, Time and Reality Among the Greeks" 2500 years ago Parmenides invented metaphysics by arguing that there is one thing that never changes. Plato responded with a theory of Forms, stable realities quite unlike the world of appearances. But later in his life he attacked that theory. Why? And did Aristotle have a better answer to how reality relates to other things in this world? This module explores some of the most influential texts in the field and provides a sound foundation in central themes from classical philosophy. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-2A39	20	Semester 1

Free Choice Study (40 credits)

Students can select modules worth 40 credits from the course catalogue with the approval of their School.

Year 3

Option A Study (60 credits)

Students will select 60 credits from the following module(s).

You may pick any of the modules that begin with:

PHI-3

Philosophy of Social Science This module examines different approaches to understanding the social world, tracing their philosophical presuppositions and their implications for the study of economics and politics. It focuses on two contrasts: between the positivist and the hermeneutic approaches, and between individualistic and holistic styles of explanation. This module is a 30 credit version of PHI-3A23 and is not suitable for PPE students. more...	PHI-3A57	30	Semester 1
Philosophy Dissertation Module This module is open only to students who have achieved an overall second-year mark of 60% or above. When enrolling you must include a second choice on your enrolment form, so that if your marks are below 60% you can transfer smoothly to another module. Before enrolling, you MUST also complete a special application form available from the Philosophy Office. The module enables Philosophy majors and joint majors to pursue a topic of their own choosing under the individual supervision of a member of faculty. It is assessed as a project on the basis of an extended essay of about 10,000 words. There is no specific timetable slot for the module, arrangements for tutorial meetings being made between the individual tutor and student. more...	PHI-3A21	30	Semester 1
Language in Mind What is language? Following on from the work of Noam Chomsky, many linguists, philosophers and psychologists answer: an innate faculty of mind. This module will explore the arguments for and against this position. Topics to be covered include: innateness, the idea that the mind is a computer, the possibility of ape linguistic competence, and the relation between syntax and meaning. The module will close by considering what significance Chomsky's work might have for our conception of human nature, both morally and theoretically. This module is offered annually. more...	PHI-3A41	30	Semester 1
Philosophy of Social Science This module examines different approaches to understanding the social world, tracing their philosophical presuppositions and their implications for the study of economics and politics. It focuses on two contrasts: between the positivist and the hermeneutic approaches, and between individualistic and holistic styles of explanation. This module is compulsory for PPE students and cannot be taken by any other students. more...	PHI-3A23	20	Semester 1
Advanced Knowledge and Perception Advanced Theories of Knowledge covers the same topics as Theories of Knowledge, but differs from the latter in two respects. First, it requires coursework instead of an examination. All students must also give a seminar presentation. Secondly, the Advanced version demands more sophisticated work, so both the coursework and presentation are marked at a higher standard (hence the Level 3 rating). Students on the Level 2 version and the Advanced Level 3 version attend the same lectures, but Advanced students have separate seminars, and also have some tutorial contact in relation to their written work. This module will be offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A66	30	Semester 2
Advanced Philosophy of Science As any intellectual enterprise, natural science poses fascinating and deep problems. Think e.g. of mechanics: in order to describe observable motion it appeals to such unobservable entities as forces, and in order to talk about real bodies it refers to ideal entities like points endowed with a mass. These facts lead to challenging questions: what is the role of unobservable entities within a scientific theory? Why do we need to resort to ideal hypotheses in order to study the real world? Is there a fundamental divide between theoretical science and experimental science? We will explore these issues by looking at scientific practice from a philosophical standpoint. This module is self-contained and presupposes no previous knowledge of physics or other sciences. It is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A78	30	Semester 2
Philosophy Dissertation Module This module is open only to students who have achieved an overall second-year mark of 60% or above. When enrolling you must include a second choice on your enrolment form, so that if your marks are below 60% you can transfer smoothly to another module. Before enrolling, you MUST also complete a special application form available from the Philosophy Office. The module enables Philosophy majors and joint majors to pursue a topic of their own choosing under the individual supervision of a member of faculty. It is assessed as a project on the basis of an extended essay of about 10,000 words. There is no specific timetable slot for the module, arrangements for tutorial meetings being made between the individual tutor and student. [As an experiment in Spring 2012, en lieu of writing the dissertation, undergraduates taking this module had the option of contributing to the production of a 30-minute radio programme on a philosophical topic assigned by the module organiser in consultation with the faculty member in charge of producing the programme. Students taking this option had to submit a philosophical essay of up to 8,000 words on the agreed topic as well as a script for a radio programme, of up to 4,000 words. In addition, they participated in the production of the 30-minute programme. This radio/essay option may become available in spring 2013: we will advise students as soon as we receive confirmation from the radio station.] more...	PHI-3A24	30	Semester 2
Advanced Themes in Early Analytical Philosophy and Wittgenstein This module explores the same ground of Wittgenstein's early work as the level 2 version, but at a more advanced level. Students on both modules attend the same lectures but Advanced students attend their own seminars and are required to meet higher standards. Unlike the level 2 version, there is no assessment by examination: students will be required to submit coursework and an advanced level project. The module is biennial, and alternates with Wittgenstein: Later Writings. more...	PHI-3A76	30	Semester 2
"Space, Time & Reality Among the Greeks - Advanced Themes" 2500 years ago Parmenides invented metaphysics by arguing that there is one thing that never changes. Plato responded with a theory of Forms, stable realities quite unlike the world of appearances. But later in his life he attacked that theory. Why? And did Aristotle have a better answer to how reality relates to the things in this world? This module explores some of the most influential texts in the field. In addition Level 3 students move beyond the basics to do an advanced project on Aristotle, or a topic in Stoic or Epicurean metaphysics. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A59	30	Semester 1
Classical Philosophy Special Subject The module explores a selected area of Classical Philosophy with detailed attention to selected texts and issues. The topic of study will be chosen by the lecturer from themes such as "Mind and perception", "Theology, creation and first causes", "Beauty and representation", "Language and meaning". Other suitable experience may be accepted in lieu of the pre-requisites, after consultation with the module organiser. The module is offered annually. more...	PHI-3A68	30	Semester 2
Advanced Studies in the Enlightenment and Its Critics The 18th century saw a radical change take place in European culture. A new value was placed upon knowledge, new views of the ways in which society should be run were formed, new attitudes towards religion occurred, new theories of art and culture arose. This module looks at these changes and the effects they had upon epistemology, political philosophy and aesthetics. Enlightenment figures studied include Diderot, d'Alembert, Voltaire, David and Condorcet in France, Kant in Germany, Hume in Scotland. As a counterpoint to this we study some of the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, both an Enlightenment figure and yet perhaps its greatest critic. Advanced Studies in the Enlightenment and Its Critics covers the same topics as PHI-2A44. However it requires more work than the latter (hence the 30 credit rating), and it also requires more sophisticated work (hence the Level 3 rating). Students on the Level 2 and Level 3 modules attend the same lectures, but Level 3 students have separate seminars and some tutorial contact in relation to their written work. The module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A44	30	Semester 2
Advanced Philosophy of Religion The module focuses on the claims of theistic religion, and on the nature of religion, including non-theistic religion. It seeks to clarify the concept of God. It also seeks to examine some of the standard arguments for and against the existence of God. In doing this, we see how some central issues in the philosophy of religion are inter-related with questions of epistemology, logic and mind. We will furthermore investigate conceptions of God which bypass the standard arguments for and against God's existence, which takes us close to the claims of Buddhism and other more or less non-theistic religions/philosophies. Advanced Philosophy of Religion covers the same topics as Philosophy of Religion but differs in two respects. First it requires coursework as well as the 2 hour exam taken by students on the Level 2 version, hence the 30 credit rating. Secondly, the Advanced version demands more sophisticated work marked at a higher standard, hence the Level 3 rating. Students on the Level 2 and the Advanced Level 3 version attend the same lectures, but Advanced students have separate seminars, and also have some tutorial contact in relation to their written work. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A18	30	Semester 2
Advanced Themes in the Rationalists The great rationalist philosophers Descartes (1596-1650), Spinoza (1632-77) and Leibniz (1646-1716) were preoccupied by the same themes: substance, God, knowledge and the relationship between mind and body. All of them were in the vanguard of the new scientific culture of the XVIIth century, but all were also concerned to reconcile science with religion. If Descartes and Leibniz ultimately seek to support an orthodox theism, Spinoza arrives at a humanistic and pantheistic ethic of living. We shall explore the different paths taken by the three thinkers from a shared starting point, rooted in reason and commitment to method. This module covers the same topics as Level 2 The Rationalists, but differs from that module in two respects: it has an advanced reading list, and requires more sophisticated work which is marked at a higher standard. Hence the Level 3 and 30 credit rating. Students on the Advanced module attend the same lectures, but have separate seminars and possible tutorials relating to their written work. Students will produce two large-scale pieces of coursework. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A29	30	Semester 1
Moral Philosophy With Additional Meta-Ethics What is morality? What is it to be a moral agent and to engage in moral deliberation? What is it to justify moral judgments and is there such a thing as a justification of moral practices themselves? What does it mean to be or try to become a good person? In this module we take a look at various theories about the nature of morality as well as examine critically the idea that what one needs to understand the phenomenon of morality or to engage successfully in moral thinking is a moral theory. Students on this Level 3 version pursue a more advanced project in meta-ethics for their extended essay. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A25	30	Semester 1
Advanced Studies in Nietzsche and Post-Kantian Philosophy Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) radically challenged traditional ideas of what philosophising involves and has had an enormous influence on subsequent thinkers. This module will explore some of Nietzsche's key writings, situating them in the context of Post-Kantian philosophy. Some or all of the following themes will be explored: appearance and reality, genealogy, truth, naturalism, nihilism, aesthetics and the critique of morality and religion. Students on this advanced version will not sit an exam but will submit a piece of coursework and an advanced project. This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A46	30	Semester 2
Advanced Themes in the Philosophy of History This module covers the same topics as Level 2 Philosophy of History, but differs from that module in that it requires more sophisticated work which is marked at a higher standard. Hence the Level 3 and 30 credit rating. Students on the advanced module attend the same lectures, but have separate seminars and possible tutorials relating to their written work. Students will produce two pieces of work: a 2000-word essay (worth 33%), and a 4000-word project (worth 67%). This module is offered biennially. more...	PHI-3A31	30	Semester 1

Option B Study (60 credits)

Students will select 60 credits from the following module(s).

Name

Code

Credits

Period

Analysing Media Discourses

The module will explore some of the main approaches to the analysis of media texts including structuralism, psychoanalysis and discourse analysis. These approaches will be discussed in relation to films like James Bond, advertising campaigns like the ones by the United Colors of Benetton, and newspaper articles on current affairs. The aim of the module is to bring together theory and hands-on analysis and research in media products. more...

PSI-3A41

Semester 1

Contemporary Drama and Film

The module will examine emergent voices and trends in recent theatre, film and television (mainly British but with some American or European contributions). Issues covered include the (questioned) demise of explicitly political drama and the appearance of previously silenced voices (e.g. gay and lesbian themes, feminist playwrights and writing ethnicity, physical theatre practitioners). more...

LDCD3X34

Semester 2

You may also pick any of the modules that begin with:

FTVF3F

Creative Work in the Media Industries This module is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F57: CREATIVE WORK IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRIES and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F59	20	Semester 1
Stanley Kubrick: Films in Context This module is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F52 STANLEY KUBRICK: FILMS IN CONTEXT and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F54	20	Semester 2
Selling Spectacle This module is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F45: SELLING SPECTACLE and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F47	20	Semester 1
Film and Television Studies Year Abroad Dissertation RESERVED FOR STUDENTS ON COURSE: U1TW76401 Final year dissertation involving research into a specific issue or topic in American culture. Restricted to students on the 4-year Film and American Studies programme. Topics will already have been approved on the basis of dissertation proposals submitted during the year abroad. more...	FTVF3F31	30	Semester 1
Selling Spectacle Spectacle is the cornerstone of the modern film industry, in Hollywood and in other national cinemas around the world. Blockbusters and other films are produced, marketed and exhibited using epic language, hyperbolic visuals and overblown promotional materials. Yet despite these excessive claims, the world of selling spectacle and epic marketing techniques are often overlooked in academic or critical discussions. This module will explore the history of spectacle within the global film industries, the cinematic technologies that have been created to enhance that spectacle, and the advertising and promotional techniques that were utilised to emphasise and display it. Following the work of theorists such as Tom Gunning, Geoff King, Janet Staiger and Barbara Klinger, the module will demonstrate the historical development of spectacle and selling that lies behind the modern system of film production, distribution and exhibition. Understanding the theory and methodologically distinct approaches needed to analyse posters, press books, trailers, websites, interviews, and critical reviews will be an essential component to this module. Students will be expected to engage with both theories of film advertising and analysis of marketing materials and other related epiphenomena. While the module will consider some films that may be described as belonging to the `epic' genre ('The Ten Commandments', 1956; or 'Gladiator', 2000) this module is not concerned with generic traits so much as spectacular production practices throughout film history, and the industrial practices that were invented to educate audiences in such new, spectacular, images and concepts. Using specific case studies, the module will trace the historical development of spectacle within filmmaking, and its role in redefining the function of film advertising and promotion. more...	FTVF3F45	30	Semester 1
Stanley Kubrick: Films in Context Stanley Kubrick is regarded as one of the most important filmmakers of the 20th century, with '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) and 'Dr Strangelove' (1964) being listed in critics' polls as two of the best films ever made. Kubrick also was one of the most commercially successful directors of the 1960s and 1970s. This module concentrates on the 11 full-length films he made from 1956 to 1999, but also considers his early career as a photo-journalist and maker of documentary shorts and short features. The module examines the production, themes, style and reception of Kubrick's films, and situates them in the context of broader developments in American cinema, culture and politics. more...	FTVF3F52	30	Semester 2
Creative Work in the Media Industries This module offers students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the industries that many of them may well wish to work in. The media industries are those that produce culture, and so they naturally include television, film, music, publishing (books, newspapers and magazines) and so on. People often want to work in the media since this kind of work offers opportunities to be `creative', to think independently and engage in activities which interest them already. But what does `creativity' mean in different kinds of media work and what kind of conditions do those working in the media typically face? To explore such questions, we reflect on changes in the nature of work itself in modern societies. That is, when so much modern work is either temporary and precarious, with many in advanced industrial countries working longer hours than ever before, is there a danger that work is detracting from the quality of our lives rather than enhancing it? The module explores the potential to find pleasure, fulfilment (and a steady income), as well as pressure, frustration and precariousness in media work. It also looks at the extent to which it is feasible to do `good work' in the media industries, as they become seemingly ever more commercial and competitive. How possible is it to produce challenging, innovative, groundbreaking, thoughtful or just genuinely entertaining media products? This means engaging with academic research and other writing, both historical and contemporary in nature. The above issues cannot be addressed through simple description. They raise important theoretical and historical issues about the place of artistic and professional creativity in modern societies. more...	FTVF3F57	30	Semester 1
Film and Television Studies: Dissertation (Aut) AVAILABLE ONLY TO STUDENTS ON COURSE(S): U1QW36301, U1TW76301, U1TW76401, U1W610301, U1WV63301, U1P300302 This module provides the opportunity to work on an independently researched dissertation on some aspect of Film and/or Television studies. You are able to choose whether you do the dissertation module in the Autumn or the Spring Semester of your final year, whichever fits in better with your schedule of modules. (See also FTVF3F76 - note that you cannot take both modules.) Topics are individually negotiated. They need not relate directly to material taught in previous modules, although it is expected that dissertations will draw on and reflect upon perspectives and methodologies introduced earlier in the degree course. more...	FTVF3F75	30	Semester 1
Film and Television Studies Dissertation (Spring) AVAILABLE ONLY TO STUDENTS ON COURSE(S): U1QW36301, U1TW76301, TW76401, U1W610301, U1WV63301 AND U1P300302. This module provides the opportunity to work on an independently researched dissertation on some aspect of Film and/or Television Studies. You are able to choose whether you do the dissertation module in the Autumn or the Spring Semester of your final year, whichever fits in better with your schedule of modules. (See also FTVF3F75 - note that you cannot take both modules.) Topics are individually negotiated. They need not relate directly to material taught in previous modules, although it is expected that dissertations will draw on and reflect upon perspectives and methodologies introduced earlier in the degree course. more...	FTVF3F76	30	Semester 2
Women, Islam and Media BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE EITHER FTVF1F09 OR TAKE PSI-1A05 OR TAKE PSI-1A06 This module intends to explore the relationship between women and Islam in contemporary media; particularly in film and television. The module is interdisciplinary in scope with readings and theoretical underpinnings from film and television studies as well as media, cultural and gender studies. The module is arranged thematically and focuses on different aspects of the relationship between women and Islam. Some of the themes and topics that will be studied in the module are: the political and religious resonance of the veil; Orientalism and Occidentalism's significance to media studies; representations of consequences of arranged marriage in television; honour killings; trauma, terror and Islam and the representation of women as terrorists in films; the representation of silence, women and Islam in television adverts; international women's film festivals. more...	FTVF3F83	30	Semester 1
Teenage Kicks: Media, Youth and Subculture This module will address the historical development of the commercial youth market and introduce key debates relating to young people and their uses of mainstream and underground media. It will examine a range of theoretical approaches to youth culture, subculture and post-subculture, employing case studies of popular and alternative music, club culture, film, television, subcultural style and new digital technologies. It will address questions of ideology, identity and representation, most significantly issues of class, gender, race and ethnicity, and encourage students to discuss how cultural interests and practices are used to construct individual and group identities. It will focus primarily on the British post-war context ' highlighting the influence of American popular culture, Black Diaspora and technological transformation on British youth ' but will also examine young people's media use and subcultures in other national and transnational contexts. The emphasis will be on analysing the extent to which cultural power is negotiated and resisted through shared media consumption and subculture formation more...	FTVF3F61	30	Semester 1
Women, Islam and Media This module intends to explore the relationship between women and Islam in contemporary media; particularly in film and television. The module is interdisciplinary in scope with readings and theoretical underpinnings from film and television studies as well as media, cultural and gender studies. The module is arranged thematically and focuses on different aspects of the relationship between women and Islam. Some of the themes and topics that will be studied in the module are: the political and religious resonance of the veil; Orientalism and Occidentalism's significance to media studies; representations of consequences of arranged marriage in television; honour killings; trauma, terror and Islam and the representation of women as terrorists in films; the representation of silence, women and Islam in television adverts; international women's film festivals. THIS IS A 20 CREDIT VERSION OF THE MODULE - ONLY AVAILABLE FOR VISITING STUDENTS more...	FTVF3F85	20	Semester 1
Crime Television This module explores crime and investigation in recent US television, encompassing formal developments such as the use of group formats, specialist teams and genre hybrids. It considers theoretical/critical issues that may include the value and limits of approaching television via genre, representations of urban US life, the (lack of) engagement with questions of race, gender and the female investigator, gender and sex crimes, the statement and transgression of social/cultural taboos to do with sex, violence and identity and the increasing significance - post 9/11 - of paranoid narration, the investigation of terrorism as crime and the policing of US civil society. This module is taught by seminar and screening. more...	FTVF3F92	30	Semester 2
Science Fiction Cinema Science Fiction is currently a key genre in popular cinema, providing a significant focus for addressing social, cultural and political issues. This module follows the historical development of the genre and looks at changes in the way both mainstream and alternative films have addressed such issues. Films we look at range from silent classics such as 'Le Voyage dans la Lune' and 'Metropolis' to the more recent 'Independence Day', 'The Fifth Element', and 'The Matrix'. Other screenings might include 'Things to Come', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', 'Demon Seed', 'Alien', 'The Brother from Another Planet', 'Robocop' and 'Akira'. Separate screenings. more...	FTVF3F07	30	Semester 1
Crime Television This unit is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F92 CRIME TELEVISION and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F94	20	Semester 2
Asian Cinema 'Asian Cinema' is a category of films increasingly in evidence in diverse places ranging from cinemas to high street shops. Recent years have seen a variety of Asian cinema incursions into global film culture, from Bollywood in UK multiplexes to Hong Kong action styles used in the Hollywood blockbuster. Inherent within the label are debates of resistance, industry, art, technology and aesthetics that have held sway since the dawn of cinema worldwide. In this module we break down these discourses and address the significant cultural, economic and political influences that Asian cinemas have had, and indeed still have, within world culture. more...	FTVF3F68	30	Semester 2
Science Fiction Cinema Science Fiction is currently a key genre in popular cinema, providing a significant focus for addressing social, cultural and political issues. This module follows the historical development of the genre and looks at changes in the way both mainstream and alternative films have addressed such issues. Films we look at range from silent classics such as 'Le Voyage dans la Lune' and 'Metropolis' to the more recent 'Independence Day', 'The Fifth Element', and 'The Matrix'. Other screenings might include 'Things to Come', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', 'Demon Seed', 'Alien', 'The Brother from Another Planet', 'Robocop' and 'Akira'. Separate screenings. This module is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F22: SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F13	20	Semester 1
Asian Cinema 'Asian Cinema' is a category of films increasingly in evidence in diverse places ranging from cinemas to high street shops. Recent years have seen a variety of Asian cinema incursions into global film culture, from Bollywood in UK multiplexes to Hong Kong action styles used in the Hollywood blockbuster. Inherent within the label are debates of resistance, industry, art, technology and aesthetics that have held sway since the dawn of cinema worldwide. In this module we break down these discourses and address the significant cultural, economic and political influences that Asian cinemas have had, and indeed still have, within world culture.THIS IS A 20 CREDIT VERSION OF THE MODULE FOR VISITING STUDENTS ONLY. more...	FTVF3F70	20	Semester 2
Celebrity The module will explore the phenomenon of celebrity and fame from its origins to the present day, moving across a range of different media, including film, television, print media and the internet. In the process, it will examine key approaches to the study of celebrity, paying particular attention to the cultural formation of celebrity and how it is bound up with structures of power (e.g gender, class, ethnicity). It will feature a range of case studies that will include Classical Hollywood cinema, the coming of television, the supposed 'tabloidization' of print media, the birth of Reality TV, the growth of the celebrity scandal and the relationship between celebrity and the internet. THIS IS A 20 CREDIT VERSION OF THE MODULE FOR VISITING STUDENTS ONLY. more...	FTVF3F66	20	Semester 2
Celebrity The module will explore the phenomenon of celebrity and fame from its origins to the present day, moving across a range of different media, including film, television, print media and the internet. In the process, it will examine key approaches to the study of celebrity, paying particular attention to the cultural formation of celebrity and how it is bound up with structures of power (e.g gender, class, ethnicity). It will feature a range of case studies that will include Classical Hollywood cinema, the coming of television, the supposed 'tabloidization' of print media, the birth of Reality TV, the growth of the celebrity scandal and the relationship between celebrity and the internet. more...	FTVF3F64	30	Semester 2
Teenage Kicks:media, Youth and Subculture This module will address the historical development of the commercial youth market and introduce key debates relating to young people and their uses of mainstream and underground media. It will examine a range of theoretical approaches to youth culture, subculture and post-subculture, employing case studies of popular and alternative music, club culture, film, television, subcultural style and new digital technologies. It will address questions of ideology, identity and representation, most significantly issues of class, gender, race and ethnicity, and encourage students to discuss how cultural interests and practices are used to construct individual and group identities. It will focus primarily on the British post-war context ' highlighting the influence of American popular culture, Black Diaspora and technological transformation on British youth ' but will also examine young people's media use and subcultures in other national and transnational contexts. The emphasis will be on analysing the extent to which cultural power is negotiated and resisted through shared media consumption and subculture formation. THIS IS A 20 CREDIT VERSION OF THE MODULE FOR VISITING STUDENTS ONLY. more...	FTVF3F69	20	Semester 1
Gender and Genre in Contemporary Cinema This module offers an overview of critical and theoretical approaches to gender and genre in contemporary cinema, focusing particularly on North American cinema. Topics explored may include: new women and new men - the articulation of gender in popular and 'independent' American cinema since 2000; feminism and authorship; the response of mainstream and independent cinema to the political and cultural contexts of postfeminism; race and the limits of feminist representation; masculinity, homosociality and Hollywood genre. The module is taught by seminar, tutorial and screening. more...	FTVF3F10	30	Semester 2
Gender and Genre in Contemporary Cinema This module is a 20-credit version of FTVF3F10: GENDER AND GENRE IN CONTEMPORARY CINEMA and is available only to Visiting Students. more...	FTVF3F18	20	Semester 2

Disclaimer

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.

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BA Philosophy and Film Studies (VP53)

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