| Unit name | Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL20026 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Faucher |
| 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 | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The unit will introduce you to the world of modern European politics and will give you the critical and analytical tools to examine culture as an element of statecraft. It considers how political systems shape the institutional mechanisms of cultural production, and examines the discursive strategies deployed by the main types of political systems of representation in twentieth and twenty-first century Europe, including their reliance on pre-existing national socio-cultural formations and their projection into colonial and post-colonial countries.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will rely on a variety of case studies from different European nations as well as transnational and global discussions on institutions of culture. It will broaden your knowledge of European politics while also sharpening your skills in comparative and transnational studies. It relies on a variety of literary, political and visual sources which you will be able to analyse thanks to skills you have acquired in the degree so far. You will be able to identify key debates and issues in fields of scholarship which you might not have encountered yet (cultural studies, history of democracy, transnationalism).
Overview of content
The right to political representation is perceived as a defining characteristic of European liberal democracy, yet over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries it has competed against authoritarian and totalitarian political systems that have used populist rhetoric to claim legitimacy based on a notional and abstract will of the people. At the same time, even liberal democracies have exercised power over colonial and post-colonial countries in ways that disregard or manipulate the right to political representation. In various ways all political systems have erected institutions of culture aimed at shaping the mindset of the people they claim to represent and from whom they draw their legitimacy, while simultaneously being shaped by distinctive pre-existing socio-cultural formations, such as the power of culturally specific kinds of elites. The aim of this unit is to examine and compare through a set of national and transnational case studies the socio-cultural embedding of modern European regimes.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
The debates considered on this unit are of wide relevance in European and worldwide culture. The critical skills and the ability to employ comparative and transnational tools in contemporary and historical context will help you for the remainder of your degree and beyond, including in the final-year optional dissertation. The unit encourages you to think about broad concepts such as culture, public opinion and democracy which will enable you to engage critically with related debates in academic contexts. You will be able to showcase your independent research orally and in writing, and also through collaborative projects, enhancing your team-working skills. The aim is that all students in the unit will become effective communicators as well as confident in their ability to be creative and independent thinkers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
You will be taught through a weekly two-hour interactive lecture and a weekly two-hour seminar which will include discussion on the readings and audio-visual documents as well as class discussions and small group work. During the seminar you will receive feedback on your team projects and we will work regularly on essay plans to prepare you for the summative task.
Discussion in the classroom will provide you with knowledge and solid theoretical and historical grounding in the topic. This will be complemented by set texts and optional secondary reading.
Single-honour students will have an additional fortnightly one-hour tutorial on material related to the unit, but not assessed.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A 400-word review of a theoretical article included in the reading list for weeks 1 and 2. This review will be evaluated by one of your peers and the seminar tutor. (0%, not required for credit)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Podcast debate in a small group reviewing a contemporary or historical issue relevant to the concepts and themes of the unit, 7 minutes (25%) [ILOs 1, 2, and 6]
Essay, 3,000 words (75%) [ILOs 3, 4, and 5]
When assessment does not go to plan
If you are unable to undertake either assessment or are required to be re-assessed following submission, you will normally be asked to complete the necessary work during the Summer Reassessment Period. In these cases, an individual recorded presentation may be requested in place of the first summative assessment. You will not be permitted to repeat topics of study from any previously submitted work on the unit.
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. MODL20026).
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.
