| Unit name | Writing the Working Classes |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20030 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Batt |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
On this unit we will explore writing for, about, and by the working classes during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Considering novels by canonical authors such as Gaskell and Dickens alongside prose and verse by agricultural labourers, domestic servants and factory workers, we will examine the role played by imaginative writing in the making of the working class. Questions we will address include: how - and why - do novelists and poets write about work and the social order? What did working-class men and women write about, and what impact did their writing have? How does this writing reflect an increasingly politicised class, and to what extent was literature used to inspire radicalism or to quell incipient revolution? What genres and what kinds of language appealed to writers exploring working-class experiences? And finally, how have literary critics responded to this body of work?
On successful completion of this unit students will have
(1) developed a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of writing by and about the working classes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries;
(2) in-depth knowledge of some of the critical approaches that have been taken to this subject;
(3) demonstrated the ability to analyse and evaluate differing critical accounts of the primary literature;
(4) demonstrated the ability to identify and evaluate pertinent evidence in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument; and
(5) strengthened their skills in argumentation and academic writing.
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including 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.
Students will be given the opportunity to submit a draft or outline of their final, summative essay of up to 1,500 words and to receive feedback on this.
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. ENGL20030).
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.
