Unit name | The Censor's Scissors, 1750-1830 |
---|---|
Unit code | FREN30112 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Clare Siviter |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of French |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The freedom of expression was a key belief of the Enlightenment but the transition from monarchy to Revolution was a brutal one where speaking your mind could also cost you your life. This Unit examines the constraints to which authors were subjected during the second half of the eighteenth century in France by focusing on five main forms of texts: libertine literature; the press; theatre; the classification of knowledge; the art of the essay. We will consider how censorship shaped literature; how authors, publishers, and booksellers circumvented governmental authority, including the transnational circulation of texts across Europe; how censorship changed with the advent of the Revolution. Finally, we will ask how these censored texts, from the Encyclopédie to pornography, continue to influence our relationship to ‘dangerous works’ even in the twenty-first century.
Each literary form will focus on one main text to be read alongside a selection of further contemporary documents in seminars which will be made available via Blackboard.
The Unit aims to:
On successful completion of the init, students will be able to::
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures, and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.
1 x 1500-word censorship report (30%), assessing ILOs 3 and 5
1 x 3500-word essay (70%), assessing ILOs 1-5
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. FREN30112).
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.