| "DISSERTATION LANGUAGE, SOCIETY & CULTURE" | LCS-MD0X | 90 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the 2nd teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the students in consultation with their course convenor and/or supervisor (students normally receive four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision). |
| "MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY DISSERTATION" | PSIPM20X | 80 |
| For students taking the MA in Media, Culture and Society. Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. |
| AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | PSIIM032 | 20 |
| This module will use case studies of Southeast Asia, Central America and the Middle East to explore the reasons for American interventions and to assess their success or failure. It will offer an historical understanding of the assumptions and practices which lie behind contemporary US foreign policy-making. The module will introduce students to the institutions and processes involved in the making of American foreigh policy. |
| ANALYSING MEDIA DISCOURSES | PSIPM015 | 20 |
| This module examines the relationship between language, images and social meaning. Media products from film and advertising to newspaper articles and even music are examined as ‘texts’ that shape and are shaped by the socio-political reality. After discussing some of the main theories of textual analysis like semiotics, psychoanalysis and discourse analysis, we will adopt a hands on approach in order to demonstrate how the visual and linguistic techniques can advance our understanding of the processes of representation and communication of meaning. |
| BETTER WORLDS? UTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS | PSIPM002 | 20 |
| Would an ideal society have no more crime? Who would be wealthy or powerful? Would politics be outlawed? Do utopians try to impose their views on the rest of humankind? Do the flaws in human nature justify the pessimism of dystopian writers? This unit compares selected utopian and dystopian texts produced during the last six centuries. Themes will include property, social control, gender, morality and politics. Another dimension of the course is to consider the purpose of utopian thinking and the historical role of utopian ideas in social theory and social reform. |
| BROADCAST JOURNALISM | PSIPM038 | 40 |
| This 40 credit module gives students a wide and detailed grounding in all aspects of television journalism and news production. Core topics include editing, camera work, sound and interviewing. Students produce a magazine-style TV show that is built around the video reports that they shoot and edit themselves. Students work both in the studio and on location. |
| CELEBRITY CULTURE | FTMFM069 | 20 |
| 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 areas in the study of celebrity, including historical analysis, the reading of celebrity ‘images’, questions of ideology (e.g., gender, class), the political economy of celebrity, audience and celebrity, and the impact of new technologies. It will feature a range of case studies that will include celebrity in the 19th century, Classical Hollywood cinema, the coming of television, the celebrity gossip magazine and questions of gender, the birth of Reality TV, the growth of the celebrity scandal and the relationship between celebrity and the internet |
| CONFLICT IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | LCS-ML23 | 20 |
| The module introduces students to the study of intercultural conflict, through case studies of miscommunication at the levels of international political terminology, pragmatic strategies, the public representation of cross-cultural conflicts and of migration/multicultural conflicts. The module enables students to apply analytical methods to conflicts in intercultural communication on the basis of applied linguistics (contrastive semantics, pragmatics and sociolinguistics) and cultural studies. By the end of the course students will have an understanding of the linguistic dimensions of conflicts (and their mediation) in intercultural communication. |
| CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION | FTMFM058 | 20 |
| The module is designed to introduce students to key skills in film and television development practice. It will provide an understanding of the processes of creative script and project development, including film and TV business, the activities of the market and dealing with bodies responsible for commissioning films and television programmes. Priority for places on this module will be given to students taking the MA in Film Studies. |
| DEMOCRATIC THEORY | PSIPM010 | 20 |
| This module draws on normative political theory and contemporary political science to consider how the concept of democracy has changed since it originated in ancient Greece and looks at the critiques of democracy advanced by critics and opponents especially in the 20th century. The ideas and values underpinning democracy will be interrogated and some recent solutions for today's 'democratic deficit' including electronic democracy and cosmopolitan democracy will be evaluated. |
| DISSERTATION (MRES) | PSI-M30X | 60 |
| For students taking the MRes degrees in Public Policy and Public Management and International Public Policy and Public Management. Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. |
| DISSERTATION COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE STUDIES | LCS-MD1X | 50 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun in the end of the second teaching semester. The choice of research topic is made by the students in consultation with their course convenor and or supervisor. Students receive four hours (group and individual) supervision in all over the period of supervision. |
| DISSERTATION CONFLICTS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | LCS-MD5X | 90 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the second teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the students in consultation with their course convenor and/or supervisor (students normally receive up to four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision). |
| DISSERTATION FORENSIC LINGUISTICS | LCS-MD4X | 90 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the second teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the students in consultation with their course convenor and/or supervisor (students normally receive up to four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision). |
| DISSERTATION LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | LCS-MD3X | 90 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the second teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the students in consultation with their course convenor and/or supervisor (students normally receive up to four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision). |
| DISSERTATION MAATS | LCS-MD2X | 90 |
| The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the 2nd teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the student in consultation with their course convenor and or supervisor (students normally receive four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision). |
| EFFECTS, AUDIENCES AND THE MEDIA | FTMFM046 | 20 |
| The module is designed to explore the debates over media effects. In the process, it will challenge the effects tradition, which motivates many of the concerns with media censorship and regulation, and suggests alternative ways of understanding the ways in which audiences consume contemporary media. In the process, it will examine a range of approaches to the understanding of media consumption. |
| ENGLISH, COMMUNICATION, CULTURE | LCS-MC01 | 20 |
| The module is intended to refine linguistic and academic competences (oral and or written communication, control of academic registers), and to explore how English operates in a variety of cultural contexts (including the media, critical debate). Skills covered include seminar and presentation skills, note-taking, academic writing, self-directed study and research skills, with application to the theme of communication and language and materials specifically relevant to MA students. An important aim of the module is to familiarise students with the conventions of English academic life and the environment of the university. |
| EUROPEAN UNION: POWER, POLITICS AND POLICY | PSIIM003 | 20 |
| This module studies the integration process in Europe. It introduces the evolution of political and economic co-operation in the continent through the analysis of each EU treaty reform including the latest constitutional initiative. The main political actors and their role are identified and the workings of the European Union as a polity are assessed in the light of relevant theoretical discourses and interpretations. |
| FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION | FTMFM041 | 20 |
| The module is designed to introduce students to key skills in film and television practice. It will provide an understanding of the processes of screenwriting, camerawork, editing and direction. In the process, it will focus students less on the simple technical elements but also in ways of seeking creative solutions to practical problems. This module will focus the students on how to deliver within the normal constraints of media production, ie, students will have to think about working to a brief rather than simply imagining themselves as independent artists. Priority for places on this module will be given to students taking the MA in Film Studies. |
| FILM STUDIES DISSERTATION | FTMFM60X | 60 |
| This module involves the production of a 12,000-15,000 word piece of work, which focuses upon a suitable topic of your own choosing. You will be assigned a supervisor to advise you on your research and writing of the dissertation. |
| FILM STUDIES: HISTORY, THEORY, CRITICISM | FTMFM023 | 20 |
| This unit aims to provide key terms of reference and research skills in the study of film; to identify key objects, theories and methods in the analysis of film; and to provide a sense of historical development of film. Intended learning outcomes: a) Knowledge and Understanding. By the end of the unit should: have some of the key skills for the study of film at M level; have an awareness of the debates between different approaches to the study of film; be familiar with the key objects, theories and methods in the analysis of film; have some familiarity with the historical development of film. b) Intellectual Skills. By the end of the unit students should be able to: apply the key approaches to the analysis of film; assesses the debates between these different approaches; construct coherent and independent arguments. c) Professional Skills. The unit will develop students’ ability to: select, sift and synthesize information from a variety of primary and secondary materials; write accurately and grammatically and present written material suing appropriate conventions. d) Transferable Skills. The unit will also develop students’ ability to: manage a large and disparate body of information; use IT to word process assessed work; speak and write cogently about a chosen subject area. |
| FORENSIC LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION | LCS-MA08 | 20 |
| This module is focused on theoretical and practical aspects of the interplay between language and other language-driven activities such as translation and memory in special circumstances of witnessing, experiencing or judging crime and providing expert linguistic testimony and language services such as translating and interpreting. It contextualises the consequences of this relationship within an interactive environment, namely forensic, psycholinguistic and cross-cultural contexts of language use. Another dimension of the course is an emphatic cross-linguistic approach, whereby we assume the latest linguistic typological perspective and discuss the effects of language differences on the kind of information habitually provided in or omitted from reports in one language and translation. |
| FORENSIC LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION | LCS-MA08 | 20 |
| This module is focused on theoretical and practical aspects of the interplay between language and other language-driven activities such as translation and memory in special circumstances of witnessing, experiencing or judging crime and providing expert linguistic testimony and language services such as translating and interpreting. It contextualises the consequences of this relationship within an interactive environment, namely forensic, psycholinguistic and cross-cultural contexts of language use. Another dimension of the course is an emphatic cross-linguistic approach, whereby we assume the latest linguistic typological perspective and discuss the effects of language differences on the kind of information habitually provided in or omitted from reports in one language and translation. |
| GENDER AND CULTURE | FTMFM064 | 20 |
| Providing a conceptual overview of feminist research approaches, this module examines the role of culture in the construction of contemporary gender relations. Exploring a range of case studies, such as film, television, food and sport, it provides an interdisciplinary perspective on cultural texts, their audiences, markets and regulation. The module explores both theoretical and methodological issues and covers a range of theoretical approaches, including media studies, cultural studies, gender studies history, law and economics. By the end of the module students will have developed understanding of: • a variety of feminist approaches to the analysis of cultural texts, their audiences, markets and regulation. • the relationship between cultural texts and their socio-economic and political contexts and the importance of gender in analysing culture. Additionally students will be able to • critically reflect on the place of gender in media research • apply feminist research methodologies to the analysis of cultural texts and audiences |
| HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT: SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY | PSIPM005 | 20 |
| This module examines in depth selected works of political thinkers who are seminal to the Western tradition of political thought, including Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Their work will also be compared thematically, with a focus on ideas such as the social contract, political obligation, property, individual rights and freedom. The approach is analytical rather than historical and contextualist. The module's focus on the study and interpretation of key texts enables students to develop skills of textual analysis and critique. |
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION - UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES IN A GLOBAL WORLD | LCS-ML25 | 20 |
| This module is an introduction to some of the fundamental concepts associated with theories of intercultural communication. Since norms of behaviour are culturally defined and varied, the beliefs and values which underlie a culture’s worldview will be examined from a variety of perspectives. Indicative topics are expected to include how culture is defined; models of explanation of cultural difference (such as the theories of Hofstede and Tropenaars); notions of identity (personal, group, national) and “otherisation”; stereotypes and prejudice; verbal and non-verbal communication; miscommunication and intercultural conflict; acculturation and culture shock, etc. The module is relevant to students from a variety of backgrounds and with varied interests and will provide useful background for the module “Intercultural Communication in Practice”. |
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE | LCS-ML22 | 20 |
| This module explores the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. The theoretical component of the module examines the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work-based environments. We will also relate theory to the practice of intercultural communication in contextualised workshops. During these workshops, invited practitioners will introduce students to how IC operates in specific organisations, e.g. in government agencies, in multilingual business management, etc. The module is relevant to those wishing to pursue careers in international management and relations, multilingual business and international development; it is also of interest to those who wish to become more effective communicators in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education and cultural mediation. |
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE | LCS-ML22 | 20 |
| This module explores the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. The theoretical component of the module examines the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work-based environments. We will also relate theory to the practice of intercultural communication in contextualised workshops. During these workshops, invited practitioners will introduce students to how IC operates in specific organisations, e.g. in government agencies, in multilingual business management, etc. The module is relevant to those wishing to pursue careers in international management and relations, multilingual business and international development; it is also of interest to those who wish to become more effective communicators in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education and cultural mediation. |
| INTERNATIONAL HISTORY OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION | PSIIM007 | 20 |
| This module looks at the history of the region, including the involvement of the superpowers in the politics of the cold war in Asia. Conflict in the region as well as the rise and fall of the regional powers are reviewed. The development of multipolarity and the importance of the Asia-Pacific region in the post-cold war world is also covered. The aftermath of the Second World War, the onset of the Cold War, conflict in Korea and Vietnam, the changing relationship between the US, USSR and China are covered, as is the development of Southeast Asia in the modern world. We also assess the major issues contemporary to the region. |
| INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY | PSIIM006 | 20 |
| The module aims to enable students to develop an understanding of the role of international organisations and their impact on public policy at the domestic and international levels. Students successfully completing the module will be able to discuss critically the theories, models and concepts used in the analysis of international cooperation, competing perspectives in international politics and demonstrate the role they play in key public policy domains. The UN, NATO, IMF, WTO, World Bank and EU will be examined and why sovereign states decide to establish these and other international organisations. Their role in security, trade, finance, gender and environmental policy will be considered in particular. The factors which determine their design and evolution and the extent to which their operation reflects underlying power and interest will also be evaluated. |
| INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: CONFLICT AND DEVELOPMENT | PSIIM009 | 20 |
| This unit introduces to students the basic concepts of integration/ disintegration, globalisation, regionalism and the purpose of the existence and inter-relationship of international regional organisations. It then goes on to examine the structure and functions of several major international organisations such as the United Nations, NATO, the EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, LAIA, the OAU, etc, and their role in international conflict resolution, focusing on the Middle East, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Western Sahara, etc, through a series of lectures, seminars, class presentations, video showings and workshops. |
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SINCE 1945 | PSIIM015 | 20 |
| After studying the origins, nature and demise of the cold war, this module focuses on the post-cold war system. Through a number of case studies, including the Gulf War, the wars in Yugoslavia and international terrorism, the unit considers Western responses to these challenges. It also considers different models of the post-cold war system, from Fukuyama to Huntington. |
| INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY | PSIIM011 | 20 |
| This module concerns the history and theories of inter-state relations, classical, modern and post-modern, with special attention to problems of war and peace. It is intended both for further study of international relations and as an introduction to those who have not studied it before. |
| INTERNATIONAL SECURITY | PSIIM020 | 20 |
| This course examines the study of security in the international system, through its roots in Cold War strategic studies to the development of the more broadly focused field of security studies today. The course critically analyses contemporary security issues and provides a sound theoretical base for considering practical issues of security, including new wars, intervention and terrorism. Themes explored include security and the nation state, war and peace, new wars, alliances, democratic peace, securitisation, human security, the arms industry, and terrorism. |
| ISSUES IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLITICS | PSIPM03Y | 20 |
| This module explores key issues within media and cultural politics. The module is divided into separate blocks and spread over two semesters. Each block deals with different aspects of media and cultural politics, including identity and power, communication and culture. |
| JAPANESE FILM: NATIONAL CINEMA AND BEYOND | FTMFM032 | 20 |
| This module explores the concept of Japanese cinema in relation to national, transnational and global discourses and seeks to reframe discussions of modern and past Japanese filmmaking. We will examine a variety of Japanese films and the ways in which they interact with the history, techniques and culture of Japan. We will also consider the social and commercial nature of Japanese filmmaking, including the ways in which Japanese films circulate the globe. |
| JOURNALISM: PRACTICE AND ETHICS | PSIPM031 | 20 |
| The module will demystify the closed world of the professional journalist and enable students to understand what gets into the news (and what does not), and why. It will help students develop practical skills and techniques and the knowledge of how to apply them in a professional, ethical context. Weekly practical exercises will teach them to produce good, clean, readable copy. All of this will greatly enhance the students’ employability within the media industry. |
| LANGUAGE ISSUES IN A GLOBAL MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT | LCS-MC02 | 20 |
| This module focuses on language-related issues associated with the globalisation of communication and the media. It considers a range of materials - texts and their translation(s), multilingual sources of information (e.g. global news, consumer information, websites), products of audiovisual translation (e.g. subtitling, dubbing, voice over), IT mediated or processed texts, etc - to explore issues involved in the transposition and dissemination of (spoken and written) text into other media and other languages across different spheres of activity (e.g. media, politics, culture). Receptive knowledge of at least one language other than the mother tongue required. |
| LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION AMONG CULTURES | LCS-ML26 | 20 |
| There is more to linguistic communication than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar of a language; speakers need to know the different ways of using the language they speak – what to say, how to say it and when to say it. But language is also intimately involved in our notions of culture, our thought processes and, perhaps, even in our sense of reality. Indeed, the very act of linguistic communication itself both creates and sustains our expectations, beliefs and moral values about our world and lives. This module explores a number of issues relating to this reciprocal relationship between language and culture. Linguistics, characterised as the scientific study of language, tends to focus on the formal features of language structure, treating it as an autonomous object. There is more, however, to linguistic communication than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar of a language; speakers need to know the different ways of using the language they speak - what to say and how to say it. These assumptions vary from culture to culture as often shows up in the various forms of miscommunication that occur when we talk with speakers from different linguistic backgrounds. From a broader perspective language is intimately involved in our notions of culture - imagine, for example, expressing, discussing or learning about religious or political beliefs without language - our thought processes and, perhaps, even in our sense of reality. Indeed, for some, the notions of language and culture are so inseparable that they are referred to collectively as languaculture. |
| LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION AMONG CULTURES | LCS-ML26 | 20 |
| There is more to linguistic communication than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar of a language; speakers need to know the different ways of using the language they speak – what to say, how to say it and when to say it. But language is also intimately involved in our notions of culture, our thought processes and, perhaps, even in our sense of reality. Indeed, the very act of linguistic communication itself both creates and sustains our expectations, beliefs and moral values about our world and lives. This module explores a number of issues relating to this reciprocal relationship between language and culture. Linguistics, characterised as the scientific study of language, tends to focus on the formal features of language structure, treating it as an autonomous object. There is more, however, to linguistic communication than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar of a language; speakers need to know the different ways of using the language they speak - what to say and how to say it. These assumptions vary from culture to culture as often shows up in the various forms of miscommunication that occur when we talk with speakers from different linguistic backgrounds. From a broader perspective language is intimately involved in our notions of culture - imagine, for example, expressing, discussing or learning about religious or political beliefs without language - our thought processes and, perhaps, even in our sense of reality. Indeed, for some, the notions of language and culture are so inseparable that they are referred to collectively as languaculture. |
| MA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & EUROPEAN STUDIES EXAMINATION | PSIIM202 | 20 |
| This is a generic exam for students registered on the MA in International Relations and European Studies based around the core units. |
| MA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EXAMINATION | PSIIM200 | 20 |
| This is a generic exam for students registered on the MA in International Relations based around the core unit, International Relations Theory. |
| MEDIA AND SOCIETY | PSIPM09Y | 40 |
| This module is intended to provide all students studying media related postgraduate degrees with a broad, current and inter-disciplinary understanding of the media today. The guiding philosophy informing this module is the belief that in order properly to understand the media, whether as a lawyer, economist, development studies professional, media studies specialist or political scientist, it is essential to have a wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary understanding of the modern media. What we shall be doing over the year therefore is looking at the structure of the media industry today in the UK and globally. We will consider, from several different academic perspectives, how media content is constructed, what factors and influences go to shape content and how content may be controlled and even censored. We will also look at the media industry, examining how it is currently organised and managed, what factors influence its current organisation and consider how it might develop. We will also examine how media affects people and society and consider also the assumptions that are made about the impact of the media. Finally, we will seek to draw together key aspects of modern media. |
| MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY DISSERTATION | PSIPM40X | 60 |
| For students taking the MA in Media, Culture and Society. Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. |
| METHODS OF SOCIAL ENQUIRY | PSIPM11Y | 40 |
| The module offers a basic training in social research methods, provided flexibly to meet different needs and interests. There are opportunities to learn skills in use of SPSS for statistical analysis of large datasets, interviewing, transcription, document analysis, research uses of electronic media, devising a research proposal, writing a research report and oral presentations. Students will learn to evaluate research methods from the perspectives of ethics, methodology and practicality. |
| MIDDLE EAST POLITICS | PSIIM030 | 20 |
| This module introduces students to the government and politics of one of the most interesting and frequently misunderstood regions in world politics – the Middle East. The module examines the evolution of the modern Middle Eastern political system over the past century. Students will acquire the skills to analyse key issues in the politics of the region, including topical events such as the preponderance of ethno-sectarian violence and the rise of Islamist movements. Other key questions include the lack of democracy in the region and the creation of rentier economies in the Gulf. |
| MULTICULTURALISM | PSIPM026 | 20 |
| This module looks at the responses in political theory to the rise of multicultural societies in Europe and North America since the end of World War II. The aim is to introduce students to a range of contemporary theoretical perspectives on multiculturalism and to facilitate critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of competing approaches. Theorists under examination will include: Parekh, Kymlicka, Taylor and Modood as well as major liberal alternative views; Barry, Rawls and Raz. The module will combine theoretical study with analysis of practical issues/case studies surrounding multiculturalism. Among the issues to be considered are the following: models of integration, group rights, institutional racism, Islamophobia, and the Rushdie affair. The module will also consider divergent policies adopted within European states (eg, France and Germany) and give attention to the attempts to operationalise multiculturalism in the UK in particular via the Parekh Report. |
| MUSIC, MEDIA, SOCIETY | FTMFM062 | 20 |
| This module considers the changing role of music within social and cultural practices, its varied relationships with selfhood, media and technology, bodies, everyday lives and social power. In surveying the ways music is and has been bound up in social and cultural formations, the module engages with a range of theoretical issues about how music ‘works’ as well as exploring some of the ways organised sound can be said to ‘mean’ in differing contexts. The module also introduces students to an eclectic range of writings and questions about music in social life, considering questions about the materiality of sound, musical communities, performance, media and affect, positioning such issues in relation to music’s production, circulation and consumption. |
| NEW MEDIA AND SOCIETY | PSIPM007 | 20 |
| For better or worse, new digital technologies are hyped at having revolutionised society. This module will provide students with an introduction to the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are (and are not) affecting society from theoretical and empirical perspectives, and how society shapes technology. Topics covered include: the evolution of the internet; the "network society"; regulating new media; the radical internet and terrorism; social networking, blogs and interactivity; culture and identity in the digital age; and how the internet affects politics and the media. |
| ONLINE JOURNALISM | PSIPM027 | 20 |
| This module provides students a grounding in core journalism skills, with a special application to new and emerging media. Topics covered include: new forms of journalism, news sources and rich content production. Students will write and produce content for an online news platform. |
| POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ENVIRONMENT | PSIPM022 | 20 |
| In this module, students will critically engage with mainstream political and economic assessments of environmental degradation and climate change by adopting a political economy approach. In coming to terms with these environmental threats, the module tries to reawaken a broader type of ethical, natural and social theorisation that defined an earlier political economy. This is not a module on environmental or resource economics, nor are students expected to have an economics background. Rather, this module tries to problematise social production as something much more than a series of market relations. It tries to develop a broader socio-cultural understanding of production that ‘de-naturalises’ the way we view and exploit the natural world. |
| POLITICS AND MASS MEDIA | PSIPM012 | 20 |
| Working from the assumption that the mass media are an integral part of modern political life, this module examines the way in which politics is represented in the mass media and reviews critically the argument about 'bias'. It also explores the arguments around the ownership and control of mass media, the increasing use of the mass media by political parties and the changing relationship between citizens and politics engendered by new communication technologies. |
| POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE | PSIPM009 | 20 |
| This module explores the ways in which popular culture and politics are linked. It works from the assumption that popular culture 'matters', and the key question is how it matters. Hence it examines the different ways in which, and the different theories through which, popular culture is interpreted as expressing or constituting national or sexual identity, propaganda or political insight, means of resistance or of compliance. It also considers the political economy of popular culture (especially the role of the state) and the political uses of popular culture (especially in political communication). |
| POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS | PSIPM034 | 20 |
| This module enables students to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of public affairs, interest intermediation, and the strategies used by interest, advocacy groups and others to influence the political process. As well as covering the main debates in the academic literature, it draws directly on the experience of practitioners and offers unique insights into this under-studied area of politics. |
| PRACTICAL MEDIA | PSIPM020 | 20 |
| The Practical Media module is divided into two six week blocks and offers students an introduction to both print journalism and television broadcasting. The former is taught by a former BBC journalist at UEA and will teach students the processes and skills of investigative journalism, before allowing students to apply this knowledge by researching and writing their own stories. The broadcast part of the course is taught in collaboration with the state of the art EPIC Television Studios in Norwich. This gives students the chance to use the very latest digital technologies in an advanced studio setting. Students will write, film and produce their own short documentaries. |
| PSI DISSERTATION | PSI-M50X | 40 |
| Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. |
| PSI DISSERTATION | PSI-M70X | 60 |
| For all MA students registered on the MA in Media, Society and Culture. Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. |
| PSI DISSERTATION BY PRACTICE | PSI-M60X | 40 |
| Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. The dissertation by practice allows students to demonstrate their ability to carry out a work of broadcastable journalism. |
| PUBLIC CHOICE | PSIPM014 | 20 |
| Public choice theory applies economic models to explain political phenomena. This module, jointly taught by lecturers from philosophy, politics and economics, studies the concepts of market failure and political failure, problems of collective action, rational choice models of democracy and bureaucracy, social choice theory, the motivation of actors in the political process, and the evolution of conventions and norms. The political context is the move from a welfare state to a market society. The emphasis is on the critical appraisal of alternative approaches to public choice and policy issues. |
| PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: THEORIES AND CHANGE | PSIPM042 | 20 |
| This module enables students to develop advanced understanding of the main theories, models and concepts used in the study of public management, the main debates in the field, and substantive knowledge of developments in public management in a variety of settings. Students who successfully complete this module will be able to demonstrate: a critical understanding of the main theoretical approaches used in the study of public management and organisational behaviour; familiarity with the main debates in the scholarly literature on public management; substantive knowledge of the theory and practice of the new public management; a critical understanding of public management reform in the United Kingdom and elsewhere; and familiarity with debates concerning the operation and impact of international organisations, including the EU, on public management at the national level. |
| PUBLIC POLICY: THEORY AND ANALYSIS | PSIPM023 | 20 |
| This module enables students to develop advanced understanding of the main theories, models and concepts used in the study of public policy, the main debates in the field, and substantive knowledge of public policy in a variety of settings. Students successfully completing the module will be able to demonstrate: - critical understanding of the main theoretical approaches used in the study of public policy - familiarity with the main debates in the scholarly literature on public policy - advanced knowledge of public policy and policy processes in a variety of national settings - familiarity with the main theories and debates relating to the operation and impact of international organisations, including the European Union, on domestic policy and policy-making processes. |
| REGULATION | PSIPM028 | 20 |
| This module provides a foundation in the theory and practice of economic regulation, incorporating economic, business, legal and political science perspectives. The module is a research-led programme based on the research undertaken in the ESRC Centre for Competition Policy and assumes no previous studies of economics. |
| RESEARCH METHODS | LCS-MR1Y | 10 |
| The module is designed to familiarise postgraduate students with research resources and basic aspects of research methodology (e.g. access to, and use of, sources and resources, collection, analysis and presentation of materials and data). It is taught over two semesters: the first focuses on seminar-related activities, the second on dissertation-related work. It is assessed by an oral exam on a pass/ fail basis after the end of the second semester. The module is obligatory for all LLT full-time postgraduate students on taught MA programmes and open only to them. |
| RESEARCH METHODS PART I | LCS-MR01 | 5 |
| This module is the first part of a course designed to familiarise postgraduate students with research resources and basic aspects of research methodology (e.g. access to, and use of, sources and resources, collection, analysis and presentation of materials and data) and focuses on seminar-related activities. It is taught in the first semester of the first year of study. The unit is compulsory for all LLT part-time students on MA Taught programmes and open only to them. Co-Requisite: LLT-MR02. |
| RESEARCH METHODS PART II | LCS-MR02 | 5 |
| The module is the second part of a course designed to familiarise postgraduate students with research resources and basic aspects of research methodology (e.g. access to, and use of, sources and resources, collection, analysis and presentation of materials and data) and focuses on work for the dissertation. It is taught in the second semester of the second year of study and assessed by an oral examination on a pass/fail basis after the end of the second semester. The module is obligatory for all LLT part-time students on MA taught programmes and open only to them. Pre-requisite: LLT-MR01. |
| REVIEW PAPER (MRES) | PSIPM04Y | 20 |
| A research review paper of 6,000-9,000 words on a subject of your choice. |
| RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY | PSIIM008 | 20 |
| The module concentrates on Russian foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. It considers the internal and external determinants of foreign policy and looks at key policy issues and policy towards a number of important states and regions. |
| SCIENCE FICTION: FILM AND TELEVISION | FTMFM043 | 20 |
| Science Fiction films and television series have provided a significant focus for addressing social/cultural and political issues. This module looks at the historical development of the genre, with an emphasis on locating the films/television programs within an historical and cultural context. An array of films and series episodes from both the US and UK will be screened and various clips will also be discussed in seminar. Films/television programs covered in the module will include: Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902), Things to Come (1936), Forbidden Planet (1956), Quatermass 2 (1957), Lost in Space (1965-1968), Doctor Who (1963-1989), Altered States (1980), Threads (1984), Robocop (1987), Independence Day (1996), The Matrix (1999). |
| STUDYING MEDIA | FTMFM029 | 20 |
| This module is intended to provide an introduction to the key study skills in film, television and media studies for students unfamiliar with the British university system and its expectations of students. Focusing on the key issues and academic debates within media studies, it will provide students with a sense of the educational expectations that they will encounter during their other modules and help them to acclimatise themselves to the culture of British universities. |
| STUDYING MEDIA | PSIPM017 | 20 |
| This module is intended to provide an introduction to the key study skills in media and cultural studies. It will be particularly useful for students unfamiliar with the British university system and its expectations. Students will apply theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary media texts and discuss recent scholarship on changes in China’s media and cultural landscape. In addition to introducing key study skills and debates in the discipline, the workshop sessions will provide a supportive environment for critical reflection and intercultural communication. THIS MODULE IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO STUDENTS TAKING THE MA IN MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY AND THE MA IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLITICS. |
| TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR TRANSLATORS | LCS-MT12 | 20 |
| The aim of this module is to provide an introduction for students of literary and non-literary translation to computer-based tools, technologies and methodologies used by translators, and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of such tools. |
| THE BIG PICTURE: CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD CINEMA | FTMFM015 | 20 |
| Hollywood has remained a dominant force in film production, distribution and exhibition in recent decades, despite competition from other local and transnational cinemas. This module aims to explore the success of the Hollywood system through a focus on the industry itself, and the films it produces, particularly those that have been most successful at the domestic and international box office. The module will, therefore, cover a range of relevant topics that may include: what kind of films does Hollywood invest in? Is financial gain the best lens to judge issues of ‘popularity’? Who are the target audiences for those films? What is the role of the audience in receiving and popularising these hit movies? What is the relationship between domestic theatrical release, circulation in foreign markets and distribution in other media such as television, film, and DVD? |
| THE EUROPEAN UNION IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | PSIIM010 | 20 |
| The module focuses on European Political Cooperation in the 1990s and beyond, particularly Europe's role as an international actor. Issues include the EU as mediator in international conflicts such as the Gulf War, the Middle East and Yugoslavia, the EU's position as one of three major economic world powers, the EU and Third World development, new considerations in European security, global environmental concerns. Convergence or divergence in European political consensus is examined through these issues in an attempt to draw useful insights for the future of European Integration. |
| THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN IN THE MODERN WORLD | PSIIM026 | 20 |
| The module looks at the history of China and Japan from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. The attempts at modernisation, conflict between the two nations, their relationships with the Asian region and the United States are covered. Their contrasting attempts to develop in the postwar period are investigated. We also assess their current policies and the issues of importance to China and Japan in the twenty first century, and assess whether they can move beyond the legacy of this difficult history. |
| THE POWER OF DISCOURSE: REPRESENTATION AND INTERACTION | LCS-ML13 | 20 |
| Language occurs in specific social situations, among specific social actors and for a variety of purposes. In turn particular uses of language have the power to shape social encounters and relationships and to help construct and maintain specific ideologies and perspectives. Discourse analysis aims to uncover the ways in which language in use is tied to its social context. This approach is thus at the heart of the analysis of human interaction in society. This unit provides the students with analytical tools that can be fruitfully applied to the study of a variety of texts (e.g. media, advertising, politics, education, business, creative writing) and for a variety of purposes (e.g. developing critical understanding, uncovering ideological bias, reproducing texts successfully in translation and achieving the desired impact through one’s own writing). Presentations of the main concepts and examples are followed by practice sessions in which students have the opportunity to analyze a variety of texts both for class discussion and for their final project. |
| THEORIES OF SOCIETY AND POLITICS | PSIPM003 | 20 |
| This module addresses philosophical and methodological problems of the social sciences, including the normative issues involved in a number of current social and political debates. |
| THEORY AND PRACTICE OF POLICY MAKING IN BRITAIN | PSIPM018 | 20 |
| This module will look at theories of policy making and relate them to recent developments in the policy process in Britain, using a case studies approach. The unit will consider some theories of decision making, such as the rational actor model, disjointed incrementalism, policy networks, bureaucratic politics. It will also examine broader issues of the relationship of power and economic forces to the decision making process. Finally, it will examine such issues as agenda setting, the importance of policy discourse and the role of ideas and belief systems in the policy making process. |
| TRANSLATION AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION ACROSS ARTS AND MEDIA | LCS-MA10 | 20 |
| The module will focus on two distinct types of interlingual mediation – screen translation and museum translation – to explore issues of linguistic and cultural representation in cultural products, and their implications for public perceptions of media and cultural otherness. It will consider and compare features and constraints of language transfer across these two contexts, and assess their capacity to promote cross-cultural sensitization. The module will involve a hands-on practical component with either a subtitling practice workshop OR a museology in practice workshop (TBC). |
| TRANSLATION AND THEORY | LCS-MA03 | 20 |
| This module explores ways in which concepts and notions develop into theoretical approaches and translatorial practices but also how practice establishes theoretical positions. Each weekly seminar will focus on key concepts and their use in the existing bibliography on translation, while the practical tasks will give to students the opportunity to apply these concepts to their own translation work. |
| TRANSLATION IN CONTEXT | LCS-MA01 | 20 |
| This module explores the issues fundamental to translation as process and product in practical contexts, examines theories of equivalence and textual structure in different language-cultures, and applies theory to specialised practice (e.g. commercial, legal, technical, political). Taught by a range of LCS staff. |
| TRANSLATION WORK EXPERIENCE | LCS-MA02 | 20 |
| This module is aimed at MA Translation students with no (or little) previous translation work experience, and students who have experience of professional translation but would like the opportunity to review their practices by reflecting on, and critically documenting, the processes involved. It is based on work on authentic translation assignments negotiated with commercial clients and is very practical: it will promote hands-on sensitisation to aspects of professional commercial translation, to problems involved in translating to specifications, producing and presenting a product of professional standard, to techniques of translation and to the use of reference materials and support resources. The work for assessment also includes a theoretically grounded work experience report. |
| WAR GAMES: DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | PSIIM034 | 20 |
| This module introduces students to some of the major issues and ideas concerning diplomacy and military strategy in International Relations. The module comprises fortnightly lectures, two screening sessions, and weekly seminars involving lengthy scenario exercises. Students will learn about the theoretical and practical challenges concerning military relations between states, including concepts such as ‘the security dilemma’, ‘future uncertainty’, ‘self help’, ‘balancing’, ‘deterrence’, ‘imperial overstretch’, and ‘humanitarian intervention’. The successful completion of this module will lead to a more nuanced understanding of war and peace in international politics. |
| WOMEN AND FILM | FTMFM060 | 20 |
| This module intends to explore and critically reflect upon the relationship between women and film whilst focusing on issues such as women’s cinema as counter cinema; women’s cinema as minor cinema; women filmmakers; international women’s film festivals; the representation of women in film; female spectatorship, (fe)male gaze; sexuality; feminism and post-feminism in film; female subjectivity; female desire, feminist filmmaking. The module will focus on analysing contemporary films from a variety of national and transnational cinemas that may include Hollywood, British, Turkish, Japanese, Argentina, Palestine, India, Greece, Portugal, Africa and Brazil. |
Globalisation has broken down barriers of time and space and led to the ever greater centrality of knowledge and information. The increased contact between different linguistic communities (through migration, tourism, education, and information and media flows) has not, however, resolved the problem of linguistic and cultural barriers, quite the opposite. As language and cultural exchanges become ever more frequent and diverse, so does our need to comprehend the nature of intercultural communication and how it may best be promoted. These are the central concerns of the various MA programmes in the School of Language and Communications Studies at UEA.
International exchange and attendant issues in our fast-changing world are key concerns in the School of Language and Communication Studies. They are addressed from the complementary perspectives of Translation, Cross Cultural Communication and Linguistics, each represented by its own MA.