| Unit name | Reading Identities |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL10062 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Baden-Daintree |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit considers how writers and critics understand, represent, re-imagine and challenge different facets or frameworks of identity. It is concerned with identity in multiple forms, including complex intersections of gender, sexuality, and race, as well as different understandings of authorship and representation. It will introduce students to a portfolio of works spanning several centuries up to the present day, driven by themes and concepts rather than chronology. Students can expect to encounter poetry, non-fiction prose, critical theory, and the novel, as well as other media such as documentary film and graphic memoir. They will develop skills in close reading, and also engage with perspectives from secondary research and contextual analysis. The unit aims to share a diverse syllabus and encourage thoughtful discussion, as students gain confidence in their ability to trace patterns between the selected texts and key ideas, building connections and drawing on a complex, comparative understanding that will prepare them for later study (in particular, I/5 core units and H/6 exploration units).
How does this unit fit into the programme of study?
Exploration units offer thought-provoking and engaging investigations into key topics, including period-focused, thematic, and trans-historical options. You will hone your abilities as a researcher able to navigate skilfully a range of databases and archives, as well as engaging effectively with more advanced critical and theoretical perspectives. Exploration units ask you to both rethink the familiar and meet the unexpected, and encourage you to develop depth as well as breadth of critical understanding.
Overview of content
Reading Identities introduces you to a wide selection of texts and creative forms. You will engage in the close reading of texts, studying poetry, short fiction, essays and creative non-fiction, among other genres, in order to explore a range of themes and ideas relating to the question of identity, both individual and collective. Themes and topics studied are likely to include intersectionality, feminism, religious faith, sexuality, life and writing, family, masculinities, and disability.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Upon completion of this unit you will be able to identify how writers represent and challenge diverse models of personal identity, and the ways in which such work is informed by historical, geographical and cultural context. You will have practised how to combine close, detailed analysis of literary texts and other primary sources with the application of key critical and theoretical concepts relevant to the study of a range of models and conceptual frameworks of identity. By extending your knowledge and understanding in these ways the unit will thus enable you to strengthen your critical and interpretative skills and prepare you for the next stage of your programme.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. recognise how authors across wide chronological and geographical contexts address key issues of personal and collective identity, and identify some of the major social, cultural and political forces that shape those responses;
2. apply an understanding of historical, cultural and intellectual contexts to readings of literary texts and associated works in other media;
3. apply textual analysis, argumentation, and critical interpretation to evidence from primary texts and secondary sources;
4. practise working both individually and as a team by contributing to group tasks and discussions.
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including lectures, group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation with unit tutors.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Contribution mark (10%) [ILO 4]
Group presentation (30%) [ILOs 1-4]
Portfolio of 3x700 word writing exercises (60%) [ILOs 1-3]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL10062).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
