Unit information: Race and Place in 2022/23

Unit name	Race and Place
Unit code	HART20031
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Robles
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
School/department	Department of History of Art (Historical Studies)
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This research-led unit examines the complex relationship between constructions of racial difference, space and place within the history of art. It traces the impact of the intertwined notions of race and geographic, social, political and imaginary spaces, from colonial portraiture and landscape photography to historical and contemporary representations of domestic interiors and the liminal spaces opened up diaspora. It will look to both historic and contemporary artists and artworks to unravel the visual constructions (and deconstructions) of 'us and them' through systems rooted in the binaries of 'here and there', 'in and out', 'margin and periphery', 'front lines and backyards' (Stuart Hall, 1998). The unit will also introduce students to foundational authors and texts within the development of post-colonial frameworks together with key art historical questions around the representation of difference.

Students will practise their skills in visual analysis in small groups and will work together on a group presentation.

Unit Aims

• Introduce theoretical frameworks of space, place and the construction of racial, national, ethnic and cultural identities. These include developments within discourses of post-colonialism, orientalism and globalisation.
• Introduce students to a wide variety of artists and artworks, including some that are marginalised in discourses and University curricula around the history of art, and offer new critical perspectives on familiar bodies of work.
• Provide students with insight into the most recent developments in this rapidly-changing field with a research-led approach to the ways in which historical developments continue to shape contemporary practices.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of discourses and frameworks of space, place and the construction of racial, ethnic and cultural difference;
2. differentiate between, and assess critically, different academic interpretations and arguments in this emerging field of scholarship;
3. apply theoretical ideas about race, cultural difference and space to artworks and visual culture;
4. identify, be able to work effectively with, and critically assess a range of types of textual material, including both secondary and primary source texts and archival materials appropriate to level I.
5. employ key vocabulary and theoretical terms relevant to both the historical period and modern scholarship.
6. communicate their knowledge effectively through oral presentation appropriate to level I.

How you will learn

Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.

How you will be assessed

One group presentation (25%) [ILO 6] One timed assessment (75%) [ILOs 1-5]

Resources

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. HART20031).

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 Faculty 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. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.