BA Philosophy and History

Key details

BA PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

VV51

Entry Requirements

ABB

What is History? How do we know about the past? What are causes? And what is it to explain events or changes or the decisions that altered the course of history? Many historical questions turn on issues that have important philosophical ramifications. If you love to enquire, not just into the past but into the ideas with which we approach the past, then this degree will allow you to do both and to bring the two together.

With a rich choice of modules in both subjects, our degree offers stimulating opportunities for you to develop as a historian and as a philosopher, exploring how these subjects interact with each other. In your philosophy modules, you will examine how philosophical thought and debate has developed over time, and how contemporary questions have emerged from a history of intellectual exchange. In your history modules, you will discover how philosophical ideas about politics, religion, ethics and science have changed the course of history in concrete ways.

About

Questions about the human condition, and how we came into our current predicament, are among the puzzles you’ll try to unravel in a Philosophy and History degree. You’ll pursue your enquiries in a rigorous and stimulating intellectual environment, where you’ll discover the distinct and complementary contributions that philosophy and history make to our understanding of human life and experience.

Throughout your degree you’ll be invited to examine how history and philosophy interact with each other. In year 2 you’ll take our keystone module, Philosophy of History and Politics for Second Years. Here you will draw on the skills, methods and concepts that you have learnt as both a philosopher and a historian. You can choose to follow it up with the complementary module in the following year, Philosophy of History and Politics for Third Years.

In addition to any compulsory modules, you’ll be able to choose from our full range of History and Philosophy modules in your second and third years. All are designed to develop your skills as a thinker, as a historian, as an acute critic and writer, and simply as a person with views and a voice of your own.

During your time with us you’ll work with leading lecturers and professors in philosophy and history, whose work is discussed the world over. You’ll be listening to them as they develop new ideas, and helping them to identify new ways forward.

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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 2

Each of the modules you choose will have its own designated assessment method. Our modules employ a wide range of methods of assessment to suit diverse learning styles including essays, logbooks, shorter exercises, podcasts, and more. All modules provide feedback and guidance in advance to help you improve your work before the final submission. Most of our modules are assessed through coursework. In a small number of optional Spring modules in your first and second year, assessment will involve an exam.

In the final year, most modules are assessed by a larger piece of your own work or a number of more in-depth essays.

Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighted 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.

Structure

By the time you enter your second year, you will have discovered where your best talents lie and you’ll be equipped to choose from the wide range of philosophy and history modules on offer.

You will choose six modules, at least two but not more than four of them from each of history and philosophy, allowing you to shift the balance towards one subject or the other, according to your interests. If you wish, you can also select up to two modules outside your main subjects – from a wide range of complementary subjects.

Many of our second year modules, covering topics such as existential philosophies and reformation to revolution, will allow you to explore the connections between philosophy and history. One of your six modules will be our keystone module, Philosophy of History and Politics for Second Years, in which you will explore these connections in more depth.

You can also take a placement module in which you apply the skills you are developing through your degree to the working world, and explore a career path that interests you.

Teaching and Learning

Lectures and seminars will help you delve into your chosen areas of study. The teaching methods on individual modules are tailored to support your development in the wide variety of topics on offer. You continue to benefit from one-to-one support.

In your independent study, you will immerse yourself in your chosen areas. Using individual feedback and one-to-one support, you will build your skills further as you develop into a self-motivated researcher and independent creative thinker.

How you will spend your time:

25% Teaching

75% Independent learning

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Assessment for Year 3

In the final year, most modules are assessed by a larger piece of your own work or a number of more in-depth essays.

Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighted 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.

Structure

In your final year you’ll typically choose two advanced modules from history and two from philosophy. Although you have the freedom, for example, to shift the balance towards one of your main subjects, or to select a complementary module from outside your main subjects. Third yeare modules will involve a higher degree of independent study, allowing you to take the subject to a greater depth. You can choose to further progress in areas that you explored in your second year, explore new areas and issues, or a mixture of the two.

In addition to the main modules we offer across the spectrum of philosophy and history, your final year will give you the option to undertake either a dissertation with one-to-one supervision, or a special subject, in which you and a few fellow students will work with a tutor on an area of mutual interest. If you choose the dissertation route, your subject can be philosophical or historical in focus, or a question that combines the two.

Teaching and Learning

This is your chance to explore important and compelling subjects in depth, taught by subject specialists in lectures and seminars. If you choose, you may pursue a dissertation, working one-on-one with an expert on a project of your own design.

In your independent study, you will flourish as a creative and independent thinker as you master the fields of study that matter the most to you.

How you will spend your time:

20% Teaching

80% Independent learning

Throughout the degree

We place great emphasis on working ideas through together. We encourage everyone to contribute, listen and respond appropriately in both large and small group settings. We seek out positive criticism, and polite and fruitful exchanges of views.

Each of your lecturers holds drop-in office hours, through which you’ll be able to gain one-to-one guidance.

You will have an academic adviser from the advising team throughout the course of your studies. The adviser is there to provide academic and career guidance, and to support your wellbeing.

During your time at UEA, you will be taught by academics working at the forefront of their academic fields, who are widely published in the key issues that have shaped the development of philosophy and historical studies across the world.

Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

In the final year, most modules are assessed by a larger piece of your own work or a number of more in-depth essays.

Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighted 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTION TO EARLY MODERN HISTORY

Code HIS-4002A

Credits 20

An introduction to key themes in early modern history, such as: gender, rebellion, religious conflict, the reformation, warfare, state formation, and other key aspects of the period 1500-1750.

CLASSIC READINGS IN PHILOSOPHY

Code PPLP4061A

Credits 20

This introductory module is designed to invite you into philosophical enquiry by engaging in a conversation with some of the most famous philosophers of the past. We start with a classic work by Plato, from the birth of philosophy in Classical Greece, and we finish with a classic work from medieval or modern philosophy that has been of major significance. In between, we typically focus on one other text, usually a famous work by Aristotle. The texts you study are in English. You will learn to do philosophy in dialogue with thinkers whose ideas and arguments are not just brilliant ‘for their time’, but brilliant for our time and for all time. You will come away thinking differently about many things that you had never properly asked about before. The module is suitable for those with no prior knowledge of philosophy. You should come with an open mind, or willing to open your mind.

THE MEANING OF LIFE

Code PPLP4062A

Credits 20

What is the meaning of life? This burning question is at the heart of philosophy. We will explore the ways in which philosophy can help us tackle it. We will investigate a diverse range of philosophical perspectives from different areas of philosophy each of which interprets the question in a slightly different way. We will look at the work of philosophers such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Patricia Churchland, Leibniz, Christine Korsgaard, Daniel Dennett, Martha Nussbaum, Confucius, Elizabeth Barnes, Immanuel Kant, Christine Swanton, Epicurus. We'll grapple with ideas that inform our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. What, if anything, is ultimately of value in life? Is freedom to affect your future important, and do you have that freedom? Could you have a meaningful life in an artificial reality? Is there a reason you exist? Should you radically change the way you are living? What should be done about existential threats such as Climate Change? The module provides a firm foundation for your further studies, as these issues are at the heart of philosophy and also at the foundation of related disciplines, such as politics and economics.

Optional A Modules

(20-40 credits)

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.

Optional B Modules

(20-40 credits)

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.

VISUAL(ISING) HISTORY

Code HIS-4007B

Credits 20

The importance of visual and material sources as historical evidence, as witnesses to history, has long been recognised by historians. Relics, buildings, maps, paintings, photographs, and films are all visual and material sources from which historians can elicit meaning. Paintings, photographs, and films in particular propose to give us unique access to the ideological, physical and emotional content of a specific historic moment. But visual evidence also challenges us to consider where we as historians draw the line between the mediated and unmediated ‘truth’ of the past. History is always an interpretation of the past that changes. Our aim is to introduce students to the analysis and interpretation of a wide range of visual and material evidence. Furthermore, students will examine the manifold ways in which audiovisual historical representations shape and reshape our collective memory and understanding of the past from the medieval to the contemporary.

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.

THE CATASTROPHIC FOURTEENTH CENTURY

Code HIS-4010B

Credits 20

The fourteenth century represents a major watershed in the course of global history, and the major contours of change are explored through this outline study of events in England between c.1300 and c.1400. Foremost among those changes stands the Black Death of 1348-9, which is now recognised as the worst single catastrophe in documented history. The second plague outbreak of 1361-2 represents the second greatest health crisis of the second millennium. The pathogen that caused both epidemics has the dubious honour of being the worst killer in history. It is still present in five continents of the world, and, if antibiotics do become ineffectual during the course of our own century, then the Black Death will represent the greatest pathogenic threat to humanity. Historians have long debated whether the Black Death was a major turning point in history or a mere accelerator of trends already in motion. Part of the difficulty in assessing its impact is that it was just one of a number of major catastrophes to strike during the fourteenth century. The others were the Great Famine of 1315-17, the worst famine of the last millennium; the great cattle epizootic of 1318-19, the worst livestock disease of the millennium; and the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, the worst civil uprising in English history. Modern science has cast new light upon the causes of these extreme epidemics and famines, and in doing so has revealed the dramatic instability of the climate as world temperatures cooled and the Little Ice Age began. Catastrophes of this magnitude and frequency reveal to the historian a great deal about human society, its beliefs and responses, and the resilience of its institutions. This was also a period of political turmoil. In 1326 Edward II was the first king to be removed violently from the throne since Harold in 1066, and a similar fate befell Richard II in 1388. Both were murdered subsequently. Despite these catastrophic events, English kings waged war as if nothing had happened and the English government greatly extended its powers to regulate the life of ordinary people in new and contentious ways. The foundation stones of modern state finance and labour legislation were laid in the fourteenth century. Central institutions of English life—such as the pub and the magistrate—also emerged. Catastrophes create opportunities, too, and the English response to those opportunities was markedly different to many other parts of Europe. At the start of the century, its society, economy and political institutions all lagged behind developments in the leading regions of Europe. At the end of the century, however, England was one of the regions diverging from the rest of the continent and taking the first tentative steps towards modernity. Some historians argue that women’s work and marriage patterns were transformed after the Black Death, and the modern nuclear family emerged. This module provides you with an entertaining, fresh and fascinating introduction to medieval history, whilst revealing how some of the most significant institutional features of modern Britain began to take shape during this period. The assessment regime includes a group presentation to encourage collaboration with other first year historians.

HUMAN RIGHTS, DIGNITY AND GLOBAL JUSTICE

Code HIS-4011B

Credits 20

The objective of this module is to understand how human rights developed as a global and transnational idea and set of practices in the post-1776 period. The module looks at the emergence of human rights as a set of ideas from their conception in the eighteenth century, through the development of political rights and humanitarianism in the nineteenth century, through to the United Nations of Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and into the post World War Two period of decolonisation and sustainable development goals. In the seminar discussion, we will focus on key texts, examine crucial political events and following the ideas of important thinkers.

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.

Optional C Modules

(0-20 credits)

ENVIRONMENT, ART AND CULTURE

Code AMAA4004B

Credits 20

Most works of art – whether objects, buildings, or performances – are designed to serve a set of purposes. How their forms and functions relate may be straightforward and practical, or complex and elusive. Through a range of case studies, presented in lectures by our staff in Art History and World Art Studies, you will examine the connections between the uses, meanings, and appearances of art, culture, space, and landscape. You will also consider how these connections may change over time, especially in the context of cross-cultural contact. The opportunity to analyze texts on your own and in discussion groups will help you understand different points of view and construct an argument supported by evidence.

INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY

Code AMAA4024B

Credits 20

What is anthropology? What do anthropologists study? How is anthropology different from other disciplines? This module presents an overview of key anthropological approaches and their connections with history and archaeology. Throughout this module, you'll learn about classical and contemporary anthropological themes by looking at approaches to nature, human ecology, material culture, art, ritual, religion, and globalization. You'll learn how important culture is in shaping the world. This enables you to comprehend the complexities of today's world.

PORTRAITURE AND IDENTITY

Code AMAA4025B

Credits 20

How do you represent a person? On this module, you will explore the genre of portraiture as it has been practiced by visual artists from the ancient world to the present day. You will develop the skill of visual analysis as you consider issues such as 'likeness'; the face; the self-portrait; portraiture as the embodiment of political, social and aesthetic power; the ways in which portraiture has variously reinforced and challenged concepts of class, race and gender; the photographic portrait, and the role of portraiture in contemporary art and culture. You will also continue to develop your writing skills, as we analyze works of art alongside histories and concepts of the individual self – perhaps the supreme artefact of all.

STUDIES IN FILM HISTORY

Code AMAM4021B

Credits 20

This module provides you with an introduction to the history of cinema from 1946 to 1996, as it is traditionally understood within Film Studies. It will outline important developments in global film history, which will underpin your future study. The course will help you understand some of the complex processes of historical change (e.g. technological, industrial and socio-political) that transformed cinema during the period in question and will situate particular films in the aesthetic and narrative traditions in which the films were originally made and seen.

WORLD CINEMAS

Code AMAM4035B

Credits 20

The concept of World Cinema pervades our everyday experiences of film. It is a category of films that can be seen increasingly from cinema listings to the high street. Inherent within the label are debates of resistance, industry, art, technology and aesthetics that have held sway since the dawn of cinema worldwide. In this module you will break down some of these discourses and address the significant cultural, economic and political influences that world cinema has had, and indeed still has, within cinema. There are innumerable cinemas that may be contained within the notion of “world cinema,” but few are more long-lived, or as well-developed, as those we will investigate during this module. Taking the conceptual frameworks of “Middle Eastern,” “European” and “Asian” cinemas as starting points, you will break down the meanings that these regional, national and international definitions of cinema share. You will focus, for example, on the cinemas of Europe, Turkey, Middle East, Japan and America. This tightly focused definition of “world cinemas” is intended to introduce some of the most significant of contemporary world cinemas, while also focusing on those which have had the most influential global histories.

PROGRAMMING FOR APPLICATIONS

Code CMP-4009B

Credits 20

You will be introduced to a number of programming concepts at the start of your programming career, using a modern programming language common to many digital industries. We structure learning through lectures, delivering core materials, and tutor supported exercises to reinforce learning, preparing you for programming in your following studies.

THE ECONOMICS OF BUSINESS DECISION-MAKING

Code ECO-4002B

Credits 20

This module introduces key concepts and findings from behavioural economics and investigates how economics can be used to understand the behaviour of consumers, workers and managers. Providing you with a means to introduce key developments in economic analysis, from neuroeconomics to the economics of emotion, the focus is on how such economic insights can ultimately improve business and managerial decision-making.

SUSTAINABILITY, SOCIETY AND BIODIVERSITY

Code ENV-4006B

Credits 20

Striking a balance between societal development, economic growth and environmental conservation has proven challenging and contentious at many scales and over time. The concept of `sustainable development’ was coined to denote processes aiming to achieve this balance. This module introduces sustainable development, and examines the challenges and opportunities to achieving this, drawing together social and ecological dimensions. Drawing upon the social sciences, this module examines the theory and practice of sustainable development. From an ecological perspective, the module covers a range of concepts relevant to the structure and functioning of the biosphere, and topics ranging from landscape and population ecology to biodiversity conservation. This module is assessed by coursework and an examination.

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 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.

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.

PROBABILITY

Code MTHA4001B

Credits 10

Probability is the study of the chance of events occurring. It has important applications to understand the likelihood of multiple events happening together and therefore to rational decision-making. This module will give you an introduction to the modern theory of probability developed from the seminal works of the Russian mathematician A.N. Kolmogorov in 1930s. Kolmogorov’s axiomatic theory describes the outcomes (events) of a random experiment as mathematical sets. Using set theory language you will be introduced to the concept of random variables, and consider different examples of discrete random variables (like binomial, geometric and Poisson random variables) and continuous random variables (like the normal random variable). In the last part of the module you will explore two applications of probability: reliability theory and Markov chains. Aside of the standard lectures and workshop sessions, there will be two computer-lab sessions of (2 hours each) where you will apply probability theory to specific everyday life case studies. The only pre-requisites for this module are a basic knowledge of set theory and of calculus that you would have acquired during the Autumn semester. If you have done probability or statistic at A-level you will rediscover its contents now taught using a proper and more elegant mathematical formalism.

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

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' 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 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

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.

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 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

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' 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 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

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' 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

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.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Code PPLC4002B

Credits 20

This module will provide an introduction to how we begin to analyse different languages and cultures. You will explore different theories and approaches, such as sociolinguistics, anthropology, and cultural theory, to develop your critical and analytical skills, and develop your knowledge ready for the second year of your degree. This module will be accessed via coursework.

LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Code PPLC4012B

Credits 20

What is the effect of our languages and cultures on the ways that we communicate with other people? In this module, you will think critically about key concepts relating to interpersonal communication, including culture, verbal and non-verbal communication, intercultural interpersonal relationships, intercultural transitions, and identity. Through lectures and seminars, you will develop greater self-awareness and sensitivity to your own intercultural competencies, enhancing your ability to communicate effectively with others who have different sets of assumptions from you, or who have different cultural affiliations to you. This will make you a more effective interpersonal communicator in international or multicultural settings, which will be useful to you if you are taking a year abroad later in your degree, or if you engage in future work overseas, in global organisations, multinational companies, charities, etc. The module is delivered in the English language and you don’t need to speak a foreign language to take it.

FRENCH YEAR 1 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLF4003B

Credits 20

C’est la deuxième étape de votre première année de français à UEA! (It’s the second step of your first year of French at UEA!). This module is for Level 4 students studying French Honours language degrees, and comprises two pathways (A2+ and B1+). These levels refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and your pathway will depend on how much experience of learning French you had at the beginning of your degree. In this module, you’ll further develop your French language and communication skills, and a solid foundation to expand in following years. You’ll improve you receptive (listening and reading) as well as productive skills (speaking and writing) in French, and your exact learning objectives will differ according to the pathway you’re on. Teaching sessions will also vary according to pathways, but all students will have 2-hour seminars focusing on listening, reading, and writing skills, and oral hours where you’ll develop your confidence in speaking. You’ll discover cultural aspects which will help you better understand French society across the different components of the module. The transferable skills you’ll develop through this module are numerous. As you’ll work autonomously a lot, self-insight will be an important part of the process to know which strategies work best for your. Identifying where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and acting upon it will be equally important. Finally, an ability to co-operate and collaborate with others will be constantly required in this module, as you will very often work with other students on various activities.

GLOBALISATION AND FRENCH CULTURAL IDENTITIES (LEVEL 4)

Code PPLF4006B

Credits 20

Do you want to explore what makes the French so French? Is there any such thing as a French cultural exception? How has society and the relationship between the French and the French state or religion evolved over time and how has that shaped social behaviours, attitudes, laws, and values in France? These are some of the questions that will be the subjects of this module, which is available to students with or without some prior knowledge of the French language. By taking this module, taught and assessed in English, you will gain a deeper understanding of French society and important aspects of its institutions. You will understand France's attempts to retain its cultural identity, despite trends of homogenisation. You will look at themes such as education, arts, politics, literature, thought, and examine questions such as the role of the state, the support of the film industry, the history and legacy of Cartesian reasoning, and centralisation and universalism. Those themes will be discussed, sometimes challenged, through the exploration of a range of illustrations, documents and readings. By the end of this module, you'll have developed awareness of important and structuring features of French culture, and you'll have developed intercultural skills. If you are a student in international relations, you will have a better understanding of what influences social and political representations, constructions and decisions. As a student of languages, you will be able to support your comprehension and expression skills by a thorough understanding of the French culture.

SPANISH YEAR 1 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLH4002B

Credits 20

This module is for students studying Spanish Honours language degrees. This module is for Level 4 students and comprises of two strands (A2, B1).

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 JAPAN

Code PPLJ4029B

Credits 20

Would you like to explore Japanese culture and society? Are you curious and would you like to travel to Japan? Your module is designed to offer a critical overview of changes occurring in contemporary Japanese culture and society. Taught in English, you will be introduced to major aspects of the history, society, cultures, and global position of Japan. You’ll take a fresh look at stereotypes associated with Japan. You will be provided with a good all-round basic knowledge of Japan that will be of value both to students intending to major in Japanese and those interested in Japan. No knowledge of Japanese language is required. Topics such as overview of Japanese history from ancient to modern times, geography, contemporary politics and economics, society, education, and traditional and contemporary culture will be considered. Exercises and discussions in class will enhance your understanding and motivation to studying Japan in its global and cultural context.

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.

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Important Information

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.

Assessment for Year 2

In the final year, most modules are assessed by a larger piece of your own work or a number of more in-depth essays.

Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighted 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.

Compulsory Modules

PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY AND POLITICS FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5167A

Credits 20

What is power and who wields it? How have ideas about power, freedom, government and society changed in the course of history? How have those ideas been shaped by society and in turn helped to shape society? Is there an essence to power that drives historical change, or is power dispersed through a multitude of institutions and social forms of organization? In this module we will look at how different modes of political and historical understanding interact with political practice and historical change. We will explore classical formulations of major political theories and situate them in historical context. Then we will shift to contemporary debates as they relate to politics today. We will also look at ideas about the shape of history and how they have inspired political action. In addition to exploring theoretical differences, we will debate the practical implications of competing ideas of power, freedom and progress. This will lead us to think about concrete political problems, such as economic inequality, affirmative action, meritocracy, women and class, distribution of health care, the limits of state power in the regulation of speech, and environmental crisis.

Optional A Modules

(20-60 credits)

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.

PHI SEMESTER ABROAD MODULE

Code PPLP5171B

Credits 60

Students often say that spending a semester abroad expands their horizons and improves their career prospects. You will be able to judge this claim for yourself by completing this module. You’ll experience a different educational culture and develop new perspectives on learning. Assessed formatively and summatively by the host university and on successful completion of the semester abroad, you’ll have developed the knowledge and skills to study in a foreign academic environment with more confidence. Assessment will be in the foreign institution and you might be assessed via different methods depending on the institution you attend. To check eligibility criteria it is important that you liaise with our Study Abroad Team.

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.

ETHICS FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5174B

Credits 20

What is morality? And in what ways does it impinge on our lives, in deciding what to do? There are issues relating to ethics that are theoretical and meta-ethical, about what kind of judgements are being made and what is their basis in fact or in some realm of values; there are normative issues, about how, if at all, a theory can help to predict or decide what a person ought to do or which dispositions are commendable; and there are practical issues, about the real dilemmas of life and death, about fairness, love and compassion, as we face them in the world, and not just in imaginary trolley-problems . To complete a course in ethics you would want to explore all these aspects of the subject, and during this module you’ll engage with a selection of these, focusing either on the theoretical aspects, including attention to some major historical figures, or more on practical ethics. This module can be taken as a stand-alone module, but you are also encouraged to enrol for the complementary Level 6 module, which will be available in your third year, so as to compile a more complete study of the whole range of these topics.

KNOWLEDGE SCIENCE AND PROOF FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5175B

Credits 20

Epistemology examines what knowledge is. Science is concerned with the acquisition of secure knowledge, and philosophy of science considers what counts as science, what objects the scientist knows about, and what methods can be used to attain such knowledge; logic uses formal tools to investigate different forms of reasoning deployed to acquire knowledge. You will be given an opportunity to explore a selection of these areas of philosophy, through teaching informed by recent and ongoing research: which ones will be explored on this occasion will be selected in the light of the lecturers’ current research interests and their general appeal.

ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5177B

Credits 20

How can we avoid environmental catastrophe? How can philosophy help? The relationship between human beings and the natural world is the basis of everything we are and yet we do not seem to have found a way to avoid destruction, degradation and potential catastrophe. In this module we will examine various ways in which philosophy can examine our relationship with the natural world and contribute to the fight to protect the planet. Topics may include the ethics of climate change; value theory and nature; human-animal relationships; the ways science, art and politics affect our relationships with the natural world. This module will cover a selection of these topics, and students may wish to continue the course by taking the complementary Level 6 module in their third year.

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.

ADVANCED PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS FOR YEAR 2 STUDENTS

Code PPLP5181B

Credits 20

This optional module allows students to explore the latest research in a specific area of philosophy. The module’s focus is driven by the department’s and the lecturer’s latest research interests and passions. So, this module is an opportunity to explore recent research topics in philosophy which are not focused on elsewhere in the degree, led by an expert who is passionate about the topic. Examples of areas of research which this module might explore include History of Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Non-Western Philosophy, Philosophy of Biology, Philosophy of Psychiatry. The module is assessed via coursework and typically has three hours contact time per week including lectures and seminars. Note that this optional module will not run in every academic year but is run where possible to maximise student choice. The availability of the module and the topic(s) on offer in a given year will be advertised during module enrolment, or you can ask your course director.

Optional B Modules

(20-80 credits)

THE ORIGINS OF THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 4000BC TO 1066AD

Code HIS-5002A

Credits 20

On this module you’ll study the development of the English landscape from early prehistoric times to the late Anglo Saxon period. You’ll learn to identify and interpret key landscape features from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages before moving on to study Roman and Anglo Saxon landscapes. Lectures, seminars and field trips will provide you with an introduction to the approaches and sources used by landscape historians and landscape archaeologists. You’ll develop your understanding of landscape history through the study of key sites such as Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall and Sutton Hoo. The chronological approach of the module will provide you with an understanding of long term landscape change, telling the story of the English landscape from prehistory to the eve of the Norman Conquest.

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.

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.

EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE: WARRIORS, SAINTS AND RULERS

Code HIS-5042A

Credits 20

You'll explore the experiences and fortunes of the peoples of the western peninsula of Eurasia between the rule of the Emperor Constantine I in the 330s and the call to crusade in the 1090s. At the beginning of the period, the lands centred on the Mediterranean and much of its hinterland were situated within the Roman empire. Yet, within three hundred years, this empire had disintegrated and been replaced by a number of successor states, ruled by competing dynasties. These states included Visigothic Hispania, Vandal Africa, and Merovingian Francia. Another—in fact, the longest lived of all the successor states—was the eastern empire centred on Constantinople, long known to historians as ‘the Byzantine empire’. By the close of the 7th century, many of these states had themselves been conquered by Arabic and African warriors committed to the new religion of Islam and been incorporated in the Caliphate centred on the city of Damascus—an empire which easily rivalled the might, spread, and power of Rome before its own collapse and fission in circa 1000. What Islamic rulers could do, so too could Christian ones. In 800 the son of a Frankish usurper, Charlemagne, was crowned emperor of the West. The actions and ambitions of this emperor were as formative and as formidable in the history of 9th and 10th century Europe as those of Napoleon in the 18th and 19th. The heirs and successors of Charlemagne—whether Frankish, Ottonian, or Scandinavian—were long compelled to negotiate his legacy and memory. By the 11th century, even the Roman pontiffs, now advancing a new programme of reform and renewal, were looking to situate themselves in relation to his Salian successors. The summons to liberate Jerusalem and rescue the Greek empire in the east, carefully tailored to the aspirations of the new élites of Francia and Catalonia, was perhaps the most explosive strategy advanced by these Roman pontiffs. This course is thus broad in chronological scope, covering more than eight hundred years, and extensive in geographical range, taking us from the Atlantic to the Euphrates, from the Atlas mountains to the North Sea. In the course of this journey we'll meet many warriors, saints, and rulers, both female and male.

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.

HISTORY OF MODERN ITALY

Code HIS-5060B

Credits 20

Since the unification of the states of the Italian peninsula, the history of modern Italy has been the subject of intense historical debate. Modern Italy has often been cast as a ‘weak’ state and ‘fragile’ nation, riven by particularism and by competing secular and religious ideologies, ‘economically backward’, less successful than its national neighbours, and ‘the least of the Great Powers’. More recent historiography has sought to challenge or modify these perceptions in a number of ways, and this course examines modern Italian history from unification to present day, in the light of these ongoing historiographical debates. a) Italian nationalism, the process of Italian unification and the attempts to create national unity after 1870; b) the relationship between socio-economic change and political development in Liberal Italy; c) the impact of the First World War on Italian society and politics; e) the nature of the Fascist regime and its impact on Italian society; f) the radicalisation of the regime, its racial policies and the quest for Empire; g) Italy’s role in World War II, the reasons for the collapse of the Fascist regime, and the emergence of civil war. h) Italian history since 1945

WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS II, THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE TO NANCY ASTOR

Code HIS-5063B

Credits 20

We will explore female involvement in politics, from the Duchess of Devonshire’s infamous activities in the 1784 Westminster election until 1919, when Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons. We will examine topics including the early feminists, aristocratic female politicians, radical politics and the suffragettes, and will investigate the changes and continuities with female engagement with the political process from the eighteenth century through to the twentieth century.

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’.

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.

PHI SEMESTER ABROAD MODULE

Code PPLP5171B

Credits 60

Optional C Modules

(0-40 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.

MEDIEVAL BODIES

Code AMAA5086A

Credits 20

Born, bathed, dressed, worshipped, sexed, cut, bruised, ripped, split, buried: the human body offer historians a gateway onto understanding the cultures of the past. On this course you will examine several groups of objects from the visual culture of medieval Europe and the Middle East through this contemporary theoretical lens, building up a body of medieval artistic practice piece by bodily piece, and examining how the techniques and society of the medieval craftsman at once idolised and distorted the medieval body's forms. In previous years this course has also featured a study trip to museums and galleries in London to meet with curators and handle objects.

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 IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Code AMAA5090B

Credits 20

Art is a resource which can be used both positively and critically to affect the contemporary world around us. It may be exploited, most obviously for its economic value, but also for broader social or political gain. You will explore these different uses of art by addressing the factors that condition our contemporary reception of art works and visual culture. You will begin by examining some of the key methodologies for interpreting art’s contemporary functions, including its capacity to create contemporary identities and world-views. You will then turn to focus on the museum and gallery as spaces for these contemporary issues to emerge, before considering the same ideas at work in more quotidian ways. And, finally, you will conclude with a reflection on your own position as art historians, anthropologists, and archeologists working with art in the contemporary world.

CONTEMPORARY GALLERY AND MUSEUM STUDIES

Code AMAA5102A

Credits 20

You will examine how contemporary artists have explored the way in which contemporary galleries and museums function. Since the 1960s artists have adopted the museum as both subject and medium in their artworks. These seminars will examine how such projects impact on our idea of what galleries and museums are, how they operate, and what role they have in public life today. Throughout, key ideas regarding aesthetics, politics, memory, and audience participation will be approached by way of specific artworks and exhibitions. These sessions will be supplemented by workshops exploring art criticism, as well as a study trip to London.

INDIGENOUS ARTS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Code AMAA5105A

Credits 20

You will begin by analysing what is meant by Indigenous arts and peoples. In particular, we shall consider the link between the anthropology of art and Indigenous identity. The inter-disciplinary approach continues, by examining issues related to the interpretation of indigenous arts in wide-ranging geographic and cultural contexts from North America, to India and Australia. It then questions Indigenous peoples' engagement with notions of ethnicity and heritage, as well as the formation of an ‘Indigenous media’ through film-making.

AMERICAN JUSTICE: THE SUPREME COURT

Code AMAH5034A

Credits 20

Consider any major social issue in American life since the turn of the 20th Century and the Supreme Court has almost always been involved in some way. Free speech, freedom of the press, the death penalty, abortion: the Court has been at the centre of the debate. Why? And how? What gives the Court the power and the authority to overturn laws passed by democratically-elected governments? And should it have such power? In this module you’ll explore the answers to these questions and many others. You’ll learn how the Court operates, how it gained and developed its power, and how it has become such a central part of American political life. You’ll read Court opinions and learn to understand how they are created and what influences them. You’ll explore the relationship between the cases heard by the Court and the politics of the time, using a range of primary and secondary source material. And you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the role played by law and the Court in shaping American history. From holding that the state had no responsibility for the protection of individuals in the first two decades of the 20th Century to expanding the scope of “equal protection of laws” in the second half of the century, you will be challenged to think about the interconnection between law and politics in American history through the example of the Supreme Court. Through discussions of issues including freedom of speech, labour rights, race, civil rights, and criminal justice practices, you’ll explore key issues in 20th and 21st Century US history and the role of the law and the Constitution in shaping them. In looking at the connections between law and policy you’ll also consider how key legal “rights” have changed over time and what this tells us about the Court, the Constitution, and American society more broadly. You’ll learn through self-directed study and seminars. By the end of the module you will have a better understanding of key issues in American history and politics. You will have developed your skills in using primary and secondary sources as historical resources. You will have strengthened your reasoning, analytical, and debating skills and further developed your writing and oral communication skills.

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.

POLITICS IN THE USA

Code AMAH5058A

Credits 20

This module will introduce you to current trends and developments in American politics and government. But to understand contemporary events, we also need to understand the history that brought us here. In this module you will explore contemporary US politics and developments in modern American political history, underpinned by discussions about the structure and functioning of the US government from the nation’s founding to today. No prior knowledge of American politics is necessary but a general interest in the subject is advisable.

CHILDREN'S TELEVISION

Code AMAM5002B

Credits 20

Children’s television is dynamic, diverse and often controversial. In this module, we examine how television has constructed childhood and how children have, in their turn, shaped television. One of the particular challenges with children’s television is that it is usually made by adults for children. As society has shifted over time, therefore, children’s television programming becomes caught up in debates about who and what children are; about how (much) they should watch; and, about what they should (not) be allowed to see. Because childhood is a highly debated cultural and social category, there is a large and growing body of scholarship on the topic of children’s television. We use these theoretical and methodological maps to investigate the past and present of children’s television, including things like: cultural studies, media ethnography, genre studies, gender studies and production studies. We look at a range of topics that may include: Saturday Morning Television, children’s variety shows, animation, children’s broadcasting, children’s satellite channels, censorship, consumerism, pressure groups and gender.

THE BUSINESS OF FILM AND TV DRAMA IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Code AMAM5026A

Credits 20

The module provides an intensive introduction to the business of film and television; including the development, financing, production, distribution and exploitation of films and television drama programmes. It is based around a detailed understanding of the film and television value chain, showing how different businesses and creative people work together to create and exploit programmes. It will also cover the process by which scripts or TV programme ideas are written and developed. Emphasis will be placed on UK, European and American Independent film models; and the difference between the independent model and the US studio model. It will examine the effect of Netflix and the rise of digital streaming. It includes a wide range of recent case studies and real-life examples, with companies from Pixar to Working Title. Issues raised will include the impact of new technologies; changing business models; the conflict between commerce and art; entrepreneurship and managing creative people; and the complex and difficult relationships between writers, directors, producers, executives, financiers, and distributors. It is a practical forward-looking course about current and future business practise, which will be a valuable foundation for anyone interested in working in the media, film or television sectors. It will also be valuable to anyone studying film and television programmes and culture, so that they can fully understand the financial and business context in which programmes are created. By the end of the module you will know how films and TV programmes get dreamt up, how they get developed, and how they get financed and distributed. You will learn how the industry actually works.

THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYSTEM

Code AMAM5042B

Credits 20

Is there really 'no business like show business'? This module will develop your understanding of how silent-era, classical and post-classical Hollywood has developed as an industry, balancing the twin demands of creativity and commerce. Our aim is to encourage you to analyse how Hollywood works as an industry, the kind of films it produces, and the ways in which they are consumed by domestic and global audiences. You will engage with a variety of Hollywood films and be introduced to a range of theories and approaches for analysing how they are produced and consumed.

THEY CAME FROM OUTER-THE-CLOSET: GENDER AND SEXUALITY AND IN AMERICAN FILM

Code AMAS5020B

Credits 20

With a main focus on the 20th century, we will explore key moments of change or crisis in the century and consider the ways the panic caused by such changes is distinctly gendered and/or sexualised. We will concurrently examine gender and sexual resistance to dominant ideas of American identity and the subsequent creation and/or promotion of liberationist discourses and alternative communities. Film will provide the focus for this cultural study, and the module will range widely over a number of different genres including the western, sci-fi, detective and LGBT themed works.

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 COLD WAR

Code AMAS5044A

Credits 20

What was the Cold War? When did it start? Where was it fought, how was it waged, and why did it last so long? Such seemingly straightforward questions belie that the conflict was neither “cold” nor a “war,” and lacks a clearly defined start and end. Indeed, the subject has produced a vast range of arguments but continues to defy easy answers. We will examine these questions in an international context to uncover how and why the United States and Soviet Union waged a “cold war” in every corner of the globe during the twentieth century. You will consider nations and peoples who aligned with the superpowers or, as was increasingly the case, with neither. You will look at the multiple ways in which this unique “war short of total war” influenced all aspects of life, from diplomacy and politics, to economics, to culture and values, to bombs and warfare, to societal norms, to questions of race and sexuality. Examining the role of a range of state, private, and transnational actors, we will present a global and international history of the Cold War. You will work with original primary sources, the latest secondary literature, and consider fictional sources like films and novels to gain a full and rich understanding of the topic. You will engage a rich historiography on the changing ways that historians have written about the cold war. As a result, you will be able to debate how one of the most powerful historical narratives of the twentieth century continues to shape America and the world today.

BREAKING NEWS! AMERICAN JOURNALISM: HISTORY AND PRACTICE

Code AMAS5049B

Credits 20

How do we know what is real and what is fake? Previous generations, we are told, could reliably turn to “the news”—but is that really true? From the very beginning, American news was always synonymous with low scandal, scurrilous rumour, and fakery. And yet, there is no doubt that there have been crucial moments when journalists and journalism have gone beyond merely reporting events, to shape the public imagination. “The news” has always manipulated as much as informed its audiences, and in this module you will learn about how this in turn has shaped American life. In learning about the history of journalism and its cultural impact in America in the wider global context, you will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the art of journalism, both critically and in practice. You will engage with questions surrounding print, broadcast and digital media—looking back to the past, reflecting on the present, and looking forward into the future of journalism. You will consider the ways in which marginalised peoples have sought to assert their voices through news media, by seizing the means by which our public understanding of reality is produced. The work will involve critical readings, engagement with primary source materials, seminar discussions, presentations, and critical writing with creative practice. You will have the opportunity to refine your communication skills, and especially the art of writing in different modes for different audiences.

OF MICE AND KRAZY KATS: HISTORY AND ART OF AMERICAN COMICS

Code AMAS5050A

Credits 20

Are comics art? The answer is yes, and this module will show you why through an in-depth examination of American comics from early newspaper strips to contemporary graphic novels. You’ll read a wide range of different comics, including the birth of superheroes, World War II propaganda comics, controversial horror comics, underground comix from the San Francisco counterculture, recent alternative comics, and the current boom in reality-based graphic novels. You’ll learn about the complex history of American comics, including the specific contexts for the form’s development as a mass medium and its frequent marginalisation in the cultural sphere, such as the great comic-book scare of the 1950s. In the process, you’ll learn to pay special attention to form as well as content when reading comics, and will develop a critical vocabulary for evaluating the aesthetics of the form. In addition to a broad selection from the history of American comics, you’ll also examine comics through different thematic perspectives, such as race, gender, and sexuality, and you’ll read critical material that’ll further inform your understanding of the form. You’ll learn through seminars as well as through independent library study of the periods and themes that resonate the most with you, and you’ll be assessed through coursework. At the end of the module, you’ll have gained a deep understanding of the many historical and cultural issues that inform any appreciation of comics, and you’ll have learned to consider the form as a unique and mature form of American art.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES PLACEMENT MODULE

Code HUM-5004B

Credits 20

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.

FAMILY LAW: CHILD LAW

Code LAW-5012B

Credits 20

Child Law is a socio-legal study of the moral and legal laws connecting parents, children and the state. We consider who is a parent; what rights and responsibilities parents have; to what extent children have been able to assert human rights; the welfare principle (the basis on which decisions about children are made); law and policy arguments surrounding post-separation parenting and contact; child protection and local authority duties towards children; when we take a child into care and why we tolerate some harm to children; and adoption. The module reflects both the practical application of child law – What is the law? How does it work in practice? – and the theoretical basis of the law – Why is the law the way it is? What does that say about society? How could we think differently about it, and change the law? It develops law-specific academic and practical skills, as well as transferable skills.

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

Code LAW-5014B

Credits 20

Public international law is the legal regime that governs States, and as such balances law with international affairs and politics. This module examines how international law is formed, who it applies to, the role of the United Nations and how public international law protects individuals. It also interrogates the cohesiveness of this body, or bodies, of law. Particular focus is placed on human rights, self-determination, use of force, international criminal law, environmental and trade law. The module addresses both the practical and theoretical aspects of public international law and consequently considers how the public international law framework applies to contemporary situations.

THE LAW OF PROTEST AND DISSENT

Code LAW-5033B

Credits 20

This module will explore the legal challenges arising from different forms of protest and dissent around the world - from temporary encampments to 'occupations', from Pride parades to far-right rallies, from direct action campaigns and ‘Critical Mass’ bicycle rides to funeral pickets and anti-abortion protests. You will discuss and explore what kinds of dissent and protest are (or ought to be) legally protected, and what kind of regulation might legitimately be permitted. You will also examine the State’s legal obligations to protect and facilitate peaceful protest and the implications of these for protest policing. The challenge of how law ought to deal with those who resist or reject the exclusivity of orthodox modes of political participation (party politics, periodic elections) is one that confronts all democratic systems governed by the rule of law. Yet, in some circumstances, even the argument that law might properly govern or manage political dissent is something of a contradiction in terms: how can law attempt to govern those that oppose or fundamentally reject its very authority? In responding to this underlying challenge, the module seeks to provide you with a thorough grounding in the core legal standards relating to the legal protection of dissent and the right to protest.

ADAPTATION: SHAKESPEARE ON STAGE AND SCREEN (PRE-1789)

Code LDCL5021A

Credits 20

This module explores the rich dramatic and cinematic traditions of Shakespearean adaptation. It considers a range of adaptations, from the seventeenth-century versions of Macbeth, King Lear and Henry V to more recent film versions of Shakespeare's plays, examining the light that adaptive transformations may cast on both the original plays and on the different social and cultural circumstances of the new productions. The module focuses in particular upon cinematic adaptations of Richard III, Henry V, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and King Lear, though will also discuss many other examples from stage and screen. In seminars linked to weekly screenings this module offers an introduction to the theory and practice of adaptation as well as an outline view of how to read Shakespeare on film.

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.

I AM

Code LDCL5054A

Credits 20

How do our literary choices inform our sense of self? What do our critical and theoretical interests say about our values and concerns? How do we make connections between our academic studies and the outside world? 'I Am' explores ideas concerned with the self, being, consciousness, and identity through engaging with a range of texts, from literature and literary criticism through to personal essays and online blogs. The aim is to help you, through the practice of reading and writing, reflect on your own values and intentions and to discover a language in which to articulate, with greater confidence, who you are. You should commit to participating in a process of uncovering your reality. This process will include classroom discussion, peer review, learning new approaches to writing and engaging in exploratory practical exercises. You’ll also be expected to keep a journal in order to reflect on connections between your reading and yourself. 'I Am' is grounded in a commitment to help you consider your future beyond university. An increased level of self-awareness will undoubtedly support you as you approach the task of making decisions about jobs and careers in the future.

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.

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.

PUBLISHING (SPR)

Code LDCL5065B

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.

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).

WORDS AND IMAGES

Code LDCL5068B

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 conventions of such literature over the last few decades so that students will develop an awareness of the various narrative techniques and genres utilised by the medium. Rather than assuming comics, graphic novels, and picture books are simplistic 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

BEGINNERS' FRENCH II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4014B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' FRENCH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4015B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' GERMAN II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4019B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' SPANISH II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4023B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' SPANISH I - A1 CEFR (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4024B

Credits 20

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 II

Code PPLB4032B

Credits 20

INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4033B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' GREEK II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4037B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE II

Code PPLB4041B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' JAPANESE I (SPRING START)

Code PPLB4042B

Credits 20

BEGINNERS' RUSSIAN II - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB4044B

Credits 20

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.

ADVANCED ENGLISH I - B2 CEFR

Code PPLB5043A

Credits 20

Do you want more practice in speaking in English? Do you feel you lack sufficient vocabulary to express yourself well? Do you need help with your pronunciation? Do you have problems with English grammar and writing essays? As a non-native speaker, you will need to already have an upper intermediate/ advanced level of English (IELTS 6.5-7.5 or equivalent) but will want to reach a more competent level. If so, you can take both Advanced English I & II or just module I or just module II. You’ll analyse and discuss articles in the media and listen to academic talks and news reports on contemporary topics; through writing tasks, you will have the opportunity to express your ideas in clear and coherent terms, and you will receive personal feedback on your efforts. You will participate in classroom-based activities, often working in pairs and groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in your exploration of the language. You will be able to focus on improving aspects of your pronunciation and grammar as well as expanding your vocabulary. You will also gain a greater understanding of cultural and political issues through topics such as Education & Critical Thinking, Globalisation and The Environment. You will be assessed mid-term, and in the final weeks through a seminar presentation (30%) and listening, reading and writing tasks (70%). By the end of this module you will be able to express yourself more confidently orally, be better able to understand recorded material and will have increased your vocabulary base; you will be more able to read complex texts and write more accurately with fewer grammar errors and greater range of expression. Such language support will be of immense benefit for all aspects of your UEA academic programme, will please your tutors and enable you to obtain higher grades! Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrolment. 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.

ADVANCED ENGLISH II - B2 CEFR

Code PPLB5044B

Credits 20

Do you want more practice in speaking in English? Do you feel you lack sufficient vocabulary to express yourself well? Do you need help with your pronunciation? Do you have problems with English grammar and writing essays? As a non-native speaker, you will need to already have an upper intermediate/advanced level of English (IELTS 6.5-7.5 or equivalent) but will want to reach a more competent level. If so, you can take both Advanced English I & II or just module I or just module II. You’ll analyse and discuss articles in the media and listen to academic talks and news reports on contemporary topics; through writing tasks you will have the opportunity to express your ideas in clear and coherent terms, and you will receive personal feedback on your efforts. You will participate in classroom-based activities, often working in pairs and groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in your exploration of the language. You will be able to focus on improving aspects of your pronunciation and grammar as well as expanding your vocabulary. You will also gain a greater understanding of cultural and political issues through topics such as Time & Sleep, World Population & Urbanisation and Tourism. You will be assessed midterm, and in the final weeks through a seminar presentation (30%) and listening, reading, and writing tasks (70%). By the end of this module you will be able to express yourself more confidently orally, be better able to understand recorded material, and will have increased your vocabulary base; you will be more able to read complex texts and write more accurately with fewer grammar errors and greater range of expression. Such language support will be of immense benefit for all aspects of your UEA academic programme, will please your tutors and enable you to obtain higher grades! Please note that you should not have a level of English that exceeds the level of this course.

ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

Code PPLB5045B

Credits 20

Do you need help in organising your writing and expressing your thoughts clearly? Would you like to gain the tools and confidence to write more clearly and fluently, leading to better grades and greater satisfaction with your work? In this module you will learn how to structure academic essays and how best to write logically organised paragraphs. You will have practice in summarising and paraphrasing material from sources that you have read to ensure you can capture the essential points of a writer’s argument and avoid any form of plagiarism. This will include help with ways to manage the referencing of sources. There will be a focus on vocabulary throughout the course and you will be set tasks to direct you to appropriate academic language; and you will have help in using a range of cohesive devices to link ideas within and between paragraphs. It is also likely that the class will need some remedial work on a specific area of grammar occasionally, and the tutor will allow time in class to deal with such issues. Naturally, you will be required to complete weekly homework assignments in addition to any reading and writing you do in the classroom, and you will receive regular feedback. Please note that very occasionally subsidiary language modules may be cancelled due to low enrolment. This module is not open to native or near-native speakers of English and would not be suitable for International students who have already had considerable experience in English essay writing. Students who are found to have a level of knowledge that exceeds the general level of the module may be asked to withdraw from the module, at the Teacher's discretion.

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.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC5168A

Credits 20

Have you ever thought about what you could do to improve the world? This module will help you find answers to this question. We will explore how you can become a more informed and engaged global citizen by developing your intercultural and citizenship competences. You will develop the knowledge, critical understanding, values and attitudes that can be mobilised and deployed in a broad range of fields involving intercultural communication. The seminars will be highly interactive and the assessment will involve practical projects. A distinctive feature of this module is the practical understanding and application of concepts to specific intercultural issues and global challenges in critically reflective teaching sessions. The teaching will offer a balance between practice and theory and classroom sessions will include group work activities and public lectures. Through this module you will enhance your opportunities to gain employment where intercultural communication to real-life contexts is required. By the end of this module you will have developed the ability to employ effective and persuasive arguments in the formulation of solutions to real global challenges. The module will be delivered in English and you don’t need to speak a foreign language to take it.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ACROSS BORDERS

Code PPLC5172B

Credits 20

Interested in how and why countries communicate? Want to know more about what happens when communication between countries goes wrong? Are global companies behaving like sovereign nations? Since humans evolved a sense of identity, group belonging, and hierarchy, our relationships with our neighbours have been constantly changing as we compete over resources and space. We will explore intercultural ‘incidents’ between different countries, socio-cultural groups and global organisations and will introduce you to ways that we can analyse how the different perceptions of these ‘incidents’ are reflected in the media. You’ll gain a firm grounding in global communication, and analytical methods and concepts. You’ll begin the module by exploring fundamentals of global communication and how we can start to analyse media sources, using a range of case studies and real world examples. You’ll then delve deeper, discussing key topics such as diplomacy, propaganda, censorship, laws, and the evolution of global companies as legal entities and political persuaders. By looking at the different ways countries, Ambassadors, political leaders and countries communicate, you’ll really approach the subject of intercultural communication from a Global perspective. You’ll learn through a mixture of seminars and self-directed study. You’ll be assessed though a piece of course work and a group project. You will have to deliver a formative presentation. On successful completion of the module, you’ll have established your analytical knowledge and skills needed to support more advanced modules on Discourse Analysis. You’ll develop your research, writing, group work and presentation skills. And you’ll explore global issues of concern and really get to grips with how media sources can different when discussing the same incident.

FRENCH YEAR 1 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLF4003B

Credits 20

FRENCH YEAR 2 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLF5001A

Credits 20

This module is for Level 5 students studying French Honours language degrees, and comprises two pathways (B1 and B2) in the Autumn semester. These levels refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and your pathway will depend on how much experience of learning French you had at the beginning of your degree. In this module, you’ll further develop your French language and communication skills and develop your awareness of styles and contexts where and when French is spoken. You’ll improve you receptive (listening and reading) as well as productive skills (speaking and writing) in French, and your exact learning objectives will differ according to the pathway you’re on. Teaching sessions will also vary according to pathways.

FRENCH YEAR 2 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLF5004B

Credits 20

This module is for Level 5 students studying French Honours language degrees, and comprises two pathways (B1+ and B2). These levels refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and your pathway will depend on how much experience of learning French you had at the beginning of your degree. In this module, you’ll further develop your French language and communication skills, and a solid foundation to expand in following years. You’ll improve you receptive (listening and reading) as well as productive skills (speaking and writing) in French, and your exact learning objectives will differ according to the pathway you’re on. Teaching sessions will also vary according to pathways, but all students will have seminars focusing on applying your language skills and oral hours where you’ll develop your confidence in speaking. You’ll discover develop your understanding of French and how it is used in context, learn about practical aspects of living in France or a French-speaking country, practise skills such as translation to and from French. You will continue to learn about cultural aspects which will help you better understand French society across the different components of the module. The transferable skills you’ll develop through this module are numerous. As you’ll work autonomously a lot, self-insight will be an important part of the process to know which strategies work best for you. Identifying where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and acting upon it will be equally important.

FRANCE, FRANCOPHONIE AND THE WORLD

Code PPLF5175A

Credits 20

Today, French is still spoken on all five continents. Whether you are interested in language, culture, history, or politics of the French-speaking world, this module is perfect to expand your awareness of those aspects beyond the Hexagon. You'll study the origins of the Francophonie and discuss the relevance of the organisation. Studying the variety of contexts and societies in the French-speaking world today will allow you not only to contrast situations but also to understand important challenges and the role and impact of policies at different levels, from local administration to international relations. You will discuss issues of postcolonialism, study key events and personalities and explore many important cultural aspects. You will analyse a range of material, in English, that will include newspaper and magazine articles, television, and radio programmes and will also learn from academic journals on the topics. At the end of this module, you will have a broader understanding of the cultural, historical, economic, linguistic, and geopolitical links between France, its overseas territories and the rest of the French-speaking world. Teaching and assessment will be in English.

SPANISH YEAR 1 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLH4002B

Credits 20

This module is for students studying Spanish Honours language degrees. This module is for Level 4 students and comprises of two strands (A2, B1).

SPANISH YEAR 2 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLH5002B

Credits 20

This module is for students studying Spanish Honours language degrees. This module is for Level 5 students and comprises of three strands (B1, B2).

INTRODUCTION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Code PPLI5044A

Credits 20

Who rules the EU? What does it do concretely for EU citizens? How democratic is it? How serious are the challenges it is currently facing, from the reform of its economic governance to Brexit? To explore these questions, and more, you'll examine the development, structure, nature and functions of the European Union. You'll look at the history and theories of European integration from the 1940s to the present day. You'll explore the institutions and processes which run the EU, and demystify its main policies. The aim of the module is not only to ensure that you understand the ‘nuts and bolts’ of what the EU is and how it works. You'll also examine critically and articulate contending arguments on key issues such as the role of the member-states in the European system of governance; the EU's democratic credentials; the causes and consequences of Brexit; or the influence of the EU in the world. The EU is an integral part of its member states' structures of governance and it influences their domestic political, social and cultural life, as well as EU neighbouring countries. Understanding how the European Union works is important in many jobs at local, national or international levels in the public, private and third (community and voluntary) sectors. This module is recommended if you intend to progress to the 'European Studies with Brussels Internship’ module in Year 3.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Code PPLI5056B

Credits 20

Why are wars fought? What is peace? What is security? International Security introduces you to these key issues in global politics. In the first part of the module, you will explore the continuing salience of violent conflict and the use of force in world politics. While some have argued that the advent of globalisation and spread of liberal democracy would make violent conflict less relevant in today’s world, war and the use of force remain an integral part of the international system. In exploring these issues, you will study a variety of perspectives on the causes of war and peace to examine the roots of violent conflict and security problems in the present day. In the second half of the module, we will turn to contemporary ‘critical’ debates around international security. These include constructivist and feminist perspectives on what security is, how it is achieved, and whether it is desirable. We will also investigate the host of seemingly new security challenges that have increasingly captured the attention of policymakers and academics. How useful is it to think of issues such as environmental degradation, gendered violences, and poverty as security issues? What do we gain and lose in broadening security studies beyond a narrow focus on warfare and military power?

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY

Code PPLI5059A

Credits 20

What does the world look like to a Marxist, or a liberal, or a feminist, or a realist? We all hold particular ideas about how the world works: about why certain events happen, who the key actors in the international system are, and whether it is even possible to change things for future generations. Theories of International Relations (IR) attempt to capture these assumptions, explaining the world in different ways to others. You will explore how the discipline of IR emerged in the early 20th century, before investigating the very different theories which have shaped, and sometimes dominated, academic and policy makers' ideas about how the world actually works.

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.

INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE (LEVEL 5)

Code PPLJ5147A

Credits 20

Japanese popular culture is now a global phenomenon. To understand how this came about, you will study the topic in terms of theories of social, economical, and historical analysis. You will learn about various cultural forms and practices, including manga/anime, media, art, and music in Japan as seen from different perspectives. You will also discuss and critically analyse the role of Japanese popular culture within and outside Japan. Your seminars will consist of three main parts: lectures, original audio/video materials, and group discussion or activities. Your contribution to weekly discussion/activities is essential. Lectures, reading materials, and assessments will all be in English. On successful completion of this module, you will have a good understanding of the main genres of Japanese popular culture, and be able to further explore your own interests, academically, in any form of Japanese popular culture.

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.

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.

TRANSLATION AND ADAPTATION (LEVEL 5)

Code PPLT5024B

Credits 20

We will consider the processes of translation and adaptation in a range of media, such as films, games and theatre, and the issues associated with them from the perspective of ‘Translation Theory.' We will attempt to establish where the boundary lies between the terms ‘translation’ and ‘adaptation,’ and we will examine some of the most important theories of translation. You will look at various ways of thinking about key concepts such as ‘cultural and pragmatic equivalence,’ ‘fidelity,’ ‘coherence/cohesion,’ and the ethical role of the director/adaptor. You will devote your time to the exploration of types of adaptations in different genres, and you will present case studies from recent articles in a variety of adaptations in your language pair, such as adaptations for cross-cultural theatre, adapting from books to video games, cross-cultural adaptations of queerness in short stories, ideology, and children’s stories adapted for films across languages and cultures. You will develop the linguistic skills, cultural competence and critical thinking required for the production of a case study of a selected adaptation in your language pair. On completion of this module, you will be able to situate yourself in relation to critical readings in the field of ‘Translation Theory’ and to reflect on the ethical dimension of the translator, especially as it relates to the act of adapting in situations of intercultural conflict and communication. This module is only available to students with a foreign language.

TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR SUBTITLING AND DUBBING (LEVEL 5)

Code PPLT5026B

Credits 20

What factors need to be born in mind when creating subtitles? What tools are used to create these texts? This module provides first-hand experience of subtitling and dubbing of film clips and documentaries, which will provide you with first hand, practical, experience of this important media technique. You’ll become familiar with software used for interlingual and intralingual subtitling and dubbing at professional level, studying the linguistic and technical constraints for the creation of audio-visual texts. You’ll undertake practical exercises involving cueing, text compression and segmentation, respecting time and space constraints and that will teach you how to conform the conventions of good practice. You’ll explore, analyse and assess different types of technological tools used for audio-visual translation at professional and amateur levels, using selected film/TV series/documentary extracts in several languages. Practical activities are used creating challenges posed by the interplay of audio, image and text. Studying this module will provide you with the necessary skills for the creation of subtitles at a professional level, giving you practical experience of using professional software. Taught together with Level 6. Assessment commensurate with level. This module is not suitable for year 2 students of Japanese Ab Initio or Post GCSE because of the challenging nature of the assessment tasks (comprehension and translation of authentic Japanese video clip extracts). Should you wish to explore media accessibility tools, 'Technological Tools for Media Accessibility' (Level 5) is available. Please note that final year Japanese degree students are welcome to join the equivalent module at Level 6 'Technological Tools for Subtitling and Dubbing'.

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.

POWER AND SOCIETY

Code PPLX5159B

Credits 20

This module introduces students to key perspectives in 19th & 20th century social and political theory. Central to this module is an interest in the relationship between economic, social and cultural structures and individual agency and identity. Areas explored include the following: social conflict and consensus; conceptions of power and domination; Marxism and neo-Marxism; critical theory; structuralism; poststructuralism; ideology and discourse; postmodernity; the self and consumer society.

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.

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Code PSY-5014B

Credits 20

This module explores a range of contemporary applications of psychological science. Theoretical approaches and research will be covered alongside examples from popular media, films, current events, and case studies.

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Important Information

Students may take no more than one supervised dissertation module, but they may also take a special subject in Philosophy in addition to a dissertation. Students wishing to take the Philosophy dissertation or special subject module must complete the form circulated in advance of the enrolment fair. Students should aim to pick an even balance of credits in each semester. Students can take a maximum of 30 credits of level 5 modules in their final year of studies. Most students will choose four 30-credit modules at year three. It is also possible to take two 30-credit modules, and three 20-credit modules. Students taking the latter route will need to select two 20-credit modules from Range C plus the 20-credit module PPLP6147A .

Assessment for Year 3

In the final year, most modules are assessed by a larger piece of your own work or a number of more in-depth essays.

Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighted 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(20-90 credits)

DISSERTATION OR SPECIAL SUBJECT I

Code PPLP6102A

Credits 30

In this module, you’ll explore a topic in philosophy that is of particular interest to you as an individual, normally based on ideas that have emerged from your work on previous modules in philosophy, or from seeing the connections between more than one area of your studies. In some cases, you might be able to pursue an area of philosophy that is not otherwise included in the undergraduate curriculum but in which we have research expertise among the full time staff (and for these areas, it may also be possible, where workloads permit, to organise a group study programme, or ‘special subject’, for you to work together with several other students with the same interests). When enrolling for this module, you’ll need to include a second choice on your enrolment form, and you’ll need to have achieved an overall average of 60% or above in your second year assessment, with good attendance and good submission of formative work in the second year. You’ll need to fill in the form sent by the module organiser in advance of module enrolment, in order to secure a place on this module. You’ll also need to agree a topic with a supervisor (if this is not possible, you’ll need to move to a different module). NB You may not take more than one supervised dissertation on any degree, but you may take up to two of these philosophy modules as group study programmes (or 'special subjects'). Please contact the module organiser for details. Teaching arrangements will be settled after you’ve enrolled on the course.

DISSERTATION OR SPECIAL SUBJECT II

Code PPLP6104B

Credits 30

PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY AND POLITICS FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6138A

Credits 30

RELIGION AND WORLD PHILOSOPHIES FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6139A

Credits 30

MIND AND LANGUAGE FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6141A

Credits 30

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 third year you will explore a selection of these topics. If you took the complementary Level 5 Mind & Language module in year 2, you can complete the course by taking this module in your third year, so as to cover the full range of topics, or you can take this one as a stand-alone module.

ETHICS FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6142B

Credits 30

What is morality? And in what ways does it impinge on our lives, in deciding what to do? There are issues relating to ethics that are theoretical and meta-ethical, about what kind of judgements are being made and what is their basis in fact or in some realm of values; there are normative issues, about how, if at all, a theory can help to predict or decide what a person ought to do or which dispositions are commendable; and there are practical issues, about the real dilemmas of life and death, about fairness, love and compassion, as we face them in the world, and not just in imaginary trolley-problems . To complete a course in ethics you would want to explore all these aspects of the subject, and during this module you’ll engage with a selection of these, focusing either on the theoretical aspects, including attention to some major historical figures, or more on practical ethics. If you took the complementary Level 5 module last year, you can complete the Ethics course in your third year by taking this module as well, or you can take this as a stand-alone module.

KNOWLEDGE SCIENCE AND PROOF FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6143B

Credits 30

ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6145B

Credits 30

How can we avoid environmental catastrophe? How can philosophy help? The relationship between human beings and the natural world is the basis of everything we are and yet we do not seem to have found a way to avoid destruction, degradation and potential catastrophe. In this module we will examine various ways in which philosophy can examine our relationship with the natural world and contribute to the fight to protect the planet. Topics may include the ethics of climate change; value theory and nature; human-animal relationships; the ways science, art and politics affect our relationships with the natural world. This module will cover a selection of these topics. It can be taken as a stand-alone module or, if you took the associated Level 5 module in your second year, you can add a new focus to your work in this area by taking this third year one as well.

KEY THINKERS AND TEXTS FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6146A

Credits 30

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 joining a seminar 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 are 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 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, if you took the complementary module for second years at Level 5, then adding this module in your third year will allow you to thereby create a two-semester course, and to explore a wider selection of historical thinkers, as a fitting supplement to the topical modules that you’ll have taken over these two years.

EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHIES (THIRD YEAR MODULE)

Code PPLP6146B

Credits 30

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 if you have already taken the complementary module at level 5 in your second year, you can also take this in order to cover both aspects of the subject, or it can be taken as a stand-alone module.

KEY THINKERS AND TEXTS FOR THIRD YEARS

Code PPLP6147A

Credits 20

ADVANCED PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS FOR YEAR 3 STUDENTS

Code PPLP6147B

Credits 30

Optional B Modules

(30-90 credits)

THE CRUSADES

Code HIS-6001A

Credits 30

We will consider the history of the Crusades and the Crusader States from 1095 to 1291, covering a broad range of themes, religious , military and social, and taking into consideration the relations between Christians and Moslems in the Holy Land. Particular attention will be paid to primary sources, which are abundant and available in English translation.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY SPORT HISTORY

Code HIS-6006B

Credits 30

You’ll explore key themes and topics in the history of twentieth century sport, from the founding of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 to the impact which the collapse of socialism had upon sport at the end of the century. Sport’s interaction with empire, nationalism, fascism, socialism and capitalism will be considered, demonstrating that the political history and international relations of the century are deeply entwined with it. As an aspect of social history, issues of gender, race and disability are inseparable from this topic, as are the harnessing and exploitation of sport as a means of war or reconciliation at various periods throughout the century.

WORKING IN HERITAGE

Code HIS-6013Y

Credits 30

You will be provided the opportunity to undertake a work placement with an employer in the historic environment sector. You will be responsible for arranging your own placement, with assistance from the module organisers where required. During the Spring semester you will build on the experience of your placement through practical seminars, field trips and sessions with external speakers currently working in the sector. These will provide you with an understanding of the career paths available in this field and an opportunity to reflect on how the skills and knowledge you have gained during your degree can be transferred to a range of historic environment and heritage roles.

FIELDWORK IN LANDSCAPE HISTORY

Code HIS-6017A

Credits 30

Fieldwork is a key part of landscape history and this module will give you hands-on practical experience of a range of landscape survey methods. Our fieldwork week takes place during the summer and will provide you with training in various survey techniques that can be applied to earthworks and buildings. Your surveys will form the basis for site drawings and a research project on the site we have surveyed. Seminars and field trips take place in the Autumn semester and will cover topics such as drawing earthwork plans and carrying out original research using archive maps and documents. By the end of the module you will be able to recognise and interpret historic landscape features in the field and use a combination of survey work and original research to understand them.

NATIONALISM IN EUROPE SINCE 1789: Shaping Identities in the Age of Modernity

Code HIS-6019A

Credits 30

You will examine in depth the history of nationalism in Europe from the late eighteenth to the twentieth century. The central theme is the relationship between the rise and development of nationalism and the shaping of images and discourses about Europe. You will consider and compare the strength of nationalism to the weakness of Europeanism in order to improve your historical understanding of identity formation processes in the modern age. In this sense, it does not consider the nation and Europe as being one the denial of the other, but as forces interacting in complex ways and, in given instances, feeding upon one another. Centred on this theoretical concern, you will be offered a broad survey of the history of nationalism from the Age of Enlightenment to the European integration process, explaining how it has developed into a mass movement and an ideology affecting so deeply the life of millions of individuals across Europe. The perspective used will be that of the cultural historian and the historian of ideas and ideologies. A variety of different primary sources – including pictures, novels, private correspondence, newspaper articles, political tracts and pamphlet, history books, films, songs, etc… – will be used to highlight, on the one hand, the ambiguities of modern nationalism, to explain its quasi-religious nature and explore its strength and resilience. On the other hand, they will help us investigate how and to what extent discourses about Europe affected, after the Second World War, one of the greatest projects of political engineering ever attempted, highlighting the economic success of EU integration and considering its incapacity to create a strong attachment to EU institutions. The course is interdisciplinary in nature. While it is essentially addressed to historians, especially if you are interested in cultural history and in the history of ideologies, it also considers sociological issues and topics that would appeal if you are interested in politics.

IMPERIALISTS, PASHAS & REVOLUTIONARIES: IRAQ, 1914-2003

Code HIS-6020A

Credits 30

This module explores the eventful and troubled history of modern Iraq. Taking its starting point in the nineteenth century, when Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire, the module explores how the country came under British tutelage following the Great War and how it subsequently experienced a turbulent history as various political actors sought to wrest control of the newly established state. The module pays special attention to key moments when the course of Iraq’s history changed, such as wars, military coups, and revolutions, but also periods in between when society returned to some sort of normality. It will particularly focus on the rise of political ideologies, especially Arab nationalism, and its local counterpart, Iraqi nationalism – but also other ideologies such as socialism, communism and Baᶜthism. Saddam Hussein’s domination of the country (1979-2003) is also an important element of the module.

DISSERTATION IN HISTORY

Code HIS-6022Y

Credits 30

This module offers you the opportunity to submit a dissertation of 10,000 words on a topic approved by the School. For you to be considered for this module you will have achieved an aggregate of 68% across the Level 5 Autumn semester modules.

VICTORIAN UNDERWORLDS

Code HIS-6026A

Credits 30

You will be introduced to the darker side of life in Victorian Britain. Though this was undoubtedly a period of economic prosperity, not everyone shared in the gains. You will look at those who, for reasons of poverty or ‘deviance’ were confined to the margins. Topics include the criminal and insane, gender and insanity, prostitution, drink, slums, the London Irish, and Jack the Ripper. By looking at the margins and the misfits, we will seek to gain a deeper understanding of British society in the 19th century.

THE MAKING OF THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 1450 TO 1950

Code HIS-6026Y

Credits 60

On this module you’ll explore how 500 years of change shaped the modern landscape. You’ll study the development of rural and urban landscapes in the post-medieval period and see how a landscape approach can shed light on wider social, political and economic changes. In seminars you’ll use a wide range of contemporary documents, including maps and paintings alongside written sources, to examine key aspects of landscape change in the period c.1450-1950 and to identify shifts in the way the landscape was represented and perceived. Each week you’ll explore a different topic relating to key themes such as the development of country house architecture and garden design, the evolution of urban landscapes and the transformation of the working countryside. A number of field trips will take place throughout the year to give you first hand experience of relevant sites and landscapes.

THE THIRD REICH

Code HIS-6028Y

Credits 60

In this module you’ll study the history of the Third Reich from an international and comparative perspective through the extensive use of primary sources. You’ll examine the origins and the rise of National Socialism, the seizure and consolidation of power, the nature and political structure of the dictatorship, and the transformation of German society under Nazi rule, but you’ll focus in particular on foreign policy and the impact of the regime’s policies on Europe and the world. You’ll explore Nazi Germany’s relationship with other autocracies and right-wing forces in Europe, German geopolitical thought and the role of the Foreign Office, the formation and administration of the Nazi empire, issues of collaboration and resistance in occupied territories, combat motivation and war crimes of ordinary soldiers, the importance of non-German perpetrators of the Holocaust, the German home front and the effects of Allied aerial bombings, the various plans for a post-war Europe, and the problem of ethnic cleansing both before and after 1945.

COMMUNISM AND NATIONALISM IN YUGOSLAVIA

Code HIS-6032Y

Credits 60

You will begin with a search for the origins of the Yugoslav idea, before turning to the Kingdom’s formation in 1918. The turbulent interwar years provide the indispensable backdrop to the second, communist, Yugoslavia. You shall explore the course of the Second World War and the bitter fighting between fascists, nationalists and communists which resulted in victory for Tito’s partisans. After 1945, they built a state which took an independent path to communism and survived until 1991. Yugoslavia then fragmented into ethnically homogenous states. In some cases this transition was largely peaceful, but wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo witnessed bloody fighting and ethnic cleansing. You will look at the role of individuals, such as Slobodan Milošević, and end by assessing the international community's response to the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia.

HENRY VIII: THE MAKING OF A TYRANT?

Code HIS-6035Y

Credits 60

The reign of Henry VIII was a major turning point in English history, and ‘bluff King Hal’ continues to horrify and fascinate us in equal measure. We use the preoccupations, ambitions, and character of Henry VIII as a route into the political, religious and cultural changes of this tumultuous period. Starting with the acclaimed young king, his Spanish bride, Katherine of Aragon, and his consummate minister, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the course works chronologically and thematically through to the declining years of Henry VIII’s reign, when a paranoid, obese and cruel monarch presided over an irrevocably changed religious and political landscape. It examines in detail the divorce crisis, the establishment of the Church of England, the Henrician Reformation, the politics and factionalism of the Court, war and foreign policy, magnificence, and opposition to the king, and engages with the intense historiographical debates on all these issues. The module considers some of the most colourful personalities in English history - Wolsey, More, Boleyn, Cromwell, and Cranmer - as well as structures, and the falls of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell are given particular attention. Finally, the module draws on material culture, art history, literature, film, and even dress, as well as relying on the more usual documentary sources, such as the State Papers.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: A NEW HISTORY

Code HIS-6051B

Credits 30

We will explore the impact of the First World War on European and non-European states, societies, and cultures. Our aim is to broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge by introducing some of the lesser known aspects of the conflict, such as the campaigns on the Eastern front, in Africa, or the Middle East. You will investigate the role and perception of colonial troops in the European theatre of war and examine the war efforts of such countries as Italy, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, and Australia. Further topics to be discussed include alliance politics and the role of neutral states, psychological effects of ‘industrialised slaughter’, atrocities against non-combatant civilians, captivity and occupation, state propaganda and the spiritual mobilisation of intellectuals, as well as processes of social change with regard to home and family life, ethnicity and class. We will draw on a wide range of primary sources, including poems, paintings, and film. In their coursework, students will have the opportunity to study more specific issues, such as naval and aerial warfare, British military strategy, civil-military relations in democratic and autocratic states, medical innovations, the war experiences of children, or questions of memory and commemoration.

WE ARE NOT AMUSED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF QUEEN VICTORIA

Code HIS-6070Y

Credits 60

This special subject focuses on the life and times of Queen Victoria. You will start by exploring Queen Victoria’s public and private life. You will examine in detail her political and diplomatic influence, and her experiences as a wife and mother. Drawing on a wide and expansive range of primary sources, including Queen Victoria’s own journals and letters, you will seek to piece together the personality and ideology of the woman who ruled Britain for 63 years. Using Queen Victoria’s reign as a backdrop, you will also consider a number of the key political, social and cultural changes Britain witnessed in the 19th century. Seminar topics will include: Queenship; Constitutional Monarch; Imperialism; Religion; Womanhood; Patriotism; and Republicanism. You will conclude by examining the perceptions of Queen Victoria and her reign in the 20th and 21st century.

APPEASEMENT AND WAR: BRITAIN AND THE DICTATORS, 1935-1945

Code HIS-6072Y

Credits 60

The decade from 1935 to 1945 was one of the most tumultuous in global history. In this module, you’ll examine Britain’s peacetime diplomacy and wartime strategy, as it responded to three totalitarian powers: Germany, Italy and Japan. The policy of ‘appeasement’ adopted by the Baldwin and Chamberlain governments remains hugely controversial, and the subject of vigorous debate. Britain's role in the global war that erupted in 1939 has, similarly, fascinated historians ever since. In the autumn semester, you’ll explore the foreign policies adopted by Britain's 'National' Government, from Baldwin’s victory in the 1935 election to the outbreak of war in September 1939. You’ll consider why and how these policies were adopted, the wider political and economic context within which policy was made, and the national and international consequences. In the spring semester, you’ll examine Britain’s wartime role in the context of grand strategy and international politics. In addition to considering topics such as Churchill’s ‘finest hour’, we’ll spend some time examining the operation of the Grand Alliance and the series of wartime conferences between Britain and its allies. Throughout, you will explore the rich historiography of the period, and examine its complexities. We’ll draw upon a wide range of primary documentation, which will provide the basis of debate and discussion.

CONTESTING THE PAST: REPRESENTATION AND MEMORY

Code HIS-6077B

Credits 30

In this module, you will explore how the past is constantly constructed and reconstructed in the present. In the first part of the module we will consider how mnemonic processes are created, by who, and for what purpose. Commemoration, memorialisation, and visual representations form a key part of this process. In the second part of the module, we will study the ways in which individuals and groups remember and how this often differs from official or mediated discourses. In the third and final part, we will explore various ‘memory conflicts’ and their present day consequences. Throughout, film, photography, visual and audio media, and oral history will form key components of our studies.

SLAVERY IN THE EARLY MODERN ATLANTIC WORLD

Code HIS-6081A

Credits 30

This module begins by surveying African, Native American and European labour regimes in the fifteenth century in order to establish a foundation for studying the transformations that followed European imperial expansion and the inauguration of the transatlantic slave trade. We will examine the process of enslavement in Africa, North America, and the Mediterranean; the ransom, exchange and sale of captives; and the development of slave markets in the European colonies in the Americas. We will study childhood and family life in various enslaved communities; the material lives of slaves; and the rise of distinct cultures within the African diaspora. We will compare the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French and British Empires with regard to the practice of slavery. We will also trace patterns of slave resistance, escapes, rebellions, and the creation of maroon communities. The semester will end with an examination of the tangled international politics surrounding the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and the end of plantation slavery across the Atlantic World.

GRAND STRATEGY

Code HIS-6082A

Credits 30

This module examines the theory and practice of grand strategy in historical and contemporary contexts from a variety of analytical perspectives. It defines grand strategy as ‘the calculated relation of means to large ends’. It focuses on how parts relate to the whole in whatever an individual, a corporation or a nation might be seeking to accomplish. The strategists considered range over some two and a half millennia. Some represent the best thinking and writing on this subject; others exemplify success and failure in the implementation of grand strategy.

CAMPS IN HISTORY AND MEMORY: THE 20TH CENTURY IN DETENTIONS, MIGRATIONS, AND EXPLOITATION

Code HIS-6086A

Credits 30

The late philosopher Zygmunt Bauman called the 20th century 'a century of camps'; for him, camps were testing grounds for totalitarian regimes. In this module, we will study the history of the violent last century through the unique lens of camps: concentration camps, forced labour camps, POW camps, refugee camps, and others. Through diverse material selected for the course, we will analyse the well-known events of the 20th century by looking at camps as places of detention, indoctrination, re-education, labour exploitation, and extermination. This unique angle provides insights into the politics of great totalitarian powers, as well as their models for organising and governing society and interacting with other nations of the world. Camps did not appear out of nowhere; each place of detention was part of an institutional network driven by divergent aims: to contain, correct, re-educate, punish. We will study these networks within their historical contexts, using diverse materials specific to each case. Also, a study of camps cannot be limited to camp walls and barbed wire; while static themselves and built to limit people's movements, camps were ironically dependent on the movements of people from place to place. Thus a study of camps inevitably involves the study of forced migrations. To acquaint you with the less studied side of global, regional and transnational interactions, this module will use a variety of sources, analyses, and methods in order to make sense of international regimes of detention, control, and punishment.

FRENCH REVOLUTION, , 1789-1804

Code HIS-6089Y

Credits 60

The French Revolution destroyed age-old cultural, institutional and social structures in France and beyond. Yet, in their attempt to regenerate humanity, the revolutionaries were creative as well as destructive, creating a new political culture with far-reaching implications. This special subject will provide an opportunity to study different aspects of the Revolution in depth. You will become familiar with the Revolution’s key political turning points and personalities from Maximilien Robespierre to Napoleon Bonaparte. But a great part of this special subject will be devoted to exploring the artistic, cultural and intellectual dimensions of this eventful period. In doing so, you will master the art of interpreting and contextualizing a variety of different kinds of primary sources, such as caricatures, constitutions, legislative decrees, philosophical tracts, artisan memoirs and private letters.

TEACHING HISTORY

Code HIS-6097Y

Credits 30

This module will help you prepare for a career in History teaching. Through a blend of vocational and academic delivery, you will develop appropriate specialist, technical, and transferable skills. You will learn about different pedagogical approaches to teaching History and an understanding of the requirements for a career in teaching. You will be offered support to arrange teaching observations; a necessary precondition for a PGCE application. Teaching History will also enable you to design learning activities and accompanying materials and to deliver these to your peers in a friendly environment.

Optional C Modules

(0-40 credits)

AFRICAN AMERICANS AND EMPIRE

Code AMAH6041A

Credits 30

Racism knows no borders. African Americans have long been attuned to the international character of white supremacy. As the black intellectual and activist W.E.B. Du Bois noted at the dawn of the 20th century, racism in the United States “is but a local phase of a world problem.” You will examine the global character of the black freedom struggle in the United States. Historically denied full citizenship rights in the United States, African Americans often looked abroad in their fight against racial prejudice – connecting the struggle against Jim Crow to calls for colonial independence around the world. Over the course of the semester, you will explore how and why black Americans forged transnational alliances that challenged racism on a local and a global level. Covering connections between African Americans and movements for racial justice in Europe, Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and beyond, you will be asked to critically engage with the global political outlook of prominent black figures, including Marcus Garvey, Claudia Jones, Huey Newton and Barack Obama. On successful completion of your module, you will have a broad knowledge of the global forces that have shaped African American history. In addition to this, you will be able to identify and engage with theories relating to transnational, diaspora and black Atlantic history. Finally, you will be able to critically reflect on how people and cultures are connected throughout the world.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ON SCREEN

Code AMAM6002A

Credits 30

Module Description (This module is about) This module explores the ways in which cinema and television have engaged with discourses of crime and punishment across the history of the two mediums. It will look at the ways in which screen cultures have circulated and contested historical understandings of crime, criminality and justice, but also ongoing debates regarding cinema and television’s influence on the propagation and perception of criminal behaviour. The module will explore a range of film and television genres that focus on crime, investigation and the penal system, and that have incorporated scientific and technological innovations with regard to surveillance and detection, including: gangster films, police procedurals, delinquency films, true crime, prison dramas, crime appeal programmes, superhero movies, and forensic crime dramas. We also map the ways in which these genres have responded to different historical, national and social contexts, and explore the ways in which a range of converging identities (gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, generational identity) have influenced these contradictory depictions and discourses. This interdisciplinary module will explore the relationship between media history, theory and representation, drawing upon theories from fields including film studies, television studies, cultural studies, gender studies, sociology, criminology, psychology, and science and technology studies.

GENDER AND GENRE IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CINEMA

Code AMAM6062B

Credits 30

This module offers an overview of critical and theoretical approaches to gender and genre in film and television, focusing particularly on North American media, over the last decade. The module is taught by seminar, tutorial and screening and the topics explored may include: the articulation and development of postfeminism in film and television; popular and independent film; feminism and authorship; media responses to the political and cultural contexts of postfeminism; responses to the recession; race and the limits of feminist representation; motherhood and fatherhood; representations of queerness.

SCIENCE FICTION

Code AMAM6121A

Credits 30

Science Fiction films and television series have provided a significant focus for addressing social, cultural and political issues. You will look at the historical development of the genre, with an emphasis on situating examples of films and television programs within their historical and cultural context. The module also concentrates on issues surrounding human identity, as played out in this genre. A range of films and series episodes from both the US and UK will be screened and various clips will also be discussed in seminar.

NEW AMERICAN CENTURY: CULTURE AND CRISIS

Code AMAS6052A

Credits 30

On the eve of the twenty-first century it appeared that the United States of America was indeed entering into a new American Century with its role as global leader as strongly defined as it was a century earlier. However, the last two decades have been witness to a nation in turmoil and crisis, from the conflict between a universalising (Americanising) globalisation and an introspective nationalism; the war on terror and the conflicts in Afghanistan Iraq and Syria; environmental crisis and disaster; the conflict surrounding immigration and national identity, to the present financial crisis. The renewed and vigorous return to rhetoric of national ‘unity’ that characterised the campaign and election of Barack Obama as President of the United States in 2008, and the election of Donald J Trump in 2016, serves to highlight the historical divisions and crises of American society and underscores that contemporary America is in crisis geopolitically, economically, democratically, environmentally, and culturally.

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.

FAMILY LAW: ADULT RELATIONSHIPS

Code LAW-6013A

Credits 20

Adult Relationships Law is a socio-legal study of marriage (the formation of marriage, the purposes and status of marriage, claims to equal marriage), divorce (the ground of divorce, how the process works, whether the process should be reformed), financial settlements on divorce (what settlement can be expected, should prenups be enforceable), cohabitation without marriage (remedies on breakdown of the relationship, should cohabitants have divorce-style rights) and domestic violence. This module reflects both the practical application of family law – What is the law? How does it work in practice? – and the theoretical basis of the law – Why is the law the way it is? What does that say about society? How could we think differently about it, and change the law? It develops law-specific academic and practical skills as well as transferable skills.

INTERNATIONAL AND EU ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Code LAW-6014A

Credits 20

“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on? “(Henry David Thoreau, a letter to H.G.O. Blake, May 20, 1860). Our planet is being plundered, degraded and polluted at an unprecedented rate. This pattern of human activity compromises not only the right of future generations to a healthy environment, but also their ability to fulfil their most basic needs. The biggest environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change, trans-boundary pollution and the loss of biodiversity, require a common action by the international community as a whole. International Environmental Law represents the set of legal rules and principles that guide the international community in its collective effort to meet these challenges. This proposed module aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the context, foundations and the complexities of international environmental law, and its application through European Union (EU) law. It will review the historical background and the developments that shaped the evolution of this field of law. It will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the unique legal principles and regulatory approaches that guide environmental law-making, as well as with some knowledge of specific subject-areas, such as climate change law, biodiversity law, and water law. This module will be taught through the use of a dual-themed approach; each part will be covered by two lectures; the first seminar will present the international regulatory framework (i.e. 'international environmental law'), while the following seminar will include a more concrete discussion on the manner in which international law was adopted into, and refined through, the EU framework. Such a teaching methodology will provide the students with a wider understanding of the topic; notably the students will grasp the relevance of international law to our everyday life, the challenge of balancing environmental goals with other policy objectives, and the manner in which general international law principles can be, and have been, concretised via EU law.

JURISPRUDENCE

Code LAW-6018B

Credits 20

Students undertake directed reading on main currents of legal philosophy. This module is delivered via seminars.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Code LAW-6020B

Credits 20

This module will introduce you to the standards and mechanisms of international human rights law. Lectures will lay a foundation for focused seminar discussions on the content and scope of selected rights (such as the right to life, freedom from torture, and freedom of expression and assembly). A Civil Society Advocacy Project will run alongside the seminars to ensure that you become familiar with the regional (European, Inter-American and African) and international (UN treaty-bodies, Universal Periodic Review, the UN Human Rights Council and its ‘Special Procedures’) mechanisms of human rights implementation and enforcement. Through this Civil Society Advocacy Project, you will be encouraged to reflect critically on the adequacy of rights-based solutions to real-world problems.

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.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Code LDCL6038A

Credits 30

This module offers you 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, moving through Aesop’s fables, fairy tales, Victorian and Edwardian literature, and examining authors that might include A.A Milne, Dr. Seuss, Sherman Alexie, and Melvin Burgess, amongst others. The course looks at issues of genre and content as well as at historical 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. This module is creative and critical and students have a chance to write for children in it.

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.

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.

MEDIEVAL MONSTROSITIES (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6081B

Credits 30

Did medieval people really believe in monsters? Giants, dragons and half-human hybrids are just some of the fantastical creatures that populate Middle English literature. Too readily dismissed by modern readers as mere whimsy, or else the product of credulous minds, instead this module takes monsters seriously as revealing facets of a sophisticated myth-making society. You will consider monsters in a range of genres such as romance, saints' legends, travel writing and visual imagery, as well as their reception by medieval and modern readers and critics. You will interrogate the various discourses of monstrosity and consider what makes a monster through consideration of topics such as: the horror and allure of the monstrous body; monstrous appetites; sexuality and sexual deviance; geography and racial alterity. You will also explore the literary and cultural construction of 'human monsters' (women, pagans, Jews) rendered 'other' due to their perceived divergence from societal and religious norms. You will be able to apply your developing understanding of the discourse of monstrosity in a range of practical contexts such as field trips. Previous experience of Middle English literature will be an advantage but is not required. By the end of the module you should have a more nuanced understanding of the place of monstrosity in medieval literature and have an increased awareness of the ways in which language is used to both shape and respond to perceived differences.

ROMANTIC AND GOTHIC ORIENTALISM, 1720-1830

Code LDCL6091B

Credits 30

The fascination with the mysterious East and the Exotic was an important element of eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century writing and has serious consequences for global politics today. Stereotypical representations of eastern religions, Holy Wars, ruthless and cruel tyrants, and eastern women still resonate today in how we view ISIS, Jihad and eastern 'despots' from Saddam Hussein to Kim Jong-un. In this module you’ll explore the material history of the increasing British colonial involvement in the 'East' in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; how that 'East' was constructed and represented for a western metropolitan audience; and explore the rich cultural productions of that involvement in poetry, fictional, prose and visual art. Texts that you’ll discuss will include writing by well-known Romantic writers, such as S. T. Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and Thomas de Quincey, as well less familiar works by William Beckford, Sir William Jones, Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan), and Thomas Moore. You’ll explore the extraordinary influence of the magical and sensual tales Arabian Nights (including Aladdin) on both Gothic and Romantic period writing. Areas we will discuss will include: India, Persia, the Levant, and China. You’ll also consider such writings in the light of contemporary postcolonial theories of Orientalism including criticism by Edward Said, Gayatori Spivak, Srinivas Aravamudan and others. In this module you’ll concentrate in particular on the representation of the Indian people, places and cultures of the Indian sub continent. You’ll address issues such as Sati, opium addiction, the supernatural, featuring genies, demons, gods and goddesses as we encounter eastern cultures and religions though western eyes. We will visit fantastic gardens and enter the closely-guarded harem. During this module you’ll also speculate on how our contemporary opinions about eastern peoples and customs are influenced by the Oriental Renaissance of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

LATIN AMERICAN NARRATIVES

Code LDCL6093A

Credits 30

'Who would have imagined fifteen years ago that writings of the outcast Chilean Roberto Bolaño who washed ashore in Barcelona via Mexico, would exercise so wide an influence on writers in Spain, Latin America and across the world?' (Granta, Issue 113) And yet, Bolaño's literary output is unthinkable without Borges, just as the Colombian Juan Gabriel Vásquez's Secret History of Costaguana is inconceivable without Conrad’s Nostromo. Throughout this module you’ll discover the ways in which literatures travel across national boundaries. You’ll explore the web of literary influences woven into some of these Latin American narratives, as well as trace the itinerary of these influential threads as they travelled from the South of the American continent to other literatures. You’ll explore the core of storytelling that underpins Latin American literature and which surfaces in various forms of writing, from the short story to the prose poem and the novel, as well as the 'rewriting' exercise/critical appraisal, such as Alejandra Pizarnik's The Bloody Countess. You’ll read works by Borges, Cortazar, Bolaño, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Clarice Lispector, Alejandra Pizarnik, Valeria Luiselli, amongst others. You’ll be encouraged to close read texts and share your ideas in seminars and one-to-one tutorials, as well as through written work.

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.

WRITING RELIGION IN THE AGE OF JOHN MILTON (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6134A

Credits 30

This module begins by introducing you to the central mythic drama of Christianity: in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and 'fell' from perfection; to save humankind, God had to turn his own son into a mortal man and let him be crucified. This story raises the most profound questions about the origins of evil, free will, redemption, and the nature of God. The module seminars unfold through intensive close-reading of the early-modern literary masterpieces which were shaped by these questions, culminating in an in-depth study of all the major late poetry of John Milton: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes. Before reaching Milton, we read major works by his influential predecessors, which might include authors such as John Donne and Edmund Spenser, and we also pay close attention to writing by women, especially that of Lucy Hutchinson (1620-1681), who wrote her own poetic account of the Fall at the same time as John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Summative assessment takes the form of a 5000-word project in which you will explore the module’s central questions by tackling at least two of the texts we’ve studied. You will be given formative questions every week (and writing exercises in some weeks) to help structure your learning. The module assumes no knowledge of religion, John Milton, or of early-modern literature in general.

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.

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.

BANNED BOOKS

Code LDCL6162B

Credits 30

The right to free expression is seriously threatened in many places in the world; it has also never been so passionately defended. You will focus on the history of banned books from the early 20th century to contemporary literature. Novels, poems and plays have often been banned on the grounds of political sedition, obscenity, and blasphemy. You will consider the changing nature of literary censorship, the legalistic and philosophical arguments for and against censorship, the nature of arguments in defence of free expression, why literary writers have so frequently pushed the boundaries of the acceptable and the impact of technology on the history of censorship and free speech. You will trace a series of shifting arguments about why free speech matters: from the drive to explore sexuality in literature, to the politicisation of free speech during the cold war, to current debates about blasphemy and free speech, as well as the idea that free speech is a so-called key Western value. Some of the texts studied on the course will be set because they are, in themselves, explorations of the boundary of prohibition and free expression. Of importance too will be the impact of global communication networks on free speech debates: in the context of the internet, does the nation state control the dissemination of literary texts? If not, what are the implications of the absence of legal control? You will consider both English language texts and texts in translation. Authors considered will probably include James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, Radclyffe Hall, Boris Pasternak, Salman Rushdie, Elif Shafak and Margaret Atwood, but the authors studied on the course are likely to change to include unfolding censorship events and issues.

AFTER NATURE: LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

Code LDCL6164B

Credits 30

Where do debates in environmentalism, cultural geography and literary criticism meet? What does contemporary literature have to tell us about our relationship with space, place, landscape, nature, rurality, ecology, and even a ‘sense of planet’? On this module you will encounter a range of post-war and contemporary forms, from poetry, short stories, the novel, and literary non-fiction to visual art, the radio essay and film. Each will offer fresh and surprising ways of thinking about a range of different contemporary environments and about our place in a changing world. We will consider in what ways literary genres and traditions have helped to create and produce our understanding of geography in the past and how recent literary works have reworked some of these genres and traditions to mark contemporary changes. We will consider, for example, how authors since the environmental crisis have engaged with/inherited/reworked early modern chorography, the Romantic travelogue, the naturalist’s journal, and the rural essay. To what new ends are these forms put in an uncertain and unstable modern world? Among others, the course will explore work by Alice Oswald, Rana Dasgupta, Tim Robinson, Kathleen Jamie, Patrick Keiller, J.G. Ballard, and Robert Macfarlane. It will also include trips to investigate the nature writing holdings at UEA’s British Archive for Contemporary Writing. Assessment will give you the opportunity to, initially, create your own critical or creative radio essay/podcast (formative) and, later, develop a deeper knowledge of one of the week’s themes, building your own critical (or creative non-fiction) project around it (5,000 word summative). While there are no pre-requisites, this module complements and develops themes explored on level 5 ‘Writing the Wild’ and level 6 ‘Urban Visions: The City in Literature and Visual Culture’.

DARK ROMANTICISM: THE GOTHIC INHERITANCE

Code LDCL6166A

Credits 30

Who hath not loiter'd in a green church-yard, And let his spirit, like a demon-mole, Work through the clayey soil and gravel hard, To see scull, coffin'd bones, and funeral stole; Pitying each form that hungry Death hath marr'd, And filling it once more with human soul? (John Keats, 'Isabella; or, the Pot of Basil (1817) 'Dark Romanticism' is a literary subgenre of 'Romanticism', reflecting a fascination with the irrational, the demonic and the grotesque. Intimately related to Gothicism, it has haunted the Romantic movement ever since its beginnings in the eighteenth century. Romanticism's celebration of unity, creativity, and sublimity has always been menaced by a dark and contrary fascination; with melancholia, insanity, nightmare, criminality and death; with ghosts, monsters and vampires; and with the grotesque and the irrational. The term 'Dark Romanticism' was coined by Mario Praz in his classic study, The Romantic Agony (1933) to discuss European Romanticism's obsessive concern with duality, desire, agony, suicide, morbidity and decadence in the decades following the French Revolution. Numerous recent scholars have since discussed Romantic writing's preoccupation with the psychologically unusual and aberrant from a variety of perspectives including the literary, historical, philosophical and, more recently, a medical point of view. In this module, we will explore this compelling but dangerous interrelation between Romanticism and the Gothic at work in a range of 'agonies' preoccupying our writers: addiction, depression, insanity, cannibalism, monstrosity, homosexuality, the femme fatale, the double, the demonic lover, the vampire, and the Romantic pre-occupation with Lucifer himself. Our module will focus on writers such as J. W. Goethe, S. T. Coleridge, Lord Byron, John Keats, Thomas De Quincey, James Hogg, and Percy and Mary Shelley, as well as Matthew Lewis, Charlotte Dacre and Dr John William Polidori, author of that most influential story 'The Vampyre' (1819). We will read key Romantic period texts including Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, Byron's Don Juan, Keats's 'Isabella or the Pot of Basil', Coleridge's 'Christabel', James Hogg's Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner; Thomas De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium Eater, and Percy Shelley's drama, The Cenci, as well as lesser known but influential works. You will be encouraged to deliver group presentations on these key texts and subjects, developing your own interests and ideas and working towards the longer research essay by which the module will be assessed.

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.

LITERATURE AND SCIENCE 1660-1750 (pre-1789)

Code LDCL6170A

Credits 30

What is science? What is scientific language? Did you know that there was no such thing as a scientist until 1833? We’re accustomed to thinking of literature and science as separate disciplines – science deals with cold hard facts, literature with the imaginary and fictional – but to the occupants of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, such a distinction would have been strange and unfamiliar. On this module, you’ll investigate how the current separation between literature and science came about. You’ll explore the social, cultural, and ideological imperatives that secured the dominance of science in intellectual discourse; you’ll examine how notions of scientific objectivity emerged; and you’ll discover how the new and allegedly more ‘rational’ knowledge produced by scientific practice was received by its first audiences. You’ll read a variety of texts, ranging from advocates of the new science (such as Thomas Sprat, part founder of the Royal Society in 1660, and Richard Bentley, proponent of later Newtonian philosophy); to early modern scientific writing (such as Robert Hooke, who famously described a fly’s eye seen through a microscope, and Robert Boyle, whose experiments with a bird inside an air pump became one of the most well known images of the enlightenment); to literary estimations of the value (or otherwise) of scientific knowledge. This module will provide you with a sense of historical perspective, and an understanding of the kinds of agenda implicit in the modern claim that STEM subjects make the humanities seem both impracticable and unprofitable.

NEW NARRATIVE

Code LDCL6172A

Credits 30

New Narrative began as a late 20th century creative rebellion. From its origins in 1970s punk, second-wave feminism and the gay rights movement, New Narrative writers explored and exploited the relationship between the personal and the political, gossip and literature, high and low art. It is the place where the tell-all memoir meets critical theory, and the place from which writers talked about their own desires and their own experiences in order to challenge the status quo. It is also a writing of friendship and coterie, a place to collaborate and to be influenced: many texts from the New Narrative movement were worked on in workshops that took place in the back rooms of bookshops or in each others’ apartments in San Francisco. Over the last 40 years, New Narrative has spawned generations of radical, experimental, genre-defying writers, from Kathy Acker to Chris Kraus to Maggie Nelson. You'll explore the major themes of New Narrative through reading key texts from the movement. You'll also explore the theoretical and cultural influences surrounding the movement. You will think carefully about the role of the writer in relation to the text, particularly the phenomenon of the ‘cult’ writer; you'll be encouraged to focus your critical studies on one particular New Narrative author in order to explore their life and legacy alongside their body of work. Finally, there will be opportunities to produce your own ‘freak’ and genre-defying texts.

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.

WRITING VERNACULAR, WRITING VOICE

Code LDCL6178B

Credits 30

How does one give voice to the self? This question has preoccupied Twentieth and Twenty First century writers who, in a quest to successfully define themselves and others, have pioneered new language forms. In this module we’ll consider writing voice and vernacular as a language performance aimed at articulating a particular identity. We’ll examine Modernist writers who held orality as a high virtue, Feminist writers determined to develop writing approaches independently of men, writers of colour who have resisted imposed languages, and working class writers committed to presenting true-to-life speech, profanities and all. The writers we’ll examine share a sense that an established literary language has hindered or silenced them, and the module will ask questions which explore the responses to this predicament, such as: how can natural speech be rendered on the page? How do texts achieve an audible and recognisable voice? What does it mean to make use of linguistic codes which are condemned or deemed inferior? Reading may include essays, novels, memoir, short stories, theatre monologues and journalism. For instance, Trainpotting by Irvine Welsh, The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit, How Late It Was How Late, by James Kelman, ‘The Life of Ma Parker’ by Katherine Mansfield, ‘Story in Harlem Slang’ by Zora Neale Hurston, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, ‘The Case for Reparations’ by Ta Nehisi-Coates and Bitch Doctrine by Laurie Penny. In the first half of the module we’ll examine the many ways in which writers use language to challenge literary conventions, salvage histories and reclaim voices and we’ll draw on relevant ideas and criticism including Feminist Theory (such as, The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Guber, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, Gender Trouble by Judith Butler) Critical Race Theory (such as, The Signifying Monkey by Henry Louis Gates, The Race for Theory by Barbara Christian, Africa’s Tarnished Name by Chinua Achebe, and we’ll consider questions of language and power explored by critical thinkers like Mikahail Bakhtin in Speech Genres and Other Essays, Gayatri Spivak in Three Women’s Essays and Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks. In the second half of the module, you’ll have the opportunity to workshop your own writing inspired by the module. You’ll reflect on your own identity as a writer, consider how different texts speak to you and discover the challenges and opportunities offered through exploring and producing you own vernacular writing.

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.

INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5032B

Credits 20

INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5033B

Credits 20

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II - A2/B1 CEFR

Code PPLB5034B

Credits 20

ADVANCED ENGLISH I - B2 CEFR

Code PPLB5043A

Credits 20

ADVANCED ENGLISH II - B2 CEFR

Code PPLB5044B

Credits 20

Do you want more practice in speaking in English? Do you feel you lack sufficient vocabulary to express yourself well? Do you need help with your pronunciation? Do you have problems with English grammar and writing essays? As a non-native speaker, you will need to already have an upper intermediate/advanced level of English (IELTS 6.5-7.5 or equivalent) but will want to reach a more competent level. If so, you can take both Advanced English I & II or just module I or just module II. You’ll analyse and discuss articles in the media and listen to academic talks and news reports on contemporary topics; through writing tasks you will have the opportunity to express your ideas in clear and coherent terms, and you will receive personal feedback on your efforts. You will participate in classroom-based activities, often working in pairs and groups exchanging ideas and supporting each other in your exploration of the language. You will be able to focus on improving aspects of your pronunciation and grammar as well as expanding your vocabulary. You will also gain a greater understanding of cultural and political issues through topics such as Time & Sleep, World Population & Urbanisation and Tourism. You will be assessed midterm, and in the final weeks through a seminar presentation (30%) and listening, reading, and writing tasks (70%). By the end of this module you will be able to express yourself more confidently orally, be better able to understand recorded material, and will have increased your vocabulary base; you will be more able to read complex texts and write more accurately with fewer grammar errors and greater range of expression. Such language support will be of immense benefit for all aspects of your UEA academic programme, will please your tutors and enable you to obtain higher grades! Please note that you should not have a level of English that exceeds the level of this course.

ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

Code PPLB5045B

Credits 20

INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB5150A

Credits 20

INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I - A2 CEFR

Code PPLB5151A

Credits 20

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.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC5168A

Credits 20

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ACROSS BORDERS

Code PPLC5172B

Credits 20

INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (LEVEL 6)

Code PPLC6138A

Credits 20

Do you want to become an efficient intercultural communicator in Business settings? This module will allow you to develop your intercultural competence in the workplace in order to become an efficient intercultural communicator. You will be taught several strategies to acquire intercultural competence, especially in business contexts and the workplace. You will apply theoretical approaches to intercultural communication in order to understand how to be successful in communication across cultures, and to solve intercultural conflicts in Business contexts. You will take part in classroom-based activities in pairs and small groups with students from other cultures. You will analyse case studies in which cultural clashes impact on different areas of business and management, such as marketing, human relations, and international negotiations. You will develop intercultural competence in different business and work-related contexts. You will be able to build intercultural understanding, the promotion of international business exchanges, and the facilitation of cross-cultural adaptation. You may also get some insight in how to develop cultural consultancy for businesses. You will be assessed at the end of the module by an essay.

FRENCH YEAR 2 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLF5001A

Credits 20

FRENCH YEAR 2 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLF5004B

Credits 20

FRENCH YEAR 3 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLF6004A

Credits 20

In this advanced French language module, you will develop your comprehension and production skills to C1 level of the Common European Framework for Modern Languages (CEFR). Not only will you learn to control your style and register and express yourself with confidence but you will develop skills that will allow you to persuade, argue, discuss and justify ideas effectively. You will be able to research your own cultural topic and work towards oral activities such as presentations and discussions, but also to build an extensive essay in French, allowing you to systematise critical, writing and presentation skills. Speaking activities will allow you to fully engage with current affairs of the French-speaking world. In light of covid-19 planning, please be aware that this module will now run with some modifications and different language groupings depending on level of language ability as we look to accommodate students who have experienced a disrupted year abroad and those students who have yet to start their year abroad.

FRENCH YEAR 3 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLF6006B

Credits 20

Are you ready to take your French beyond the classroom? If you are interested in applying your French language and translation skills and your ability to analyse, comment, and summarise in specialised and professional situations, this module is for you. You'll be able to use all that you have learnt in French by working on briefs, summaries, translations, and studies of materials that will include technical and professional material from local and international organisations. One component of this module will allow you to hone your translation and writing skills by, for example, translating specialised documents. There will also be the opportunity to use your sense of enterprise and creativity on group projects. In this core module, you will continue to develop your receptive and productive skills to the level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). By the end of this module, you'll be able to express yourself confidently, clearly and professionally and will use your argumentative skills acquired in previous modules, to learn to negotiate and lead in your target language. In light of covid-19 planning, please be aware that this module will now run with some modifications and different language groupings depending on level of language ability as we look to accommodate students who have experienced a disrupted year abroad and those students who have yet to start their year abroad.

SPANISH YEAR 2 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLH5001A

Credits 20

This module is for students studying Spanish Honours language degrees. This module is for Level 5 students and comprises of two strands (B1, B2).

SPANISH YEAR 2 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLH5002B

Credits 20

This module is for students studying Spanish Honours language degrees. This module is for Level 5 students and comprises of three strands (B1, B2).

SPANISH YEAR 3 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLH6007A

Credits 20

This module will develop your Spanish language skills at an advanced level. It fosters an understanding of various Spanish language features and develops critical cultural awareness. You’ll revisit specific components of grammar at a higher level, as well as problematic areas identified for improvement as well as learning academic writing skills. You’ll investigate and analyse the components that control the use of language when communicating in Spanish. The oral component of the module focuses on improving speaking and listening skills and widening vocabulary at a higher level. It is not suitable for native Spanish speaking visiting/exchange students. This module is conducted entirely in Spanish.

SPANISH YEAR 3 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

Code PPLH6017B

Credits 20

You will have the opportunity to develop your Spanish speaking, listening, reading and writing skills at an advanced level. You’ll develop higher level language skills further and you’ll acquire greater awareness of linguistic issues to aid inclusion and immersion in Spanish-speaking countries. You’ll explore the varieties of the Spanish language from a linguistic point of view and the variations of the Spanish language through the analysis and identification of extracts of spoken texts. The oral element of the module focuses on improving speaking and listening skills, whilst widening vocabulary. This module is conducted entirely in Spanish and is open to non-native Spanish speakers with near native competence in Spanish.

TERRORISM AND COUNTER-TERRORISM

Code PPLI6040B

Credits 30

Although the term terrorism goes back to the French revolution, it was rarely employed until the 1970’s. Contrast this with today when terrorism, it seems, is everywhere we look: in foreign policy decisions, military interventions, homeland security measures, legal frameworks, newspaper headlines, speeches and sermons, films and video games, and, of course, in university modules such as this. In this module, we engage in a critical exploration of terrorism, counter-terrorism, and the academic field of terrorism research. You will explore the history of terrorism, and engage in debates around the definition and character of terrorist violence. Is it possible, necessary, or even desirable to separate terrorism from other forms of violence, for instance? The module will introduce different perspectives on the causes, types, and threat of non-state terrorism. You will examine a range of strategies for countering terrorism, and their political and normative implications. The module also explores the emergence and contribution of critical terrorism studies, examining issues including state terrorism, gender and terrorism, cultural representations of terrorism, and the production and influence of terrorism ‘experts.’

POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC

Code PPLI6069A

Credits 30

This module will introduce you to important themes in international relations within the Asia Pacific, at a time when the region has assumed great importance. There will be a particular focus on the important historical periods in the relations between the USA, China and Japan. An understanding of elements of the trajectory of these relationships will be provided by taking a selection of historical subjects for analysis. While you will address the knowledge of history, and of long-term themes, in the latter part of the module you will consider contemporary political issues. This will require you to develop an understanding of the interaction of the United States with Asia, and China and Japan in particular.

POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC

Code PPLI6070A

Credits 20

This module will introduce important themes in the American relationship with East Asia, at a time when the Pacific region has assumed great importance. There will be a particular focus on the important historical periods in the American relationship with China and Japan. An understanding of elements of the trajectory of these relationships will be provided by taking a selection of historical subjects for analysis. While this will address the knowledge of history, and of long-term themes, the latter part of the module will consider contemporary political issues. This will require an understanding of the interaction of the United States with Asia, and China and Japan in particular. This module is a 20-credit coursework-only version of POWER OVER THE PACIFIC: THE AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP WITH ASIA and is available only to Visiting, Exchange and Non-HUM Students.

INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE (LEVEL 5)

Code PPLJ5147A

Credits 20

JAPANESE YEAR 3 HONOURS (AUTUMN SEMESTER)

Code PPLJ6010A

Credits 20

In this module, you’ll develop skills in reading, writing speaking and listening at an advanced level to equip you to be a more sophisticated Japanese language user. Throughout the module you’ll read various genres of reading materials, develop your oral presentation skills with project work, and learn academic writing in Japanese. You’ll also deepen your knowledge of Japanese culture, people and society through these materials and works. On successful completion of the module, you’ll be able to produce clear, well-structured short and long written and oral works, critically read a wide-range of materials which will develop into discussions, and explain and express your own ideas/opinions clearly and effectively in Japanese. You’ll also be able to use feedback actively and reflect on your own work.

JAPANESE YEAR 3 HONOURS (SPRING SEMESTER)

BA PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY