BA English Literature

Key details

BA ENGLISH LITERATURE

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

Q300

Entry Requirements

ABB

Duration (years)

Literature at UEA is vivid, contentious and alive: mixed up with passion, politics and play. You’ll gain a first-class grounding in literature from across time and across cultures, while learning to respond to the books you're reading in inventive ways.

Whether getting your hands on an early draft of a novel by a world-famous living crime writer or using innovative techniques to bring Shakespeare's contemporaries to life, in your training as a literary critic, you’ll acquire high-level analytical skills and a broad and deep knowledge of writing of all kinds, while honing the craft of critical writing itself. 

Norwich is the ideal place to study literature. It’s been home to ground-breaking writers for centuries, from Julian of Norwich, the first woman to write a book in English, right up to our own award-winning UEA graduates, like Ian McEwan, Emma Healey, and Kazuo Ishiguro. This is just one of the reasons Norwich was chosen as England’s first UNESCO City of Literature.

About

UEA is the place where literature lives. You’ll be part of a unique and supportive community of critics, writers, and drama practitioners who are dedicated to bringing literature to life. You’ll be studying literature in a city with both a rich literary tradition and a vibrant contemporary writing scene. 

We emphasise choice and flexibility in building your own unique pathway through English literature. You’ll have the chance to discover a wealth of writers from the middle ages right up to poets and novelists writing now. You might explore diverse traditions of writing from across the globe, and you’ll tackle a heady mix of genres, which currently range from the gothic to children’s literature, crime writing to Latin American fiction, nonsense writing to biography. Your journey through literature is shaped by you and your interests – no two UEA English Literature degrees are the same. 

All our BA English Literature modules are 100% coursework. This enables you to cultivate the craft of critical writing. You might find yourself honing the perfect essay or try expressing your ideas in new, experimental forms in one of our creative-critical modules. Or you might turn your skill with words towards modules on writing as a profession, which give you a flavour of the diverse and exciting careers for which your literary critical training prepares you.

Whatever you study, you’ll work with our world-leading critics, who will help you to develop your own critical voice. Your lecturers will be passionate about bringing their own expertise into the seminar room. 

Your Literature degree will enable you to become an imaginative and knowledgeable reader of literature, and a confident writer about it. You’ll graduate as a passionate and informed advocate for the literature you love, ready to take all the skills you’ve learnt into a host of careers. 

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

Assessment

Throughout your degree, all modules in English Literature have no exams -- we believe you express your ideas best in written coursework (one or two pieces per module) which you can carefully craft. You'll develop renewed enthusiasm for writing academic essays, but you will also have chance to express your thinking in a diverse variety of forms, like reviews or personal reflective writing. The only way you might take an exam is if you choose specific optional modules outside English Literature in philosophy. In practice, most students are assessed by 100% written coursework.

Feedback

To prepare for coursework, you'll receive feedback on pieces of 'formative' work from your tutors, e.g. in one-to-one tutorials. Feedback on assessed work will be returned within 20 working days (after it has been carefully marked and moderated). As your first year does not count toward your overall degree result, it's the perfect opportunity to experiment and take risks.

Structure

In your first year you’ll be exposed to a huge variety of literature through our carefully curated series of largely compulsory modules. Our Reading Now and Slow Reading modules allow you to sharpen your skills in literary analysis in small group seminars. Reading Literature in History gives you a flavour of the myriad ways in which literature has been an active presence within the world, while Writing Across Borders will enable you to explore the global history of English, from its origins in multilingual medieval society to the extraordinary literatures which are still being forged today out of the tattered legacies of colonialism.

In Reading and Writing Criticism, you’ll discover how literary critics have constructed arguments from the classical world to the present, discovering the array of forms in which critics write today. You might choose to take Writing Texts, which offers unique insight into the writing process by inviting you to experiment with creative-critical writing. Or, if you wish, you might choose to step outside English and take a module from another humanities discipline, such as politics, philosophy, or languages.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching (c.25%)

Compelling lectures, packed with new ideas, are given by our team of literary critics. In seminars, you’ll learn through lively discussion with your fellow students, guided by your seminar leader. You'll benefit from small-group teaching (only c.8 students in 'Reading Now'), you can meet your tutors one-on-one, and you'll have an academic adviser to support you through your whole degree with everything from choice of modules to launching your career.

Independent Learning (c.75%)

You’ll read extraordinary books, with a framework of guided tasks provided by your lecturers to help you get the most out of them. You'll explore the library, discovering a wealth of new resources to enrich your studies. You'll finish the year equipped with the skills you need to make the most of your literary journey.

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Assessment for Year 2

Assessment

You'll continue to submit coursework for all your literature modules, taking your essay writing to new heights (in projects of around 2500 words) and becoming increasingly daring in your work. While essay writing remains the cornerstone of your degree work, you might also submit podcasts or videos or exhibition plans, or experiment with creative criticism, for instance by writing a short story to show off what you've learnt about that form. You may take one module from another discipline this year, which might lead you to take an exam, but in practice the vast majority of our students are assessed entirely by written coursework.

Feedback

You'll continue to have the support and feedback of your tutors, which your academic adviser can help you incorporate into your work. As your marks begin to count towards your final degree classification, you might draw on the support offered by our Learning Enhancement Team (who're there to help with everything from study skills to academic writing).

Structure

After your first year, there are no compulsory modules. In your second year, you’ll choose from a range of modules which together cover the sweep of English literature – and others which invite you to explore literatures from across the globe. You’ll also select from a separate range of modules designed to help you to develop your own sense of yourself as a writer. You can get a taste of the ways you might use your literary training after your degree with modules dedicated to exploring the career of the professional writer (e.g. in publishing). You can continue to experiment with our cutting-edge creative-critical modules which fuse the writing of criticism with creative experimentation. If you wish, you can try your hand at creative writing, or take a module from another humanities course – this is a chance to continue your exploration of anything from history to politics, languages, or American studies, or try one of these fields out for the first time. 

You’ll have a wide range of choice in what you study in your second and third years, but to ensure you gain a real understanding of the history of English literature, you must take at least three modules in literature written before 1789. Here you might end up encountering the romances and fables of the Middle Ages, the women who broke with convention to write poetry in the 17th century, the early journalism of the 18th century, or the extraordinary plays of Shakespeare. There is so much to discover in these rich literary traditions. 

Teaching and Learning

Teaching (c.25%)

Lectures and seminars will immerse you in particular eras of literature, while you'll also take seminars which let you explore the literary professions of journalism or publishing (using our state-of-the-art Media Suite), or a creative writing workshop. You might take a placement as part of a Humanities-wide module. And you'll continue to benefit from the support of your academic adviser.

Independent Learning (c.75%)

You'll deepen your command of the craft of literary criticism, and discover where your real literary passions lie. You'll gain the confidence to take more risks in your academic work, finishing the year with a real sense of how your love of literature will underpin your career.

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Assessment for Year 3

Assessment

You'll continue to be assessed by 100% written coursework, perfecting the craft of essay writing in more substantial and independently-conceived projects (3500-5000 words), or choosing to embark on an 8000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice. If you wish, you might continue to experiment with the forms in which you express your critical ideas, writing Shakespearean sonnets or experimenting with the new boundary-defying genre of ‘auto-fiction’. Whatever form your writing takes, you'll have developed confidence to express yourself in ways you might not have thought possible before the degree began.

Feedback

All the feedback you receive will enable you to graduate with highly developed skills in writing and argument which are hugely valued by employers.

Structure

In your third year, you’ll choose from a dazzling array of specialist modules related to the research expertise of our staff. Modules are carefully ordered into two option ranges to give you the chance to study literature in specific historical contexts and to explore literary genres or cutting-edge theoretical concepts. Current modules cover topics including race, writing and identity in modern Britain, feminist writing, banned books, Latin American fiction, medieval monsters, early modern women’s writing, and children’s literature. This is a chance to deepen your knowledge of a period, genre or idea that you’ve encountered before, or to try out something new and expand your literary horizons even further. You might also decide to undertake a dissertation, working one-to-one with a tutor on a topic of your choice

Teaching and Learning

Teaching (c.20%)

This is your chance to explore cutting-edge literary topics in depth, in our 3-hour seminars, taught by a subject-specialist. If you choose, you may pursue a dissertation, working one-on-one with a literary critic on a topic of your choice. If you took the introduction to creative writing last year, you might choose a creative writing workshop, shaping your writing under the guidance of a published writer.

Independent Learning (c.80%)

You'll bring together all the skills and confidence you've developed in independent research and critical writing, as you master the fields of literary study that have come to matter the most to you.

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In Year 1 students take 120 credits.

Assessment for Year 1

Assessment

Feedback

Compulsory Modules

READING LITERATURE IN HISTORY

Code LDCL4008A

Credits 20

This is the main introductory module to the study of literature. It aims to help new students to read historically, by offering a range of models of the relationship between literature and history, explored through the study of selected historical and literary moments. The module is taught by a weekly lecture, with an accompanying seminar.

READING NOW

Code LDCL4009A

Credits 20

Reading is at the heart of our experience of literature. It is central to the ways in which we think and write about literary texts, and to some of the claims made on their behalf. This module is concerned with what it is we do when we read literature, at university and elsewhere, and why. We will concentrate in particular on four elements: on the practice of what is commonly known as close reading, one of the building blocks of literary study; on some of the ways in which reading has been represented in literary texts themselves; on the kinds of significance, both moral and political, claimed on behalf of reading; and on reading as we do and think about it today, in a world ever more virtual and networked.

READING AND WRITING CRITICISM

Code LDCL4015A

Credits 20

In this module you discover the possibilities of literary criticism, and begin develop your own identity as a literary critic. You’ll learn how to analyse and construct critical arguments, and how to craft critical writing of your own. The module helps you learn how to evaluate the claims made by literary critics, and to develop your own strategies of critical analysis and argument. It also reflects on the aims of criticism more generally, and introduces you to key critical concepts that you will be working with throughout your degree.

SLOW READING

Code LDCL4011B

Credits 20

This module seeks to build on and develop the work of the Autumn semester, in particular that of modules concerned with close reading. In small tutorial classes of two hours per week you will engage with a long text in a deep and sustained way across the semester, opening up a multi-layered and multi-faceted reading. The first half of the course will focus on the literary text itself, its forms and its stylistic innovations, alongside some short supplementary readings. As the module goes on, you will encounter the diverse ways in which others have read the text from different critical perspectives. You will reflect on, especially, the ways critics have brought the literary text into dialogue with theoretical texts to mutually illuminating effect, looking closely at some of the theoretical texts they are drawing on too. In the end, you too will bring the literary text into dialogue with some of the theoretical writing you encounter in the second half of the course. The real focus of this course is, of course, less the text you are reading than the very practice of reading itself.

WRITING ACROSS BORDERS

Code LDCL4021B

Credits 20

How has English crossed geographical, linguistic and social borders? What are the legacies of these movements for the literature we read and the ways we speak? In Writing Across Borders, you’ll study the emergence of modern English from a multilingual medieval society and its colonial expansion to Ireland, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. You’ll investigate the histories of translation, religious mission, education, violence, exploitation and political control that have given rise to the global reach of English as a means of cultural exchange. The module will focus on examples of writers who have responded critically and creatively to these histories, asking how they have used distinctive forms of English to articulate their experience and understanding of their world. It will provide you with a conceptual vocabulary to describe different forms of language such as register, dialect and creole, which you’ll apply to analysis of a range of literary texts that may include songs, religious works, translations, travel writing, plays, novels and poems. You’ll engage with a variety of perspectives on established debates about speech communities, the status of ‘standard’ English and the relation between language and broader narratives of identity. You’ll be encouraged to think about the hybridity of English and the ways that the language you use, read and hear expresses histories and social differences.

Optional A Modules

(0-20 credits)

WRITING TEXTS

Code LDCL4020B

Credits 20

In this module theories of literature and experiments in writing will intersect. In weekly lectures and seminar discussions, and through the reading of a carefully curated dossier of essays, you’ll explore important questions about writing and literature. What is the difference between writing and speaking? What is a literary text and how does it differ from non-literary texts? What is the relationship between the act of reading and the act of writing? How is a literary text influenced by other texts? You’ll also become confident in carrying out your own textual experiments and trying out a range of creative rewriting exercises on existing texts. In this you might explore modes of adaptation and translation, try out different ways of writing to constraint, play literary-generative games such as cut-up technique, as well as undertake a variety of textual interventions and experiments. You’ll be encouraged to hack existing literary texts and rewrite them to your own purpose. You’ll take texts apart and put them back together differently. Through specially-designed writing exercises you will gain new insights into a variety of approaches to writing and literature. Your encounters with literary-theoretical texts will likewise cast new light on the writing process and the ways in which the text produced relates to textual theories. By the end of the module you’ll have gained a keen understanding of how texts work. This will make you a better reader and writer. You’ll also become confident in stepping back and thinking about your own writing critically.

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

AMERICAN LITERATURE II: MAKING IT 'NEW'

Code AMAL4031B

Credits 20

On this module you will learn the central currents of American Literature, from after the American Civil War, through the turn of the century and into modernism and the early 20th century, finishing at the close of World War II. You will follow the – often fiercely contested – development of a national literature, tracing the way this multitude of voices differs from place to place, from decade to decade, and from writer to writer. Writers studied on this module in past years have included: Henry James, Mark Twain, Nella Larsen, Langston Hughes, Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, T.S. Eliot and William Faulkner. You will be introduced to these vibrant voices through reading and discussing short stories, novels, poetry, non-fiction and critical work. You will attend lectures, and take part in follow-up discussion-based seminars. Each week you will consider the context of the texts you read, as well as working to analyse and explain how they work on the reader and in society at large. You will encounter debates about the meaning of freedom in life and in art, what it might mean to be modern (or to refuse that modernity), about the responsibilities of citizenship to other people and to the environment, and about what it might mean to write and be read in the modern United States of America. By the end of this module you will be familiar with a wide range of late 19th century and early 20th century American texts and writers. You will learn the major movements in American literature from the fin de siècle through to the Second World War, and will be able to talk about the issues surrounding the development of a national and literary culture. Through doing this, you will improve your ability to read and analyse literary texts, to describe how language works in history and on the reader, and to identify and present new and exciting patterns in what you read.

AMERICAN STUDIES II: BEYOND BOUNDARIES

Code AMAS4037B

Credits 20

How has American culture been shaped by categories of race, gender, class and sexuality? How can we unpick and understand the complex experiences that shape American identity? This module will enable you to develop and expand the research methods, writing skills, and oral skills you’ll have acquired in ‘Reading Cultures I: American Icons’. You’ll continue your exploration of the contemporary United States, you’ll be introduced to the work of critical theorists, and you’ll be encouraged to think about America’s changing position in the world. Classes will further facilitate skills in reading, writing, analysis and independent thinking, through which you will gain the confidence and the tools necessary to be a self-supporting learner, giving you a strong academic foundation for the rest of your degree programme.

THE AGE OF EXTREMES: EUROPE 1918 - 2001

Code HIS-4006B

Credits 20

This module conveys the rich complexity of twentieth-century Europe, encouraging you to look afresh at the period. In hindsight, the epithet ‘age of extremes’ best describes the contradictory characteristics of a century during which total war and genocide were accompanied by growing humanitarianism, state health care and the advance of human rights. Naturally, developments during the first decades of the twenty-first century have forced historians to reconsider and revise once-accepted narratives about European modernization. Just as the trend toward increasing integration, harmonization and homogenization seems questionable in light of the crisis of the European Union, Islamism and Islamophobia believe the idea that modernization resulted in secularization and tolerance. Similarly, the demonstrable power of international finance and supranational assemblies counters narratives of popular empowerment through the triumph of representative democracy. The lectures examine themes in their respective chronological contexts: the age of catastrophe; the age of the post-war ‘economic miracle’; and the making of contemporary Europe. Rather than dwelling on familiar aspects of the century that you may have previously studied, the module will also expose you to the history of Europe after 1945, Central and Eastern Europe, and developments in the US and colonies that shaped the continent. Instead of focusing narrowly on high politics, international relations and warfare, the module also aims to allow you to re-examine the century through the study of the history of population movements, land uses, urban planning and attitudes toward the past.

HISTORY, CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE

Code HIS-4009B

Credits 20

This module challenges you to reflect on the nature of history: what it means for historians; what it means for the wider public and contemporary society; and what it has meant in the past. You’ll explore the key approaches to the study of history and the conduct of historical research. You’ll consider how historians have written history in the past and how they engage with it in the present, the relevance and challenges of sources and evidence, how historians present their interpretations, and the ways in which they debate amongst themselves. You’ll come away with an understanding that history is rarely about the ‘right’ answer, but rather a series of ways of understanding and interpreting the past. You’ll focus in particular on historical debate and how you can effectively analyse and interpret it. Through a mixture of both historical interpretation and historiography, you’ll develop key study and transferable skills.

WITCHCRAFT, MAGIC AND BELIEF IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE

Code HIS-4012B

Credits 20

You will examine the history of early modern Europe through the history of witchcraft, witch-beliefs, and especially witchcraft prosecutions after 1500. Through learned demonology and folk traditions, you will explore the development of the idea of the witch, and see how during the turbulent era of the Reformation this thinking translated into legal trials and, occasionally some savage witch-panics. You will look in detail at subjects such as gender, fear and anxiety, state building, and scepticism, ranging across early modern Britain, continental Europe and colonial America.

BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4015B

Credits 20

Bonjour, comment ça va? Do you want to understand what this means and how to say it? This module will help you to master basics of French language and communication. This module is perfect for you if you have never studied French before (or have very little experience of it). Throughout the semester, you’ll develop reading, listening, speaking and writing skills at the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This means that you will learn to communicate about yourself and your immediate environment in a set of concrete, everyday situations. You’ll be taught in a very interactive and friendly environment, and will often work in pairs or small groups. Your two-hour seminar will focus on listening, reading and writing skills, while the oral hour will help you to develop your confidence in speaking. We’ll tackle some grammatical notions in class, but always as a means for you to improve your communication skills. You’ll also have opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where French is spoken, thanks to the various documents we will use to develop your linguistic skills (songs, podcasts, leaflets…). You’ll be assessed by two course tests: the first will cover listening, reading, and writing skills and the second will cover your speaking skills. On successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions aimed at both the satisfaction of concrete needs, or those used to describe areas of most immediate relevance. You’ll be able to introduce yourself and others, ask and answer questions about personal details, and interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly. Please note that students should not have a level of French that exceeds the level of this course. This module is probably not appropriate for you if you have a recent French GCSE at grade C or above, if you have studied French abroad, or if you have learnt French in an informal setting (such as in your family). If you have such experience, please contact the Module Organiser as soon as possible to complete a level test.

BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4024B

Credits 20

Do you want to learn a new language? Do you want to access the Spanish-speaking world? Are you about to travel through Spain or any Spanish-speaking country in Latin America? Then, it´s the right time to enrol to Beginners´ Spanish I. This module will improve your academic education and will provide you with the confidence to advance towards intermediate and advanced levels. It sounds good, doesn't it? You will develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and you will have the opportunity to receive personal feedback on all your efforts. You will take part in classroom-based activities, working in pairs and small groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in the process of learning the language. You will also be able to focus on real life situations as well as the ability to communicate effectively in those situations. There will also be opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where Spanish is currently the main language. By the end of this module, you will have the linguistic competence necessary to understand and use common, everyday expressions and simple sentences, to address immediate needs. If you have a recent Spanish GCSE grade C or below, or an international equivalent, then this module is appropriate for you.

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4033B

Credits 20

How would you converse with someone who is deaf? At work? In school? In an emergency? How can you avoid typical faux pas due to ignorance of a different culture? Can a 'signed'/'visual' language 'convey as adequately' as a 'spoken' language? These questions highlight the central learning achieved in this module. This is a course in British Sign Language assuming no prior, or minimal knowledge of the language. Throughout the course you will discover aspects central to the Deaf World and its Culture, and how to communicate through a unique 'visual' language, a language that uses your hands and body to communicate! Teaching and learning strategies involve signed conversation (from early on), role-play, and lots of games and exercises that make a truly 'fun and enjoyable' module to take. You will learn a little about the history of the Deaf and Sign Language itself, and its long battle to be recognised. You will discover how using your body and hands can be an exciting and meaningful way of communicating. You will acquire q wide range of easily usable vocabulary, a deeper look into various features that make the language unique, and very different to spoken languages. On successful completion of this module you will have developed knowledge and skills that will enable you to communicate with a Deaf person. You will be able to take your British Sign Language studies onto the next level, broadening your knowledge and developing further, the skill within this amazing 'Visual' language. Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrolment. Students who are found to have a level of knowledge that exceeds the level for which they have enrolled may be asked to withdraw from the module, at the Teacher's discretion.

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4042B

Credits 20

Do you want to explore Japanese culture or travel to Japan? Would you like to enhance your career opportunities? This is a beginners’ course in Japanese assuming little or no prior experience or knowledge of the language. In this module, you’ll learn reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. You’ll gain the linguistic understanding of a number of real life situations, as well as the ability to communicate effectively in those situations. There will also be opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where Japanese is spoken. Particular emphasis will be placed on your acquisition of a sound knowledge of grammar. Please note that this is a subsidiary language module. Very occasionally, subsidiary language modules may need to be cancelled if there are low levels of enrolment. Please note that if you are found to have a level of knowledge in a language that exceeds the level for which you have enrolled, you may be asked to withdraw from the module at the Teacher’s discretion.

BEGINNERS' ARABIC I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4045B

Credits 20

Its aim is the mastery of the alphabet: the script, the sounds of the letters, and their combination into words. Also, it introduces basic Arabic phrases and vocabulary to help you have introductory conversations. You will develop essential speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as a solid understanding of the structure of the language in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Some aspects of the Arab world and culture(s) are covered.

BEGINNERS' GERMAN I (SPRING START) - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4047B

Credits 20

Have you ever wished you could order your mulled wine at the Christmas market in German? How would it feel be to be able to introduce yourself in German or survive a basic conversation in the language? Or do you simply want to understand what makes the Germans, the Austrians, or the Swiss tick? These questions highlight the central learning you will achieve within this module. Our beginners’ course in German is perfect if you have very little or no prior knowledge of the language. You will gain the confidence to use German in basic conversations as you develop a first understanding of German sounds and essential grammar. You will build up a bank of key vocabulary to survive in real-life situations. You will also gain a greater awareness of German traditions and ways of thinking to help you make sense of a country that is deeply rooted in the heart of Europe. In a relaxed environment you will participate in classroom-based activities, working in pairs and groups to try out and be creative with new sounds, words and phrases. The fun of language learning will never be far away and promises to give you the confidence to make the first steps in German. As well as speaking and listening to each other you will discover the joy of understanding an authentic German text and to write an amazing first paragraph in German. A first course in German will enable you to add a vital skill to your CV. At this crucial political and cultural moment in time the study of the German language and culture will without doubt make you a more attractive graduate and informed global citizen, whatever your specialism or area of interest. Please note that you should not have a level of German that exceeds the level of this course.

AN INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA

Code PPLH4004B

Credits 20

From salsa to samba, fútbol to capoeira, telenovelas to Tex-Mex: Latin American popular cultures combine Indigenous, African and European elements in unique ways found nowhere else on earth. You will examine several Latin American popular cultural forms, and the historical, religious, social and political significance they have for Latin Americans.

GLOBAL POLITICS 2

Code PPLI4055B

Credits 20

Global Politics 2 explores the most important controversies and debates in contemporary international politics. Because international politics is constantly changing, we review this module every year, altering the precise mix of topics to reflect the world that you see around you. All of our topics involve questions of power, ethics, transnational cooperation and security. Recently we have explored terrorism, nuclear weapons, our moral obligations to foreigners, as well as migration, the fate of the environment, and emerging powers in the international system.

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL COMMUNICATION

Code PPLM4001B

Credits 20

Trump’s Tweets, Corbyn’s “fans”, and personalised campaign messages sent by algorithms…political communication has changed drastically in the last five years. Pundits and some scholars warn of serious dangers to democracy. What are the tricks of the trade in modern political communication and how different are they from those of the past? How does one now succeed to get across a message and gain support? Should we be worried about the implications for political discourse and decision-making? This module will enable you to critically assess the role of communication in national and international politics and help you understand the dynamics among political actors, media and citizens in opinion formation and decision-making. This is a professional practice module in which you will gain skills relevant to the conduct of political communications and to many other work environments, as well as experience working in a team on a task that requires critical thinking and collaborative strategizing. This module is ideal for anyone interested in working in politics, diplomacy, journalism, marketing, or for advocacy or activist civil society groups. Ideas about the power of communications and the ways that various political actors use that power are at the heart of this module. You’ll examine how these actors use the media in political communications. Lectures and readings will cover media effects, how political communication has changed with changes in media technology, branding and celebrity in politics, and soft power with political communication at the international level, as well as the tools used by various political actors, such as political parties or civic movements. Lectures are interactive, using an audience response system and open discussion. Seminar activities include practical tasks as well as ones to enhance understanding of the readings. The first assessed work is a group project in which you will play the role of junior analysts in a communications consultancy and you will work together to assess the political communications of a real political actor, your “client”, producing a report and presentation that includes recommendations for improvement. The second is an essay that gives you the chance to develop your ability to analyse and synthesise. By the end of this module you will be able to identify and describe the actors and their interests in a given political communications contexts, as well as formulate and articulate clear arguments about the relationships between political actors and the media in relation to power and agency. You will have gained experience in a simulated work scenario that will give you skills transferable across a number of professions as you will have delivered analysis and recommendations in a professional-style presentation and report. You will also be able evaluate political communications’ role in an international context, something increasingly necessary in the ever more globalized world both for political and corporate actors.

MODERN READINGS IN PHILOSOPHY

Code PPLP4063B

Credits 20

What am I? What kind of world am I in? How can I know about it? How should I live my life? In this module, you’ll grapple with fundamental philosophical questions that have great personal significance for each of us. You’ll focus on perspectives from the history of modern philosophy (ca. 1650 to 1950). You’ll get to debate the ideas of key thinkers, which might include Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, as well as other less well-known figures. This module will be suitable for you with or without prior experience of philosophy, and whether or not you are studying philosophy as part of your degree. It is a useful accompaniment to work in early modern history and English literature.

REASONING AND LOGIC

Code PPLP4064B

Credits 20

What do we mean when we say an argument is well-reasoned? What makes an argument either watertight, or unreliable? We can start to answer these questions by distinguishing between, on the one hand, the individual claims that occur in an argument and, on the other hand, the relationships between those claims (which is the argument’s logical structure). During this module you'll study philosophical reasoning, looking in close detail at logical structure and its role in establishing rigorously supported arguments. As a result, you’ll arm yourself with indispensable tools for rigorous philosophical thought, for identifying problems in the arguments you encounter, and for defending your views effectively within and beyond academic philosophy. You’ll study what we call “validity in particular, gaining techniques for identifying valid arguments. As you discover how to break down the components of an argument, you’ll sharpen your skills in argument-analysis and deepen your understanding of some key logical concepts, central to philosophy. In addition you’ll master specific methods for examining validity in abstraction from natural language contexts. You’ll strengthen these skills via a combination of seminars, lectures, workshops, and independent study. We'll focus heavily on practice exercises. The study of logic and reasoning will make you a better philosopher, whatever your specialism or area of interest. It will enable you to judge your own arguments and those of others more easily and effectively, and help you to organise your thoughts and communicate your ideas more effectively.

RADICAL PHILOSOPHY

Code PPLP4065B

Credits 20

In this module you will engage with thinkers who thought of philosophy as an important instrument to clarify the roots of political, social and economic conflict and to help resolve them. You will initially encounter the young Marx’s attempt to free himself from traditional ideas and make philosophy matter in practice. You will then learn about a fundamental application of Marx’s ideas to education, developed by the Brasilian philosopher Paulo Freire and later critically transformed by feminist and social activist bell hooks. Finally, you will discover how American philosopher John Dewey developed a philosophical stance similar to the young Marx’s, applied it to education and inspired the thoughts and social initiatives of Jane Addams, the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize and a leading figure in the Women Rights movement. This module will not only allow you to get to grips with important ideas and their applications, but will also enable you to develop your own, practially oriented philosophical project, making use of the philosophical frameworks you will encounter, discuss, and criticise.

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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. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

In Year 2 students take 120 credits. Pre-1789 requirement: In years 2 and 3 combined, students must take at least 60 credits from modules on writing before 1789, and at least 40 of these must be taken in year 2. This means that in your second year you must take at least two pre-1789 modules. Students should consult with the Study Abroad Coordinator before choosing Erasmus Exchange or Semester Abroad modules.

Assessment for Year 2

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Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(80-100 credits)

CRITICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE

Code LDCL5031A

Credits 20

This is a module you will find helpful throughout your degree, informing and perhaps changing the way you read and analyse literature, film and other cultural forms. Across the twelve weeks, you’ll not only engage with the rich, complex and provocative work of literary critics and theorists – including deconstructive, feminist, post-colonial and queer theorists – but also of some of the thinkers and writers who have influenced them: such as Marx, Freud and Saussure. You will therefore encounter some of the most important and exciting thinkers of the modern period, acquiring an understanding of developments in linguistics, economics, psychoanalysis and philosophy, and tracing the ways in which these overlap with, and inform, literary and cultural study.

EUROPEAN LITERATURE

Code LDCL5033B

Credits 20

In this module, you’ll examine examples of twentieth-century European writing (all read in translation). Rather than (merely) place writers in their national contexts, you’ll deal with topics, issues and formal experiments that complicate, sometimes transcend, national boundaries. In fact you’ll interrogate what 'European' might mean in relation to literature - where are the borders? Are continental Europeans fundamentally 'other'? And if so, how does this otherness manifest itself aesthetically, thematically, tonally and formally? You'll look at how writers from different countries frequently challenge the conventions of genre and the conventions of reading and interpreting. Among a range of important innovations (or continuities), you may explore varieties of 'European' modernism, postmodernism, the absurd, fantasy, noir, and other genres. You’ll also ask how European writers have responded to the challenges, upheavals and catastrophes of the twentieth century and how they deal with the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of Europe.

ROMANTICISM 1780-1840

Code LDCL5034B

Credits 20

1780-1840 was the Age of Revolution and Romanticism, often regarded as a revolutionary style of writing. It was the age of the American and French Revolution and the Wars they entailed, the age of slavery and rebellion, of travel, exploration and the beginning of the later nineteenth-century British empire. You may think of Romantic writing as mainly nature poetry, primarily work by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, and Byron. But the signs of a ‘Romantic’ sensibility can also be found in a much broader constituency of writing: the novel, letter writing, the essay, political and aesthetic theory, and social commentary. In this module you’ll be introduced to some of the most exciting Romantic period writing, including poetry, fiction and non-fictional prose. You’ll also explore key period artistic and literary concepts such as the sublime, beautiful, picturesque, the Hellenic, and pastoral, and you’ll analyse the many ways in which the writers of the period exploited concepts of landscape. You will look at issues such as the Supernatural and Dreaming. Your understanding of Romantic writing will be enhanced by an analysis of aesthetics, politics, and of the work of women writers. During the course you’ll explore poetry by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, as well as Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park (1816) and Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (1818; 1831). You may also consider writings by poets, such as John Clare, Charlotte Smith, Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Mary Robinson, as well as prose works by Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine and Mary Wollstonecraft and others. You’ll look at how writing is gendered in the period and the implications of this for both male and female writers. You’ll be taught through a mixture of one-hour weekly lectures and two-hour weekly seminars, as well as self-directed study. You’ll gain experience in communicating your ideas in tutorials, as well as through written work and presentations. You’ll be assessed through two formative pieces (a close reading and a project bibliography) and one summative piece on a project chosen by yourself in discussion with your seminar tutors.

EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY WRITING (pre-1789)

Code LDCL5041A

Credits 20

The eighteenth century was a time of great literary experimentation in which many new genres emerged, including the periodical essay, the mock-epic, the ballad opera, and the novel. These genres took shape within a commercial revolution that transformed both what it meant to be an author and what it meant to be a reader. In this module you will see how writers such as Joseph Addison, Alexander Pope and John Gay created works that both participated in and criticized the culture of commerce. You will explore the fictions created by writers such as Daniel Defoe, Horace Walpole, and Elizabeth Inchbald, who developed very different versions of the novel. You will also examine how writers such as Samuel Johnson, Frances Burney, and Olaudah Equiano navigated the new possibilities for authorship that were opening up in the period. Ultimately you are invited to become an “eighteenth-centuryist” and to make imaginative connections between the exciting range of genres that emerged in this century and the culture that produced them.

SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY WRITING: RENAISSANCE AND REVOLUTION (pre-1789)

Code LDCL5042A

Credits 20

In this module, you’ll discover a huge variety of writing from one of Britain's most exciting and turbulent periods of cultural, political and intellectual transformation: the seventeenth century. We begin by exploring how English literature was formed out of its encounters with classical texts and how women established a place for their writing within English literary culture for the first time. In the centre of the module, we discover how seventeenth-century people wrote about their encounters with other cultures, whether as travellers to the Ottoman Empire (which stretched across the Middle East), or as colonists meeting Native Americans in Massachusetts. In the module's latter section, we ask how literature was transformed by the tumultuous upheavals of the English civil war and the execution of the monarch, events which have sent shockwaves through the centuries which still resonate today. The modules’ themes come together in the study of Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko, one of the first novels and a pioneering work of women’s writing, which tells the terrible story of an African prince who was enslaved in Surinam. Authors we study include famous figures such as Ben Jonson and John Milton (including a look at his masterpiece, Paradise Lost), as well as many lesser-known writers, including women such as Lucy Hutchinson and Hester Pulter, or the astonishing Turkish travel writer, Evliya Çelebi. The module works through lectures, which establish larger questions we might ask of the week's material, and seminars, in which we read passages of texts together closely.

MODERNISM

Code LDCL5045A

Credits 20

The modernist movement transformed literature and the arts worldwide in the early part of the 20th century, peaking in the period between 1918 and 1939. Although the term modernism was rarely used by authors in this period, in the period after World War II it became the usual term to describe a group of writers, responding to one another, whose work is characterised by radical experiments with language and form, which aimed to do justice to a range of many subjects such as the mysteries of consciousness and the unconscious, gender, sexuality, and desire, violence and democracy, the primitive and the mechanical. We will be reading a range of authors, including such long-canonised figures as James Joyce, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, HD, Gertrude Stein, and Virginia Woolf, but expanding the modernist canon in the light of recent scholarship to other more recently revived authors such as Djuna Barnes, Mina Loy, Dorothy Richardson, and Jean Rhys. We will trace some of the origins of modernism in earlier literary movements such as Symbolism, Imagism, Aestheticism, and Impressionism, and explore its kinship with foreign literary movements such as Dada and Surrealism. Modernism invented modern methods of criticism and we will be placing a particular emphasis on the close reading of poetry and poetic prose. A study of modernism is essential for understanding all 20th century literature and this module is highly recommended for any students wishing to take any modules in 20th-century literature.

MEDIEVAL WRITING (pre-1789)

Code LDCL5063A

Credits 20

To read medieval writing is to encounter otherness, to engage with a culture (really a variety of cultures) that at times seems familiar, recognizable, yet which repeatedly reminds us of its difference and distance from us. When a huge and intimidating green knight enters King Arthur’s court at Camelot and issues his challenge, he is disturbing not because he is entirely alien, but because he is alike enough to unsettle the court’s sense of identity. The fourteenth-century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the most complex and challenging works of literature ever written, might serve as a metaphor for our experience of medieval writing, and of the language in which it is written: Middle English. It is strangely familiar. Yet through the experience of otherness we find our multiple identities, and in studying Medieval Writing you will (re)discover the genres and modes that have shaped our literary histories: lyric, comedy, tragedy, romance, allegory, satire, historiography, autobiography and fantasy, to name but a few. The module is configured along the themes of ‘pilgrimage, travellers and exiles’, which allows us to understand the diverse forms of interaction — real and imagined — between European and non-European cultures: military, religious, and mercantile exchanges, for example. You will discover a culture of dazzling intellectual richness and variety that will dispel any lazily pejorative modern clichés about the term ‘medieval’. And you will be given the tools to make those discoveries – in addition to learning how to read Middle English, you will learn about the materiality of medieval texts (e.g. how to understand manuscripts), and of the historical coordinates of those texts: the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt, religious persecution, the feudal system and its decline. Whether it’s the cosmopolitan intellectual brilliance of Chaucer, the fantastic realities of Arthurian romance, the autobiography of Margery Kempe, the travel writing of Sir John Mandeville, or the ethical dilemmas posed by the Gawain-poet, Medieval Writing has something for you.

VICTORIAN WRITING

Code LDCL5067B

Credits 20

This module aims to equip you with a knowledge of writing from across the Victorian period, in a variety of modes (fiction, poetry, science, journalism, criticism, nonsense). We will examine authors such as George Eliot, Tennyson, Dickens, Darwin, Charlotte Bronte, and the Brownings. You will thus develop an awareness of how different kinds of writing in the period draw on, influence, and contest with each other. Likewise, you will acquire a sense for the cultural, political and socio-economic contexts of 19th-century writing, and some of the material contexts in which that writing took place (serial publication, popular readership, periodical writing, public controversy).

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

Code LDCL5069B

Credits 20

What is the state of the art of the novel at present? And what are some of the distinguishing preoccupations and characteristics of the contemporary novel? This module seeks to consider these questions with a view to developing an understanding of the condition of the novel today. The module focuses on fiction published in the UK and Ireland in the last ten years, with a particular focus on more inventive writing. We’ll read a small set of contemporary novels, the content and form of each of which will exemplify some of the possibilities for fiction in the present day. We’ll consider the relation between the contemporary novel and the contemporary moment – for example, our concerns regarding the environment, identity, nationhood, and history – and think also about what it might mean to be or to call oneself contemporary: to be together with one’s own time. The list of authors chosen for the module changes regularly, as you would expect. Recently, it has included the likes of Ali Smith, Zadie Smith, Deborah Levy and Kamila Shamsie. You’ll consider a range of ways of conceiving and interpreting the contemporary novel, and discuss these ways with your peers. There is no consensus about what does or should constitute a canon of contemporary fiction, although there is a growing critical literature on the subject, some of which we’ll read. It will be our job, in lectures and in seminars, to think carefully about what novels published in the last ten years offer the best argument for the continued viability of the novel itself as a contemporary art form.

SHAKESPEARE (pre-1789)

Code LDCL5070B

Credits 20

The aim of this lecture-seminar module is to help you become a better reader of Shakespearean drama. Shakespeare is now so universally known and read that it is easy to forget that he wrote at a specific historical moment for specific audiences, actors and theatrical spaces. What happens to our understanding of Shakespeare's plays when we read them within the context of theatrical performance? This is what our module enables you to do -- and in doing so, it aims to give you fresh, new ways to interpret Shakespearean language and theatricality. Lectures equip you with methods and contexts for reading Shakespeare's plays; seminars give you the chance to put these into practice through close, attentive readings of his plays. Each week we study a different play in detail. The summative assessment asks you to put what you've been learning into practice by writing a critical analysis of more than one play using some of the module's methods.

EMPIRE AND AFTER: GLOBALIZING ENGLISH

Code LDCL5079A

Credits 20

Today, literature in English is produced in many countries across the world and English increasingly enjoys a status as a ‘global’ language. In this module you will explore how this situation came about by placing the development of English literary traditions both in the British Isles and elsewhere into the long historical context of the rise and fall of the British Empire. Beginning with canonical works by British writers from the eighteenth century through the nineteenth and into the twentieth centuries, you will then consider literary and political responses to the experience of empire and colonization by writers from areas such as South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Australasia, and the Americas. You will explore how ‘English Literature’ has been shaped on a global scale by global historical forces, and how different the history of the English literary tradition looks when placed alongside and in counterpoint to these ‘other’ writings in English. You will then discuss the writings of authors such as Daniel Defoe, Joseph Conrad, Chinua Achebe, Jean Rhys, Amitav Ghosh, Kate Grenville and J.M Coetzee amongst others. The module will introduce you to the theoretical and conceptual apparatus of postcolonial literary studies and to some of the key frameworks for understanding the formation of the modern world, such as race and racism, nations and nationalism, colonial discourse and postcolonial theory, and how gender and sexuality were pivotal in the formation of colonial and post-colonial identities.

LITERATURE STUDIES SEMESTER ABROAD (SPRING)

Code LDCL5081B

Credits 60

A semester spent at a university abroad with the approval of the School. Students interested in European universities should see the Erasmus exchange modules. In all instances you must consult with Study Abroad Office.

Optional B Modules

(20-40 credits)

ARTS AND HUMANITIES PLACEMENT MODULE

Code HUM-5004B

Credits 20

This module will provide you with the opportunity work within a creative/cultural/charity/ heritage/media or other appropriate organisation in order to apply the skills you are developing through your degree to the working world and to develop your knowledge of employment sectors within which you may wish to work in the future. The module emphasises industry experience, sector awareness and personal development through a structured reflective learning experience. Having sourced and secured your own placement (with support from Careers Central), you work within your host organisation undertaking tasks that will help you to gain a better understanding of professional practices within your chosen sector. Taught sessions enable you to acquire knowledge of both the industries in which you are placed as well as focusing on personal and professional development germane to the sector. Your assessment tasks will provide you with an opportunity to critically reflect on the creative and cultural sector in which you have worked as well as providing opportunities to undertake presentations, gather evidence, and articulate your newly acquired skills and experiences.

CREATIVE WRITING: INTRODUCTION (SPR)

Code LDCC5004B

Credits 20

Have you ever wondered what it means to write creatively? Or how you might articulate what Zadie Smith calls ‘your way of being in the world’? Together we’ll address these questions. You’ll explore the work of some of the finest writers in the world, while also receiving clear guidance on how you might bring shape to the promptings of your imagination. This module will get you writing prose fiction and/or poetry. While there is no single, authorised way to write, there are things worth knowing about. You’ll discover some of these things in class; others you’ll pick up through being alert to what you have read and the way in which it functions. The most important thing, however, is to discover your own way of doing things. What drives you to capture a certain moment, or tell a certain story in a certain way? That’s what we'll be aiming for. Along the way you’ll develop an understanding of the craft of writing – the technical nuts & bolts – while acquiring the disciplines necessary to being a writer - observation, drafting, and submitting to deadlines. You'll be guided through a series of themes and concepts that go to the heart of creative writing, from voice and structure, to imagery and form. You'll generate material throughout the course, both through guided exercises and private study. Very often you'll be asked to write about ‘what you know’, drawing on notebooks, memory, family stories, your sensory impressions. In prose you will go on to look at such things as character, dialogue, point-of-view, ‘showing’ versus ‘telling’, plotting, etc. In poetry, there will be an exploration of the possibilities of pattern and form, sound, voice, imagery, and rhythm. By the end of the course you’ll have developed a body of work to call your own and a sense of what it means and what it takes to write seriously.

CREATIVE WRITING: INTRODUCTION (AUT)

Code LDCC5005A

Credits 20

THE WRITING OF JOURNALISM (AUT)

Code LDCC5013A

Credits 20

What kinds of writing skills produce great journalism? This question is essential to creating powerful journalism and it’s a central concern of this module. The Writing of Journalism enables you to develop a critical awareness of the skills and structures involved in creating effective journalism. You’ll consider a range of journalistic forms and find out how best to nurture and develop your own writing. You'll have the opportunity to explore the ways in which journalistic writing works – its contexts, its demands, and its inventiveness. This will enable us to approach journalism as a discourse with its own conventions, practices, and ideologies. This module is concerned with journalism as a practice, and a genre. As such, it involves discussion, peer-workshops, and practical experience of reading and writing news and feature articles. In addition to writing your own journalism, you will examine journalistic writing and critical work concerning the craft, in order to probe and challenge your own ideas and assumptions about the practice and production of this writing form. Rather than see the practice of journalism and the critical study of journalism as distinct activities, this module aims to engage you as critical readers and writers whose work is informed by both contexts. In so doing, you’ll gain a greater understanding of the demands and conventions of journalistic writing, develop and sharpen your own work, and gain the discursive flexibility which will allow you to navigate the writing of journalism today.

THE WRITING OF JOURNALISM (SPR)

Code LDCC5014B

Credits 20

WRITING THE WILD

Code LDCL5059B

Credits 20

It is a popular conception that writing about the natural world and its fragility is a particular fixation of the late twentieth and early twenty first century. However, concern about the natural world and man's place in his environment became a major preoccupation in the eighteenth century. Writing the Wild asks to what extent nature writers in our period may be read as being in dialogue with their eighteenth century predecessors. Texts will be predominately non-fiction and will give students the opportunity to study the less familiar writings of such authors as Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen alongside contemporary nature writing by Richard Mabey, Robert Macfarlane, Kathleen Jamie and Tim Dee. Topics will include: nostalgia, the impact of war on writing about the countryside, the relationship between nature, writing and the mind and the notion of 'landscape'. This module offers students the opportunity to write 'creatively' as well as 'critically'.

READING AND WRITING TRANSLATIONS

Code LDCL5061A

Credits 20

How do we convey the experience of one language and culture in the words of another? What is at stake intellectually, artistically and politically in translation? This module will provide you with a descriptive vocabulary for the analysis of literary translation and an introduction to key theoretical explanations of what happens when we translate. You’ll study translations from a range of historical periods, genres and languages. In the past, we have worked on authors such as Marina Tsvetaeva, Pablo Neruda, Adonis, Clarice Lispector, Thomas Mann and Knut Hamsun. Theories have included the classic controversies of St. Jerome and Vladimir Nabokov as well as debates about cultural equivalence and political issues such as the representation of the foreign. The module is taught by seminar where we engage with translation in a variety of ways, for example comparing different translations of a single text, translating the Bible from multiple languages into English, rewriting existing translations and studying draft manuscript translations of a novel by Georges Perec. Assessment is by summative coursework for which you can either produce a comparative analysis of existing translations or an original translation with commentary. On successful completion of this module you’ll be able to describe the linguistic and stylistic features of a variety of texts as well as critically assess and apply different theories of translation. A thorough reading knowledge of another language besides English is advisable but not essential.

READING AND WRITING IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND (pre-1789)

Code LDCL5062B

Credits 20

In this module we will study some of the most important poetry and prose of the English Renaissance, including masterpieces by Christopher Marlowe, Sir Philip Sidney, and Edmund Spenser, as well as Shakespeare's early narrative poetry (not covered on the Shakespeare module). We will be studying these writers in a unique way. Behind this great outpouring of Elizabethan writing lay a vibrant literary culture which valued rhetoric, argument, elaborate and often playful self-presentation, and which insisted that good reading helped you to develop an individual style as a writer. In response to your reading of Renaissance literature, you will put the tenets of this culture into practice, building up over the course of the module a collection of short pieces of writing in prose (or sometimes, if you wish, poetry). When reading Sidney's ground breaking 'Defence of Poetry', for instance, you might draw on his rhetorical and argumentative techniques to write your own defence of any modern art form of your choice. Or when looking at the way Thomas Nashe plays with the form of his printed books you might have the opportunity to experiment with innovative ways of presenting your own writing to its readers. Revised versions of these short pieces of writing, built up across the module, constitute your summative assessment. This module allows you to think critically in genres other than conventional academic essays, and in doing so aims to foster connections between critical and creative writing. You will have the chance to develop more confidence and self-awareness as a writer and critic through studying some of the greatest English literature.

PUBLISHING (AUT)

Code LDCL5064A

Credits 20

Have you ever wondered how books are chosen for publication, or do you want to set up a literary magazine? This module address conceptual as well as practical aspects of the publishing of texts, including discussions around readership the meaning of editorship and what constitutes an editorial policy. You will be taught how to set up, run and market your own publication (such as a magazine, a book, a fanzine), to consider the principles of good design, and will learn the rudiments of finance, scheduling and copyright law. You'll begin with an introduction to the concepts behind cover and page design, and an opportunity to put your new knowledge into practice by designing and writing copy for a book jacket. You go on to present and develop an idea for a short publication and, via discussion, class exercises and private research, learn to write or select, then edit, material for it. You will engage with the processes involved in its hypothetical production and learn to identify and address its readership. You'll also benefit from taught sessions on Adobe Indesign software in our Media Suite to enable you to design your publication at a simple, basic level. As you study you'll gain experience in communicating your ideas to a class and in tutorial, as well as through word and image in your formative work and portfolio.

PUBLISHING (SPR)

Code LDCL5065B

Credits 20

READING AND WRITING CONTEMPORARY POETRY

Code LDCL5073B

Credits 20

Using the reading and study of poetry from the post-war context up to the present day, you'll consider some of the concerns of poetry including voice, form/structure and the 'poetry of witness'. You'll also look at contemporary visual art to consider correspondences between the arts. The poets studied will be drawn principally from an Anglo-American tradition and may include such writers as Frank O'Hara, Adrienne Rich, Yusef Komunyakaa, Carol Ann Duffy, Carolyn Forché, Patience Agbabi and Hannah Silva among others. Formative work includes creating a mini-anthology of contemporary poetry and there will be the chance to discuss poems you've written or read. You'll be able to write creatively and/or critically for assessment.

THE SHORT STORY (AUT)

Code LDCL5074A

Credits 20

What is a short story? What do short story writers have to say? What about short story critics and theorists? Is the short story a narrative in miniature? Or is there more to a short story than simply being 'short'? And why are critics so concerned with whether the short story is alive or dead? These are the kind of questions this module will investigate by asking you to think as a short story reader, theorist, critic and writer. Reading will be drawn from short story writers - and writing about the short story - roughly spanning the 19th century to the present, and from a range of cultural contexts. Our interest will not be to establish a history of the short story, but instead to explore the range of thematic preoccupations, changing definitions, and critical debates surrounding the form, including its political and ideological perspectives. You will have the opportunity to respond to these questions in critical and/or creative forms of assessment. Writers studied might include Edgar Allan Poe, Katherine Mansfield, Julio Cortazar, Anton Chekov, Ali Smith and Ryunosuke Aqutagawa. This list is suggestive only.

THE SHORT STORY (SPR)

Code LDCL5075B

Credits 20

What is a short story? What do short story writers have to say? What about short story critics and theorists? Is the short story a narrative in miniature? Or is there more to a short story than simply being 'short'? And why are critics so concerned with whether the short story is alive or dead? These are the kind of questions this module will investigate by asking you to think as a short story reader, theorist, critic and writer. Reading will be drawn from short story writers - and writing about the short story - roughly spanning the 19th century to the present, and from a range of cultural contexts. Our interest will not be to establish a history of the short story, but instead to explore the range of thematic preoccupations, changing definitions, and critical debates surrounding the form. You'll have the opportunity to respond to these questions in critical and/or creative forms of assessment. Writers studied might include Edgar Allan Poe, Katherine Mansfield, Julio Cortazar, Anton Chekov, Ali Smith and Ryunosuke Aqutagawa.

THE WRITING OF HISTORY

Code LDCL5077A

Credits 20

What makes a good history essay? What makes a good literary critical essay? How are they different? How do the disciplines of History and English Literature approach argument and evidence, narration and description? What are the generic, formal and stylistic expectations that govern academic writing in each of these disciplines? Some version of these questions will have occurred to any student attempting to meet the assessment criteria in a university degree. They are perhaps particularly pressing for students studying both literature and history, where somewhat different approaches are required by each discipline. This module brings historians, literary critics and creative writers into a multi-disciplinary conversation designed to explore the tensions as well as the continuities between history and literary studies. By asking faculty members from the two schools to investigate similar territory from contrasting perspectives, you will explore how very similar subjects and sources can be treated differently by different disciplines (and by different methodological orientations within those disciplines). Historians, literary critics and creative writers will give guest lectures that describe and analyse their research process and writing practice. There will also be some more theoretically driven weeks where the work of key philosophers and theorists of history and literature will be read and discussed. You are encouraged to reflect on your own approach to the writing of history and literary criticism and will have the opportunity to learn reflexive writing. The summative assessment asks you to analyse a source text using the resources of both disciplines, and then to write a reflexive essay positioning your own approach in relation to other historians and critics studied on the module.

FAKES, FRAUDS AND HOAXES

Code LDCL5083A

Credits 20

Would you present your own poetry as if it were the translation of an ancient manuscript, or the writings of a medieval monk? Would you write a memoir documenting your addictions which mostly consisted of made-up people and events? What about writing an autobiography of your life as a former teenage prostitute (never having been a prostitute)? These crimes – and more – were perpetrated in the past: in 1760 James Macpherson ‘translated’ a text by the third century poet Ossian, the original of which never existed; later in the same decade Thomas Chatterton claimed to have ‘discovered’ the writings of the fifteenth-century monk, Thomas Rowley, but actually wrote the poems himself. More recently, too, with James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, and JT LeRoy’s Sarah, we witness similar attempts to con or defraud unsuspecting readers. On this module, you will concentrate on four questions: the difference between the fake and the real; the skills a faker needs to produce an inauthentic version of the real thing; the ways a fake might reflect on the value of the original; and the process of discovering and detecting fakery. You will examine a series of test cases, from a range of historical periods, which will sharpen your sense of literary property, literary propriety, and literary ethics, and also provide you with a sense of the debates that shape and inform literature as a discipline and an institution. Formative assessment will include the opportunity to produce your own fake!

WATCHING YOUR LANGUAGE

Code LDCL5084A

Credits 20

We all know our own language, but a great deal of that knowledge is automatic: we’re not aware of what we know. This module uses an assortment of concepts, exercises and texts to develop a more precise consciousness of the way language is used. It will exploit the resources of the Oxford English Dictionary to see how individual words grow and change their meanings. It will ask what ‘standard English’ is, and why some writers choose to deviate from it. It will explore the idea that language may be corrupted, with disastrous political effects. And it will look at some historical attempts to control words, including current debates about the language of prejudice and hatred. Literary texts will include George Orwell’s 1984 and Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker. Critical materials will include extracts from M.M. Bakhtin, Victor Klemperer, Raymond Williams, Deborah Cameron. Written work will consist of short reports and analyses, some of them drawing on students’ own experience of language in use.

HE SAID, SHE SAID: GENDER AND PERSPECTIVE IN CONTEMPORARY FICTION

Code LDCL5085B

Credits 20

This module asks: - How does gender affect our perception of the world? - Why is it important to critique ideas of gender at this point in history? - How does the perceived gender of an author affect our interpretation of their work? - How does our own gender affect how we write and interpret fiction? - What about the intersection of gender and race? Gender and sexuality? - How does our position on the axis of oppression and privilege affect our personal experience and our ability to write from the perspective of those with intrinsically different experience? - How does our position on the axis of oppression and privilege affect our ideas of authenticity? - In a time of human social and political upheaval, is all art inherently political?

Optional C Modules

(0-20 credits)

MATERIAL WORLDS

Code AMAA5009A

Credits 20

We live our lives surrounded by material objects. In many ways, our lives are dictated by the consumption of goods. How then, should we understand our relation to materiality? In this module, you'll learn about contemporary archaeological and anthropological perspectives in the study of material culture. Questions that come up include: why the Summer Solstice is celebrated at Stonehenge; how houses differ across cultures; why we give each other gifts and wrap them; and how clothing gives us identity? Studying human-object relations from a range of perspectives, this module equips you to understand the role of materiality in your life and to think in nuanced ways on our consumer society.

THE LIVES OF OBJECTS

Code AMAA5089A

Credits 20

Your main objective in this module will be to develop your critical skills as they pertain to thinking, reading, writing and looking. To enable this, the module will fall into two main sections. In the first section, you’ll focus on one particular methodology – object biographies – used in archaeology, anthropology, museum studies and art history. You’ll examine this methodology in detail, breaking it down into its component sections. You’ll then consider its strengths and its weaknesses, as we subject it to a thorough critical evaluation. In the second half of the module, you will study a range of theories and methodologies used in the study of material culture. In this part of the module, you will focus more broadly on what critical thinking is, both in general and within each of the four disciplines taught in the Department of Art History and World Art Studies. You’ll be taught through a combination of two weekly lectures and one discussion seminar. The lectures will offer you an introduction to the relevant topic, and will end with an opportunity to discuss/debate the issues raised. During the discussion seminars, you’ll consider key issues raised in preceding lectures and the weekly class readings which accompany them.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN VENICE

Code AMAA5093B

Credits 20

Positioned at the hub of trade routes which spanned out across the known world, the city of Venice was a major commercial and political power during the medieval, renaissance, and early modern periods. It also grew to be one of Europe's most important centres of artistic production, with Venetian painters, sculptors, glassmakers, and architects channelling their city's diverse multiculturalism into a vast range of influential artworks. You will examine the development of art and architecture in the city from its earliest foundations through to the present day, tracing the aesthetic and urban history of what its inhabitants came to call 'La Serenissima,' the most serene city on earth. In previous years this module has featured a study trip to Venice.

THE BLACK RENAISSANCE

Code AMAA5109B

Credits 20

This module examines how Black artists have expressed their experience of the modern world in art. The module situates the making of Black Consciousness in the Black Atlantic, that space of cultural exchanges between Africa, the Americas and Europe as it emerged in the context of the slave trade. In this module you’ll learn how Black artists articulated their membership of modernity in the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s New York, Black Paris in the interwar period, the decolonization movement, African nationalism and Pan-Africanism, and the Black Power movement in the 1960s. You will learn how diasporic artists articulate their remembrance of slavery and engage with the intersections of race and gender in representations of Black subjectivity today. You will look at the work of Feral Benga, Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, the Dakar School, the Zaria Art Society, Faith Ringgold, David Hammons, Emory Douglas, Adrian Piper, Keith Piper, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Carrie Mae Weems, Sonia Boyce, Fred Wilson, Yinka Shonibare, Chris Ofili, El Anatsui, Sammy Baloji, Kara Walker, Lubaina Himid, and Zanele Muholi.

BLACK FREEDOM STRUGGLES: SLAVERY, 1619-1865

Code AMAH5043A

Credits 20

Race is central to the history of the United States. The conversations about race in 21st century America have their origins in a system of slavery that developed from the early colonial period. This module excavates these roots and thereby enables you to look to current conversations and understand where these began. You will follow a chronological sequence on the module, allowing us to trace the course of racial slavery in North America from its inception in 1619 through to its abolition in 1865. You will consider the roots of racism in the colonial era that strengthened during the antebellum years and beyond and consider their relationship with racial slavery. You will engage with the developing historical scholarship of slavery in the United States, gaining a deeper understanding of contemporary (then and now) debates concerning race and racial identity. Employing a range of resources including written and visual primary sources, oral histories, cinematic depictions, and nineteenth century novels, will allow you to see the networks of power articulated though race and ideas of otherness . You'll learn through a mixture of seminars and self-directed study, often working with artifacts or source materials in seminars to enable you to think collectively about their meanings. Assessment will be entirely through coursework. The study of slavery in the United States will make you a better historian, whatever your area of interest. Concepts of race and ideas of otherness are so central to the study of history in the 21st century that the techniques and strategies of analysis employed on this module will enable you to think about the arguments of others more effectively and also position yourself within those debates.

BLACK FREEDOM STRUGGLES: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Code AMAH5050B

Credits 20

The African American freedom struggle did not begin or end with the civil rights protests of the 1950s -1960s. Since the demise of slavery, black activists have been forcefully demanding racial equality. From 1865 to the present day, African Americans have not only asserted their rights as citizens, but have demanded an end to economic injustice, while questioning the actions of the U.S. government both at home and abroad. This module examines black political and cultural protest in the United States over the course of the ‘long’ civil rights movement. Covering the period from the first years of black freedom following the Civil War to the emergence of Black Lives Matter, you will learn about the breadth and diversity of African American activism. You will challenge popular narratives of the civil rights movement and uncover the radical impulses that have animated the freedom dreams of black America. You will cover how African Americans responded to disenfranchisement, racial violence and economic inequality. You will also learn about the lives of key figures in the black freedom struggle such as Booker T. Washington, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Marcus Garvey, Mary McLeod Bethune, Stokely Carmichael and Angela Davis. Ultimately, through the study of primary sources and secondary texts, you will grapple with the complexity of black political thought and develop a detailed understanding of how African Americans counteracted white supremacy. On successful completion of this module you will have a broad understanding of the major trends in African American political and cultural history from the nineteenth century to the present day. You will able be able to clearly articulate how African Americans have shaped our understanding of the American nation, democracy and the meaning of human rights. Finally, through the close study of a range of cultural and political texts including autobiographies, speeches, newspapers and film, you will develop key analytical skills that are vital to the interdisciplinary study of history and politics.

AMERICAN VOICES

Code AMAL5078A

Credits 20

Addressing America as a nation and the experience of being American, Walt Whitman writes in ‘Song of Myself’: ‘Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself, I am large and contain multitudes.’ This module explores Whitman’s comments in a selection of 20th-century American writers, and considers the literary and historical contexts of their creative literary practices. You are also encouraged to reflect on your own creative writing. What can you learn from these American writers and how might their innovations enhance your own writing practices? You will encounter a broad range of American writing from Walt Whitman to Conceptual writing. You will focus on how and why American writers have addressed notions of national and individual identity through their creative practices. You will also learn about the formal innovations of American writers in order to understand the concept of ‘voice’ in terms of, for example, expression, representation, protest, and subjectivity. You will learn through seminars and creative writing workshops where you will develop your skills as a writer, reader and editor of your own and other’s work. You will develop as a writer and enhance your understanding of American literature, as critical reader and as creative writer. You will adopt, adapt and appropriate the stylistic and contextual concerns of pioneering American writers covered and articulate the significance of these concerns for your own creative work.

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FICTION

Code AMAL5079B

Credits 20

Writers who want to address the contemporary scene confront a dilemma: as soon as you try to capture it on the page, you’ve already fallen behind the present moment. You’ll explore how contemporary American writers nonetheless respond to this challenge. You’ll consider the issues they identify as pressing in American culture, as well as the literary strategies used to explore those issues. As you progress in the module, you’ll acquire understanding of a number of important concepts associated with contemporary American fiction, such as postmodernism, metafiction, identity, globalisation, and memory. When you’ve completed the module, you’ll be familiar with a number of literary and cultural debates relating to contemporary American culture, and have detailed knowledge of some of the most exciting writers working today. You’ll be able to explain why it is difficult to define, and write about, the ‘contemporary.’ And in the course of your assessed work and seminar discussions, you will develop your communication, writing, and research skills.

BEATS, BARDS, AND BALLADS:WILLIAM BLAKE IN THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY

Code AMAL5080B

Credits 20

This module examines the transatlantic legacy of the Romantic poet and artist, William Blake. Focussing primarily on his influential presence among the New American poets and the poets associated with the British Poetry Revival, the module considers how Blake was read and conceived in the latter half of the twentieth-century; from countercultural icon to pastoral visionary and DIY publisher. As well as considering the complex afterlife of Romanticism in twentieth-century literature and culture, this module will also explore the ways in which Blake shaped American perceptions of Britain and its heritage.

CONTEMPORARY MEDIASCAPES

Code AMAM5020A

Credits 20

You'll be provided with an understanding of media access, production, participation and use/consumption. Module content is organised around notions of space and place, thereby enabling engagement with issues including: globalisation/the global; national media and media systems; regional and local media; community and ‘grassroots’ media, domestic and ‘personal’ media. Over the course of the module, you'll develop an understanding of the range and reach of media and the multiplicity of factors determining how, when and where populations are enabled to access and participate in media activities. Parallel to the above will be an exploration, through selected case study examples, of media and cultural policy issues, spaces/places of media production as well as a critical engagement with questions of power in relation to these. The module also adopts a contemporary focus by incorporating debates about the role and potential of digital media and communications technologies in enabling new forms of media production, distribution and participation.

ANIMATION

Code AMAM5024A

Credits 20

Animation has long been one of the most popular and least scrutinised areas of popular media culture. This module seeks to introduce you 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, from animation's audiences to its economics. A range of approaches and methods will therefore be adopted within the module, including methods like political economics, cultural industries, star studies and animation studies itself. The module is taught by seminar and screening and is not a practice module.

FILM THEORY

Code AMAM5030A

Credits 20

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 and influential formulations of and debates about realism and film aesthetics associated with writers and critics such as André Bazin, Siegfried Kracauer, Rudolf Arnheim and Bela Bálázs. You’ll study the impact of structuralism, theories of genre, narrative and models of film language; feminist film theory and its emphasis on psychoanalysis; theories of race and representation; cognitive theory; emerging eco-critical approaches; post-structuralist and post-modern film theory. You’ll be taught by lecture, screening and seminar. You’ll 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.

THEORISING TELEVISION

Code AMAM5047A

Credits 20

This module explores some of the key ways in which television has been theorised, conceptualised and debated. You are offered insight into how the discipline of Television Studies has developed, as well as how television itself has developed - in terms of social roles, political functions and aesthetic form. The medium will be explored as a textual entity, a social activity (i.e. the focus on audiences and viewing), and a political agent (ideology and power). Part of our intention is to focus on how the specificities of television have been understood.

WRITING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT

Code AMAM5051A

Credits 20

For much of the twentieth century, the screenplay was synonymous with Hollywood, the Studio System, and “The Movies”: films as brash and bold as booming American power, written by screenwriting giants, such as Preston Sturges, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Billy Wilder, Anita Loos and Paddy Chayfsky. But much of what we love about more recent American film-making has been the work of writers outside the mainstream: John Cassavetes, Joan Micklin Silver, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Nora Ephron, Quentin Tarantino, and the like. Throughout, American screenwriting has produced work as dynamic and expansive as the nation itself. In this module you will move through the high points of American scriptwriting, using scripts, texts, and creative pastiche to develop an understanding of the form. Your work may be assessed through a mix of creative and critical work, writing exercises and a complete short script. In broadly the first half of the semester you will use pastiche and other techniques to develop basic screenwriting skills. The remainder of the term will be devoted to developing and workshopping an original script. You will be introduced to the basic dramaturgy of cinematic storytelling, screenwriting form and format, and skills in pitching and story development. This module will therefore help you develop your creative capacity, your communication skills, and will help broaden your commercial awareness.

WRITING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT

Code AMAM5052B

Credits 20

Writing the American Screenplay: Hollywood and Beyond For much of the twentieth century, the screenplay was synonymous with Hollywood, the Studio System, and “The Movies”; films as brash and bold as booming American power, written by screenwriting giants, such as Preston Sturges, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Billy Wilder, Anita Loos and Paddy Chayfsky. But much of what we love about more recent American film-making has been the work of writers outside the mainstream: John Cassavetes, Joan Micklin Silver, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Nora Ephron, Quentin Tarantino, and the like. Throughout, American screenwriting has produced work as dynamic and expansive as the nation itself. In this module you will move through the high points of American scriptwriting, using scripts, texts, and creative pastiche to develop an understanding of the form. Your work may be assessed through a mix of creative and critical work, writing exercises and a complete short script. In broadly the first half of the semester you will use pastiche and other techniques to develop basic screenwriting skills. The remainder of the term will be devoted to developing and workshopping an original script. You will be introduced to the basic dramaturgy of cinematic storytelling, screenwriting form and format, and skills in pitching and story development. This module will therefore help you develop your creative capacity, your communication skills, and will help broaden your commercial awareness. Students who achieve a mark of 68%+ either in this module or Adaptation and Transmedia Storytelling are eligible to enrol on Creative Writing: Scriptwriting in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at Level 6.

AMERICAN MUSIC

Code AMAS5023A

Credits 20

The first book published in the New World was a hymn book. Music, sacred and profane, has been at the centre of American lives ever since. Distinctive American musical styles still dominate the globe, as they have done for decades. But how did American music develop into the genres that we recognise today? How did uniquely American sounds catch the ear of listeners all over the world? You will gain a thorough understanding of the development of American music. You will focus on a number of distinctive musical traditions - from minstrelsy to blues, jazz, and country; from rock and roll to hip hop - and consider the way that they have shaped popular music today. Throughout the course, you will encounter a rich variety of music and an extraordinary range of characters, from the most famous entertainers in modern culture, to the obscure, the forgotten and the neglected. Whilst exploring the development of American music, you will also examine the ways in which its growth tells a larger story about the history of America and its people. In particular, it will give you a different perspective on the issue of race in American life. Through seminar discussion, written coursework, and group presentations, you will develop your analytical and critical abilities - whether that means your ability to think about the significance of a song and its meaning for a particular historical moment, or the way that the shifting meaning of a genre of music can tell us many things about its wider social and cultural context.

THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 1066 TO 1600

Code HIS-5003B

Credits 20

You’ll examine the development of the English countryside during the Middle Ages. You’ll discuss the nature of rural settlement, high status buildings and landscapes and 'semi-natural' environments.

ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, C. 400-1066

Code HIS-5005A

Credits 20

The Anglo-Saxon period spanned 600 years from the end of Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest. It was a period of turmoil, seeing waves of immigration, the clash of peoples and religions, and kingdoms jockeying for control. Out of this crucible England emerged. This is the story of how it came to be. Using contemporary sources, you will learn to handle evidence and reconstruct the worldview of people who lived over a thousand years ago. Anglo-Saxon history teaches you to go a long way with a little evidence; to use your imagination to fill in the gaps. Whether it's new to you or something you've studied before, you'll achieve a deeper and richer understanding of how the nation was formed. Via lectures, seminars and private study, you'll discover the Romans, Saxons and Vikings; the strange treasure they left behind; the cryptic and conflicting chronicles (learning to read between the lines), and debates we still haven't resolved today. Developing your powers of argumentation, you'll run into questions with no certain answer. Building with fragmentary evidence will boost your creativity, and you'll encounter ancient artefacts. (Trips have included West Stow Anglo-Saxon village and Norwich Castle Museum.) At the end of the module you'll command an overview of how England came into being. You'll also have built your ability to see other people's points of view, even if they lived a thousand years ago. This is a crucial ability whether in personal or professional relationships. Also learning to argue with evidence as fragmentary as the evidence we'll explore will hone your problem-solving skills to an unusual degree.

FROM HASTINGS TO THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR: NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND 1066-1307

Code HIS-5007B

Credits 20

This module examines a critical period in English History. We begin with the Conquest of England by the Normans and look at the ways in which as a consequence England was drawn into European affairs. The mid point is the loss of those continental lands in 1204 and the Magna Carta crisis of 1215. We then explore the domination of Britain by the English kingdom and end with the start of England’s next great European adventure, The Hundred Years War.

FROM AGINCOURT TO BOSWORTH: ENGLAND IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES

Code HIS-5009B

Credits 20

You will explore one of the most turbulent and dynamic periods in English history: c.1400-1485. In addition to exploring the narrative of events as it unfolded chronologically you will also learn about topics such as: theories of medieval kingship, the relationship between church and state, the relationship between England and Continental Europe, medieval warfare, chivalry and knighthood, the relationship between national and local concerns, and the opportunities for people of all genders to participate in political struggle. You will have the opportunity to read a wide range of primary sources as well as considering key historiographical debates. Upon completion of your module, you should have a more nuanced understanding of the exercise of power in the 15th century and how the deeds and decisions of those in charge impacted the lives of people further down the social spectrum. You should also have honed your skills in primary source analysis and historiographical scrutiny.

MODERN GERMANY, 1914-1990

Code HIS-5018A

Credits 20

We will introduce you to German history in the twentieth century, which was characterised by various radical regime changes and territorial alterations. Topics include German world policy and nationalism in the late imperial period; imperialism and expansionism during the First World War; the challenges of modernity in the Weimar Republic; the rise of Hitler and the formation of the Nazi empire in Europe; the post-war division of Germany and the legacy of the Third Reich; the nature of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) dictatorship and the problem of West German terrorism; as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification. Special attention will be given to questions of nationalism and national identity, issues of history and memory, and Germany’s role in Europe and the world. On completion of this module you will have developed a solid understanding of one of the most dramatic periods of German history when the country oscillated between the two extremes of war and repression, on the one hand, and the return to peace and democracy, on the other.

THE COLD WAR: A NEW HISTORY

Code HIS-5024A

Credits 20

This module analyses the emergence, development and end of the Cold War. In doing so it examines political, ideological and legal aspects of conflict between and within states, issues of sovereignty, nuclear strategy and arms control, as well as peacekeeping and non-violent resistance. Alongside political developments, themes such as everyday life, culture, sport and the existence of alternatives during the Cold War era will also be considered.

HERITAGE AND PUBLIC HISTORY

Code HIS-5026A

Credits 20

What shapes our view of history and heritage? How do we balance academic approaches with the need to engage an audience? How do we assess the significance of historic buildings and sites? On this module you’ll explore these questions by studying the ways in which history is presented in the public sphere, in museums and galleries, at heritage sites and historic buildings, in the media and online. Through lectures, seminars and field trips you’ll gain an understanding of different current approaches to history and heritage, exploring themes such as the role of museums, the commemoration of historic events and the development of digital heritage.

THE FIRST BRITISH EMPIRE

Code HIS-5045A

Credits 20

Between the sixteenth and the early nineteenth centuries, the English crossed the oceans and claimed territory on every continent other than Antarctica. This module surveys the creation and growth of British Empire, examining its origins and its impact on an array of peoples. In the context of studying how the empire spread and functioned, we will consider the varied experiences of Africans, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Protestant refugees from the continent of Europe, the peoples of India, the Irish, and British settlers across the globe. The complex, intimate, and often violent interactions of these groups led to ideological battles pitting loyalism against republicanism, for example, and imperial “civilization” against an array of indigenous cultural revivals. At first glance these struggles may seem to place the British against the subject peoples of their empire, but on closer examination it becomes apparent that they fractured nearly every population within the imperial domains. The creative energy of the British Empire stemmed in large part from collaborations between British groups and individuals and segments of their purported imperial subjects in building, reforming, or in some cases seeking to destroy the structures of imperialism

THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST

Code HIS-5048B

Credits 20

We will look at the modern history of the Middle East, primarily concerning the political history of the region as well as relations between Middle Eastern countries and Western powers. Our aim is to encourage you to think critically about historical processes of state formation, the legacy of colonialism/imperialism, the role of culture and identity, and the significance of natural resources and economic factors.

PROPAGANDA

Code HIS-5050B

Credits 20

This module introduces you to the history and theory of propaganda, and its role in society. You’ll consider what constitutes and defines propaganda. Focusing on the 20th century, we examine propaganda in a range of political settings, both totalitarian and democratic, in the local context of the relationships of power and communications. The module is structured chronologically, starting with the development of propaganda during World War I and finishing with a consideration of propaganda in the 21st century.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN, 1914 TO THE PRESENT

Code HIS-5057B

Credits 20

The Great War transformed domestic expectations and ushered in an age of Mass Democracy and economic hardship. After 1945 the welfare state and full employment saw rising affluence, accompanied by the emergence of youth cultures, a sexual revolution and new forms of radicalism and identity politics. The economic crisis of the 1970s sped-up deindustrialisation whilst the neoliberalism of Thatcher and her successors deepened inequalities and stoked nationalist sentiment. We explore the social, political and economic history of these tumultuous years.

BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: INTERNATIONAL HISTORY SINCE 1890

Code HIS-5065A

Credits 20

The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a period of immense instability and change with the emergence of the United States as an international actor in the West and the Japanese break from the Chinese sphere of influence in the East. This was underpinned by technological developments, the expansion of global empires, extreme economic dislocation and two global wars. You will examine the conduct and content of the foreign policies of the major powers from the 1890s, with the Sino-Japanese War and the Spanish-American War, to the Japanese occupation of Asia. This will include assessing the interplay of the political, military, economic, strategic and cultural forces that shaped the beginning of the twentieth century and which continue to resonate in the contemporary world.

FROM STALIN TO PUTIN: THE LONG SHADOW OF THE WAR

Code HIS-5065B

Credits 20

World War II and the immense sacrifices the Soviet people made in defeating Nazism left multiple long-lasting legacies that shaped the multi-ethnic Soviet and post-Soviet Russian state, society and economy. This module aims to give you a better understanding of the state of contemporary Russian politics, society and economy through detailed historical enquiry of Russia’s path since 1945. It is divided into two main parts: in part one you will examine key periods of post-war Russian history in chronological order, and in the second part you will look more closely at key contemporary in their historical perspective. These will include the question what it meant to be Soviet and its legacy; geopolitical imperatives, which only recently led Putin to invade Crimea; identity politics and historical commemoration; the transition of the economy from a planned economy to a market economy; and the complex mutations and adaptations of power structures in Russia that gave birth to Putin’s ‘managed democracy’.

JAPAN IN MODERN TIMES

Code HIS-5066A

Credits 20

In just a few decades Japan emerged from its feudal and isolationist condition and became a thriving capitalist nation-state with imperialist ambitions on the world’s stage. From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the country re-invented itself, combining the strength of its traditions with Western models of government, economic management, social structure and culture. Samurai gave way to elite bureaucrats; a skilled industrial workforce gradually displaced the peasantry; education expanded with remarkable speed; new infrastructure transformed the physical landscape. New patterns of daily life, social tensions and cultural aspirations accompanied these changes. The aggressive expansionist policy and authoritarianism of the 1930s precipitated the country into a war with devastating consequences, only for Japan to resurrect itself as a global industrial power and stable democracy in the post-war era. This module examines this process of transformation from circa 1850, when Western powers pressured Japan into opening to international trade, to the oil shock of the 1970s that brought an end to Japan’s high growth phase. You will pay attention to the intellectual and cultural trends that informed Japan’s development, and investigate concepts such as revolution, national identity, civilizational discourse, late imperialism, and historical memory. You will also explore social and economic change as reflected in lived experience, for example in farms and villages at the turn of the century; on the home front during the Russo-Japanese War; in bustling cities during the Taisho era; in colonial outposts before and during the Pacific War; and in occupied Japan afterwards.

ANATOMY OF A CITY: PARIS, 1682-1815

Code HIS-5066B

Credits 20

Through this module, you will encounter the largest, most dynamic city in the wealthiest and most populous nation in eighteenth-century Europe. Against a backdrop of France's fraught politics between the age of Louis XIV and the Revolutionary-Napoleonic era, you will gain an intimate sense of Paris as a changing urban space that provided a stage for radical experimentation in everything from art and fashion through to high finance and luxury lifestyles. You will grasp how Paris during the enlightenment functioned at different levels, from the removal of garbage to enforcement of justice. This will involve delving into a rich variety of textual and visual sources alongside extant material evidence from the city itself.

TUDOR ENGLAND

Code HIS-5067A

Credits 20

The Tudors are England’s most famous royal dynasty. This module seeks to move beyond the traditional stories of Henry’s turbulent marriages and Elizabeth’s stunning victory over the Spanish Armada. You'll gain a better understanding of the change and turmoil the Tudor century caused, not just to the monarchs themselves but to the lives of their subjects, the everyday people of England. Beyond establishing a strong chronological knowledge of the 16th century and its religious upheavals, the module will consider issues of gender; the changing construction of the social order; the importance and developing role of local elites; problems caused by poverty and dearth; and the position of England within Britain itself and within Europe.

STUART ENGLAND

Code HIS-5067B

Credits 20

We will explore the dramatic century of Stuart rule in England. This ‘century of revolution’ included the union of the English and Scottish crowns, the dramatic upheaval of the civil wars, and the continued political instability that led to the birth of political parties and the Glorious Revolution. While exploring these political themes we will also consider developments such as: the birth of modern news culture, crowd politics, civil society and coffee shops, the origins of empire, state formation, and the emergence of England as ‘a nation of shop keepers’ and Europe’s great ‘constitutional monarchy’.

LGBT AND BEYOND: SEXUAL CULTURES, QUEER IDENTITIES, AND THE POLITICS OF DESIRE

Code HUM-5007A

Credits 20

How do notions of gender and sexuality shape culture, and how are in turn our understanding and experiences of gender and sexuality shaped by cultural production? How important are other times, places and identifications – associated with class, race, ethnicity – to these understandings and experiences? And to what extent can a film, an image, a testimony, or a place capture such complexity? Addressing these questions from an interdisciplinary approach, the aim of the module is to explore the ways in which gender and sexuality are constituted through a broad array of experiences, practices, and cultural products. The module focuses on issues raised in classical and contemporary research in history, politics, media, cultural studies and visual cultures such as: representation and cultural production; subjectivity; identity; identification; bodies and embodiment; performance and performativity; among others. Overall, by exploring theory in conjunction with queer cultural production that explores questions of power, identity, and desire across different racial, national, and cultural landscapes, the module aims to problematise how gender and sexuality are not stable identities or classifications but are instead processes involving normalisations, hierarchies and relations of domination that can be challenged, troubled and/or queered.

VIDEOGAMES: THEORY, PRACTICE, AND RECEPTION

Code HUM-5008B

Credits 20

This module offers students the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of the cultural, political, and economic contexts of the videogames industry, and the techniques and principles used in game design. The module will give an overview of the key academic debates from video game history from production to reception, considering the current state of the industry, issues of representation in games, and study of games culture within a broader context. The module will provide students with the opportunity to play and critique a variety of games hardware and software. In addition, the module provides an understanding of hardware platforms and software tools used in the creation of videogames, making use of UEA's Media Suite to offer a practice-based component to aid in the understanding of the principles behind games development. Students will be able to learn entry level games design practices. No previous experience of coding or games development is required to undertake the module, just an interest in the subject.

POLITICAL THEATRE

Code LDCD5025B

Credits 20

How can theatre change the world? You'll attempt to find out by examining the use of theatre and performance by theatre artists and activists to challenge power and create the possibility of change. You’ll look at political theatre in the USA, South America, South Africa, and Europe in the 20th century and beyond; week by week you will encounter plays, writers, performers, and theorists and build up your own toolkit of political theatre. You’ll also create short plays and performance works, and take part in forum theatre, dance, stagings, and events which will enhance your political and theatrical understanding. You will be assessed through writing a short play, a sustained comparative essay, and an original performance work. Themes studied might include feminism, LGBTQ theatre, anti-racism, and Marxism. You will debate, create, and study and emerge having found your own voice as a political theatre-maker.

FEMINIST THEATRES

Code LDCD5058B

Credits 20

What was the feminist theatre movement and what does it mean for you now as a writer, theatre maker and/or scholar? Feminist Theatre allows you to explore key feminist theatre makers from the Suffrage movement to the present, focusing on radical companies and writers of the 1970s and 1980s. Combining seminars and practical workshops, you will investigate what feminist historiography is and how you can engage creatively with archives. The module invites you to draw on a lineage of feminist ideas and methods to consider and challenge the continued under representation of women in theatre (and beyond). Assessment will be part analytical and part creative or creative-critical work, with an option to create a performance. All welcome! No need to identify as a woman or feminist to take part.

FROM PUSHKIN TO CHEKHOV: NINETEENTH-CENTURY RUSSIAN FICTION

Code LDCL5048A

Credits 20

‘Russia is old; her literature is new. Russian history goes back to the ninth century; Russian literature, so far as it interests the world, begins in the nineteenth…. Russian literature is the voice of a giant, waking from a long sleep, and becoming articulate. … And what he has said has been well worth the thousand years of waiting.’ What has nineteenth century Russian literature said that the world has waited so long to hear? This is a question you will begin to answer as you read some of the age’s great authors, such as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov. You’ll gain insight into what makes this writing distinctive and an awareness of the political, social and cultural conditions that created it. You’ll discover why it was so important to other European writers and learn about the intriguing literary relationship between Russia and the West. You’ll start by familiarising yourself with some of the historical background, concentrating on the ‘westernisation’ of Russia, a process begun by Peter the Great and made visible in the construction of the city of St Petersburg. At the beginning of the module you’ll be given some key themes and questions to think about; these will help you to focus your reading during the coming weeks. You’ll learn through seminars and independent study and research. You’ll be assessed on one essay, which can be developed from a class presentation. By the end of the module you’ll have read some of the great nineteenth century Russian writers and gained an understanding of the political, historical and social background of their work. You’ll have discovered why these novels had such a profound impact in Western Europe and how they were instrumental in the development of the Modernist movement in Britain. You’ll have gained a wider literary perspective and reading in translation will have made you think in new ways about your own language too.

WORDS AND IMAGES

Code LDCL5068A

Credits 20

The module will explore the relationship between words and images in contemporary literature. It will cover what is meant by reading images, examine the varying but related stories that words and pictures tell, and analyse the narrative techniques employed in illustrated texts. As well as developing a critical vocabulary with which to discuss how these two media can be combined, the module will survey shifts in the generic conventions of such literature over the last few decades so that students will develop an awareness of the various narrative techniques utilised by the medium. Rather than assuming comics, graphic novels, and picture books are simplistic, debased or ‘low-brow’, the module aims to address the medium as a site of exciting and innovative literary and artistic experimentation. Students will also have the chance to carry out their own creative work in the genre.

COMEDY AND THE ABSURD IN DRAMA

Code LDCL5071B

Credits 20

How and why does comedy work as idea and performed practice? This module explores comedy as a complex genre across time and place, using a range of themes, texts, thinkers and practitioners to consider the theory, practice, politics and place of comedy in drama, encompassing comedy as social critique or challenge, resistance or reinforcement, comedy of ideas, language, confrontation, carnival and the grotesque, comic types and bodies, gender and identity politics, clowning, metatheatre and theatricality, as well as forms such as commedia dell’arte, and farce. We will also examine the idea and evolution of ‘theatre of the absurd’. Texts will vary each year and you are encouraged to seek out performed comedy in a variety of contexts, especially live, to test out theories and practice, as well as the particular relationship of comic performance to its audiences. The main mode is seminar discussion complemented by opportunities to participate in and/or observe some practical work. Assessment can be wholly written or a combination of written and performed. This module focuses on dramatic texts but is open to all.

LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY

Code LDCL5072A

Credits 20

This module will offer a series of different approaches to the question of how Literature and Philosophy can speak to each other as academic disciplines, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the two fields, as well as acquainting students with the research in literary criticism and philosophy currently being pursued at UEA. As well as examining the ways in which literature can illuminate and trouble philosophical argument, it will explore literature and 'the literary' as a topic for philosophical analysis, and the kinds of thinking such a topic would demand. Setting literature and philosophy into dialogue in this way will engender a more capacious understanding of the particular philosophical issues, and literary techniques, under discussion. The course will allow students to develop an awareness of the limits and advantages of various modes of literary and philosophical expression, and to foster more sophisticated skills in both literary and philosophical criticism. The module will be made up of a lecture circus, with two weeks given to each lecturer on a particular topic related to their current research (there will be five in all, including a lecture from the module convener, plus two from Philosophy and two from Literature, Drama and Creative Writing). The seminars will discuss issues arising from these lectures, working with texts set by the lecturer.

BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4013A

Credits 20

Bonjour, comment ça va? Do you want to understand what this means and how to say it? This module will help you to master basics of French language and communication. This module is perfect for you if you have never studied French before (or have very little experience of it). Throughout the semester, you’ll develop reading, listening, speaking and writing skills at the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This means that you will learn to communicate about yourself and your immediate environment in a set of concrete, everyday situations. You’ll be taught in a very interactive and friendly environment, and will often work in pairs or small groups. Your two-hour seminar will focus on listening, reading and writing skills, while the oral hour will help you to develop your confidence in speaking. We’ll tackle some grammatical notions in class, but always as a means for you to improve your communication skills. You’ll also have opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where French is spoken thanks to the various documents we will use to develop your linguistic skills (songs, podcasts, leaflets…). You’ll be assessed by two course tests: the first will cover listening, reading, and writing skills and the second will cover your speaking skills. On successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions aimed at both the satisfaction of concrete needs, or those used to describe areas of most immediate relevance. You’ll be able to introduce yourself and others, ask and answer questions about personal details, and interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly. Please note that students should not have a level of French that exceeds the level of this course. This module is probably not appropriate for you if you have a recent French GCSE at grade C or above, if you have studied French abroad, or if you have learnt French in an informal setting (such as in your family). If you have such experience, please contact the Module Organiser as soon as possible to complete a level test.

BEGINNERS' FRENCH II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4014B

Credits 20

Parlons français ! This module will help you to further your basics of French language and communication in order to enable you to cope with concrete situations. This module is perfect for you if you have taken Beginners’ French I – A1 CEFR, or if you have some experience of French language. Throughout the semester, you’ll develop reading, listening, speaking and writing skills at the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This means that you’ll be able to cope in a number of situations, including some you may encounter when travelling. You’ll be able to talk and write about yourself and your immediate surrounding environment in some detail, and you’ll work on handling short social exchanges. You’ll be taught in an interactive and friendly environment, and will often work in pairs or small groups. Your two-hour seminar will focus on listening, reading and writing skills, while the oral hour will help you to develop your confidence in speaking. We’ll tackle some grammatical notions in class, but always as a means for you to improve your communication skills. You’ll also have opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where French is spoken, thanks to the various documents we will use to develop your linguistic skills (songs, podcasts, short articles and videos…). You’ll be assessed by two course tests: the first will cover listening, reading, and writing skills and the second will cover your speaking skills. On successful completion of the module, you’ll be able to understand and use expressions related to areas of immediate relevance, or that you may encounter when travelling. You’ll be able to communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information. You’ll be able to describe in simple terms aspects of your background, immediate environment and needs. Please note that you should not have a level of French that exceeds the level of this course. This module may not be appropriate for you if you have a recent French GCSE at grade B or above, if you have studied French abroad for a long time, or if you have learnt French in an informal setting (such as in your family). If you have such experience, please contact the Module Organiser as soon as possible to complete a level test..

BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4015B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' GERMAN I - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4018A

Credits 20

Have you ever wished you could order your mulled wine at the Christmas market in German? How would it feel be to be able to introduce yourself in German or survive a basic conversation in the language? Or do you simply want to understand what makes the Germans, the Austrians, or the Swiss tick? These questions highlight the central learning achieved within this module. Our beginners’ course in German is perfect if you have very little or no prior knowledge of the language. You will gain the confidence to use German in basic conversations as you develop a first understanding of German sounds and essential grammar. You will build up a bank of key vocabulary to survive in real-life situations. You will also gain a greater awareness of German traditions and ways of thinking to help you make sense of a country that is deeply rooted in the heart of Europe. In a relaxed environment you will participate in classroom-based activities, working in pairs and groups to try out and be creative with new sounds, words and phrases. The fun of language learning will never be far away and promises to give you the confidence to make the first steps in German. As well as speaking and listening to each other you will discover the joy of understanding an authentic German text and to write an amazing first paragraph in German. A first course in German will enable you to add a vital skill to your CV. At this crucial political and cultural moment in time the study of the German language and culture will without doubt make you a more attractive graduate and informed global citizen, whatever your specialism or area of interest. Please note that you should not have a level of German that exceeds the level of this course.

BEGINNERS' GERMAN II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4019B

Credits 20

Do you want to refresh and further develop your basic German skills? Would you like to converse with a native speaker beyond the first introductions? Or do you simply want to understand a little more about what makes the Germans, the Swiss or Austrians tick? This follow-on course is perfect if you have completed the Beginners 1 module or have very basic knowledge of the language. You will gain more confidence in using German in conversation as you become ever more familiar with essential German grammar. You will learn how to express opinions, wishes and requests, and how to master the skill of congratulating and complimenting other people. During this module you will also gain further awareness of German traditions and ways of thinking to help you make sense of a country that is deeply rooted in the heart of Europe. In a relaxed environment you will participate in interactive activities, working in pairs and groups to try out and be creative with new words and phrases. The fun of language learning will never be far away and promises to give you the confidence to maintain a conversation and express yourself to a target audience in writing. As well as speaking and listening to each other you will apply a range of strategies to help you make sense of authentic German texts. A solid beginners’ course in German will enable you to add a vital skill to your CV. At this crucial political and cultural moment in time the study of the German language and culture will without doubt make you a more attractive graduate and informed global citizen, whatever your specialism or area of interest. Please note that your current language proficiency level should not exceed the level of this course.

BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4022A

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' SPANISH II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4023B

Credits 20

Have you ever taken any basic Spanish course? Do you want to carry on studying this well spoken language after taking Beginners´ Spanish I? Do you feel that learning a language might be a relevant skill for your career? Then, Beginners´ Spanish II is what you really need. This module will improve your academic education and will provide you with the confidence to advance towards upper intermediate and advanced levels. But, how will you make it? Thanks to this module, you will work on your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. You will get the personal feedback on every single of your efforts. You'll take part in classroom-based activities, working in pairs and small groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in the process of improving this language. You'll also be able to focus on real life situations as well as the ability to communicate effectively in those situations. There will also be opportunities to explore aspects more carefully of the cultures where Spanish is the mother tongue. By the end of this module you will be able to understand commonly used, everyday phrases and expressions related to areas of experience especially relevant to them (basic information about themselves, and their families, shopping, places of interest, work, etc.). If you have a recent Spanish GCSE grade B or above, or an international equivalent, then this module is probably not appropriate for you - please contact the module organiser as soon as possible to be sure).

BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4024B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' ARABIC I

Code PPLB4029A

Credits 20

This course is a pre-requisite to the study of Arabic language. You will master the alphabet: the script, the sounds of the letters, and their combination into words. You are introduced to basic Arabic phrases and vocabulary to help you have introductory conversations. You will develop essential speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as a solid understanding of the structure of the language in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Some aspects of the Arab world and culture(s) are covered.

BEGINNERS' ARABIC II

Code PPLB4030B

Credits 20

This is the second part of a beginners' course in Arabic following on from Beginners' Arabic I. Students with a basic knowledge of Arabic writing and speaking may join this module.

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I

Code PPLB4031A

Credits 20

How would you converse with someone who is deaf? At work? In school? In an emergency? How can you avoid typical faux pas due to ignorance of a different culture? Can a 'signed'/'visual' language 'convey as adequately' as a 'spoken' language? These questions highlight the central learning achieved in this module. This is a course in British Sign Language assuming no prior, or minimal knowledge of the language. Throughout the course you will discover aspects central to the Deaf World and its Culture, and how to communicate through a unique 'visual' language, a language that uses your hands and body to communicate! Teaching and learning strategies involve signed conversation (from early on), role-play, and lots of games and exercises that make a truly 'fun and enjoyable' module to take. You will learn a little about the history of the Deaf and Sign Language itself, and its long battle to be recognised. You will discover how using your body and hands can be an exciting and meaningful way of communicating. You will acquire a wide range of easily usable vocabulary, a deeper look into various features that make the language unique, and very different to spoken languages. On successful completion of this module you will have developed knowledge and skills that will enable you to communicate with a Deaf person. You will be able to take your British Sign Language studies onto the next level, broadening your knowledge and developing further, the skill within this amazing 'Visual' language. Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrolment. Students who are found to have a level of knowledge that exceeds the level for which they have enrolled may be asked to withdraw from the module, at the Teacher's discretion.

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE II

Code PPLB4032B

Credits 20

Having gained an insight in communicating using a 'visual' language, how would you relate a story, a narrative or a conversation using more than two people? How would you describe where something is in a room, the room itself or give directions involving a map? This module builds on your studies in British Sign Language giving you confidence and further skills in communicating with the deaf. Teaching and learning strategies continue to involve a more fluent signed conversation, role-play, and lots more games and exercises embedding your learning that makes this an exciting module to take! In this module you will continue to look at deaf culture, address and look at various equipment that assists the Deaf in their everyday life. For example, how do they know someone is at the door? Can they communicate over the telephone? What would happen if you were in a building on fire? On successful completion of this module you will have developed knowledge and skills that will enable you to communicate confidently with a Deaf person. Your will broaden your knowledge and understanding of a truly unique and amazing form of communication and a culture so very different than what you may have encountered before. Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrolment. Students who are found to have a level of knowledge that exceeds the level for which they have enrolled may be asked to withdraw from the module, at the Teacher's discretion.

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4033B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' GREEK I - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4036A

Credits 20

Greek is one of the official languages of the EU and is spoken by about 11 million people in Greece, Cyprus, and in various communities throughout the world. You will be surprised by the number of Modern Greek words that are already familiar to you, including scientific and technical vocabulary. Greek also opens the door to a unique and fascinating culture. UEA is one of the few British Universities offering Modern Greek, so stand out from the crowd and go for Greek. If you have little or NO prior experience of Greek, then this module is for you. You will develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The aim is to equip you with the linguistic understanding of a number of real life situations, as well as the ability to communicate effectively in those situations. There will also be opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where Greek is spoken. Particular emphasis will be placed on acquiring a sound knowledge of grammar. By the end of this module you will be able to: converse/read and write on the following Topics: Meeting people. Food and drink : eating with friends Shopping for food and drink Shopping for clothes Writing postcards/notes. Please note that your current level of Greek should not exceed the level of this course.

BEGINNERS' GREEK II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4037B

Credits 20

Greek is one of the official languages of the EU and is spoken by about 11 million people in Greece, Cyprus, and in various communities throughout the world. You’ll be surprised by the number of Modern Greek words that are already familiar to you, including scientific and technical vocabulary. Greek also opens the door to a unique and fascinating culture. UEA is one of the few British Universities offering Modern Greek, so stand out from the crowd and go for Greek. If you have a GCSE grade C or below (or equivalent experience, i.e. Beginners Greek I) this module is for you. The module has three contact hours per week. You’ll develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. You’ll be equipped with the linguistic understanding of a number of real life situations, as well as the ability to communicate effectively in those situations. You’ll also have opportunities to explore aspects of the cultures where Greek is spoken. Particular emphasis will be placed on your acquisition of a sound knowledge of grammar. By the end of this module you’ll be able to converse/read and write on the following topics: 1. Information gathering 2. Travel 3. Accommodation 4. Meeting people and talking about the past, holidays etc. 5. Offering hospitality (informal/formal) 6. Initiating/receiving phone calls/phone messages (social/business) 8. Writing letters (informal/formal) Please note that if you are found to have a level of knowledge in a language that exceeds the level for which you have enrolled, you may be asked to withdraw from the module at the Teacher’s discretion. Please note that this is a subsidiary language module. Very occasionally, subsidiary language modules may need to be cancelled if there are low levels of enrolment.

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I

Code PPLB4040A

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE II

Code PPLB4041B

Credits 20

Have you ever taken any basic Beginners' Japanese I? Then, the Beginners’ Japanese II is what you really need. You will continue to study the different tenses and grammatical structures while improving your spoken Japanese and honing your listening skills. By the end of this module you will be able to understand commonly used, everyday phrases and expressions related to areas of experience. Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Please note that students who are found to have a level of knowledge that exceeds the level for which they have enrolled may be asked to withdraw from the module at the Teacher’s discretion.

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4042B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' RUSSIAN I - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4043A

Credits 20

Winston Churchill once said that ‘Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’. Russia gave the world Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Shostakovich, Chagall and borsch! Would you like to know more about the largest country in the world and unwrap some of the mysteries of its history, culture and politics through its language? This is a beginners’ course in Russian assuming little or no prior experience or knowledge of the language. In the first week you’ll acquaint yourself with the Russian alphabet (it’s not that different) and learn to read Russian. At the end of the course you’ll know all the basics of Russian grammar, will be able to read simple texts and to use your speaking skills in real-life situations (in case you find yourself lost in Red Square)! You’ll participate in classroom-based activities, often working in pairs and groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in your exploration of the language. You’ll be able to improve and develop your grammar and vocabulary skills through watching Russian films, reading newspaper articles and short stories, discussing their content and expressing your opinion. Having a Russian language course on your CV will give you an advantage over other graduates, and it will also provide work opportunities in Eastern Europe, Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. This course will also help you to become a more informed global citizen whatever your specialisation or area of interest. Please note that you should not have a level of knowledge in Russian that exceeds beginners’ level when enrolling on this course, or you may be asked to withdraw from the module (at the Teacher’s discretion). Please contact us if you’re unsure.

BEGINNERS' RUSSIAN II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4044B

Credits 20

Winston Churchill once said that ‘Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’. Russia gave the world Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Shostakovich, Chagall and borsch! Would you like to know more about the largest country in the world and unwrap some of the mysteries of its history, culture and politics through its language? Before enrolling on this course you’ll need to be acquainted with the Russian alphabet, able to read and write in Russian, and to know a few initial items of grammar and vocabulary (skills that will be learnt in the Beginners' Russian I module). At the end of the course you’ll know all the basics of Russian grammar, you’ll be able to read more complex texts and you’ll have improved your speaking skills in real-life situations (in case you find yourself lost in Red Square)! You’ll participate in classroom-based activities, often working in pairs and groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in your exploration of the language. You’ll be able to improve and develop your grammar and vocabulary skills through watching Russian films, reading newspaper articles and short stories, discussing their content and expressing your opinion. Having a Russian language course on your CV will give you an advantage over other graduates, and it will also provide work opportunities in Eastern Europe, Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. This course will also help you to become a more informed global citizen whatever your specialisation or area of interest. Please note that you should not have a level of knowledge in Russian that exceeds the beginners’ level specified above when enrolling on this course, or you may be asked to withdraw from the module (at the Teacher’s discretion). Please contact us if you’re unsure.

BEGINNERS' ARABIC I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4045B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' GERMAN I (SPRING START) - A1 CEFR

Code PPLB4047B

Credits 20

INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5032B

Credits 20

In this intermediate French module you will develop your knowledge to a standard comparable to A level/ Baccalaureate/B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This is a continuation of Intermediate French I. There are four elements: Listening Comprehension, Translation, Writing, and Grammar. This module can be taken in any year but is not available if you already have French AS or A level/Baccalaureate/Level B1 in the CEFR. You should not have a level of French that already exceeds the level of this module.

INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5033B

Credits 20

Would you like to take your German to a higher level and start to become a more independent user? Wouldn’t it be tempting to be able to describe the plot of a good film or book? Or take part in simple discussions and manage to hold your own? Fancy taking part in a job interview in German? This follow-on course is perfect if you have completed the Intermediate module or have basic A-level experience in German but not if you are already working at a higher level than this. You will become more independent in conversation with others as you continue to explore essential grammar and vocabulary at a higher level. You will learn how to talk about experiences, hopes and ambitions in a more complex way and how to master the skill of persuasion. During this module you will develop a deeper understanding of the German way of thinking through looking at current affairs and some iconic German language films and series. In a relaxed environment you will participate in interactive activities, working in groups to try out and be creative with new words and grammar structures. The fun of language learning will never be far away and promises to give you the confidence to hold your own in discussions and presentations. As well as speaking and listening to each other you will apply a range of strategies to help you produce and understand longer texts. A sound intermediate course in German will enable you to add a vital and highly valued skill to your CV. At this crucial political and cultural moment in time the study of the German language and culture will without doubt make you a more attractive graduate and informed global citizen, whatever your specialism or area of interest. The module is not suitable for students already working at B2 or a higher level of German. Pre-requisite is a language level assessment test with the tutor.

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5034B

Credits 20

When studying this module, you’ll already have taken beginners’ Spanish modules or be at GCSE level, but not exceeding this. You’ll be introduced to aspects of the Spanish language in a variety of cultural contexts. It will enable you to converse with native Spanish speakers, read and understand specific information in short texts starting at intermediate level. Through Spanish, you’ll learn to present information and engage in discussions. Using popular cultural forms such as film and media, you’ll develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Upon successfully completion of this module, you will have achieved an advanced level of Spanish.

INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB5150A

Credits 20

The four elements you will study in this intermediate French module are: Listening Comprehension, Writing, Translation and Grammar. While the emphasis is on comprehension, the speaking and writing of French are also included. You should have pre A level experience (or equivalent) of French and wish to develop this to a standard comparable to A2 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). You should not have a level of French that already exceeds the level of this module and should not have already studied AS or A level French/Baccalaureate/Level B1 in the CEFR.

INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB5151A

Credits 20

Would you like to take your basic German skills to a higher level? Wouldn’t it be tempting to be able to express a range of feelings in German? Or take part in simple discussions and manage to hold your own? Fancy describing a photo and capture your audience's full attention? This module is perfect if you have already completed Beginners modules or have sufficient pre-A-level experience of German but not if you are already working at a higher level than this. You will become more competent and confident in conversation with others as you explore essential grammar and vocabulary at a higher level. You will learn how to express opinions and preferences in a more complex way and how to master the skill of agreeing and disagreeing, suggesting and recommending. You will gain the confidence to present to a small audience and shine in the process of it. During this module you will develop your understanding of the German way of thinking through shining a light at cultural traditions and engaging with authentic film clips. In a relaxed environment you will participate in interactive activities, working in groups to try out and be creative with new words and phrases. The fun of language learning will never be far away and promises to give you the confidence to hold your own in basic discussions and presentations. As well as speaking and listening to each other you will apply a range of strategies to help you produce and understand longer texts. A basic intermediate course in German will enable you to add a vital skill to your CV. At this crucial political and cultural moment in time the study of the German language and culture will without doubt make you a more attractive graduate and informed global citizen, whatever your specialism or area of interest. The module is not suitable for students with an A-level grade of A*-C in German or an equivalent qualification [B1+].

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB5152A

Credits 20

When studying this module, you’ll already have taken beginners’ Spanish modules or be at GCSE level, but not exceeding this. You’ll be introduced to aspects of the Spanish language, in a variety of cultural contexts. It will enable you to converse with native Spanish speakers, read and understand specific information in short texts starting at intermediate level. Through Spanish, you’ll learn to present information and engage in discussions. Using popular cultural forms such as film and media, you’ll develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Upon successfully completion of this module, you will have achieved a higher-intermediate level of Spanish.

POWER, WEALTH AND NATIONS: GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

Code PPLI5161B

Credits 20

This course provides students with an introduction to the global political economy. The world is made up of flows: goods, services, capital, people, cultures, and ideas which continuously cross borders and move across oceans. And so it has been for hundreds of years, An array of international regimes, national authorities, nongovernmental organisations, companies, and social movements exist to promote, prohibit, or regulate these exchanges and flows. There are, just as importantly, the processes of the ‘everyday’, the social reproduction of society, that reveal how gendered the global political economy actually is. And one of the biggest challenges is thinking how to manage the fragile environmental equilibrium and economics’ obsession with growth on a finite planet. All this is taking place in a world moving East, to Asia, and in the process of decolonising from the long shadow of Western extractive imperialism in the global South.

LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY

Code PPLL5170A

Credits 20

Do accents define us? Do we need to change how we speak depending on who we are speaking to? Is language sexist? These are key questions to consider when think about sociolinguistics, the study of language and society. After all, Language is a powerful thing, an aspect of human behaviour that both defines and reflects the cultural norms of different societies. Our aim is to provide an introduction to sociolinguistics and throughout the module you will discover a wealth of different approaches to analysing language in relations to many different social variables, such as class, gender or social distance. You’ll gain a firm grounding in sociolinguistic frameworks, methods and concepts, and also learn how to communicate linguistic ideas, principles and theories by written, oral and visual means. You’ll begin with an overview of the field of sociolinguistics and key social variables. You’ll then delve deeper, uncovering core concepts such as dialectology, Code-switching, genderlects, language policy, multilingualism, and interpersonal dynamics. By looking at the different methods and types of evidence used by sociolinguists, you’ll become proficient in the different ways of working in this fascinating subject. Learning will be through a mixture of seminars and self-directed study. Seminars will include practical opportunities to practice your skills in linguistic analysis. You’ll be assessed though coursework (100%), but will present your research for your coursework during the module as part of the formative assessment. The module is open to anyone interested in learning more about sociolinguistics, and you do not need to be studying a language to take this module – just have an interest in language and how we use it. On successful completion of the module, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to take your understanding of language and society, and how we communication and interpret this communication, and apply it to many different areas of study. You’ll develop your research, writing and presentation skills. And you’ll be able to communicate your ideas more effectively, putting your thinking to the test by sharing it with others.

GENDER AND POWER

Code PPLM5002A

Credits 20

Providing a conceptual overview of feminist research approaches, this module examines contemporary gender and power relations. You will examine both the formal and informal power structures that shape the experience of gender. Bringing together the fields of media and sociology, politics and cultural studies, you will explore the relationship between feminist theory and activism.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE & CONFLICT: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

Code PPLM5002B

Credits 20

Political violence, individual or collective, is easily condemned as an irrational and barbaric phenomenon, with little relevance for understanding political developments and social change. A lot is down to LeBon’s famous nineteenth century accounts of the crowd as ‘a primitive being’ so destructive ‘that the interests of the individual, even the interest of self preservation, will not dominate them’ (LeBon, 1995). The taboo of violence persists despite attempts of social and political theorists to engage with the issue and understand different forms and contexts, from riots, to religious violence and terrorism. The aim of the module is to break this generalized taboo by tracing the role (explicit or implicit) of political violence in political theory and its function in processes of socio-political transformations and change. Critical engagement with contemporary theoretical and empirical debates around the issue and the examination of mass and new media representations of political violence will enable students to develop a sophisticated understanding of the origins, logics, perceptions and outcomes of political violence and conflict.

MEDIA, GLOBALISATION AND CULTURE

Code PPLM5003B

Credits 20

What role do media and communication play in processes of globalisation? How is an ever more global media creating cultural change? In this module you will explore the cultural implications of global media and culture by investigating audience practices and media representations. It begins by introducing the main theoretical approaches to mediated globalisation, before examining how these work in practice. Indicative topics include the power of global branding, global celebrity culture, global publics and local audiences, transnational cultures, and representations of migration.

LIES, ALGORITHMS AND CONCERTOS: UNDERSTANDING MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLICY

Code PPLM5005B

Credits 20

How should we deal with the dissemination of 'fake news'? What role do algorithms play in the media we consume, and is it concerning? What kind of government intervention is there in media markets and in cultural life and how does this get decided? This module will enable you to understand the dynamics and issues of media and cultural policy and how various levels of governance are involved in regulating media cultural sectors. The module will start by introducing you to public policy and policy making processes, covering multi-level governance, multi-stakeholderism, and the policy cycle. It will then enhance your understanding though deep dives into current issues in media and cultural policy, such as audiovisual media policy, arts institutions, net neutrality, harmful content on platforms, sports and premium content rights, urban regeneration through culture, evolving models of (self/co-)regulation. The module will draw on examples from across the globe and at various level including local, regional, national and supra-national policy making, with special efforts made to integrate ones from non-Western contexts. You will have the opportunity to work on real policy issues and practice professional skills in simulations and assessment activities. This module is for anyone interested in media and culture or in public policy in general. It covers topics that touch our daily lives so would be useful to anyone concerned about the shape of our society.

THE MEDIA AND IDENTITY

Code PPLM5042B

Credits 20

How do the media shape how we see ourselves? Or indeed how others see us? In a world of social media, self-branding and the increasing importance of mediated forms of identity, on this module you will explore critical ways of thinking about the relationship between culture, media and the self. Drawing on a range of theoretical approaches in the field of media and cultural studies, this module asks you to use research methods from autoethnography to content analysis to explore both their own identities and the way in which identities more broadly are formulated through contemporary media culture. Through discussing the representation of identity in media content, as well as issues of media production, regulation and consumption, you will critically reflect upon the relationship between media culture and social power and consider how social and technological changes impact on the ways in which identity is experienced in everyday life. On successful completion of this module, you should be able, at threshold level, to critically reflect upon the ways in which media texts construct social identity and should be able to discuss the relationship between media and identity with awareness for social, institutional and technological factors that shape both media production and consumption. Assessment is by group presentation and independent research project.

DIGITAL MEDIA AND SOCIETY

Code PPLM5053A

Credits 20

For better or worse, digital technologies are hyped at having revolutionised society. This module will provide you 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.

RELIGION AND WORLD PHILOSOPHIES FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5168A

Credits 20

Religion is a phenomenon that is hard to define, and yet clearly integral to the entire history of human existence across many cultures. Over 80% of the world defines itself as religious in some form. In this module you will approach religious phenomena as a philosopher, asking (and answering) questions that are raised by the possibility (or not) of a transcendent reality, and entering into dialogue with philosophers who have asked (and answered) these questions, such as Thomas Aquinas, Simone Weil and Olusegun Olapido. The final project gives you an opportunity to write on an issue of interest to you. You are strongly encouraged to look at how religion is communicated in sacred texts, literature, mythology and film and to ask how the philosophy of religion can address problems in the world, such as religious violence. Religion is a phenomenon that is hard to define, and yet clearly integral to the entire history of human existence across many cultures. Over 80% of the world defines itself as religious in some form. In this module you will approach religious phenomena as a philosopher, asking (and answering) questions that are raised by the possibility (or not) of a transcendent reality, and entering into dialogue with philosophers who have asked (and answered) these questions, such as Thomas Aquinas, Simone Weil and Olusegun Olapido. The final project gives you an opportunity to write on an issue of interest to you. You are strongly encouraged to look at how religion is communicated in sacred texts, literature, mythology and film and to ask how the philosophy of religion can address problems in the world, such as religious violence.

MIND AND LANGUAGE FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5173A

Credits 20

In this module you will be invited to engage with some of the key issues that figure in Philosophy of Mind and in Philosophy of Language, and to identify the interconnections between the two. Some major thinkers in the field, both recent and from earlier periods of the Western canon of philosophy, will be studied, and chosen set texts may be selected for close attention as relevant. Topics might include the mind-body problem, the nature of mind and its relation to the brain, issues connected with meaning and understanding, how (if at all) language governs, limits or facilitates thought, and the relation between language and the things about which we use it to talk. By taking this module in your second year you will explore a selection of these topics. A further selection of these topics is available in the complementary Level 6 Mind & Language module, which you can take in your third year.

PHILOSOPHY MEETS THE ARTS (SECOND YEAR MODULE)

Code PPLP5176B

Credits 20

Philosophy has much to say about the arts, and much to learn from them. In this module you will have a chance to explore some aspects of this relationship. Some issues that arise fall into what we would call aesthetics and the philosophy of art: we can ask about the value of art, aesthetic experience and judgement, artistic creativity, interpretation and representation, and we can investigate the views of many past thinkers on these matters. On the other hand, we can also use art to illuminate philosophy, and for this purpose we have chosen to focus primarily on cinema (while “literature and philosophy” investigates similar questions in connection with literature”). This module will focus on one or other of these two aspects of the encounter with beauty and the arts, but you may also wish to take the complementary module at level 6, in your third year, in order to cover both aspects of the subject.

KEY THINKERS AND TEXTS FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5179A

Credits 20

The history of philosophy, from ancient times to our own, is richly studded with exciting and innovative thinkers, whose ideas still spawn a vast volume of research and reflective criticism. These great minds are our partners in many fascinating slow-motion dialogues that extend over decades, centuries and even millennia. We converse with them about some of the most significant issues in the field. In this module you’ll join in this discussion by taking part in seminars focused on reading and discussion of some more of the original texts (in English translation, if that is not the original language), under the guidance of a research expert in the field. Texts will be selected by the seminar leader, to complement your other second and third year modules, and will not include precisely the same texts as are included elsewhere in the philosophy Honours programme. Rather we’ll aim to focus on thinkers whose work is insufficiently addressed in the other modules. Examples of thinkers that will be most likely to appear in the seminars for this module include Plato, Aristotle, the Presocratic Philosophers, Ancient Sceptics, Enlightenment thinkers such as David Hume, Immanuel Kant, René Descartes, George Berkeley, thinkers from early Analytic philosophy, early or late Wittgenstein, Simone Weil or Iris Murdoch. During this module you’ll be taught in a seminar/reading group style, with each group meeting on a weekly basis for twelve weeks. One or more such seminar groups may meet, depending on student enrolments and staff availability, and each group will be reading a different text or texts, from a different period or school of thought. You’ll be enrolled into whichever group interests you most (you’ll need to say which one you want to attend when you sign up for the module). Seminar groups will run with a minimum of ten students in the group: if you choose a group with less than 10 participants, you’ll be offered a choice of a different seminar group or a different module. This is a free-standing module that can be taken by itself. However, by taking this module in year 2, and the complementary Level 6 module in year 3, you can create a two semester course, exploring a selection of historical thinkers and adding a fitting supplement to the topical modules that you’ll be taking over these two years.

EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHIES (SECOND YEAR MODULE)

Code PPLP5180B

Credits 20

How can we make sense of the vast and complex world we are plunged into at birth? What happens when we become alienated from the world and its everyday meaning? If there is no absolute meaning assigned to human life by divine authority, does life have any meaning at all? Are we absolutely free to make sense of the world in any way we choose? Does death present an ultimate limit to human existence and freedom? Existential philosophers have grappled with these questions and in the process developed new ways of thinking about art, science, politics, divinity and every aspect of human life. Friedrich Nietzsche is one of the key founders of existential philosophy and his work began an important tradition that influenced thinkers such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. This module will focus either on the explosive work of Nietzsche himself or on the existential tradition he inspired, so you may also wish to take the complementary module at level 6, in your third year, in order to cover both aspects of the subject.

WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Code PPLX5064A

Credits 20

In this second year module you will examine in depth the works of selected thinkers who are seminal to the Western tradition of political thought, and have shaped the ways in which we think about politics even today, including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill and Machiavelli. You will also compare their work thematically, with a focus on themes such as the natural law and social contract traditions, and other schools of thought which have been influenced by these traditions. The module will be based on the study and interpretation of key primary texts and will enable you to develop skills of textual analysis and critique. It will also provide some of the historical background necessary to study more contemporary political theory at 3rd year undergraduate level, as well as building substantially on some of the political theories encountered on Social and Political Theory at first year level. The module is taught by a combination of weekly lectures and seminars, supported by private study of your own, and you will be assessed by coursework, usually a combination of an essay and a portfolio which reflects on your reading and seminar performance throughout the semester.

STATES, INSTITUTIONS AND CITIZENS

Code PPLX5162B

Credits 20

Political systems around the world are facing profound challenges and transformations. Established democracies in Europe and North America have seen the rise of populism, as marked by election of Donald Trump in the USA, the Brexit referendum in the UK or Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. Democracy has also been in retreat in many states which democratised or partly democratised after the cold war such as Russia and Poland. At the same time, autocratic regimes in the Middle East and North Africa have come under pressure, with movements such as the Arab Spring signalling aspirations amongst many people for a more democratic system of governance. Meanwhile, there are new threats to democracy worldwide posed by the spread of 'dark money' in election campaigns and online misinformation. This module provides you with a critical understanding of how political systems vary around the world and the pressures facing them. It begins by focusing on the drivers of democratisation. It then proceeds to consider how political institutions such as the executive, legislature and the degree of decentralisation vary - and the effects that this has. Finally, we consider new trends in citizen's voting behaviour at the ballot box and pressure groups campaigning for change. You'll gain a critical awareness of current debates in comparative politics and develop key skills including critical evaluation, analytical investigation, written presentation, and oral communication.

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Important Information

In Year 3 students take 120 credits by selecting four 30 credit modules, 60 credits in each semester. 20-credit versions of year 3 modules are only available to non-HUM and Visiting Students. Pre-1789 requirement: In years 2 and 3 combined, students must take at least 60 credits from modules on writing before 1789, at least 40 of these must be taken in year 2. Consult the Catalogue for pre-requisites and restrictions.Please note that students opting to undertake a dissertation are only permitted to take one dissertation module across the year.

Assessment for Year 3

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Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(0-30 credits)

LITERATURE DISSERTATION: POST-1789 (AUT)

Code LDCL6018A

Credits 30

In the Literature Dissertation, you get to conduct independent research on a literary topic of your choosing, with supervision from an academic with relevant expertise. In addition to guidance from your supervisor, you will have group workshops helping you to define and delimit your topic, to plan your research and writing, to structure your argument, and to contextualise your work within broader critical debates. By the end of the semester you will have completed an extended essay of 8000 words. The topic of your dissertation is largely up to you, though does depend on the availability of a supervisor who can work with you on it. You do not need to have a specific topic already decided before enrolling on the dissertation: you can develop the topic in conversation with your supervisor. All you need in the first instance is a preferred subject area for the dissertation, so that supervisory arrangements can be put in place.

LITERATURE DISSERTATION: POST-1789 (SPR)

Code LDCL6019B

Credits 30

In the Literature Dissertation, you get to conduct independent research on a literary topic of your choosing, with supervision from an academic with relevant expertise. In addition to guidance from your supervisor, you will have group workshops helping you to define and delimit your topic, to plan your research and writing, to structure your argument, and to contextualise your work within broader critical debates. By the end of the semester you will have completed an extended essay of 8000 words (6000 words for 20 credit). The topic of your dissertation is largely up to you, though does depend on the availability of a supervisor who can work with you on it. You do not need to have a specific topic already decided before enrolling on the dissertation: you can develop the topic in conversation with your supervisor. All you need in the first instance is a preferred subject area for the dissertation, so that supervisory arrangements can be put in place.

LITERATURE DISSERTATION: (pre-1789) (AUT)

Code LDCL6061A

Credits 30

In the Literature Dissertation, you get to conduct independent research on a literary topic of your choosing, with supervision from an academic with relevant expertise. In addition to guidance from your supervisor, you will have group workshops helping you to define and delimit your topic, to plan your research and writing, to structure your argument, and to contextualise your work within broader critical debates. By the end of the semester you will have completed an extended essay of 8000 words (6000 words for 20 credit). The topic of your dissertation is largely up to you, though does depend on the availability of a supervisor who can work with you on it. You do not need to have a specific topic already decided before enrolling on the dissertation: you can develop the topic in conversation with your supervisor. All you need in the first instance is a preferred subject area for the dissertation, so that supervisory arrangements can be put in place.

LITERATURE DISSERTATION: (pre-1789) (SPR)

Code LDCL6062B

Credits 30

In the Literature Dissertation, you get to conduct independent research on a literary topic of your choosing, with supervision from an academic with relevant expertise. In addition to guidance from your supervisor, you will have group workshops helping you to define and delimit your topic, to plan your research and writing, to structure your argument, and to contextualise your work within broader critical debates. By the end of the semester you will have completed an extended essay of 8000 words (6000 words for 20 credit). The topic of your dissertation is largely up to you, though does depend on the availability of a supervisor who can work with you on it. You do not need to have a specific topic already decided before enrolling on the dissertation: you can develop the topic in conversation with your supervisor. All you need in the first instance is a preferred subject area for the dissertation, so that supervisory arrangements can be put in place.

Optional B Modules

(30-120 credits)

AMERICAN APOCALYPSE: TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CLIMATE CHANGE FICTION

Code AMAL6012B

Credits 30

In the 21st century, the threat of global warming and climate change is quite literally ‘game-changing.’ Engaging with Naomi Klein’s contention that “this changes everything,” you will consider how the apocalyptic dangers of climate change are being addressed by 21st century American fiction. Climate change fiction, or ‘cli-fi’, has recently emerged as a distinct genre, directly responding to the dangers that global warming poses to human and non-human societies. You will consider how fiction offers us ways to assess, understand, and address the phenomenon of global warming, and the impact of humans on their environments. You will evaluate ongoing debates about the ‘facts’ of climate change and global warming, including the evidence being produced by scientists, and the emergence of ‘climate change denial’ as a feature both of popular culture and at the highest levels of government in the United States. Exploring American novels published since 2010, you will develop a broad understanding of how American climate change fiction represents the profound dangers of climate change, through its depiction of drought, flood, deforestation, species extinction, intelligent biotech, and the impact of global capitalism. Through seminar based discussion, you will gain insights into the ways that writers are engaging with the fact of climate change to shape both popular awareness and popular debates, and consider how cli-fi is imagining possible futures for human and all other life on Earth. You will be assessed through coursework, reflective reports, and student-led workshops, and gain expertise in communicating your ideas via student-led group work and seminar discussion. On successful completion of the module, you will have the knowledge and skills to assess the complexities of climate change fiction as a new literary genre, discuss the emotive reach and influence of fiction in this context, and evaluate the strategies of contemporary cli-fi writers.

WERE HERE, WERE QUEER: GLOBAL SEXUALITIES AND CONTEMPORARY QUEER CULTURES

Code HUM-6005A

Credits 30

The transnational movement of bodies, images, and capital has transformed modern conceptualisations of gender and sexuality. Sexual practices, identities, and subcultural formations have been altered through processes of migration and globalisation, as well as by the advent of new media technologies and the wide-reaching circulation of categories such as gay, lesbian, and transgender. In this context, this module aims to situate categories of gender and sexual difference within specific cultural and political contexts, and investigate non-normative gender and sexual formations in relation to emerging discourses on race and class and to anti-colonial theories of modernity and global capitalism. At the centre of the module sit questions such as: How have queer subjects been incorporated into nationalist projects and consumer culture? How has the liberal framework of human rights reshaped the struggles of queer movements outside the West? In what ways have transnational discourses on multiculturalism reshaped notions of queer community and belonging in global cities and in postcolonial metropolitan spaces? What role have media technologies and various forms of visual culture played in the reconstitution of gender and sexual identities and of representations of queer desire, affect, and kinship? Addressing these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective, and drawing on case studies from different geographical regions and from different disciplinary fields, the overall aim of the module is to explore the varied ways local histories and geographies interact with the forces of political, economic, and cultural globalisation, focusing especially on the experiences of sexual minorities in the Global South and of queer diasporas in the Global North.

CONTEMPORARY DRAMA AND FILM

Code LDCD6103B

Credits 30

In this module you will examine emergent voices and trends in recent theatre, film and television (mainly British but with some American or European contributions). Topics 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). In this course you will also examine recent works related to representations of (for example) religious controversy, sexual identity, politics and the social impact of scientific discovery.

NERVOUS NARRATIVES

Code LDCL6046A

Credits 30

‘We all say it’s nerves, and none of us knows what it means’, says a character in Wilkie Collins’ 1860 novel, The Woman in White. Our aim is to think about how a discourse of the ‘nerves’ – the ‘nervous temperament’ and nervous illness – can be both so pervasive culturally and so slippery in its meaning. This interdisciplinary module takes you from the late 17th century, when the concept of ‘neurologie’ first emerged, to the 21st century, linking literary, medical and philosophical writing to explore the representation - the discursive formation - of the ‘nerves’. The historical range of the module is not meant to imply a transhistorical understanding of nervous illness or temperament, but rather will enable us to analyse the historically specific nature of the nervous body and what it is made to mean, culturally, within different contexts. In this way, we will be working with issues as diverse as religious ‘enthusiasm’, hysteria and hypochondria, sensibility, sensation, fear of modernity, neurasthenia, manliness and effeminacy, shell-shock, PTSD and the concepts of the healthy or fragile body of the nation. Spanning time and genre, the literary texts studied will take us from the earliest, Jonathan Swift’s satire, A Tale of a Tub (1704) up to Siri Hustvedt’s analytical memoir, The Shaking Woman, Or, A History of My Nerves (2010). The module equips you to work within an interdisciplinary frame and across historical periods from the late 17th century to the present.

MEDIEVAL ARTHURIAN TRADITIONS (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6066B

Credits 30

From Welsh folklore to Monty Python, the tales of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have excited and intrigued generations. We explore the development of the legend from its twelfth-century Celtic roots through heroic alliterative verse to medieval romances, and some select later adaptations. How the legend has been translated across form, genre but also cultures and ages will be studied through creative and critical exercises. The intent of this approach is to illuminate deep historical structures – mental, linguistic, social, cultural, aesthetic, religious, political, sexual – that underlie readings of the Arthurian literature in history.

T.S. ELIOT AND TWENTIETH CENTURY POETRY

Code LDCL6122B

Credits 30

The poetry of T.S. Eliot has a unique place in modern verse as a body of writing that combines mass popular appeal with intense intellectual challenge. The first part of the module will take you chronologically through the various stages of Eliot's Collected Poems, from the nineteenth-century influences that combined to produce 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' (1915) to The Waste Land (1922) as a poem of empire and the wartime context of his final major work, Four Quartets (1935-1942). It will also offer an introduction to Eliot's literary and social criticism, as well as to criticism written about him. The first coursework essay will take the form of an editorial commentary on a chosen poem or passage, giving you an opportunity to follow up allusions and interpretations through wider reading. The second part of the module will look more broadly at Eliot's influence and reputation as a poet, critic, and editor. Beginning with his own views on the need to reinvent poetry's cultural significance for the 20th century, you will consider the importance of Eliot's example to the next generation of British modernist poets (such as W.H. Auden, W.S. Graham, Lynette Roberts) as well as later poets in England (such as Veronica Forrest-Thomson, Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes) and around the world (such as John Ashbery, Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Jorie Graham and Fawzi Karim). The final project will be a 3,000-word essay on any Eliot-related topic of the your choosing, and may take the form of a creative-critical poetry portfolio and self-commentary in response to the reading for the course.

DARK ROMANTICISM: THE GOTHIC INHERITANCE

Code LDCL6166B

Credits 30

RACE, WRITING AND IDENTITY IN POST-WAR BRITAIN

Code LDCL6168B

Credits 30

How did the legacy of its empire affect and shape British society during the period of increasing immigration from its former colonies following the Second World War and even now? How did the writing of those immigrants represent the social conflicts and tensions of that period, especially experience of racism and the resistance to it? How have contemporary minority ethnic writers responded to the challenges of the contemporary period, in which racism has taken new forms, such as Islamophobia and anti-refugee movements? You’ll focus on the ways in which postcolonial ideas can help us to understand and reflect upon the aftermath of empire in Britain. You’ll use selected writings by Black and Asian British writers to explore questions of race and racism, culture and ethnicity, religion, multiculturalism, gender and sexuality, identity, and belonging that have been stimulated by post-war migration to Britain by residents of its former colonies. These issues will be set in the context of past and contemporary debates about British identity, and how these debates have been shaped and reshaped in response to the successive arrivals of migrants from other parts of the world, and by the creative, intellectual and everyday interventions of those migrants themselves. The main topics of study will be The literature of arrival – post-war Britain and ‘first generation’ migrants; The cultural politics of race, racism and anti-racism; Multiculturalism, belonging, hybridity and negotiation – the re-shaping of British identities; The new politics of exclusion – asylum seekers and Islamophobia.

WRITING CONSCIOUSNESS: STYLE AND MODERNIST FICTION

Code LDCL6186A

Credits 30

What is style? It is the most essential and yet most elusive property of writing. How can we possibly describe something so intangible? and how can we discover and develop our own distinctive styles as writers, of fiction and non-fiction? These questions were raised with new urgency, precision, and ambition by modernist writers, who urged both that an attention to style was the first aim of good criticism, and that any good writer must develop by trying their hand at imitating and parodying the styles of previous writers, in the way that painters once were taught by imitating previous painters. This creative-critical module approaches these questions and explores these techniques through a particular focus on one of the central strands in modernist fiction, the representation of consciousness. We will focus on novelists and writers including Henry and William James, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Dorothy Richardson, Virginia Woolf, Dostoevsky, Ralph Ellison, Vladimir Nabokov, Samuel Beckett, and Eimearr McBride, subjecting to close analysis each writer’s style: among many other topics this will include the way they break up the linearity of the sentence to do justice to the non-linear nature of the mind; how they explore self and other through the figure of the double and the full range of characters across a novel; and how they render the story-telling property of consciousness through experiments in plot. We will consider such subjects as desire, anxiety, memory, sexuality, gender, and race.

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE: TRANSLATING LOVE, DEATH AND ADVENTURE (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6188A

Credits 30

For something to be reborn it must first die. The Italian Renaissance (‘rebirth’) sought to disinter the past in order to reanimate the present, but in order to do so the present had to come to terms with its loss — as Petrarch asked, ‘who can doubt that Rome would rise again instantly if she began to know herself?’. How can we best understand this process of loss and reanimation? How did Renaissance writers understand it, and how did they bridge the gulf between death and rebirth? And can we do the same? In order to answer these questions this module examines the twin practices of imitation and translation in English responses to some of the most exciting and influential texts of the Italian Renaissance. It does so in two ways: through a sustained analysis of those practices as they can be located in two of the most popular forms of the period (the sonnet and the epic), and by imitating the process of creative imitation ourselves. In other words, we step into the shoes of the Renaissance imitator. The module allows us to understand how Italian poets such as Dante, Petrarch and Ariosto responded to the classical past (and each other), and how English poets and playwrights such as Wyatt, Spenser, and Shakespeare responded to Italian models. It also illustrates the important and vocal interventions made by Italian women poets such as Gaspara Stampa and Veronica Franco. By imitating the imitators – for example by writing sonnets – we gain a deeper understanding of how imitation is both a creative practice and a critical process, both a reading and a rewriting. Students are not expected or required to know any Italian in advance. (Pre-1789)

AFRICAN LITERATURE IN GLOBAL TRANSITION

Code LDCL6197B

Credits 30

Module Description This course offers an introduction to the vibrancy and diversity of literatures from the African continent and beyond through classic and contemporary forms from 1918 to 2018. Reading these works in their historical and cultural contexts, the module will explore key topics such as the colonial encounter, nationalism, traditional knowledges and oral cultures, African identities, gender and sexuality, and travel and migration. It will raise questions of national, continental and diasporic belonging, by exposing the literary enactment of tensions of transnational and ancestral affiliation. It will consider themes of memory, family, political and economic struggle, and self-definition. The module will engage critically with debates around transnationalism and ethnicity as well as with African literary traditions in a variety of manifestations, present and past. Indicative Primary Reading: Utenzi wa Yusufu [The Epic of Joseph], Lokotown, by Cyprian Ekwensi Season of Migration to the North by Tayyib Salih No Sweetness Here by Ama Ata Aidoo Song of Lawino, Okot p’bitek From a Crooked Rib, by Nuruddin Farah Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah The In Between World of Vikram Lall by MG Vassanji Measuring Time by Helon Habila All our Names by Dinaw Mengistu We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo Africa in Prose, ed Dathorne & Feuser The Penguin Book of Southern African Poetry, ed Gray Africa 39: New Writing from South of the Sahara, ed Allfrey Open City by Teju Cole Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo Indicative Secondary Readings by/from Chinua Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo, Amílcar Cabral, Wole Soyinka, Zoë Wicomb, Binyavanga Wainaina, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Brittle Paper.

FANTASTIC REALISMS (PRE-1789)

Code LDCL6204B

Credits 30

This module invites you to explore how novelists from Miguel de Cervantes to Machado de Assis have created new kinds of fiction by bringing fantasy and realism—often thought of as mutually exclusive categories—together. Our starting point is Part One of Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote (1605), which juxtaposes the fantastic delusions of the titular character and the mundane reality he mistakes for the magical world of romance. Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy (1759-67) will draw our attention to how fantasy is bound up with even our ordinary apprehensions of reality. Ann Radcliffe’s gothic novel The Romance of the Forest (1791) plays off against each other natural and supernatural explanations for the reports of ghostly happenings at the abbey at the centre of the novel. Finally, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis’s Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas (1881) draws on Don Quixote and Tristram Shandy in order to create new kinds of fantastic realisms in the context of multi-racial, nineteenth-century Brazil. Far from telling a story of the triumph of realism over fantasy, this module instead draws attention to the persistence of fantasy and the self-reflexive impulse within the novel tradition. Through this module we shall address the overarching questions: “how does reality enter into fantasy?” and “how does fantasy enter into the representation of reality?” We will be reading novels over several weeks, which will give us the opportunity to investigate “fantastic realisms” from many different angles. Our critical readings will allow us to think about different thematic approaches each week including the uncanny, self-reflexivity, connections between literary and pictorial art, and fantasy as a means of engaging with social reality and politics, including the politics of colonialism. The module, then, both traces out a significant tradition of “fantastic realisms” across three centuries and also introduces students to a series of thematic paradigms for understanding the novels. The summative work on the module will be split between one essay on a pre-1789 text and another essay in which you will have a choice to write on another pre-1789 text or a post-1789 text.

WRITING CRIME IN TUDOR AND STUART ENGLAND: FROM THE STREETS TO THE ARCHIVE (PRE-1789)

Code LDCL6208B

Credits 30

This module engages students in an investigation of the pre-history of what we would now call ‘crime writing’. Using a combination of literary, dramatic, and archival sources the module examines the many different ways in which crime, criminality, and criminal individuals or behaviours were represented between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. It examines the different sources of writing about crime in this period and the genres in which criminals, confidence tricksters, and traitors were constructed, celebrated, and censured. It also invites students to situate their reading of multiple primary texts and sources within the critical context of modern interdisciplinary studies of law and literature. After exploring the representation of vice in medieval satire and morality literature, the module introduces the ways in criminality became an object of fascination in Tudor and Stuart literature and drama. Students will examine the ‘true crime’ pamphlets of John Awdeley, Robert Greene, and Thomas Dekker, and the role that the contemporary stage played in engaging audiences in questions about legality, morality, and vice. This was a key moment in the history of writing about crime: the moment at which criminal activities came to form a popular subject for monetised entertainment. Crime began to pay on the early modern page and stage. The focus then turns to how fictional and non-fictional writings of this period simultaneously policed, debated, licensed, and very often gave voice to behaviours and identities deemed to be transgressive or harmful to society and the state. We look, for example, at case-studies based around early modern witchcraft, heresy, racial and ethnic discrimation, and sexual identity, and examine the sensationalism and scandals involving Mary Frith and Frances Carr. As the module’s title indicates, we’ll also look beyond printed literary sources and use archival material and legal records from early modern London and Norwich to recover the voices of individuals represented by others and/or themselves as criminals. Attention is paid too to the significant differences between the early modern writing of crime and modern crime writing. We consider, for example, the ways in which the role of a detective or ‘discoverer’ of criminal activity is often taken on by the authors of early modern rogue pamphlets themselves, and how they invite judgement not only from God or providence but from their book-buying readership. In addition to attracting students interested in pre-1789 literary-historical material this module is also aimed at students of early modern social and urban history and at those interested in the precursors of modern forms of crime writing. Indicative texts: John Awdeley, The Fraternity of Vagabonds; Robert Greene, A Notable Discovery of Cozenage; Thomas Dekker, Lantern and Candlelight; Reginald Scot, The Discovery of Witchcraft; Shakespeare, Measure for Measure; Jonson, Bartholomew Fair; Anon, Arden of Faversham; Thomas Middleton, The Roaring Girl. Printed pamphlets relating to the life of Mary Frith and the trial of Edmund Campion. Archival sources from the Norfolk Record Office and The National Archives, especially the Norwich Mayor’s Court Books and legal records from the court of Star Chamber.

WRITING THE MEDIEVAL WORLD (PRE-1789)

Code LDCL6210A

Credits 30

In the Middle Ages, travel was dangerous, expensive, and inaccessible to the vast majority of the population. Medieval writing, however, is rich with accounts of far-flung places, foreign cultures, and journeys to sites of religious or commercial importance. Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant, recounts his globe-trotting adventures to Kublai Khan, the Mongolian Emperor; Margery Kempe, a middle-class woman from Norfolk, finds herself having mystical experiences in Jerusalem; Ibn Battuta undertakes a 30-year long pilgrimage from his home in Morocco to southeast Asia and beyond. Even the short journey from Southwark to Canterbury described in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is imaginatively filled with stories about Syria, Mongolia, and Greece. The imaginations of readers caught fire with accounts of the travels, adventures, and observations of explorers, pilgrims, spies, migrants, merchants, diplomats, students, crusaders, missionaries, and other voyagers. Even if they were unable to travel themselves, medieval readers discovered worlds through the texts that they encountered. In this module we will join these armchair travellers as we explore the textual worlds of the Middle Ages. We will look at networks of trade and travel, ideas of placemaking, and constructions of identity, community, and foreignness through these stories and accounts of voyage and adventure. We will examine questions of colonialism and conquest, map-making, authorship and witnessing. While most of the places we ‘visit’ will be real, we will also travel to imaginary places: the fantastical land of Cockaigne, the otherworld, al-Wakwak, and the land of Prester John. Previous experience of Middle English will be an advantage but is not necessary. By the end of the module you will have an understanding of how multilingual, polyvocal, and intercultural the medieval world was, and have gained critical experience that will not only help you to become more sophisticated and nuanced readers of medieval literature, but you will also be able to place English literature within a broader network of textual traditions that will deepen your understanding of literature from all periods.

WOMEN'S WRITING IN EARLY-MODERN BRITAIN: THE EMERGENCE OF FEMALE AUTHORSHIP (PRE-1789)

Code LDCL6212A

Credits 30

At the end of the seventeenth century, Aphra Behn became the first woman in England who could be called a ‘professional writer’. But in this period, it was still seen as transgressive for women to write at all, and especially to publish their own imaginative writing. How did early-modern women develop and defend their identities as writers and authors? How did the material forms in which women wrote and circulated their work shape their writing? And how did women situate their writing in traditions and spheres that were usually the preserve of men? This module explores the vast and inventive array of writing by early-modern women, ranging from lyrical poetry to personal letters. You will read writing by women who were successful in the print marketplace, such as Katherine Philips, a figure also celebrated today as a pre-eminent writer about lesbian experience. You will encounter women who kept their writing in manuscript, and whose work challenges canonical conceptions of ‘authorship’, such as the diarist Anne Clifford and the letter-writer Dorothy Osborne. We will explore key places and contexts from which women’s writing emerged, including the vibrant and complex domestic space of the ‘household’. And we will travel outside of England, too, including to Massachusetts, where we will confront the relationship between the emergence of female authorship and the growth of English colonialism, as we read Anne Bradstreet: the first colonial American poet to be published. This module’s major focus is seventeenth-century women’s writing, but you will also read some texts by medieval and sixteenth-century women. This module may appeal to students who took ‘Seventeenth Century Writing’, but no prior knowledge of the early-modern period is needed or assumed.

Optional C Modules

(0-60 credits)

DRAMA AND LITERATURE: THE QUESTION OF GENRE

Code LDCD6017B

Credits 30

You will explore the relationship between the study of literature and the study of dramatic performance both creatively and theoretically. Its practical aspect consists of an adaptation for the stage of a literary text, which you will freely chose and test by workshop performance, and its theoretical aspect consists of attempts to define the narrative modes of the epic, the lyric and the dramatic, with the dramatic further dividing into tragedy and comedy. These two aspects of the course converge in considerations of how you have drawn on these narrative modes in your own adaptations, and how great writers throughout the centuries have created works which stand on thresholds between them e.g. theatrical novelists or lyrical dramatists. One question which underlies all critical engagement with the subject of genre is whether generic awareness should be understood as an historical encumbrance which stands in the way of representing or expressing personal experience, or whether it is a necessary and enabling resource for increasing the receivers’ pleasure or extending their philosophical horizons. Critics have stood on either side of the debate.

WRITING LIFE: BIOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Code LDCL6026B

Credits 30

‘Truth is stranger than fiction’ and it’s often more moving, powerful, inspiring and funnier too. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to discover some extraordinary ‘true’ stories on this module as well as the possibility to write one of your own. You’ll think about the ever-shifting boundaries between ‘truth’ and ‘fiction’ as well as the ethical questions that arise when you’re writing about real people and situations. This is a module that enables you to do something very different in your final semester at UEA. During this module you’ll consider if and how non-fiction writing differs from fictional literature. You’ll learn about research, how to read and interrogate personal documents and the challenges presented by memory and anecdote. How do you assemble facts so that the resulting story is as compelling as fiction? What clothes can the non-fiction writer steal from the novelist’s wardrobe? Throughout the module you’ll read different types of non-fiction and think about how individual authors weave their research material into narrative form. You will have the opportunity to write your own piece of non-fiction for your summative assessment if you wish. This is a 5,000 word creative or critical piece which everyone will workshop during the semester. There will also be tutorials in which you can discuss your summative work. By the end of the module you’ll have gained an understanding of the craft of non-fiction and you’ll have developed your ability to ask pertinent questions of any non-fiction you read, be it a newspaper story or a highly researched account of a life or situation. You’ll have honed your research abilities and perhaps your interview skills too if you decide to write something that involves interviews. You’ll also have thought about the ethical implications that may arise when writing about ‘real life’ - all qualities that are highly valued by employers.

SHAKESPEARE: SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6056B

Credits 30

Platonist epistemology permeated Elizabethan culture: the aim of this module is to explore the relationship of Shakespeare's topic of the world as a stage to Neoplatonic conceptions of perception, politics, poetry and love. We will consider Plato as a poetic philosopher and Shakespeare as a philosophical poet by asking what difference the ‘dramatic’ form of Plato's Socratic dialogues makes to their 'ideas', and, conversely, how in Shakespeare's plays, particularising plots unfold into generalising arguments. In both cases, the concern is with how dramatic form with its special mixture of what is seen, what is said, what is known and what is enacted, can clarify perennial philosophical questions. We'll also touch on several possible mediators between Plato and Shakespeare, including Castiglione, Erasmus and Sir Philip Sidney.

THE ART OF EMOTION: LITERATURE, WRITING AND FEELING

Code LDCL6118B

Credits 30

According to Roland Barthes, emotion is 'a disturbance, a bordering on collapse: something perverse, under respectable appearances; emotion is even, perhaps, the slyest of losses'. This module takes this 'perversity, under respectable appearance' as the starting point for asking how an attention to our emotions - our feeling, affects, and intimacies, as well as our aversions - can make us rethink what it means to be critical and creative readers and writers. Drawing on a range of theoretical and critical work from literary studies, cultural theory, art, philosophy, sociology, neuroscience, psychology, creativity and creative writing studies, cognitive science, history and anthropology, we will ask what it means to read, and write, 'with feeling'. What is the relationship between language and feeling? Between the body and emotion? How does literature touch and move us? Are our 'aesthetic' emotions real? How does technology - the digital, virtual, prosthetic and online - affect our ideas about emotion? Are emotions universal and timeless, or historically and culturally specific? Private and personal, or collective and public? How do emotions construct gender, class, race, nationality, and other kinds of identity? Why do some feelings attract more critical interest than others? How does an attention to emotion affect our work as readers and writers? We will begin by building a theoretical and critical literacy for thinking feeling, before focusing our inquiry around specific themes that might include: Animal Passions; Psyche, Pathology and Resistances to Psychoanalysis; Feeling Texts: Touch, Texture and Fictional Fabrications; Moving Fictions: Cinema, Virtuality, and E-motion; Zombies: Can Dead Subjects Feel?; Affective Economies; Queering Feeling; and Feeling Human: Robots, Artificial Intelligence and Clones. We will engage with a range of literary texts and other aesthetic forms (such as art, film, etc.) chosen to correspond with our critical concerns. Please note that this is an indicative description only, and the weekly themes and reading are revised each year to stay up to date with current work in the field. You will have the opportunity to engage both as critical and creative readers and writers, and there will be critical and creative assessment options. This module is open to all students. It will complement level 3 options such as 'Literature and Deconstruction', 'Nervous Narratives', 'Traumaturgies', ' Literature and Human Rights' and 'Queer Literature and Theory'.

THE ART OF MURDER

Code LDCL6130A

Credits 30

Crime, like death, has always been with us, yet it was only in the 19th century that de Quincey proposed considering murder as one of the fine arts and Poe established many of the central tenets of crime fiction with his 'tales of ratiocination'. Currently, crime fiction is the most bought, and read, literary genre and one diverse enough to include 'whodunits'; Baker Street's most notable resident; the genteel amateur detectives of the 'Golden Age'; hard-boiled thrillers; noir; psychological fiction and even the post-modern iterations of anti-detective fiction. Narratives about crime and criminals, detection and sleuths (not forgetting the violence and victims) can be both conservatively formulaic and radically diverse. It can articulate dangerous and disturbing transgressions against society (the crime) while also revealing the ideological forces of law (what constitutes a crime) order (the various detective figures) and the systems of justice and ill-justice (courts and punishment, state and government) with which a society protects and proscribes itself. Crime fiction is also concerned with interpreting clues, discovering secrets and solving enigmas, much in the way that critical theory investigates and analyses literary texts. In this module you will explore key texts and writers in the development of crime fiction as well as examining critical and theoretical responses to such texts. It will allow you to respond both creatively and critically to the concerns of, and thinking about this diverse genre.

FEMINIST WRITING

Code LDCL6132B

Credits 30

We are witnessing an upsurge in feminist activism which some claim is forming the fourth wave of feminism. It is timely then to reconsider how feminist writing (literary texts, literary theory, and literary criticism) has helped to shape, influence, and articulate debates about gender, sexuality, and society in the past and how contemporary feminist writing is continuing to be part of that conversation now. You'll have the opportunity to read and analyse some of the most influential feminist literary texts and literary theory. Writers studied on the course may include Margaret Atwood, Henrik Ibsen, Angela Carter, Jean Rhys, Jeanette Winterson, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Ali Smith, Beyoncé, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. You'll study the ways in which feminist criticism and theory (including Kristeva, Cixous, bell hooks, Haraway, and Butler) has reshaped the canon, challenged the ways literature is taught as well as making us consider what literature can, might and ought to be. Feminism has also exacted different forms of writing and challenged dominant modes of representation. We will take a particularly close look at the relationship between feminism and the gothic, the short story, and experimental writing. Assessment will be by course work and project and you'll be assessed in both critical and creative modes. Students of all genders are equally welcome.

URBAN VISIONS: THE CITY IN LITERATURE AND VISUAL CULTURE

Code LDCL6138A

Credits 30

This interdisciplinary module explores how 'the city' has been thought about and represented through a selection of writings (fiction, poetry, theory), visual material (painting, photography, film, street art) and occasionally other sensory material (sound, smell), spanning around 1850 to the present day and focused on two particular cities and great capitals of modernity, Paris and London. In this period the growth of the great European cities has created a new and diverse set of environments and possibilities. Utopias, dystopias, sites of ruin and construction of all kinds; what different, contradictory or coherent versions of urban experience do these texts and images offer? We'll investigate what kinds of writing, art, discourses and attitudes cities seem to generate. Was modernism, for example, as Malcolm Bradbury asserts, an ‘art of cities'? How do textual and pictorial techniques intersect, for example, in the case of nineteenth-century Impressionist art and writing, twentieth-century Surrealism, Situationist provocations, or contemporary street art and photography? What is ‘psychogeography’? In the company of the flâneur/flâneuse, the detective and other urban wanderers, we'll consider aspects such as space, place, urban being and time, love and eroticism, hauntings, crime, memory and the presence of the past, the individual and the crowd, consumption, nature and the natural, urban Gothic, and the pressures, preoccupations and thrills peculiar to urban living and imagining. The main mode is seminar discussion, supported by short lectures, virtual gallery visits and film viewings. Assessment is by means of an individually designed project which is supported by individual tutorials and formative work of various kinds, including the opportunity to practise reading images and spaces, as well as literary texts. There is scope to produce creative-critical (including visual) work as part of your assessment.

ADOPTING/ ADAPTING/ UPDATING

Code LDCL6140B

Credits 30

Is all creative writing really a form of re-writing? And can creative writing itself be a form of literary criticism? From Virgil's imperialist taming of Homer, to Helen Fielding's homage to Jane Austen by way of Bridget Jones, writers have always engaged their literary predecessors in ways that claim new imaginative and critical space. In this creative-critical module you will explore the many modes in which homage, parody, borrowing, repositioning, intervention and creative (mis)reading may be practised and developed. You will examine exciting examples, and write some of your own. You will discover what literary adaptations, adoptions and updatings reveal about important moments and movements in literary history. You will explore how re-writing may also be a rogue and subversive form of reading; one that functions both as critique of canonical literature, and a means of generating fresh directions in your own creative writing. NB this is not a technical course in film/screen adaptation.

MINOR LITERATURES: RESISTANCE, RADICALISATION AND READING

Code LDCL6146A

Credits 30

You'll explore writing as a site of resistance and protest and consider representation itself as inherently political. Does this make the work of a reader radical, or how can that work be radicalised? Taking a lead from the thinking of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, you’ll ask what it means to write or speak a dominant language in such a way that it stutters or stammers? What would such writing or speaking look or sound like? Deleuze and Guattari suggest that minor literature (minoritarian form in general) takes a dominant, hegemonic, major language and forces it to ‘say’ something different, and to do so differently, dislocating (deterritorialising) it so that a new voice (speaking from a new constituency) can be heard. They use the works of Kafka, a Czech Jew writing in ‘official’ German, as a representative example of how a dominant, major language can be pressed into the service of a minor literature, as a way of inscribing new constituencies, while other critics have considered sub-cultures’ re-appropriation of language, post-colonial writing back, musical subgenres and alternative/underground cinema as also being iterations of minoritarian impulses. You’ll explore various aspects of writing or speaking back, writing against the grain, saying the things major language finds itself unable or uncomfortable to speak about, and articulating the unheard. Writers and texts might include Kathy Acker, William Burroughs, Elias Khoury, Dana Spiotta, Jennifer Egan, along with punk ‘zines, samizdat writing and manifestoes.

GHOSTS, HAUNTING AND SPECTRALITY

Code LDCL6160A

Credits 30

From Defoe’s True Relation of Mrs Veal’s posthumous visit to her friend Mrs Bargrave through the classic English ghost stories of MR James to the ghosts in the machine of modern media, the ghost, shade, revenant or spectre continues to haunt human imagination. Subtle shadings of the spectre materialise at different times, in different contexts – materialised reminder of unquiet remains; manifestation of memory or the unconscious; physiological disturbance; psychical stain. These undecidable and ambivalent presences, or uncanny sensations of hauntedness, will be explored in this module. Writers studied on the module might include Daniel Defoe, M.R. James, Henry James, Margaret Oliphant, May Sinclair and Susan Hill. The module will draw on studies mapping the development of the belief in ghosts (Sasha Handley’s Visions of an Unseen World) and exploring the cultural history (Andrew Smith’s The Ghost Story 1840 – 1920). It will also consider critical engagements, such as Jacques Derrida’s Specters of Marx and Jodey Castricano’s Cryptomimesis.

IMAGINARY ENDINGS: BRITISH FICTION AND THE APOCALYPSE

Code LDCL6176A

Credits 30

‘It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)’ —R.E.M. (1987) ‘The etymological root of the word apocalypse is the Greek apokalypsis, meaning “unveiling” or “uncovering”.’ —Rosen (2008) This module will explore the origins and development of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction by British writers from the nineteenth century to the present day, with a particular emphasis on late twentieth and twenty-first century writing. In this module you will consider how in apocalyptic fiction the moment of catastrophe is also a moment of truth-bearing revelation, an unveiling which brings with it the opportunity to make a fresh beginning. You will also examine the biblical narratives and other ancient stories that frequently underpin such fictions; reflect on what apocalypse means to us culturally; consider the way such fictions reflect the anxieties of the cultural moment in which they were written; and explore some of the major trends of apocalyptic fiction, such as eco-catastrophe, nuclear holocaust, pandemics, survivalism, apocalyptic visions, and technology gone wrong. You will also attend to the way such narratives frequently participate in the genres of dystopian and speculative fiction. The module will conclude by interrogating what apocalypse means to us today through the study of recent works of apocalyptic fiction. You will be encouraged to explore and discuss a range of associated literary criticism and theory. You will, in the second of the summative assessments, have the opportunity to write your own apocalyptic fiction with an accompanying critical reflection.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Code LDCL6190B

Credits 30

This module offers students the chance to learn about children’s literature and its development. It starts with the history of children’s literature, looking at its use as a pedagogical tool and/or as a site of pleasure, moving from Aesop’s fables, fairy tales, Victorian and Edwardian literature up through contemporary picture books, middle-grade works, and young adult novels. The course looks at issues of genre and content as well as at historical and cultural context. Theoretical readings on children’s literature are also closely engaged with. By studying the development of children’s literature, this module also analyses the development of the concept of childhood in Western society. In addition, we also discuss writing, translating, editing, marketing, reviewing, mediating, and teaching children’s literature, and the students carry out creative tasks related to the subject.

WRITING AND WHITENESS

Code LDCL6206B

Credits 30

The module addresses the causes and consequences of whiteness as a culturally constructed and economically incorporated entity that retains its power and privilege in racialised societies where is operates as an invisible dominant norm. Drawing on a growing body of theoretical and activist writing on the subject of whiteness, white privilege and white fragility, students on this module will explore a range of critical and creative writings from the UK, US, Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean that engages the ‘Racial Imaginary’ as defined by Claudia Rankine and Beth Loffreda ‘the way our culture has imagined over and over again the narrative opportunities, the kinds of feelings and attributes and situations and subjects and plots and forms “available” both to characters of different races and their authors’. Texts for study will vary from year to year, but are likely to include works such as by Let Them Call It Jazz by Jean Rhys; Myal by Erna Brodber; The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee; The Pick Up by Nadine Gordimer; The Translator by Leila Aboulela; Why I am No Longer Talking to White People by Reni Eddo-Lodge; Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward; Raoul Peck/James Baldwin ‘I Am Not Your Negro’; Cygnet by Season Butler. Teaching will be provided by a number of colleagues, who will lead individual seminars throughout the semester. These include Alison Donnell, Claire Hynes, Tessa McWatt, Anshu Mondal, and Jeremy Noel-Tod. Indicative critical writings include: Claudia Rankine and Beth Loffreda, The Racial Imaginary Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark Ruth Frankenberg, ed. Displacing Whiteness Theodore Allen, The Invention of the White Race, 2 vols. Vron Ware and Les Back, Out of Whiteness Ghassan Hage, White Nation  W.E.B Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk Zora Neale Hurston, ‘How It Feels to Be, Colored Me’ Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks Binyavanga Wainaina, ‘How To Write About Africa’ Marlon James, ‘Why I’m Done Talking About Diversity.’  Toni Morrison, The Origin of Others

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Entry Requirements

A Levels

ABB including English Literature or BBB including English Literature with an A in the Extended Project

BTEC

DDM alongside a grade B in A-Level English Literature or equivalent qualification. BTEC Public Services, Uniformed Services or Business Administration not accepted

Scottish highers

AAABB including English Literature

Scottish highers advanced

BCC including English Literature

Irish leaving certificate

3 subjects at H2, 3 subjects at H3 including English Literature

Access course

Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 30 credits at Level 3 including 12 credits in English Literature and Merit in 15 credits at Level 3

European Baccalaureate

75% including 7 in English Literature

International Baccalaureate

32 points including HL 5 English

GCSE offer

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

Additional entry requirements

If you do not have an A-Level or equivalent qualification in English Literature (or English Language and Literature), once you have submitted your UCAS form we may then contact you to ask you to submit a short analysis of a passage of a literary text in support of your application.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BA English Literature with a Foundation Year

INTO UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA

If you do not meet the academic and or English requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO University of East Anglia offers guaranteed progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree:

International Foundation in Business, Economics, Society and Culture (for Year 1 entry to UEA)

International Foundation in Humanities and Law (for Year 1 entry to UEA)

Alternative Entry Requirements

UEA recognises that some students take a mixture of International Baccalaureate IB or International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme IBCP study rather than the full diploma, taking Higher levels in addition to A levels and/or BTEC qualifications. At UEA we do consider a combination of qualifications for entry, provided a minimum of three qualifications are taken at a higher Level. In addition some degree programmes require specific subjects at a higher level.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):

IELTS: 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Please click here to see our full list.

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA

Academic English at INTO UEA

Interviews

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time.

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.

Intakes

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

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Course Reference Number: 4479622

BA ENGLISH LITERATURE