Liberal Arts at Queen's is a unique, exciting and challenging programme that allows students to immerse themselves in subjects that are vital to understanding our twenty-first- century world. Through innovative disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary study, students explore a range of contemporary issues within a programme which allows them the flexibility to pursue a discipline specialism or broader, thematic interests that are cross-disciplinary in nature.
Taking advantage of the internationally-renowned expertise across the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, students explore different ways of approaching research, and consider various tools or sources that can be used to answer the pressing questions of their world in innovative ways. This might be through their discipline-specific training, or through blending the research approaches from multiple subjects to consider things in a new way. .
A Liberal Arts student is curious about the world and about different ways of thinking. With our study abroad and work placement opportunities, in addition to Masters-level teaching in fourth year, this degree is built with flexibility and future success in mind.
Liberal Arts at Queen's builds on the strengths of the multiple disciplines of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty.
Liberal Arts highlights
Global Opportunities
Students on the M.Liberal Arts programme benefit from a broad range of study-abroad and international placement opportunities, e.g. in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain. The Year/Semester Abroad is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity. This feature of our degree programme gives students the opportunity for personal development, and further develops communication skills and intercultural awareness. The challenges of living abroad come to be a unique (and unforgettable) stage in their own personal development. http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/StudyAbroad/
Industry Links
We regularly consult and develop links with employers across Northern Ireland. Integrated into our Liberal Arts modules are opportunities to meet practitioners, for example from BBC NI, heritage organisations (Linen Hall Library, Ulster Museum, Hearth NI), and the charitable sector. Work placements can be organised in a range of places, tailored to a student’s individual degree specialism, and have included placements at Stormont, the Public Record Office Northern Ireland (PRONI), Linen Hall Library, Irish Film Institute, Score Draw Music, museums across Northern Ireland, and the civil service. In addition to our Liberal Arts modules, students are connected to industry through subject-specific modules, for example in Film and Broadcast Production.
World Class Facilities
Student benefit from research-led teaching and access to a range of world-class facilities, depending on their pathway.
Student Experience
From Personal Tutors to peer mentoring, we work closely with students to ensure they are supported at every stage of their degree. Due to the core module at each Liberal Arts stage, our students tend to be closely-knit and know their Liberal Arts lecturers well. This ensures that, while they embark on different pathways in various Schools and subjects, they always have an academic contact to support their university career.
With Degree-Plus, students have the opportunity to burnish their academic achievements with employment-facing placements and projects.
A thriving cultural scene organised by our undergraduate and postgraduate communities, from the English Society and Poetry Proper to the Lifeboat and the Yellow Nib, makes studying at Queen's a unique proposition.
Students can work with our visiting Fulbright Scholars, leading US academics who spend a semester at Queen's each year; and, through the Heaney Centre, world-renowned and award-winning creative practitioners in the fields of poetry, prose and scriptwriting join us each year as Fellows of the Centre.
Global Opportunities
Students on a M.Liberal Arts languages pathway study or work abroad for 8 months or more in their third year. Students in Languages at Queen’s have specialised classes to prepare them for the Year Abroad, supported by members of the school. In addition to the benefits for oral competence, the residence provides a unique opportunity for immersion in the culture of their chosen country.
Students not on a languages pathway study abroad for the second semester of their third year. In recent years, our students have taken placements in France, Spain, Canada, the United States, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Career Development
Students are offered opportunities to develop substantive knowledge and research skills through collaboration with Northern Ireland’s vibrant civil and community sector, through field trips, guest lectures, workshops, placements, research collaborations and volunteering opportunities.
Internationally Renowned Experts
On this programme you will be taught by academics who are internationally renowned experts at the top of their respective fields.
The Liberal Arts modules bring together academic expertise with industry leaders to really dig into how the knowledge built up on the programme can have ‘real world’ impacts.
As students on an undergraduate Masters, we encourage students to get involved in the multiple research centres which are pushing new boundaries at Queen’s. These include:
• The Centre for Sustainability, Equality, and Climate Action
• The Centre for Public History
• The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
• The Institute of Irish Studies
• The Institute of Cognition and Culture
Career Development
In second year, students take a ‘Careers Placement’ module, working closely with QUB’s Careers Service experts in advance of their work placement.
World Class Facilities
The School of Arts, English and Languages is one of the largest and best equipped institutions in the UK working in the field of music and sound. Students have access to state-of-the-art audio resources including two dedicated computer suites, ten sound studios an equipment loan store and the world’s first Sonic Laboratory – a unique performance space capable of three-dimensional sound projection, all housed in the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC). Our Music Building was built at the same time as the main Queen's Lanyon Building. It was originally the Students' Union and Canteen.
We have the beautiful Harty Room concert hall, The Old McMordie Hall teaching room, a large Lecture Room, smaller teaching rooms, a basement full of practice rooms, 2 recording studios and social spaces for students to meet.
For students interested in Drama and the performing arts, a lot of teaching happens in the Brian Friel Theatre, one of the best-equipped theatres in Belfast with a 120-seat studio theatre, rehearsal room, dressing rooms, green room and workshop. These are all housed in the Drama and Film Centre which also includes the Queen’s Film Theatre. https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/BrianFrielTheatre/
The McClay Library holds extensive collections relating to all subjects offered on the M.Liberal Arts programme, including History and Politics, Philosophy, Sociology, and English. Queen’s has built up a superb collection of books, manuscripts and periodicals over the past 160 years. It brings together wide-ranging library, computing and media services in a single location as well as offering study facilities suitable for quiet study and group work.
Student Experience
With Degree-Plus, students have the opportunity to burnish their academic achievements with employment- facing placements and projects.
A thriving cultural scene organised by our undergraduate and postgraduate communities, including the newly-organised (by our students) Liberal Arts Society. The wider cultural scene, including the Lifeboat and the Yellow Nib, makes studying at Queen's a unique proposition. Due to the multi-/interdisciplinary nature of their studies, Liberal Arts students have the opportunity to engage with it all!
The Global Opportunities team at QUB also means that Liberal Arts students can supplement their studies through QUB-subsidised summer schools. Two of our students headed to Utrecht for a fortnight learning about art history in 2024!
Student Testimonials
'When I left school after my A-Levels, I had a lot of interests and I wasn't ready to settle on just one to pursue at university level. Studying Liberal Arts at Queens allowed me to explore a wide range of disciplines within the Arts, Humanities and Languages so that I could pick a major I was really passionate about, whilst also studying a selection of other, interconnected classes from across the schools to create a fully customisable degree.
The course pushed me to change my way of thinking, as being allowed to take different classes in different fields introduced me to lots of new ideas, and of course, lots of new people thinking them. On top of this, sharing a class with my fellow Liberal Arts students, all of whom were also studying a plethora of subjects in their own right, only added to this mixture of ideas and broadened my horizons. What's more, I left university after four years with an integrated Masters Degree! Looking back, I know I made the right choice in picking Liberal Arts at Queens.'
Jill Clerkin, M.Liberal Arts and French graduate 2022
Students take six modules: Understanding Now; one interdisciplinary module; two modules from their pathway; and a further two optional modules. The list of optional modules is subject to relevant A-Level or equivalent prerequisites (e.g. for language and music modules). However, students are free to choose from a range of interdisciplinary and pathway modules as well as other modules offered on single honours programmes in the Faculty. Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year.
At the end of Level 1, students nominate their pathway. The pathways include: Anthropology and Paleoecology, Archaeology, Drama, Economics, English, Geography, French, Film, History, International Studies, Irish, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Portuguese, Sociology, Spanish, as well as thematic pathways such as Migration, Sustainability, Irish Studies, American Studies, Gender, Decolonisation.
Stage 2
In their second year students take: Uses of the Past; one interdisciplinary module; three modules from their pathway; and a further optional module. In addition they will take a Placement preparation module ahead of the Stage 3 Placement module.
Stage 3
Students take: Arts and Humanities in Contemporary Society; the Placement module; and one module from their pathway in Semester 1. Semester 2 is spent studying abroad at one of our international university partners. Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year and may be subject to prerequisites.
For students on a language pathway, the whole of third year will be spent abroad on a study or work placement.
Stage 4
Students take: Incorrigibly Plural; the Dissertation module; and a minimum of one module in their pathway with two further modules either from their pathway or from optional modules. The pathway and optional modules will be drawn from the taught modules offered on the relevant MA programme(s). Students on a language pathway will take relevant language and cultural context modules..
Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year and may be subject to prerequisites.
Arts, English & Languages Dr Cooper is a social and cultural historian of Ireland and the Irish diaspora, with a particular interest in gender, religion, and urban space. Sophie takes an interdisciplinary approach to her research - bringing together material culture, urban studies approaches, and histories of emotion – so really enjoys having the opportunity to work with colleagues from across different disciplines!
Professor in American Literature; Faculty Lead Liberal Arts
Arts, English & Languages Professor McGowan is Professor in American Literature with research and teaching interests in twentieth-century American poetry, contemporary American fiction, as well as in film (e.g. American Hitchcock). He also has wider interests in revolutionary America, the American nineteenth century, westerns, and American narratives of addiction and alcohol control. In the field of poetry, his teaching and research focuses on Wallace Stevens, Elizabeth Bishop, the Middle Generation poets, and Mark Doty. Philip is President (2016-2024) of the European Association for American Studies (eaas.eu; @eaas_eu) and has been a member of the Executive Board of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society (fscottfitzgeraldsociety.org; @FSFSociety) since 2005
Contact Teaching Hours
Personal Study
15 (hours maximum)
Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial
3 (hours maximum) 2-3 at Stage 1; 2-3 at Stage 2; 2-3 at Stage 3; 2-3 at Stage 4
Large Group Teaching
6 (hours maximum) 2-3 at Stage 1; 3-4 at Stage 2; 3-6 at Stage 3; 2-3 at Stage 4
Medium Group Teaching
6 (hours maximum) 3-5 at Stage 1; 3-4 at Stage 2; 4-6 at Stage 3; 3-5 at Stage 4
Learning and Teaching
At Queen's, students work in an ambitious learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
On the Liberal Arts degree we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
E-learning:
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen's Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree, for example, through: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules;podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project-based work etc.
Lectures:
Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
Personal tutors:
All undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.
Self-directed study:
This is an essential part of life as a Queen's student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
Seminars/tutorials:
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
Supervised projects:
In final year, the year-long double weighted Dissertation module requires you to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic that you have chosen. You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the write-up stage.
Assessment
Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
Assessments are designed to evidence your engagement with the learning objectives of each module, which will be advertised in advance of module selection. Modules are assessed variously through project work, individual and/or group presentations, as well as more traditional written essays and assignments.
The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook provided to all students during their first year induction. Assessments can include assessed presentations, group projects, and "learning logs" based on weekly reading.
Feedback
As students progress through their degree at Queen's they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work.
Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. Feedback is a key component in a student's continual, self-reflective learning on this degree programme.
Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, may have submitted.
Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers' advertised "Feedback and Guidance hours" to help you address a specific query.
Placement employer comments or references.
Online or emailed comment.
General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, or during a seminar or tutorial.
Peer and group feedback on core Liberal Arts modules where the learning experience is developmental, shared and supportive.
Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars that you can review in your own time.
Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
This module has two interconnected directions of travel:
i) focusing on the present, subject lecturers discuss how we understand the contemporary moment in its social, political, philosophical, cultural and intellectual contexts;
ii) the above is simultaneously informed by a backward glance that shows how learning in particular branches of the academy has developed over the centuries, and how arts and humanities disciplines currently configure our theoretical interpretation of the world
Each academic year, what is “Now” will obviously change, providing new contexts for discussions of how we use Understanding to explain the world.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) have an overview of a range of approaches to understanding the contemporary world;
(ii) have an introductory understanding of the different disciplines they have encountered on the module;
(iii) understand a range of discipline-specific approaches to university level work in the arts and humanities;
(iv) differentiate between discipline-specific approaches to the subject;
(v) be able to link the module’s varied pedagogical approaches to their degree pathway.
Skills
(i) understanding of the diverse methods and approaches of arts and humanities subjects at university level;
(ii) capacity for appropriate problem-solving in relation to contemporary debates;
(iii) engaging in classroom debate and group work and fostering a stimulating intellectual environment;
(iv) producing engaged critical responses to the issues raised on the module;
(v) connecting the module’s multi-disciplinary focus to the concerns of their degree pathway
(vi) self-reflection on the learning process.
This modules aims to provide students with little or no previous knowledge of French with the grammatical, written, and spoken language skills necessary go further in the study of French. It will also equip them with professional and employability skills complimentary to their studies. It consists of:
1. Language Seminars (3 hours per week)
Seminars will equip students with the knowledge and understanding of grammatical constructions (both basic and more complex) and syntax required to use the French language independently in written and spoken form. Language skills are practiced in a range of activities: grammar exercises, reading, spoken and listening comprehension, translation, expressive and descriptive writing. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
Seminars also introduce students to language in context. Students are exposed to new vocabulary, expressions and nuances of use through reading, translation and writing exercises based on sources from the Francophone world.
2. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Led by a native speaker, this class develops students’ listening and speaking skills in French. The content from seminars is deployed in a range of practical scenarios likely to be experienced in French -speaking countries.
Learning Outcomes
This modules aims to provide students with little or no previous knowledge of French with the grammatical, written, and spoken language skills necessary go further in the study of French. It will also equip them with professional and employability skills complimentary to their studies. It consists of:
1. Language Seminars (3 hours per week)
Seminars will equip students with the knowledge and understanding of grammatical constructions (both basic and more complex) and syntax required to use the French language independently in written and spoken form. Language skills are practiced in a range of activities: grammar exercises, reading, spoken and listening comprehension, translation, expressive and descriptive writing. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
Seminars also introduce students to language in context. Students are exposed to new vocabulary, expressions and nuances of use through reading, translation and writing exercises based on sources from the Francophone world.
2. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Led by a native speaker, this class develops students’ listening and speaking skills in French. The content from seminars is deployed in a range of practical scenarios likely to be experienced in French -speaking countries.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: A comprehensive dexterity using French grammar; Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.
This module aims to consolidate and develop the students existing written and oral language skills and knowledge of French and Francophone culture, equip them with professional and employability skills and prepare them to go further in the study of French. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of French language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students ability to understand, translate and compose French language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University life, Culture and Identity and Culture and Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, comprehension, translation, responsive and essay writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students' knowledge and understanding of French grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances. It focuses particularly on developing competence in the key area of translation into French.
3. Professional skills (1hr per week)
The class focuses on language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of French and compliments the content of the Language hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate and present on the main themes of the course.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. Be able to read French texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing and when translating.
2. Be able to produce French texts appropriate to different requirements and registers.
3. Be able to investigate, structure and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work.
4. Be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using French grammar; translation skills; text analysis; comprehension; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills
This module is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language. It aims to introduce students to the basic areas of grammatical usage and essential vocabulary, putting them into practice through oral, listening and written exercises.
It consists of four elements: a) a one hour language session that introduces you to basic areas of grammatical usage; b) a one hour tutorial that puts into practice the grammatical knowledge gained through written and oral exercises etc.; c) a third language tutorial which concentrates on developing students’ writing skills in Portuguese; and d) a fourth language session that is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours of language teaching.
1. Grammar Class (1h per week)
The weekly class will focus on various basic aspects of Portuguese grammar with the aim of introducing students to basic areas of grammatical usage and providing a solid foundation for the future study of the language. Topics covered will include the construction of gender and number, pronouns, prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and simple tenses.
2. Grammar Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will test students’ ability to put into practice the grammatical knowledge gained in the previous hour through written, aural and oral exercises. Topics include daily routine, physical and psychological description, academic life, the family and home. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, and translation.
3. Writing Practice Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will link to the two previous sessions, focusing specifically on the development of core linguistic skills required for writing in Portuguese. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of exercises that may include: reading/listening and comprehension, translation, creative writing, and interview.
4. Oral Class (1h per week)
This weekly session is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours, through structured role-plays and exercises. This hour will also include some listening exercises
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1) be able to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge about and understanding of basic aspects of Portuguese grammar;
2) be able to communicate basic concepts in the target language in written and oral form;
3) be able to distinguish between different registers of written Portuguese and varieties of spoken Portuguese;
4) be able to demonstrate understanding of and the ability to evaluate and analyse a range of language and cultural material
Skills
basic linguistic skills in the target language, both in written form and orally; knowledge and understanding in the use of language-learning tools;
time-management skills;
team-working skills;
ability in and understanding of the use of appropriate basic research tools; presentation skills related to an academic setting;
report-writing; reflective learning skills; independent learning skills
This course introduces students to key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Portuguese-speaking world. Throughout the module, a representative selection of primary and secondary texts from a range of historical periods and settings will be used to explore key issues and themes.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should:
- have acquired a basic knowledge and understanding of key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Portuguese-speaking world;
- have developed an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context
- have developed critical skills through the study and analysis of relevant cultural texts (written and visual) and academic material;
- have acquired awareness of cultural diversity within the Lusophone world.
Skills
On successful completion of this course, students should have acquired:
• knowledge and understanding of the use of appropriate basic research tools;
• skills in critical analysis of cultural texts (written and visual) and academic material;
• the ability to write academic coursework using the required conventions;
• independent learning skills;
• the ability to begin to reflect on their learning progress
The twenty-first century world that we all inhabit and its 'human geographies' is not just a product of the 'modern age'. Rather, the world as we know it today is the result of diverse social, cultural, political and economic processes, of both gradual change and of occasional revolutions, occurring over many centuries, and ongoing still. This module attempts to make sense of these human geographies of the modern world by analysing three important and interconnected geographical themes: specifically, (1) globalism, and past and present local-global connections between individuals and societies; and; (2) geopolitics and the changing relations between regions and nation states (3) the changing scales and practices of everyday life in a globalised world. In addition to developing your geographical understanding of the modern world, the module seeks to develop key study and research skills to prepare you for more advanced study in levels two and three.
Learning Outcomes
Identify the range of theoretical perspectives used in Human Geography. Understand how Human Geography can contribute to analyses of contemporary and historical societies. Understand why there is disparity in development across the world. Understand how and why people have sought to develop social theories and put these into practice. Understand the relationships between population, economic opportunities and resources. Understand how geographers have considered the relationships between nature, society and landscape. Realise how considerations of race and gender inform our understanding of culture.
Skills
Taught: Principles of Human Geography, how society & its variations over space can be and has been scrutinised & understood. Practiced: Essay writing, field observation and interpretation, library & individual study skills, written presentation of material.
Excavation of an archaeological site; recording of stratigraphy and features; understanding the reasons for excavation. Daily attendance on an excavation approved by the department for a prescribed period (up to four weeks, normally in June) is required.
Learning Outcomes
Introduces students to one of the basic methods of acquiring archaeological data and studying the techniques involved.
Skills
Understanding the reasons for the methodology used on the excavation and experience in use of that methodology. Understanding and experience in recording the stratigraphic sequence uncovered.
Course contents: This module aims to consolidate and develop the students’ existing written and oral language skills as well as their knowledge of Irish society and culture. It consists of three elements: a) a two-hour language enrichment session based on the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level; b) a one-hour interactive class on grammatical accuracy, and c) a one-hour skills-based language workshop.
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
The ability to discuss a range of topics in Irish related to the student experience forms the core of this element. Topics include university life, careers, the Gaeltacht and language learning. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, creative writing, critical review, essay and report. A wide range of multimedia resources will be used to facilitate learning.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
The weekly class will focus on various aspects of Irish grammar with the aim of reinforcing knowledge gained at A-Level and providing a solid foundation for the future study of the language. Topics covered will include grammatical cases and nominal inflections, the verbal system, and sentence structure.
3. Language Workshop (1hr per week)
This weekly workshop will focus on the development of core linguistic skills required for negotiating a degree pathway in Irish (essay writing / referencing / study skills / presentation and communication skills / exam preparation / use and application of technology for academic purposes). These skills will be developed through interaction with a variety of guest speakers from the Irish language sector.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency and accuracy in speech and writing, and a range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of issues related to their current lives with some variation in usage.
2. be able to read a wide variety of Standard Irish texts related to the course and identify specific information and ideas within them.
3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4. be able to organise and present a reasonably coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as letters, essays, reports, blogs, etc.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia; improving own learning and performance; time management.
Course contents:
This module aims to consolidate and expand on existing Spanish language competency by developing written and oral language skills, knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, and grammatical proficiency, to equip students with professional and employability skills in preparation for further study of Spanish. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of Spanish language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students’ ability to understand, translate, and compose Spanish-language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University Life, Culture & Identity, and Culture & Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, translation, responsive and report writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
3. Specialised Language Cursillo (1hr per week)
Cursillo offers language skills for special purposes providing career development, linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and compliments the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. be able to read Spanish texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing, and when translating;
2. be able to produce Spanish texts appropriate to different requirements and registers;
3. be able to investigate, structure, and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work;
4. be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using Spanish grammar; translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.
This course will address central themes connected with social, economic and population geography. It will introduce and examine a range of economic, social and demographic processes operating across different scales. These will be illustrated through real-world examples that link with some of the urgent challenges that face our world today. The course will also explore contributions human geography can make to governmental and non-governmental policy development.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, you should have attained an understanding of key concepts, approaches, examples and policy issues associated with contemporary social, economic and demographic processes. This should enable you to: identify the key concepts used by geographers interested in those processes; understand a diversity of perspectives found in social, economic and population geography; undertake bibliographic searches of a wide range of academic and non-academic texts; read and critically appraise a wide range of source materials; describe and evaluate key policy issues associated with course material; construct and deliver sustained reasoned written arguments on these issues; work independently and in groups to evaluate approaches and issues.
Skills
Skills
(T: taught; P: practiced; A: assessed)
Discipline-specific skills: plan, design & execute independent research & study (TPA); combine &
interpret different types of geographical evidence such as texts, visual images, maps, & qualitative &
quantitative data (TPA); recognise moral & ethical issues in geographical debates & enquiries (TPA).
Key skills: abstracting & synthesising information (TPA); assessing contrasting ideas, perspectives,
explanations & policies (TPA); developing a reasoned argument (TPA); independent thought &
self reflection (PA).
Employability skills: learning & study (PA); written communication (TPA); motivation, empathy,
insight & integrity (PA); self-awareness & self-management (PA).
‘Themes and Issues in Social Policy’ will look at contemporary developments and trends across a range of social policy areas in the UK. It will encourage students to examine the various ways in which key social policy ‘problems’ have been addressed. The first half of the module will introduce students to social policy in a range of substantive areas such as education, employment, housing, crime, health and social care. The second half of the module will take a more focused approach by exploring the ways in which social policy has sought to improve the welfare and well-being of particular groups in society with respect to children and young people, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and older people.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Identify the different ways in which key social problems have been defined and explained;
• Outline policy measures which have been developed in response to a range of social problems;
• Demonstrate awareness of social policies aimed at groups in society and their implications.
Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills; teamwork skills.
The module offers a general introduction to Social Policy as an applied academic subject. Students will be encouraged to take a broad perspective on how social policies are implemented by examining political, economic and social perspectives on human needs and wants. The second half of the course introduces social security, taxes, benefits and their implications for citizenship. The course offers a useful entry point to Social Policy; piquing students’ interest in core theories and principles which they will explore in more detail in second and third year social policy modules.
Learning Outcomes
• To introduce students to theories, concepts and principles underpinning social policy.
• To provide an applied understanding of the implications of tax and benefits systems for human well-being.
Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills and academic writing skills.
An introduction to fundamental logical notions such as validity and entailment, including an examination of the nature of critical thinking in argumentation. This introduction may include some treatment of elementary issues in the philosophy of logic, but will focus primarily on elementary formal symbolic logic (especially propositional but also predicate calculus), using natural deduction techniques.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• Acquire at least a limited ability to practice symbolic reasoning at the most basic level together with a more discursive grasp of the basic notions of logic, and of standard examples of fallacious reasoning.
• Develop skills in analysis and communication
• Develop the ability to comprehend and some ability to formulate clear and extended arguments.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
This course will provide the base of technical skills and concepts required to work with sound successfully and efficiently in a technological environment. Core elements of sound synthesis, acoustics, and auditory perception will be presented in a minimally technical fashion to give all students the key concepts and terminology required to discuss music technology for the purpose of analysis and creative practice.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module you will: (1) understand common visualisations of sound (waveforms and spectra), (2) have an overview of sound in technology, from generation, to propagation, to perception (3) be able to develop a piece of academic writing, (4) be able to engage with computer-based applications to demonstrate practical aspects of the fundamentals of sound.
Skills
Music and sound analytical skills. Academic writing skills. Computer-based application of these skills applied to creative work. Problem solving with code-based music production. Critical reflection skills.
The goal of this module is to provide an introduction to music from an 'educated' perspective: that is, an awareness of music as an art-form as it is practised in contemporary culture. This outlook would primarily relate to Western Culture, but would include an exploration of music in non-Western cultures - for instance, India and the Middle East. The relevance of historical practices as they relate to contemporary thinking would also be explored. Within Western Music, students would explore the vast range of musical practices ranging from music, which is intended to fuel consumerism (in which case a lecture would analyse music in advertisements) to mass market music (rock or film music) to the 'classical' tradition and its contemporary proliferation. The relationship of music and society would be a key component of the study and students would not only examine the influence of political thinking on the music of composers such as Finnissy, but would also look at the cultural significance of moments such as Jimi Hendrix's performance at Woodstock.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
• Understand the importance of listening to music from an educated perspective
• Understand the relationship between musical developments and wider trends within culture and society
• Understand the range of contemporary musical practices
• Understand the relationship between historical and contemporary practices
• Utilise this understanding in their own work
Skills
• Problem solving
• Communication
• Time Management
• Leadership
• Teamwork (social intelligence)
• Abstraction of thought
• Imagination
• Self-expression (emotional intelligence)
• Self-reliance
• Reflection
• Editing
• Proofreading
• Formatting
• Plotting outcomes
• Prioritisation
• Evaluating success
• Resource management
• Making decisions
• Independent thought
This module will introduce students to major sociological approaches for researching social developments surrounding digital and online technologies.
The lectures and the classes will introduce students to key theories, theorists, and concepts for understanding contemporary developments such as online communication technologies, social media, artificial intelligence, online surveillance, and automation of labour. Through these discussions, this module interrogates whether digital technologies have fundamentally altered the nature of ‘modernity’, and what features of contemporary society have changed or stayed the same.
This course will explore both theoretical and normative questions about whether digital technologies ameliorate or reproduce social inequalities and whether people have the capacity to change the world through engagement with – or rejection of – digital technologies.
Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on their own everyday use of technology and how their behaviour in turn shapes contemporary society. This will include questions surrounding the ‘information revolution’ and its effects on social relations at personal and institutional levels. Students will also be encouraged to examine evidence both supporting and challenging commonplace conceptions about the role of digital technologies on modern life.
Learning Outcomes
Students on this module will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of:
1. Key concepts and theories in sociology and social theory relating to the impacts of digital technologies in contemporary societies.
2. The potential positive and negative effects of digital technologies on the quality of life.
3. The consequences of digital technologies on online and in-person interactions and identities.
4. The social impacts of the so-called ‘digital divide’ in national and global contexts.
Skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in the following areas:
• Find and select relevant information from print and electronic sources.
• Interpret theoretical arguments grounded in sociology of the internet and new media.
• Interpret and use existing reliable data to back up theoretical arguments.
• Develop and demonstrate critical and independent thinking skills.
• Develop oral skills through participation in lectures, tutorials and group discussions
• Develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner.
The module introduces students to the visual presentation of quantitative data. By establishing a basic working knowledge of measurement procedures, data sources, and appropriate conventions in quantitative data visualisation, it introduces students to basic graphic functions in spreadsheet and geographical information system packages. Students will gain experience in the selection of appropriate graphics for different kinds of variables, in the construction of basic datasets from secondary data sources, and in the mapping of spatial data.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion students will be able to:
Understand how different forms of data visualisation are appropriate for different data types
Source and format data independently from online data repositories
Appreciate the implications of proper visualisation for clear communication
Perform basic spreadsheet calculations and visualisation functions
Produce basic maps and perform preliminary diagnostics using Geographical Information Systems Select from and appraise a range of data visualisation techniques
Skills
On successful completion students will have:
Proficiency with data analysis and visualisation packages (MS Excel and open source geographical information software)
Knowledge of online data repositories (World Bank, EuroStat, AMECO, OECD, Penn Tables) Appreciation of the history of, and public / political uses of, visual quantitative data
Critical thinking in the selection and use of appropriate visualisation methods
Experience of independent work through in-class and outside assessments
Archaeology seeks to understand past human culture through the systematic study of material remains. This module serves as an introduction to the incredible scope of the global discipline of archaeology. Two seminars introduce contentious issues in archaeology and demonstrate differences of interpretation and approach by different scholars. Four practicals provide an introduction to key skills including archaeological site recording and the analysis of past material culture.
The module is divided into two parts. In Part 1 students will gain an introduction to different techniques and practical approaches used by archaeologists to learn more about the past. Lectures will explain how sites are located and excavated, how the discoveries are scientifically dated and what happens to the remains – environmental samples, human and animal remains and material culture – that are discovered. In Part 2 a collection of case studies have been selected from around the world – Borneo, China, Egypt, Italy, Russia, the Americas, amongst others – and will demonstrate how key archaeological discoveries have played a contribution in the understanding of key issues of the past.
Learning Outcomes
• To develop an understanding of the application of key archaeological concepts and methods
• To foster awareness of the scope of archaeological enquiry
• To build awareness of current issues and debates in global archaeology
• To instil an appreciation of the range of sources examined in archaeology
• To develop the ability of critically assessing competing hypotheses in archaeology
• To equip students with core study skills for archaeology
Skills
• Critical thinking and oral expression
• Critical thinking and written expression
• Time management and self-directed learning
• Structured academic writing
• Ability to properly cite references and to create bibliographies
• Ability to systematically undertake library research
• Ability to synthesise complex information
• Ability to undertake practical tasks
• Experience of working within a small group
• Observational skills
Building on the material covered in Broadcast Analysis 1, this module continues to develop the foundation of academic analytical skills and contextual knowledge for the BA in Broadcast Production. It covers further methods of analysing broadcasting and broadcast texts and their role in society, in cultural life, and for the individual. This provides the student with a range of avenues for developing their own future research as well as understanding academic material. It also continues to expand the student’s contextual understanding of the broadcast industries and a range of historical and contemporary broadcast texts, factual and fictional, radio and television, domestic and international.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Understand key elements of the history of broadcasting and place broadcast texts and developments into this context
• Understand key concepts regarding the industrial and regulatory frameworks of broadcasting
• Understand and use key theoretical concepts in the analysis of broadcasting, both in broad terms and in relation to specific texts
Skills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars)
Foundations of Economics 1 is the title of our new Level 1 semester 1 CORE (Curriculum Open-access Resource for Economics) module for non-specialists. CORE is the result of a huge global collaboration to change the way introductory economics is taught; to ensure it is student-centred and motivated by real-world problems and real-world data. Many students studying for degrees in other disciplines are drawn to economics so that they can develop their analytical skills and also engage with policy debates on issues such as environmental sustainability, inequality, the future of work, financial instability, and innovation. But, when they study economics, they find that their introductory course is arid and theoretical, and designed primarily for students who want to study the subject as their major. The result is that students from other disciplines often find themselves studying a quantitative and analytical economics module that is only minimally social in content and downplays the insights of other disciplines, or a social or business oriented module that gives them little training in modelling, or in quantitative scientific methods. In contrast, this module draws on the work of the global CORE team to offer students who are not specialist economists an in-depth introduction to economics and the global economy that is both analytical and real-world. The module focuses throughout on evidence on the economy, from around the world, and from history. It is motivated by questions — how can we explain what we see?
This module is targeted at UG students who are not taking economics as a major subject but who want to develop their analytical skills and learn how to use economics to understand and articulate reasoned views on some of the most pressing policy problems facing our societies.
The course content will be drawn primarily from the following units from the textbook Economy, Society, and Public Policy:
1 Capitalism: affluence, inequality, and the environment
2 Social interactions and economic outcomes
3 Public policy for fairness and efficiency
4 Work, wellbeing and scarcity
5 Institutions, power, and inequality
6 The firm: employees, managers, and owners
7 Firms, customers, and markets
8 The labour market: unemployment, wages, and profits
9 The credit market: borrowers, lenders, and the rate of interest
10 Market successes and failures
11 Government, citizens, and public policy
12 Banks, money, and central bank policy
Learning Outcomes
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Understand the reach of economics and its place in the wider social sciences; understand how to interpret relevant evidence and apply relevant economic theory to help answer a variety of economic and social questions; understand how to critically evaluate the application of models in economics to real-world questions and policy issues; understand key aspects of the historical development of the global economy and its contemporary nature.
Skills
Subject-specific skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance subject-specific skills including the ability to construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of real-world economic and social questions; the ability to construct, interpret and critically evaluate economic models of behaviour; the ability to apply economic models and concepts to real world questions; the ability to understand, evaluate and commentate on the economy and on economic and social policy.
Cognitive and transferable skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance generic cognitive and transferable skills, including: problem solving, logical reasoning, independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, self-assessment and reflection, synthesising information from a variety of sources, written and verbal communication, organisation and time management.
Economics is a challenging subject that has a very specific vocabulary. Yet most consumers of economic advice are non-economists. This has sometimes hindered the ability of economists to persuade the general public of their insights, and even to justify their societal function. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the debates preceding the 2016 Brexit referendum. This module aims to equip students with an ability to communicate complex economic arguments in ways that can be understood by wider audiences, beyond academia. In so doing, students will learn how economists persuade by unpicking the economics of the arguments presented by politicians, commentators and other public figures. They will learn how to use, and spot the abuse, of economic and financial statistics. They will learn first-hand how to write like a financial journalist or economic analyst. And they will also learn how to present their arguments like a political commentator.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: Students should have a greater understanding of how economics is
communicated to diverse audiences. They should be equipped with the knowledge to critically evaluate
economic arguments presented in the media and elsewhere. They should have a better understanding of
key economic concepts that will be useful in their other economics modules. They should be familiar
with how key (macro-)economic indicators are constructed, presented and used in public discourse.
Intellectual skills: Students should be familiar with the arguments presented in controversial issues and
how they are presented in different media. They should be able to identify and use objective arguments,
critically evaluate the use of evidence in public discourse, and decide for themselves on the validity of
economic opinions.
Practical skills: Students should develop the necessary oral and written communication skills to be able
to function effectively as an economist. In particular, students should learn how to speak in public, for
different audiences. Additionally, students should learn about big data analysis and data visualisation
tools, e.g., as offered by software such as Excel.
Study skills: Students should develop the ability to independently investigate and analyse controversial
economic questions. They should develop the ability to read complex economic arguments in an
efficient manner, and then communicate these to others in simple ways
Skills
Module Aims
1. To acquaint students at an introductory undergraduate level with the skillset required to communicate their economic ideas to both economists and non-economists.
2. To help students to appreciate the purpose of economics as an academic discipline, and how academic insights can be used to improve our understanding of, and participation in, controversial public debates.
3. To provide students with an awareness of key concepts from the philosophy of science and the history of economic thought, and how these influence the way economists attempt to persuade.
4. To develop students’ ability to critically evaluate economic arguments written and presented by
journalists and other public commentators, including how to interpret data, weigh evidence, and draw independent conclusions.
5. To provide students with the requisite skills to identify and frame important societal questions.
What is to be done? Sustainability, climate change and just energy transitions in the Anthropocene
Overview
The module will comprise three distinct sections:
1. Section one will introduce students to the module and set the context for a study of environment and sustainability in the context of the Anthropocene;
2. Section two will focus on key issues such as society’s dependency on fossil fuels and associated socio-ecological conflicts; and
3. The third section will concentrate on pathways towards sustainability, using complex systems thinking to help integrate students’ appreciation of the contributions of diverse disciplines. In doing so, this module will introduce students to some of the most significant problems facing our world and offer alternative individual and institutional pathways to a more sustainable future.
Breakdown of lecture/tutorial topics
Section One
Society-environment interactions
Risk society
Welcome to the Anthropocene
Is climate change a ‘wicked’ problem?
Climate change mitigation & adaptation
The politics of our personal/ political responses to the Anthropocene
Section Two
Carbon captured? Carbon lock in & our dependency on fossil fuels
Extractive industries
Sustainability politics and policies
Social conflicts and the environment
The organisation of ‘sustainable degradation’
The mythic lure of techno-optimism
The impact of neoliberalism or transnational global environmental negotiations and law making
The political economy of lobbying and capture
Section Three
Just Energy transitions x 2
Renewable energies, people and place
Rethinking Economics and Rethinking prosperity x 2
Post-growth rethinking beyond GDP/GNP, critical approaches to wellbeing
Creativity, envisioning and Developing sustainable communities and societies
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
-Understand key concepts such as the ‘Anthropocene’, socio-technical transitions, just transition, environmental and climate justice, energy democracy;
-Articulate key socio-ecological issues such as enclosure of common natural resources, carbon lock-in, sustainability policy formation;
-Analyse society-environment interactions in the context of unequal resource distribution and inequality in both a global and national context;
-Offer a cultural political economy analysis of anthropogenic climate change and just energy transitions;
-Critically evaluate the concept of sustainability/sustainable development;
-Confidently integrate a variety of disciplinary perspectives and bodies of knowledge within the arts, humanities and social sciences and between the latter and natural science and technological studies;
-Formulate their own conceptualisation of desirable and realisable low and post-carbon energy futures;
-Utilise learning technologies to deepen their learning process.
Skills
Ability to work with other people;
Ability to work across and integrate different disciplinary perspectives on the same issue;
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments *
Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and in creative and innovative ways and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the fields of study
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills
Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills
Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of
Foundations of Economics 2 is the title of our new Level 1 semester 2 CORE (Curriculum Open-access Resource for Economics) module for non-specialists. It builds explicitly on material covered in Foundations of Economics 1 in semester 1. CORE is the result of a huge global collaboration to change the way introductory economics is taught; to ensure it is student-centred and motivated by real-world problems and real-world data. Many students studying for degrees in other disciplines are drawn to economics so that they can develop their analytical skills and also engage with policy debates on issues such as environmental sustainability, inequality, the future of work, financial instability, and innovation. But, when they study economics, they find that their introductory course is arid and theoretical, and designed primarily for students who want to study the subject as their major. The result is that students from other disciplines often find themselves studying a quantitative and analytical economics module that is only minimally social in content and downplays the insights of other disciplines, or a social or business oriented module that gives them little training in modelling, or in quantitative scientific methods. In contrast, this module draws on the work of the global CORE team to offer students who are not specialist economists an in-depth introduction to economics and the global economy that is both analytical and real-world. The module focuses throughout on evidence on the economy, from around the world, and from history. It is motivated by questions — how can we explain what we see?
This module is targeted at UG students who are not taking economics as a major subject but who want to develop their analytical skills and learn how to use economics to understand and articulate reasoned views on some of the most pressing policy problems facing our societies.
The course content will be drawn primarily from the following units from the textbook The Economy:
9. The Labour Market: Wages, Profit and Unemployment
13 Economic fluctuations and unemployment
14 Unemployment and fiscal policy
15 Inflation, unemployment, and monetary policy
16 Technological progress, employment, and living standards in the long run
A selection of (two or more) capstone units drawn from The Economy will also be covered:
17 The Great Depression, golden age, and global financial crisis
18: Globalization—trade, migration and investment
19: Inequality
20: Environmental sustainability and collapse
21: Innovation, intellectual property, and the networked economy
22: Politics, economics, and public policy
Learning Outcomes
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Understand the reach of economics and its place in the wider social sciences; understand how to interpret relevant evidence and apply relevant economic theory to help answer a variety of economic and social questions; understand how to critically evaluate the application of models in economics to real-world questions and policy issues; understand key aspects of the historical development of the global economy and its contemporary nature.
Skills
Subject-specific skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance subject-specific skills including the ability to construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of real-world economic and social questions; the ability to construct, interpret and critically evaluate economic models of behaviour; the ability to apply economic models and concepts to real world questions; the ability to understand, evaluate and commentate on the economy and on economic and social policy.
Cognitive and transferable skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance generic cognitive and transferable skills, including: problem solving, logical reasoning, independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, self-assessment and reflection, synthesising information from a variety of sources, written and verbal communication, organisation and time management.
This module provides students with basic study skills in Archaeology and Palaeoecology, to enable them to take ownership of their own learning process. While these skills are essentially generic, the examples and practical elements of this module are taken from the disciplinary fields of Archaeology and Palaeoecology, in order to make their relevance more readily accessible to students on relevant degree programmes.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the module, students will be familiar with common standards of good academic conduct and will be able to:
• Draft an essay plan
• Reference a range of different academic sources correctly
• Communicate and share ideas effectively
• Plan individual and team work effectively
• Manage their workload efficiently
Skills
• Essay preparation
• Presentation preparation
• Correct academic referencing
• Effective group work
• Time management
This physical geography module will examine the mechanisms and processes that drive the Earth system and the interactions between the various spheres – including the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The module will have a global focus, but will also provide regional and local examples of how the Earth system operates, interacts and changes across time and space to shape our climate, landscapes and environments.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students should be able to:
1) Develop a knowledge and understanding of the major processes that drive the various components of the Earth system and the interactions between them
2) Apply practical skills to collect, analyse and present a range of data relating to the Earth System
3) Develop the ability to critically analyse and interpret information relating to the Earth System
4) Develop skills in scientific writing
Skills
Scientific writing; statistical analysis; graphical presentation; primary data collection; secondary data collection; interpretation of geographical information; critical analysis; referencing.
This module offers detailed consideration of a range of contemporary writing in Ireland. The selected reading is generically diverse, with a particular focus on contemporary literary texts (defined as published within the past 5 years). Texts are chosen to highlight diversity in terms of authorship, representation and literary form. Indicative themes will be the role of place and of experimentation in writing; issues of class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality; and the practice of literary reviewing today.
Learning Outcomes
· To introduce analytical and critical skills to reading contemporary texts drawn from a wide range of genres;
· To understand and evaluate current debates about the representation of social issues in contemporary writing
· To research and reflect upon the publication and reception of contemporary writing, including the practice of literary reviewing;
· To refine and develop your oral and written skills
· To promote collaborative work in relation to a specific task.
Skills
At the end of this module students should have learned to: * Read and analyse contemporary writing using the techniques, vocabularies and approaches of current academic English studies; * Discuss, analyse and historically contextualise a wide range of complex, topical social and cultural issues in twenty-first century Irish literature and experience. * Work collaboratively with others in the preparation of a group presentation; * Work independently in researching and analysing contemporary writing; * Use a variety of texts and resources (academic journal articles, print reviews, supplementary websites and other kinds of media) in their discussion and writing about contemporary texts. * Understand the registers of different kinds of communication (blog or podcast; oral presentation; academic essay) and communicate effectively employing these different styles
This module will examine the role of language in politics and conflict in the broad historical context of Ireland and Scotland (and with particular reference to contemporary Northern Ireland). It will consider the many dynamics at play including the connections between language, power, and identity. Attitudes to monolingualism and multilingualism globally will be examined, as will the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity in the emergence, creation and maintenance of a language and distinct communities of speakers. The module will consider especially two major linguistic traditions: Irish and Scottish Gaelic, on the one hand, and Scots and Ulster Scots on the other. The primary emphasis will be on Irish and there will be a particular focus on debates and tensions around the role and importance of indigenous languages in contemporary society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
1. Appreciate the relationship between language and power, and the role of this in politics and conflict in a global context.
2. Understand the nature and extent of bilingualism and multilingualism in an international context and the impact of monolingualism on language maintenance.
3. Relate their understanding to the historical context of Ireland and Scotland.
4. Apply their knowledge to the question of language and conflict in Northern Ireland.
5. Understand the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity and human agency in the creation of ‘language’.
Skills
1. Possess key transferable key skills, particularly the ability to reflect deeply and communicate effectively (in writing).
2. Work with information, handle diverse data, and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgment).
3. Demonstrate an ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
4. Improve confidence in written communication.
5. Develop self-awareness, and the ability to reflect on and evaluate feedback on written work.
Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups?
Overview
Drawing theoretically on both cognitive and social anthropology and utilizing a wide range of case studies, from personal passions for particular sub-cultures of music and sport to national politics in Northern Ireland to global divides of religion and class, this module will introduce students to social groups.
We will explore what makes human social groups different from those of other animals, psychological explanations of group commitment, and anthropological literature on symbols, rituals, and politics to examine how particular social groups are created and sustained and how some individuals become willing to fight and die for their fellow group members.
Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) The importance of social groups for individuals.
2) How group identities and traditions are created.
3) How groups continue from generation to generation.
4) The similarities and differences between national, religious, sporting, class, and interest groups.
5) How groups can convince individuals to die for them
6) Why intergroup prejudice and conflict is so common.
Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
A systematic introduction to ways in which history is used outside the university campus, including in museums and exhibitions, film, memorials and political discussion. The course will involve visits to local museums and students will get a chance to work together to pitch a new public history project. Previous projects have included public exhibitions, new museums or digital apps. The module focuses on the history of race, ethnicity, slavery, colonialism and anti-colonialism and their representations in pubic history.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module should • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of academic history within society; • Be able to present historical information systematically and in accordance with normal
academic practice; • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of effective group work • Have identified a dissertation topic and be able to demonstrate an ability to place it in its broad historiographical context.
Skills
Working in groups; oral communication skills, public history theory.
This module will provide an introduction to modern literature in Irish. It will explore the cultural, political and social backdrop against which contemporary literature in Irish is being produced, and will focus on a selection of key themes and texts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have acquired knowledge and understanding of modern literature in Irish and its cultural context.
Skills
Analytical and evaluative skills; development of ability in synthesis and analysis of diverse information, and construction of arguments in written form using appropriate sources.
Adventures in the History of Ideas’ is designed to introduce Stage One students, in English but potentially across AEL and AHSS (as an elective), to a range of social, historical, philosophical and moral concepts that have been central to the historical emergence and current predicaments of Western culture, broadly conceived. Students undertaking the module will be introduced to the historical and intellectual development of key concepts in the Arts and Humanities by means of the assessment of literary representations of, and responses to, them, from classical and Judeo-Christian literatures, via medieval and early modern texts, to Enlightenment, modern, postmodern and contemporary texts. Provision of a broad chronological understanding of the emergence, development and various crises of Western culture is an ancillary objective of the module: students will complete the module with a more nuanced understanding of cultural and historical periodisation and will be able to apply the interrogative modes they have encountered on the module to a range of thematic issues.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed a self-reflexive grasp of the historical development of Western culture, from classical Rome and Greece and the growth and influence of Christianity as an institutional and moral force, to the emergence of a variety of humanisms and their role in the beginnings of ‘Modernity’ and their subsequent crises of the 20th and 21st centuries. They will assess questions of human and non-human life and sexual and racial difference in a range of literary case-studies. They will be introduced to the politics of the historiography and periodisation of Western culture and to the role such intellectual mechanisms play in articulating and maintaining the supposed exemplarity of Western, European, ideas. They will have encountered texts not typically available to them elsewhere on the English curriculum.
Skills
Having completed this module, students will:
• have learned to examine critically their own intellectual ‘sacred cows’ and inherited assumptions;
• have been encouraged to practice the lateral application of critical practices to a range of ‘real world’ issues;
• have learned to read ‘secondary’/ ‘non-literary’ texts critically;
• have been gently introduced to the interrogative modes of critical and cultural theory’
• have learned to work collaboratively and assess one another’s work in peer review
This module is designed as an introduction to creative writing, and will cover the three main creative genres: poetry, prose fiction, and scriptwriting. The focus throughout will be on the rules of successful creative writing, both generally and in relation to each kind of writing’s specific requirements. The module will be split equally between reading and writing: a series of set texts will be used as a platform for discussing what each literary form requires, technically and aesthetically. Students will then be expected to emulate these forms in their own writing exercises. There will be a heavy emphasis on standard grammar, stylistic clarity, accuracy of language, and proper presentation of work.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module you should have gained an understanding of the problems posed by a range of different creative texts and the strategies employed to overcome them. You should also have learned to write according to strict criteria governing both subject matter and execution.
Skills
To familiarise students with the technical and aesthetic rules of a wide spectrum of texts from a practice-based perspective; to enable students to experiment with various literary forms in order to discover their own strengths (and weaknesses) as writers.
This module offers students the opportunity to engage with examples of contemporary theatre texts and performances from a wide range of perspectives. The course will investigate how writers, theatre companies, and performers have addressed contemporary issues and concerns to do with, for example, gender, race and class. It will also explore how theories and ideas around such issues help to shape the analysis of theatre and performance. The module aims to provide students with the skills and tools to become competent readers of contemporary theatre, and to encourage them to engage with multiple perspectives on the political nature of theatre and performance.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Be able to critically and theoretically analyse, evaluate and interpret performance texts and performance events from a range of critical perspectives,
- Be able to theorise, interpret, and analyse the theatre event as a complex matrix of relationships between texts, participants (spectators, performers), playing spaces, and the material, historical and cultural contexts of its production and reception,
- Have developed their critical, analytic and performance skills,
- Have improved their essay writing skills and deepened their understanding of how written work is assessed.
This module introduces students to audio mixing in the software domain. Advanced signal flow, audio signal processing and balancing of audio sources are considered in the context of mixing both for music and screen. Students will be introduced to mixing workflows using industry standard digital audio workstation software. Topics covered include mix evaluation; balancing and spatial presentation; timbral and dynamic control; mix depth and acoustic context; and mix automation. Students will also develop technical listening skills to enable the aural identification of timbral, dynamic and spatial changes to individual components of a larger multitrack mix.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate critical awareness of current industry practice in the area of audio mixing for music and screen
2. Demonstrate the application of workflows for audio mixing using industry standard audio software
3. Demonstrate the capacity to explore software solutions to problem solve audio mixing challenges as they arise.
4. Demonstrate a critical ability to make informed creative decisions in the creation of audio mixes for music and post-production contexts
5. Demonstrate the capacity to aurally identify changes to audio processing in the context of a multitrack mix
Skills
1. Practical, analytic and critical thinking skills
2. Critical listening skills
3. Capacity for self-direction and an ability to work independently
4. Ability to problem solve and explore creative solutions to audio mixing challenges
5. Written and verbal communication skills
6. Specific knowledge of key current audio mixing workflows
This module will provide an introduction to the nature of sound, its properties and propagation and the tools used to professionally record sound and edit the resulting audio signals. Students will learn about the nature of sound, representation of sound as analogue and digital audio signals; microphone design and usage; the lines and interconnections used for distributing audio signals; and basic timbral and dynamic signal processing. Students will also gain practical experience of using professional microphones and portable recorders to make interior and exterior source recordings, and digital audio workstations for audio editing and balancing.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To operate a portable audio recording device and audio recording hardware in a studio context
(ii) To record speech and musical sound sources monophonically to broadcast quality standard
(iii) To edit speech and musical content in a digital audio workstation environment
(iv) To successfully troubleshoot issues with audio signal flow
Skills
(i) Numeracy and information and communication technology.
(ii) Creative thinking and problem solving.
(iii) Operation of hardware and software for creative studio applications.
(iv) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(v) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(vi) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(vii) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(viii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(ix) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(x) Demonstrate the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
(xi) Apply and exploit information technology.
The goal of this module is to provide training in essential practical musical skills with particular emphasis on musical composition. The compositional process is explored across a wide range of practices including the use of traditional notation, graphic scores, studio assisted composition, improvisation and performance. Various compositional strategies will be explored and developed through weekly assignments. These assignments may contribute practically or conceptually to a final composition project which will be submitted in score, or performed and/or recorded at the end of the module.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
• Generate, manipulate and organise musical materials
• Manage people, musical resources, formal schemes, and symbolic musical representations
• Utilise strategies for productivity in speculative musical practice, and apply these strategies beyond immediately musical contexts
Skills
The module will stress transferable skills involving processes of discrimination, selection, organisation, recontextualisation, performance and strategic thought. Critical evaluation, resourcefulness, imagination, collaborative making and individual motivation will be enhanced by participatory, hands-on learning.
This module introduces students to a range of methods and approaches used in analysing broadcasting and broadcast texts. It also covers a range of key study skills for the degree. Students will consider core issues, methods and contexts for analysing media, as well as developing a broader awareness of broadcast texts, familiar and unfamiliar, and a deeper engagement with the students’ own viewing and listening practices. The academic material and the contextual material will also be of use to students in their reflective essays for practical modules.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Place broadcast texts into a range of appropriate contexts.
• Understand and use key theoretical concepts in the analysis of broadcasting, both in broad terms and in relation to specific texts.
• Demonstrate core study skills such as performing research and presenting writing at an appropriate level.
Skills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars)
This course builds on the Mathematics taught at GCSE level or an equivalent level. The course is taught paying particular attention to the solving of economic problems and relating these to applications to the real world. There are two parts in the module.
The first part covers mathematical techniques required to solve applied economic problems. It begins with a revision of basic algebraic methods. These ideas are then further developed to cover more advanced mathematical concepts including linear and non-linear functions; single variable calculus and calculus of several variables.
The second part covers basic statistical methods used by economists and other social scientists. This will include data presentation, descriptive statistics, basic regression analysis, time series and elementary probability theory. Students will also be taught how to use Excel to perform basic statistical analysis.
Learning Outcomes
On the successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Know what is meant by a function.
2. Use calculus methods to solve basic economic problems such as profit maximization.
3. Use calculus to locate the maxima and minima for functions of several variables.
4. Use descriptive statistics to present data.
5. Know what is meant by a probability distribution.
6. Perform basic regression analysis and time series forecasting.
7. Exhibit transferable skills of problem solving, numeracy and the communication of mathematical concepts.
Skills
The aim of this module is to give students a basic working knowledge of the mathematics and statistics that is needed in the quantitative and non-quantitative level 2 and level 3 modules. The primary focus of the module is to provide the basic tools to solve practical, applied problems.
This module gives an introduction – historical, cultural and analytical – to western art music of the Early, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods.
Learning Outcomes
To give students an understanding of a variety of key repertoires within their historical and cultural contexts; to provide students with a clear, chronological account of developments in music.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS:
Students will:
(i) Synthesise information from a number of both musical and musicological sources.
(ii) Presentation information in essay form.
(iii) Assess sometimes conflicting arguments.
(iv) Assess statistical information.
(v) Learn to appreciate creative and artistic development.
(vi) Listen critically.
(vii) Identify musical forms and compositional processes.
(viii) Reflect on learning in journal format
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(v) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(vi) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
This module is a core element for the BA in Music Performance and will also be taken by almost all BMus students. The module focuses on the study of solo performance and is open to musicians (vocal and instrumental) from all performance traditions. Teaching is a combination of one-on-one tuition by specialist university tutors and a weekly performance class.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
1. Give competent performances of music in their chosen specialism
2. Demonstrate good stagecraft
3. Exhibit technical attainment commensurate with Level 1
4. Demonstrate the capacity to perform to an audience
This module aims to provide you with knowledge and understanding of European cinema and throughout emphasis is placed on relating its forms, structures, and contexts to a broader history of cinema, and film culture. The module also explores relations between a range of European films and Hollywood cinema, particularly in relation to the ways in which European film-makers have rejected and revered the dominance of Hollywood's narrative aesthetic and industrial practices. The module will consolidate and develop upon work covered in FLM1001.
Learning Outcomes
The objectives of the module are to introduce students to key ideas and approaches in film history and film criticism as they relate to the idea of non-Hollywood product.
The module offers a general introduction to criminology and some of the key debates and topics in the subject. The first half of the course (weeks 1 – 6) introduces some essential background materials for those pursuing study in criminology including an overview of historical and contemporary crime and crime control, the workings of the criminal justice system, sources of information on crime and criminals and an introduction to some theoretical concepts in criminology. The second half of the course (weeks 8-11) introduces a number of key debates and issues in criminology – many of which can and will be studied in greater depth in second and third year criminology modules.
Learning Outcomes
1. Critically evaluate the term ‘crime’ and the historical evolution of crime and our responses to it.
2. Critically apply criminological thinking to our understanding of crime and criminal justice processes.
3. Identify, find and evaluate a range of criminological sources especially (but not limited to) academic sources (books, journal articles) and official and other statistics on crime and criminality
Skills
1. To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
2. To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
3. To develop the ability to find and evaluate academic materials in the area of criminology.
4. To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.
This module introduces students to economic approaches to the study of organisations. The module examines:- why organisations exist in a market context; the role of the entrepreneur; buyer behaviour; production and costs; the pricing decision and game theory; how the firm makes profits; the firm as a focal point for a set of contracts; the principal-agent problem; growth and innovation; the macro-economic environment.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module you will have acquired:
Knowledge and understanding:
Students will gain an understanding of both the textbook applications of theory and real world managerial practice. The course will cover standard topics such as demand and supply, production and cost, pricing decisions, market structures, mergers and vertical integration, R&D etc.
Intellectual skills:
Students will gain an understanding of how economists think and how to engage in economic analysis. They will also get some understanding of the economic techniques that are available to address business problems and the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques.
Practical skills:
Students will develop organizational skills, communication skills, presentation skills and word processing skills.
Skills
The aim of this module is to introduce students to the relevance of economic analysis to managerial decision making. Economics is central to understanding management and underpins many functional decisions, e.g., in marketing, finance, production and human resources.
This module will introduce students to key areas of contextual studies in French, i.e. literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. There will be two 'strands' within the module, and across the two strands, students will be introduced to all four areas. The core material will include both French and francophone texts, film, images and data. Each strand will form a coherent whole in terms of both teaching and assessment.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of key fields in French Studies, notably literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. They will acquire key skills in how to approach these fields in preparation for optional modules in Levels 2 and 3. They will further acquire skills in time management, written and oral communication, and skills in marshalling complex information and constructing an argument.
Skills
Skills in how to approach and analyse texts, images and data for future work in literature, the visual arts, linguistics; skills in oral and written communication; skills in marshalling large amounts of data and structuring an argument; skills in time management.
This module offers a broad introduction to key topics in English language. It lays the foundations for the systematic study of the language in all its diversity. Among the topics covered are: common beliefs about “good” and “bad” accents and dialects; phonetics, syntax and morphology; and the social, situational and geographical variation in language, with an emphasis on the history and development of the English language. Another important area of inquiry is how language works in cultural contexts and intersects with issues of power and gender. In summary, the module enables students to move beyond ‘common-sense’ ideas about language towards the academic and analytic perspective appropriate for university level.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have become aware of the levels of structure which make up the spoken and written varieties of a language, the communicative functions of these levels, and of the relevant descriptive and analytical frameworks to analyse and describe them, with regard both to present-day English and to stages in its historical development. Students will also have gained the skills for the confident oral delivery of some of the issues and topics addressed on the Course.
Skills
While Units One and Two focus on theoretical and analytical concepts and frameworks, Units Three and Four provide case studies from ‘real-world’ contexts such as the media and the historical development of the English language, to which students will apply the skills they have gained in Units One and Two. The module incorporates online assessment for Units One and Two, which will account for 30% of the mark and will take the form of online exercises, to be completed by students in weeks 3-6. Units Three and Four will be assessed at the end of the semester as essay assignments, worth 70% in total. Students will write two essays of 1400-1700 words each: one essay will address the issues covered in Unit Three (35%), and the other essay will address the issues covered in Unit Four (35%).
This module will explore the evidence for the mythology of the Celtic-speaking peoples from the earliest times as found in ancient and medieval sources in Ireland, Britain and the Continent with particular focus on Ireland. We will examine the evidence for early Irish ideologies, the native gods and the Otherworld. You will also study the nature of the surviving sources to enable you to assess their reliability and determine how they can be properly used for the study of early Irish and Celtic history and belief.
Learning Outcomes
A knowledge and understanding of the mythology and beliefs of Celtic-speaking peoples
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; research; independent learning; time management.
The module will introduce students to the principles of film form, narrative, styles and methodologies of film criticism. It will concentrate on American and British cinema and the examples drawn from these two very different cinematic industries will help increase and broaden knowledge of film and cinema, audiences and industries.
Learning Outcomes
The objectives of the module are to introduce students to key ideas and approaches in film history and criticism.
This module is about theatre and performance as live events taking place on the material stage. This module will examine theatre and live performance by drawing on a wide historical and geographical range of theatre practices: from ancient Greece to the contemporary stage; from Ireland to South Africa and Japan. You will explore several key themes concerned with theatre’s role and relation to myth, ritual, conflict, memory, space and the body. Where relevant you will also attend a number of live performance which will be part of the curriculum.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
• be able to interpret and analyse theatre events as a complex matrix of relationships between texts, participants (spectators, performers), spaces, and the material, historical and cultural contexts of their production and reception.
• be able to identify and interpret the cultural frameworks that surround performance events, and with which these events engage and interact.
• be able to analyse, evaluate and interpret theatre and performance from a range of critical perspectives using a variety of theoretical frameworks.
• have developed critical, analytical and written skills through the submission of assignments.
• have developed essay writing skills and deepened their understanding of how written work is assessed.
Skills
Textual analysis; application of theory to practice in theatre-making; essay-writing skills.
This module offers a general introduction to the discipline of sociology for those with no experience of studying sociology before. Its primary objective is to initiate students to sociological thinking. Sociology does not rely on our subjective experience and general ideas commonly shared withing the society (beliefs, customs, traditions, values, norms); its critical way of thinking and its methods allow us to discover aspects of social life that most people are unaware of. This will be done through a diversity of topics such as social class, suicide, race, gender, disability, globalisation, violence and other social phenomena. The module will provide a background for those intending to study sociology in the second and third years, but also acts as a stand-alone sociology course for those who do not intend to study it further
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module you should be able to:
Have a general understanding of the cncepts, approaches and theories available within the discipine of sociology.
Understand the effect of social norms and common sense on our perception of social life.
Apply a sociological way of thinking on a diversity of topics.
Effectively gather, retrieve and synthesise information to evaluate the key aspects of social life.
Skills
- To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
- To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
- To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.
An introduction to some fundamental philosophical problems arising from theories of human nature in the western philosophical tradition, and to the methods which philosophers use for solving them, including techniques of sound reasoning and argument. Topics covered will include the soul, personal identity, free will, God and evil, and life after death (among others). Reference will be made to the ideas and arguments of many important figures in the history of philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume and Kant.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this introduction to the nature and range of Philosophy, students will have developed a familiarity with the ideas of a number of important philosophers and a sense of the principles of sound and effective reasoning and argument.
Skills
KEY Intellectual skills, e.g., critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving; communication skills, e.g., oral, listening and written; improvement of learning and performance; managing information. EMPLOYABILITY Research and communication skills (written and oral), independent learning (organising and prioritising ideas), critical/independent thinking. SUBJECT SPECIFIC Listening/analytical/literacy/presentation skills; textual analysis; the comprehension and formulation of extended and cogent arguments; the ability to participate in a tolerant and supportive learning environment.
This module is envisaged as introducing students to literary interpretation as conceived by English studies at university level. It aims to provide students with critical skills and technical vocabulary necessary to study poetry and prose for the rest of their degree. The module focuses on a small selection of texts designed to help students make the transition from the critical strategies used at A-level to those of academic English. In turn, the two sections of the module include contributions from the Heaney Centre and creative writing colleagues and the mode of assessment will allow for reflective development of writing skills through resubmission of formative writing for summative assessment.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will have learned to read and analyze poetry and prose using the techniques, vocabularies and approaches of contemporary academic English studies. They will have made the transition from reading and writing at A-level, having learned the research skills and critical terminologies necessary for the close, contextual reading of prose and poetry and writing about both genres in a suitably academic register. They will be equipped to undertake advanced study of literary works in semester two modules.
Skills
Students will learn to develop: critical and analytical skills; methods of textual analysis appropriate to the genres of poetry and prose; writing and research skills appropriate to degree-level English; oral presentation skills; independent study skills; and an ability to collaborate and work in groups; the ability to read and prepare for weekly lectures and tutorials.
The course covers basic statistics for economics, finance and accounting students and assumes no prior knowledge. The two main areas of statistics covered are descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The emphasis is on the application of the statistical techniques to problems relevant to these subjects.
Learning Outcomes
To enable economics, finance and accounting students gain a basic knowledge and understanding of statistical methods. To provide a background for higher level quantitative modules.
Skills
The student should be able to apply statistical methods to economic and business data and critically assess simple techniques.
Issues in Contemporary Fiction: Gender, Race, Ecology
Overview
This module examines a broad sample of recent fiction. In doing so, it raises a set of related questions: 1) whose contemporary experience does this literature address? 2) what economic or political factors lead to a shared sense of the contemporary? 3) how does modern fiction relate to these broader social forces?
The module has a three-part structure. Part 1 examines the ways in which contemporary fiction responds to and in turn shapes debates about gender and gender difference. Section 2 analyses literary treatments of race and the aftermaths of colonialism. The final section of the module explores the ways in which recent fiction speculates on our collective future especially in the context of climate change and the threat of ecological catastrophe and asks what if anything can be done in the face of this threat.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will have gained a general understanding of the theoretical and methodological issues that surround the study of contemporary literature. Students will have learned to subject a range of recent fiction to a technical or formal analysis. They will also be able to read texts in context and will have a basic understanding of the social, economic, and political forces that shape these contexts.
Skills
Students will learn to develop a) analytical skills b) methods of textual analysis c) an understanding of meta-critical issues d) a clear and succinct writing style e) oral presentation skills f) a capacity for independent inquiry g) an ability to collaborate and work in groups h) computer skills.
This module aims to provide a general introduction to doing sociological research, through a critical engagement with landmark studies. C. Wright Mills’ idea of a ‘sociological imagination’ provides the framework for evaluating the quality of key pieces of research, exploring the connections between how they are defined, carried out and written up. The module covers a range of research methods, as they are employed in studies of important aspects of social life, such as racism, drugs and urban life, love and technology, social networking, education and masculinity and violence. The module also provides an in-depth introduction to the theoretical character of sociology by introducing classic perspectives shaping the discipline.
Learning Outcomes
Provide a general introduction to the practice of sociology and the evaluation of sociological research; a background for entry into second year sociology; and knowledge about inequality in society.
Skills
Critical evaluation of sociological studies; introduction to sociological analysis; public speaking and writing skills
'Understanding Northern Ireland: History, Politics and Anthropology'
Overview
This level 1 module will use a variety of historical, political, sociological and anthropological perspectives to look at key issues relating to Northern Ireland. The course will provide an overview of the history and politics of the state of Northern Ireland. It will use anthropological understandings of ethnicity and nationalism to examine how Unionism and Irish Nationalism developed. It will look in detail at the various political solutions which have been applied to ‘the Province’, with a particular focus on the Peace Process. It will examine the realities and legacies of the conflict since the signing of the 1998 Agreement. It will explore the development of cultural and political 'traditions' examining, in particular, change and continuity in Irish society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should
•be aware of how to utilise a range of disciplinary approaches (historical, political, sociological and anthropological) in helping to develope an understanding of division and conflict within Northern Ireland.
•be aware of how to examine how contemporary political communities use the past to construct traditions, ideologies and identities.
•understand how to explore the role of history in understandings of Northern Ireland.
•To develop a broad understanding of the politics of the state.
•understand and look at key contemporary issues in Northern Irish society.
•be able to assess and highlight various research approaches to Northern Ireland, and to explore how academic work can be applied.
Skills
Students will acquire skills in understanding written material, skills in weighing evidence and skills in debating controversial topics. The ability to read material, weigh judgements and engage with the topics being discussed. They should also develop oral presentation skills, essay writing skills and skills in accessing and analysing information, research evaluation. They will also gain experience of coping with controversial topics.
This module allows students to study a closely-defined area of history. They will choose from a range of courses offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the basic skills that students will require over their course of studies in History at Queen's. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of historical sources.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should know how to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, and how to distinguish between secondary sources of varying quality. They should understand the different ways in which historians employ these sources, and they should understand how processes like peer review contribute to the quality of secondary sources. They should be able to apply this knowledge to particular historical problems and fields.
Skills
Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret primary and secondary sources across multiple media.
This module aims to introduce students to the broad field of political theory and philosophy, a necessary and integral component of the study of politics generally. Taking a contemporary approach to the subject, the module stresses the vital importance of theoretical enquiry for understanding, analysing, and criticizing everyday socio-political life. Students are therefore introduced to key concepts and problems in the study of politics, including the meaning of democracy, the fraught relation between the individual and society, and the contested nature of power and political authority. In exploring these themes, students come to an appreciation of the complexities surrounding our everyday notions of democratic rule, freedom, justice, citizenship, government, and power.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire an understanding of a number of ways of conceptualising and analysing critically key aspects of political life. On successful completion of the module they will have demonstrated capacities for reading texts in contemporary political theory and exploring the implication of these writings for practical politics.
Skills
Analytical and conceptual skills. The ability to argue cogently in oral and written communication.
The historical development of film has always been intrinsically linked to the development of new and innovative screen technologies. FLM1005: Screen Technologies serves as a guide to key screen technologies, which have shaped the screen industry. Adopting a broadly chronological structure, this module considers the genesis, impact, and significance of a certain body of screen technologies on the production and exhibition processes of film. Further to this, it considers the impact that technological development has had on screen language and audience engagement with the moving image. It also offers an engagement with key scholarship in this area to enhance the critical understanding of film as a cultural and technological form.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should possess:
-Developed skills in the analysis and critical appreciation of visual texts
-Enhanced skill in critical writing, specifically regarding visual texts
-A basic understanding of the relationships between visual texts and their aesthetic contexts.
Skills
By the end of the module, students should have enhanced skills in:
1) the analysis of visual, aural, and written material
2) relating theoretical and historical issues to specific material
3) group work
4) time management and organisational competence
5) oral and written communication
A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization
Overview
This modules provides an anthropological introduction to the study of globalisation, using comparative case studies from the contemporary and the historical record, and outlining links with perspectives in the field of history. Among the issues discussed are: global and local linkages in a world of economic, cultural and political connectivity; cultural convergence and the expression of cultural difference; migration, refugees, trafficked people, tourism; diasporas, the idea of home and national borders; transnational family networks in the contemporary world; global and local regimes of power and resistance.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, student should be aware of the complex ways in which globalising forces have influenced people's everyday experiences in different socio-cultural settings and changing historical contexts.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; and teamwork.
This course is designed to introduce students to social anthropology through a discussion of the key concepts in the discipline, and a consideration of the principles which underlie family life, kinship, sexuality and gender relations, and gaining a livelihood in different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have been introduced to social anthropology, and should be aware of how social and cultural differences constitute variations on a number of basic themes. Students should also be aware of the ways in which anthropology is useful for the understanding of their own society as well as for the understanding of others.
Skills
Skills in literacy, oral communication, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work, critical reflection on one's own cultural assumptions and biases.
The module engages in a close examination of three case studies: these may include The Fall of Rome, the Crusades, European colonialism and decolonisation, the Partition of India, and Genocide in Rwanda. Each has proven controversial not just because of the historical incidents themselves, but also the variety of historical interpretations that have been placed on them and the way these events are remembered.
Each case study provides an opportunity to discuss questions about the nature of historical truth, the method of writing history, and the contemporary importance of history. It challenges preconceptions about what “facts” are, and stimulates awareness of the diverse ways in which the past can be analysed. While each part of the module relates to a distinctive geographical region, the three case studies share common features in that their historical significance reverberates in the contemporary world and fashions the identities of nations and communities even today. The different sections thus complement each other to demonstrate the ways in which the past continues to shape the present and the role that history can play in either perpetuating conflict or conversely in promoting intercultural understanding.
Students are thus encouraged to compare the different historical case studies rather than study each discretely as they raise similar fundamental questions about how history is understood and practiced, and how events unfold, are written about, and eventually remembered.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be aware of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of case studies in a number of historical areas and, in doing so, be aware of the important links between empirical historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks. They will be aware that different theoretical, methodological or ideological approaches can and do produce competing conclusions. They will become familiar with historical writing in a range of forms that take them beyond the textbook (articles, monographs, edited collection and - where appropriate - approved websites). They will also be introduced to the ways history is represented in other media, including cinema and literature. They will be introduced to different methods of disseminating history to scholars and the wider public, both written and audio-visual, and will produce their own public history output, as part of the assessment.
By the end of the module, they will have gained an awareness of the debates pertaining to the ways that these difficult histories should be taught, or represented in museums. In this respect, students will gain an awareness of how these events are represented or re/presented to the public. They will further gain understanding as to how narratives pertaining to these episodes continue in the contemporary world to shape how nations, “tribes”, religious communities define themselves in relation to “others”.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; basic bibliographic research; effective presentation of written work.
This module examines the later prehistory of Europe, from the beginnings of settled farming society in the Near East (c. 10,000 years ago) to the European Iron Age and the dawn of historic times (c. 50 BC). Geographically, the scope of the module spans across Europe and the Mediterranean, from Russia and the Levant to Ireland and Spain. The material and ideas presented provide an important base for subsequent modules on the history and prehistory of Europe, Britain, and Ireland, setting a chronological scene against which to understand the emergence of complex human society.
Two themes run through the course: human adaptation to change (climate, environment, food, technology, social structure) and the emergence of different cultural responses through time and space (such as settlement, economic strategies, material culture, art, burial, status, trade and ethnicity). Prehistoric archaeology is interested in recording how humans deal with change over time and in understanding how to measure time in the remote past through a variety of chronological methods (14C and dendro-dating, other scientific and material culture-based dating techniques). Later prehistoric archaeology also examines the origins of new technologies and social structures, such as domestication of plants and animals, metals, writing and urban life, and seeks to understand the many factors that trigger change and development.
The aim of the course is to provide students with an introduction to the major themes of study and the principal issues of European prehistory. It includes many of the classic sites and cultures that typify the early history of the continent, and some of the theories and models that have resulted from their study.
Learning Outcomes
- A broad understanding of the development of human societies in Europe from c. 10,000 years ago to the 1st century BC.
- An understanding of the nature and range of the archaeological record.
- An awareness of the complexities and limitations of archaeological interpretation.
- An awareness of present debates and controversies in prehistoric archaeology.
- An understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of archaeology, the wide variety of sources, and evidence on which modern archaeology draws, e.g. environmental, historical and ethnographical.
Skills
- Critical thinking and oral expression.
- Time management and self directed learning.
- The ability to write structured academic style essays, presenting clear unbiased arguments.
- Ability to cite references and create bibliographies.
- The ability to undertake library-based research, making full use of bibliographic sources.
- Critical analysis of competing hypotheses of text and other media.
- Critical synthesis of diverse information.
This module provides an introduction to the principles and techniques used to reconstruct past environments and detect environmental change mostly during the last 2.6 million years, the Quaternary. It looks at the history of palaeoecology and the underlying theory and ecological principles that enable the interpretation of information from ancient deposits. The primary palaeoecological techniques and their limitations are described. Case studies show how some techniques have been applied to provide a range of palaeoenvironmental information.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire a knowledge and understanding of the principles of palaeoecology and will be able to understand the main methods used to reconstruct past environments.
Skills
Synthesis of information; Presentation of academic argument. Written self expression. Data interpretation and presentation. Library use. Website investigation. Time management.
This module introduces students to the evolution of hominins in changing global environments, from primate origins to the beginning of settled societies. Lectures and practicals introduce the timeframes of changing environments in which people evolved, patterns of evolution, the appearance of our own species, dispersal throughout the world and the ancient beginnings of human impact on the planet.
Knowledge gained in the lecture course will be assessed by multiple choice tests and two written assessments. The practical programme will introduce skills in bibliographic and literature search, graphical display, and the analysis of research data relating to the investigation of early humans. Skills relating to the analysis and documentation of artefacts and stratigraphy and sedimentology will be introduced.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to
• Show an understanding of the environmental, chronological and cultural context for human evolution [assessed mainly by essay, but also CT and portfolio]
• Show an understanding of records of ancient humans and landscapes [assessed mainly by essay, but also CT]
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the key evidence and terminology relating to environmental and human evolutionary changes throughout the Quaternary [assessed mainly by CT]
• Show an ability to handle and present data, and to undertake basic statistical analysis [assessed by portfolio]
Skills
Skills
Subject-specific skills
You will be able to search, extract and use data from a range of academic literature. You will be able to use the MS Excel program to display, describe and carry out simple analysis of archaeological data, including basic statistics.
You will be able to analyse artefacts and document them photographically and by drawing.
Cognitive skills
You will be able to explain (i) the patterns and process of hominid evolution and (ii) the background pattern of global climate change.
Further details, including a full breakdown of Transferable skills and Module Guide example, can be found at the following link:
https://archaeology-palaeoecology-qub.com/gap1001-ancient-humans-landscapes/
The course examines major themes in historical archaeology in a global context. It examines the ways in which material evidence is used to understand societies of the historic period, from the birth of Christ to the present day. It will examine the use of historical sources in the study of the past, archaeological approaches to myth, religion, the growth and collapse of Empires, archaeologies of conflict, warfare and propaganda. Students will gain understandings of how to challenge historical paradigms through the use of material evidence, and examine current debates in historical archaeology worldwide.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the study of the physical remains of historical periods globally within context.
To challenge their preconceptions of the historic period and the application of archaeology.
The course provides a background to understanding the major developments and debates in historical archaeology in recent decades.
Skills
Introducing students to assessing the evidence of the material remains of the past against the documents.
Evaluating the power and truth of the images popularly associated with historical periods globally.
Course Contents
This module introduces students to key concepts, movements, literary and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of Latin America. Throughout the module, a representative selection of primary and secondary texts from a range of historical periods will be used to explore key issues and themes. Themes will vary from year to year but may include: exploration, conquest, identity, borders, dictatorship, and migration.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should:- acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of Latin American culture and history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of distinct methods of cultural and historical analysis and begin to apply thses appropriately to a range of texts, writtren and visual.
Skills
Students should begin to: - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop an awareness of key historical trends - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills
This module is intended as an introduction to moral philosophy, presupposing no prior acquaintance with the subject. In the first half of the module, we start by considering the nature and methods of moral philosophy before considering a number of central issues in the subject, including the nature of well-being, the relation between self-interest and morality, and competing accounts of morality proposed by utilitarianism and deontological ethics. In the second half of the module, we then use some of the theoretical insights gained in the first half of the module to exam some real-world
problems, including abortion, animal rights, poverty, freedom of speech, and racism and affirmative action.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of a number of theories in moral philosophy; explain the relevance of these theories to some key issues in applied ethics; converse and write with critical authority about the ideas of a number of important philosophers; demonstrate the principles of sound and effective reasoning and argument; show tolerance for different and challenging ideas.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy, analysis, and communication, and the ability to comprehend and develop clear and extended arguments.
Anthropologists have analysed how people with different cultures' express themselves in a variety of ways through sound, text and image. Who is involved in specific expressive practices, who controls these practices, and which media are emphasised by different groups? Can textual, verbal, musical and material forms of expression be communicated across cultural boundaries? How do processes of cultural translation affect their meaning and impact on different lifeworlds? In this module, we will explore performative genres including musical activities and rituals; language-based forms of expression and processes of visual and material expression around artworks, objects and film documentation.
Learning Outcomes
Students should have acquired a basic understanding of key issues relating to the performative dimensions of cultural expression through a comparative analysis of ethnographic studies pertaining to sound, text and image. Students should be able to discuss how anthropology has approached expressive cultures and understand a range of cultural differences between themselves and others in this arena. The module should prepare them for further study in the fields of performative, textual and visual analysis.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; critical reflection on their own cultural assumptions and biases; and teamwork.
This module introduces students to key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula (i.e. Spain and Portugal). It explores a selection of texts (literary and visual) from a range of authors and artists from the early modern period (16th / 17th century) to the present day. This course will give you a broad overview of the main historical events in Spain and Portugal from a cultural perspective.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should - acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of peninsular cultural history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of the distinct methods of cultural analysis and begin to apply these appropriately to a range of texts, written and visual.
Skills
Students should begin to - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills
This course aims to delve into essential themes within the field of Comparative Politics, providing students with the tools to comprehend fundamental structures, institutions, and processes that underpin contemporary political systems. Through the application of the comparative method, students will gain insight into the dynamics of real-world politics. The initial lectures will establish a theoretical foundation for the comparative method, emphasising its utility as a means of understanding diverse political landscapes. Subsequent lectures will employ this method to examine various themes, including regime types (democratic versus authoritarian), systems of governance (global versus local), institutions, political organisations and outputs of public policy. Notably, the course adopts a broad approach by not confining itself to specific geographic regions; instead, it explores a diverse range of cases to underscore the usefulness and applicability of the comparative method across different contexts.
Learning Outcomes
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
- Understand the field of comparative politics and be familiar with the comparative method.
- Identify key debates in the field of comparative politics and extrapolate key questions of theoretical and societal relevance.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of differences between political institutions, key processes and the outcomes they produce.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of the key actors active in political systems and the dynamics of power underpinning their relationships.
- Understand the main methodological approaches used in the field of comparative politics as well as the major data sources.
- Independently apply basic concepts of comparative politics to cases beyond the ones reviewed in class.
Skills
Intellectual skills:
- Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
- Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills:
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing.
- Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment.
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development.
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance.
Organisational skills:
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines.
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.
- Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
Beyond the Hexagon: French language, politics and culture in a global frame
Overview
This module will introduce students to key areas of contextual studies in French, ie. literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. There will be two 'strands' within the module, and across the two stands, students will be introduced to all four areas. The core material will include both French and francophone texts, film, images and data. Each strand will form a coherent whole in terms of both teaching and assessment.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of key fields in French Studies, notably literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. They will acquire key skills in how to approach these fields in preparation for optional modules in Levels 2 and 3. They will further acquire skills in time management, written and oral communication, and skills in marshalling complex information and constructing an argument.
Skills
Skills in how to approach and analyse texts, images and data for future work in literature, the visual arts, linguistics; skills in oral and written communication; skills in marshalling large amounts of data and structuring an argument; skills in time management.
This module allows students the chance to enrich their understanding of historical methods, theories and themes via a closely defined case study. Students will choose from a range of course offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the issues of historiography and method that students will encounter over their course of studies in History at Queen's.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be aware of the range of approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of a particular historical case study and how it has been debated amongst historians. They should also be aware of the links between historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks.
Skills
Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret a range of sources.
The module examines the development of the international system and raises questions about how and whether this system is changing in light of processes of globalisation. International relations theories which relate to state and territory, sovereignty and order will be introduced, as well as issues of war and conflict in its broader sense. World Politics also offers an introduction into specific global regions: Europe, Americas, Asia, and Africa
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
Critically follow world affairs and appreciate the historical background to contemporary developments
Demonstrate an awareness of the major currents in world affairs and foreign policy analysis
Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking
Develop intellectual skills including managing and prioritising knowledge on world affairs as well as organisational skills including demonstrating the ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
The module provides a wide-ranging introduction to political developments in contemporary Europe. Following analysis of the nature and consequences for Europe of the Cold War, the module analyses some of the major political, economic and security challenges Europe has had to face since 1989 including the processes of economic and political transformation in Central and Eastern Europe as well as war in the former Yugoslavia and Ukraine. Featuring prominently in the module are developments in the process of European integration with a primary focus on the EU, how it is organized and operates, what powers it has, the attitudes of selected states in contemporary Europe towards membership, and the effects of integration on them. In doing so, the module considers the origins and implications of the Eurozone crisis for European integration as well as public attitudes towards the process.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will
1. Understand the historical background to contemporary Europe;
2. Analyse critically selected major political developments and trends in Europe since the end of the Cold War;
3. Appreciate key concepts and understandings associated with the political organization of Europe;
4. Appreciate key concepts and understandings associated with the European Union as a political entity;
5. Analyse how the major European states have engaged with the European Union since 1957;
6. Understand public reactions to European integration.
7. Appreciate selected major political and security challenges facing contemporary
Skills
The module will develop students' analytical, research and communication skills; allow students to refine their essay-writing skills; and enhance their abilities to think critically.
This course builds on the Mathematics taught at GCSE level or an equivalent level. It begins with a revision of basic algebraic methods. These ideas are then further developed to cover more advanced mathematical concepts including linear and non-linear functions; matrix algebra; single variable calculus and calculus of several variables. The course is taught paying particular attention to the solving of economic problems.
Learning Outcomes
On the successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Know what is meant by a function.
2. Use calculus methods to solve basic economic problems such as profit maximization.
3. Manipulate matrices, know when the inverse of a matrix can be calculated and be able to do the calculation.
4. Solve simultaneous equations using matrix algebra.
5. Use calculus to locate the maxima and minima for functions of several variables, both unconstrained and constrained in economic problems.
6. The transferable skills are problem solving, numeracy and the communication of mathematical concepts.
Skills
Mathematics has become the language of modern analytical Economics, as it allows economists to identify and analyse the general properties that are critical to the behaviour of economic systems. The aim of this module is to give students in Economics a basic working knowledge of the mathematics that is needed in the quantitative and non-quantitative level 2 and 3 modules.
This module engages students with the multiple ways society and academic study use, understand and interpret the past. With contributions primarily from the disciplines of Anthropology, English, History, Philosophy, Politics, and Sociology, this module will, in part, capitalise upon debates concerning legacy issues and the aftermath of conflict that form central co-ordinates of contemporary Northern Irish political and social debate. it will also provide students subject-specific expertise in relation to how we understand the past and its importance in the development of historical, literary, and philosophical interpretation.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) understand the multiple ways we can use and interpret the past;
(ii) demonstrate a range of discipline-centred conceptions of the past;
(iii) explore ways in which the module’s concerns relate to their degree pathway;
(iv) engage with material, oral, textual and visual versions of the past;
(v) differentiate between discipline-specific approaches to the subject.
Skills
(i) understanding a range of critical thinking approaches
(ii) incorporating learning into discussion of issues and texts;
(iii) comparing different disciplinary approaches to the question of the past;
(iv) engaging in classroom debate and fostering a stimulating intellectual environment;
(v) producing engaged critical responses to the issues raised on the module;
(vi) connecting the module’s multi-disciplinary focus to the concerns of their degree pathway;
(vii) self-reflection on the learning process.
Self-awareness and its importance in relation to career choice including work-readiness and skills audits.
Local and International Labour Market Information, where to find it and how to research job markets and career development opportunities eg international experiences.
Participation in a group based LMI research exercise to be presented to the wider group covering sector areas of interest as agreed by the students.
Personal career choice and action planning supported by one to one Career Consultations bespoke to individual student-identified opportunities.
Workshops on CVs, application forms, interview skills and psychometric testing to ensure an understanding of the recruitment process in its entirety.
An assessment centre group work activity delivered by an employer.
Self reflection/career action plan.
Learning Outcomes
Students will –
Become more aware of their career aspirations and how to achieve them;
Develop knowledge of undergraduate and graduate opportunities both locally and internationally;
Understand the skills required to compete effectively for placement and graduate jobs in the future;
Report on the various labour market information related to their degree pathway;
Develop practical experience of presentation skills, team work activities and research and analytical skills.
Skills
The module equips students with a solid understanding of the job market and the careers inherent within it.
Students will acquire more self-knowledge through undertaking self-awareness exercises, personality tests and a work-readiness audit leading to career decision-making and self-actualisation.
Students will have an opportunity to be mentored by Career Consultants who will support and coach the students in achieving their career aims.
Students will develop practical experience of presentation skills, team work skills, research and analytical skills from the LMI Group Research Project Presentation and will further develop team work, analytical, negotiation and communication skills through the assessment centre activity.
This module will focus on museums from the Renaissance to the modern day, charting the transition from private collecting to public display. It will consider the shifting roles of museums across time and will provide students with an understanding of how and why museums’ aims, purposes and functions continue to change. Students will engage with debates about object collection, preservation, repatriation and display, and will explore some of the current issues facing museums. They will also consider diverse museum audiences, including the elite and wealthy audiences of the eighteenth century and international audiences served by twenty-first-century online museums. Through their reading, research and museum visits, students will also begin to appreciate the different roles of museum staff and through their object engagement project, will gain vital skills that could be useful for their own future employment.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, the successful student should be able to
- Discuss the history of museums
- Understand debates about the purpose, aims and roles of museums in society
- Explain how and why the function of museums and their target audiences have changed over time
- Identify current issues facing museums, particularly in Northern Ireland
- produce object labels or object biographies for a wide audience
Skills
- Analytical skills
- Research skills
- Object appreciation skills
- Written, oral and visual communication skills
- Debating skills
- Computer/multimedia skills
- Group work skills
This will be an exploration of fundamental philosophical issues raised by the practice of science. It will cover issues in scientific methodology, scientific knowledge, the language of science, the relation between scientific theories and reality, the rationality of science and progress and the relation between science and society.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will at least be able to
• demonstrate an understanding of the ‘demarcation’ problem between science and non-science
• articulate various versions of the problem of induction, as well its consequences for the justification of scientific claims
• demonstrate familiarity with differing accounts of scientific methodology, including inductivism and falsificationism
• confidently discuss and evaluate issues to do with observation, observables, and the theory-ladenness of observation
• demonstrate familiarity with the realism/antirealism debates in the philosophy of science
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module focuses on the acquisition of fundamental skills needed in Archaeological Practice. Students will develop core practical, computing and digital data skills used in archaeological assessments, survey, excavation and reporting. While these are essential for those going on to practice as archaeologists, many of the skills acquired will be useful in careers outside the archaeological and heritage sectors and for dissertations. Learning will be through weekly lectures, practicals, directed and independent weekly reading and digital-portfolio tasks. Students will be introduced to the legislative framework for U.K. commercial archaeology, the basic principles of site and soil formation and sampling, landscape survey, artefact analysis and curation, illustration, photography and data management. They will undertake weekly practical sessions to develop skills in a wide array of techniques from flotation to the use of differential GPS equipment and fieldwalking. The overarching aim is for students to achieve a basic understanding and competence in core techniques which will provide them with a solid basis for professional accreditation with e.g. The Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) or the Institute of Field or Archaeologists (IfA), and the ability to plan their continued professional development independently.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this unit the student is expected to have developed and demonstrated:
• Familiarity with legal, policy, and ethical archaeological frameworks in the UK
• Familiarity with the principles of the archaeological process in professional practice including: desk-based assessment, survey and excavation and the appropriate use of techniques.
• The ability to find and interrogate relevant digital datasets
• A basic appreciation of what causes variation in different evidence classes (e.g. taphonomy; recovery procedures) and the effect of these on interpretations.
• An appreciation of the importance primary data recovery and new information through practical/field experience
• An understanding of the fragile and non-renewable nature of the archaeological resource and the need for sustainable approaches to its use and conservation
• Familiarity with the diverse sources of evidence used by archaeologists
• An understanding of where to find jobs in the archaeology and heritage sectors and sound knowledge of the skills and experience required for professional accreditation.
Skills
On the completion of this module students should:
• Understand the key components of a desk based assessment
• Be able to practise, under supervision, core archaeological and landscape survey fieldwork techniques
• Be able to practise, under supervision, core post-excavation/post-survey techniques including: basic stratigraphic interpretation, phasing, data archiving, processing and sorting of environmental samples.
• Have developed basic skills graphics software, GIS and web-design
• Have a basic understanding of landscape, stratigraphic and soil formation processes and sampling strategies.
• Be able to discover and recognise the archaeological significance of material remains and landscapes.
• Have developed basic skills in the analysis of spatial data to determine where archaeological traces survive in present day landscapes.
• Be aware of the interactions of biological, environmental and socio-cultural
influences in human ecology
Transferable Skills
Generic and employability skills include:
• Effective time management
• Collaborating effectively in a team via experience of working in a group, through fieldwork, laboratory and/or project work
• Demonstrating a positive and “can do” approach to practical problems
• Preparing effective written communications for different readerships
• Making effective and appropriate graphic visual outputs
• Making effective and appropriate use of information technology including web page design
• Making critical and effective use of information retrieval skills using paper based and electronic resources
• applying numeracy in practical contexts
• Technical expertise and transfer of learning between performance situations
• Analysis, critical thinking and interpretation skills - especially of spatial data
The interaction of geological drivers, surface processes, and climate dynamics are all crucial for explaining why the Earth’s surface looks and operates the way it does. This module will examine the different processes involved in the dynamic evolution of different landscapes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Central to the module is understanding how environments changed through time and what the landscapes tell us about key characteristics of that journey. The module will also consider the social and economic impacts of this landscape evolution for people and the natural resources and geohazards these geomorphological processes can create. We also consider how these interactions may change in the future. The module will have a practical and applied focus, with emphasis on solving real-world problems.
The module is split into several topics and will follow the journey of a droplet of water as it lands on the tallest mountains and works its way downstream to the lowest ocean basins, with some deviations along the way. None of the topics are discrete, and you will develop an understanding about how a geomorphologist must view the landscape holistically, whilst remembering that sometimes different processes have the same results and, sometimes, the same processes have different results. Through the course you will develop new knowledge on fluvial, tectonic, upland, hillslope, tropical, glacial, aeolian, volcanic, coastal, marine, and even planetary geomorphology. We will also investigate some of the methods employed by geomorphologists to understand the landscapes around us.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students should be able to:
1) Develop new knowledge and understanding of a range of geomorphological processes
2) Gain experience in how to disseminate scientific information to non-experts
3) Develop the ability to interpret analysed outputs and apply these skills to solve real-world problems
4) Apply I.T. mapping and numerical skills to collect, analyse and present secondary data
5) Develop written communication skills in the form of a scientific report
Skills
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of geomorphological landforms and processes in a range of environments.
- Synthesize and summarize geomorphological information from a range of academic sources.
- Apply field and GIS skills to the analysis of geomorphology for a glacial catchment.
- Develop techniques on how to disseminate complex information.
This module explores key concepts in cultural and political geography.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have attained:
- an advanced understanding of key topics and themes in cultural and political geography.
- the intellectual capacity to critique, compare and defend different texts in cultural and political geography
Skills
On successful completion, students will have acquired skills including (T taught, P practiced, A assessed).
Subject specific:
1) Understand the key topics and themes in cultural and political geography (T; P; A);
2) Analyse and examine the theories and debates that surround the changing nature of cultural and political geography (T; P; A);
3) Evaluate the historical contexts of cultural and political geography (T; P; A);
Cognitive skills:
1) Managing and prioritising knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner (T; P; A);
2) Analytical thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject- specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (P; A);
3) Critical and independent thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A);
4) Abstract and synthesise information from a range of different geographical sources (T; P; A)
5) Marshall and retrieve data from archival, library and internet resources (P; A)
Transferable skills:
1) To think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument. (P; A);
2) Written and oral communication (P);
3) Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify and analyse the key features of the information (P; A);
4) To use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments (P; A)
‘Critical and Cultural Theory’ names a panoply of intellectual movements, philosophical currents and political perspectives emerging out of the crisis in European culture and identity precipitated by the pace of political, technological and social change in the nineteenth century. That crisis was exacerbated by the world wars of the twentieth century, the rise of Communism, and the collapse of Western imperialism. This module introduces students to key issues in critical and cultural theory, historicising its emergence and reflecting on its current preoccupations. Beginning with the ‘masters of suspicion’, Freud, Nietzsche and Marx, who are often perceived to have brought the project of Enlightenment humanism to a shuddering halt, the module will trace the development of a variety of important theoretical perspectives, including Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism and poststructuralism, historicism, gender studies, and bio-politics and posthumanism. The module will build on the questions asked by the Stage One module ENG xxx Adventures in Literature and the History of Ideas and will complement the approaches taken on other Stage Two modules, given its historicising agenda.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed a basic knowledge of a range of theoretical traditions and be better equipped to situate the cultural and political preoccupations of the modern and postmodern literatures they are exploring elsewhere in the curriculum in relation to the intellectual, political and social developments of Western societies from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. They will be better attuned to the intellectual agendas and theoretical affiliations of the critical approaches used by both staff in the School and in the secondary critical materials they are encountering in other modules across their degrees. They will have learned to historicise and synthesise a range of often conflicting intellectual and philosophical traditions.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Identify and adjudicate between different intellectual approaches to literature, culture, gender and history
• Analyse and evaluate key critical terminologies and ideas and place them in their historical contexts
• Demonstrate an ability to read ‘secondary’ texts critically and with a view to their underpinning intellectual assumptions and agendas
• Demonstrate transferral skills in the form of group discussion, written communication, oral presentation and collaborative work
This module will develop technical and editorial skills in radio and podcast production. Students will explore the contexts of public service broadcasting formats (such as those offered by BBC) as well as the podcast landscape and commercial and community radio platforms.
This module will introduce varying genres of radio broadcasting and podcasting - feature documentary genre, speech based discussion formats, radio drama and other non-fiction based programme making idioms.
Through a series of practical activities, this module will explore a range of skills involved in radio and podcast production including writing, using the voice, show-producing and audio engineering.
Opportunities to develop an original programme or podcast idea will culminate in a group radio project conducted in a live studio setting. Students will be encouraged to engage with local communities to generate ideas that connect with their audience and the wider world around them.
Learning Outcomes
1. Prepare and present a pitch for a radio programme or a podcast.
2. Conceive, develop and design a radio programme or podcast for delivery.
3. Produce a live radio broadcast featuring in-studio discussion or an equivalent podcast.
4. Effectively use the voice in a radio/podcast presentation context.
5. Use audio equipment to effectively record content for radio/audio podcast and engineer audio for a live broadcast.
6. Acquire advanced knowledge of radio and audio production techniques and the ability to create compelling radio and podcast segments.
Skills
1. Advancing audio production and post production skills
2. Live radio studio and podcast engineering skills
3. Enhanced writing skills for radio and podcast
4. Live radio and podcast production experience
5. A greater appreciate of the various roles of industry professionals
6. An enhanced knowledge of radio and audio formats and their impact on society
Hanging out on Street Corners: Creative, Public and applied Anthropology
Overview
The module is designed to introduce students to qualitative, ethnographic, methodologies, explore creative methods, and examine the applied use of ethnographic methods in the social sciences and policy analysis. It will discuss the differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. This will enable students to argue for the utility of ethnographic methodologies in further modules (dissertation).
Introducing the students to a range of ways of engaging with and understanding the social world, the module will look at the utility of ethnography and anthropology in applied situations. In doing so it will present an understanding of environments in which ethnography can be used in ‘problem solving’ and as a critical tool for ‘policy’ understanding.
Students will be exposed to specific case studies and examples and asked to develop their own skills through presentations, analysis of case studies, and workshops. The course will encourage internships and act as a preparation for dissertation modules in semester 2 (year 2) and semester 1 (year 3).
Students should develop an awareness of how qualitative/anthropological methods – ethnography and participant observation - might provide skills that have practical applications away from the academy.
Learning Outcomes
• To develop and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
• To engage with creative methods
• To develop skills necessary in the utilisation of anthropology such as report & proposal writing, team work, presentation and communication skills.
• To develop confidence and ability to work within a team and under pressure of time.
• To develop a critical understanding of ethnographic research when applied to areas of policy.
• To critically analyse ethical issues related to ethnographic fieldwork.
• To analyse the relationship between anthropology and other disciplines and professional areas.
• To develop early engagement with dissertation topics, possibly through internships.
Skills
• Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
• Ability to utilise interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in teams
• Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
• Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
• Ability to debate and defend arguments
• Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
• Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
This module presents key theories and concepts in the study and analysis of popular genres in the media. Students will examine a range of factual and fictional genres, interrogating the ways that they have been defined, interpreted and used by producers, broadcasters and distributors, audiences and academics.
This will support students in developing their skills in analysing media productions, as well as when taking genre into consideration for their own practical work in other modules.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Identify popular genres
• Understand and apply the basic concepts of genre analysis
• Understand key interpretations of popular broadcast genres
• Assess, interrogate and challenge such interpretations in relation to specific texts and / or groups of texts
• Analyse broadcast texts through the lens of genre theory
Skills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars).
The nature of broadcasting is changing. Online platforms, emerging modes of distribution and new digital technologies are re-wiring established media cultures, transforming traditional media production and distribution systems and introducing new media networks (internet, mobile devices). This module explores aspects of this techno-cultural transformation, through both a practical exploration of the form and by considering critical debates exploring the power, force, significance and form of a series of new media texts, artefacts and systems.
The module situates practices in an environment that is ceaselessly evolving and explores new technologies such as virtual reality, immersive media and interactive documentary. This module offers a practical introduction to a range of software authoring tools widely used within the media and an exploration of disruptive new technologies as they emerge.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should have acquired and be able to demonstrate:
1. Critical awareness of how broadcast is evolving and of digital media systems as innovative cultural forms;
2. Systematic understanding of current debates in the field of new media around aesthetics, use, distribution, medium theory and form;
3. Comprehensive understanding of debates around technology, culture and determinism;
4. Critical evaluation of interactive media practice;
5. Applied Experience and engagement through practice in the area.
Skills
The module will equip students with the necessary production skills and theoretical frameworks to explore and deliver projects that move away from linear production processes. This grounding will provide students with basic authoring skills, it will give them the capacity to develop their skills in line with emerging broadcasting and media production techniques and will equip them to think critically about the forms and contents of contemporary media systems and media systems that originate online and reside natively on the web.
• Songwriting nuts and bolts
• Recording Techniques/ Using the studio for writing
• Creativity with Sounds and Technology
• Creative Writing
• Crossing art forms
• Visiting songwriters
• Building portfolio
• Fortnightly assessments
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songs
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songs
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songs
Skills
Students will:
(i) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(ii) Display interpersonal sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and being able to adjust behaviour accordingly.
(iii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(iv) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(v) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
(vi) Reflect on and evaluate their own practice.
This course aims to introduce students to the theories around producing professional broadcast factual stories, both for television and radio. It will build on the practical skills students have already acquired to develop professional storytelling skills for journalism, content creation, factual or documentary work.
Students will refine their editorial decision-making and incorporate rigorous considerations into their work at every level. It will examine the differences between styles and genres and commercial and public service broadcasters. It will introduce students to the law and broadcasting codes as they apply to journalistic and factual programme making. The practical skills will give students a deeper ability to research, develop, write and create structured and creative stories in video format, for TV or for radio.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will be able to identify what makes successful factual or documentary content for broadcast and identify a target audience for their piece. They will demonstrate how to write for broadcast, and how to combine a script, sound clips, effects, and/or moving images into their story effectively. They will show a competence in audio and video recording, story for broadcast and project management from concept to final delivery.
Skills
Devise, research, write and produce a factual or documentary story for TV or radio.
Includes: Carrying out a broadcast interview; recording with audio or video recording equipment; writing for broadcast; structuring a factual or documentary story for broadcast; audio and or video editing; reflecting on your own work.
Experimental Popular Musics will discuss varied topics including experimental pop music cultures, disco culture, as well as techno and electronic dance music cultures.
Learning Outcomes
The course aims to (1) revisit the social reciprocity between music and everyday life, (2) examine the role of social discourses and practices in constituting a musical experience, and vice versa, (3) reflect on the social nexus, economy and technology of music production and consumption, and (4) develop an understanding of music as culture and as a social force of producing, representing and shifting both individual and collective identities.
Skills
(1) Critical listening, (2) Critical reading and writing, (3) Intellectual and cultural awareness, (4) Finding and communicating creative solutions, (5) Team work, (6) Organisation and collaboration, (7) Leadership and initiative.
This module focuses on Shakespearean drama as a theatrical script: that is, words intended to be spoken in performance before an audience and not as dramatic poetry to be read or studied as such. In both its workshop format and its critical writing assignment, this module is centred on Shakespeare in performance.
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes for this module include: knowledge of the key components of Shakespearean performance and the processes by which it is created and realised; an understanding of how to read Shakespearean texts and how transitions from page to stage may be effected; the ability to contribute to the creation of Shakespearean performance through an understanding of appropriate performance vocabularies, techniques, crafts, structures and working methods; the ability to engage in appropriate independent research, whether investigating past or present Shakespearean performances or as part of the process of creating new performance.
Skills
To aid closer reading of both text and performance; to aid interpretive abilities; to encourage creative interpretations in the student; to aid directorial and performance abilities.
This is a skills based course, which looks at how theatre and drama techniques may be used in an educational setting as both an aesthetic encounter and a learning tool. In experiencing the key techniques of the practice, students will also examine its history as a form and the theoretical principles on which it is based. Students will work in groups to devise and deliver a drama workshop in a real school setting targeted at Primary, Key Stage 3 or GCSE Levels.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an understanding of the practice of theatre-in-education in a national and international context
Students will acquire a basic competency in the practices and techniques of theatre-in-education
Students will acquire an understanding of the history and techniques of process drama.
Students will acquire a basic competency in some of the techniques used in process drama
The module introduces students to the area of policing and explores the main theories, concepts and debates in this field. The first half of the course begins by exploring the origins of policing, the relationship between policing and broader social factors, police work, police culture and concerns about police accountability and legitimacy. The second half of the course will examine the cost of policing, the use of performance indicators, policing controversies, the globalisation of policing methods and the increasing privatisation of policing. In particular, the experiences of Northern Ireland, Britain and Ireland will be used to highlight the importance of these topics.
Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate a knowledge of relevant theories, concepts and debates within policing.
2. Critically analyse policing practices.
Skills
1. To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
2. To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
3. To develop the ability to find and evaluate academic materials in the area of policing.
4. To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.
5. To develop the ability to work independently and in collaboration with others.
Principles of Business in Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries
Overview
This course is designed for Stage 2 students in all Creative Arts disciplines (Drama, Film & Broadcast, Music & Sonic Arts) to introduce and explore key elements in the ‘business’ of creative work: the planning, management and delivery of cultural and creative projects, events and/or activities. As part of an interdisciplinary class and with elements of independent group work throughout, students will share their knowledge from their own programmes and gain new insights to the crossover of skills and opportunities and the benefits of multidisciplinary teams.
The course runs in two parts. The first half of the course will introduce students to the unique planning and delivery challenges of cultural and creative work with students’ active engagement in observing or putting the theory into real-life practice. In the second half, students will work through one of two options (subject to availability): to work in teams to enhance, deliver and evaluate a programmed event or activity with a cultural business; or to undertake independent field research in the development of an event or activity proposal for a cultural business.
Assessment will be principally based on reflexive journaling and some practical assessment of their participation (the production of a short-form report or plan).
Part 1 will be delivered mainly through classroom lectures, seminars and discussions on the different functions of management and planning in the arts, cultural and creative industries.
Part 2
Subject to availability in any given year, students will choose one of two strands for Part 2 of the programme. Activities offered in these strands each year will be selected in discussion between Subject Leads of Creative Arts and relevant staff in creative centres on campus, enabling students to access contemporary events and knowledge relevant to their studies.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Recognise common features and approaches to planning and delivery of arts, cultural and creative activities, events or projects
2. Express improved understanding of the industry context of their chosen discipline, recognising influences, norms and constraints on creative and cultural business
3. Articulate how increased understanding of creative business might influence their own creative or industry practice, their future study and professional development.
4. Understand the collaborative and team-based nature of arts, cultural and creative industries planning and delivery.
Skills
The completion of this course will support the following skills:
• Reflective & reflexive thinking
• Evaluation and observation
• Report and/or proposal writing
• Practical skills in event/project management/planning
• Teamwork and collaborative working
Apocalypse: Cultures, communities, and the end of the world
Overview
The aim of the course is to introduce students to historical and anthropological reflection on millennial / millenarian beliefs and movements across space and time. Taking a long view of historical events and using case studies of present-day groups that attend to ideas about the end of the world, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary character of the School, and using a wide range of primary sources, including novels, film, websites, and ethnographic case studies and film, this course will invite students to consider the ancient roots of millennial theory; its foundational texts, exponents / prophets and movements; examples of well-known failed and successful millennial claims and movements, including the Crusades, radical puritans, Mormons, Jewish Zionists, American evangelicals, new religious movements, including UFO and suicide cults, and radical Islamists; the use of millennial theory as presentist critique; the development of millennial majorities, and the social, cultural and political implications of their dominance; millennialism’s place in utopian theory; and a final consideration of theoretical rejoinders, in which the course leaders encourage students to consider whether millennial claims might be right – for example, in terms of global warming – and whether that might change the way in which historians and anthropologists should approach the subject.
Learning Outcomes
An understanding of the broad history and anthropology of millennial movements across space and time; An ability to discuss millennial ideas and movements using heuristic tools from history and anthropology; An ability to use electronic resources and to develop key research skills; Effective communication skills; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; An ability to work independently.
Skills
Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; Further develop communication skills, both written and oral; Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical and anthropological sources.
Alexander The Great and the Creation of the Hellenistic World
Overview
An analytical survey of ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern history from the conquest of the whole of Balkan Greece by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, to the emergence of successor kingdoms within Alexander’s conquered territories after his death in 323 BC. After an introduction on sources and methodology, the course proceeds chronologically. Topics receiving special emphasis include: the rise, and the ultimate triumph, of Macedon over the Greek city-states; Alexander’s war against Persia and subsequent conquests; the fragmentation of Alexander’s empire after his death; and events in Sicily and the West (including the expansion of Rome in Italy).
Learning Outcomes
To apply objective historical methodology to a period of alleged decline in Greek history.
Skills
Skills of analysis and evaluation, in particular the organization and interpretation of widely scattered and fragmentary source material.
This course provides a critical understanding of how social policy shapes a person’s life trajectory. The course takes a life course perspective, immersing students in a range of social science literature including social gerontology, social policy and life course sociology. Key issues and themes covered include human rights (including children’s rights), disability, old age, birth and death. The role of public information and education in developing human agency is explored through the examination of contentious issues in social policy such as birth practices and our experience of death and dying. In 2020/2021 There will be a fortnightly on-line quiz via Canvas and a virtual field-trip to The Victoria & Albert museum.
Learning Outcomes
• To introduce students to theories, concepts and policies relevant to ageing and the life course.
• To provide an applied understanding of the implications of social policy for the lived experience of ageing, from birth to death.
Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills; Oral and written communication and presentation skills; teamwork skills.
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop more advanced language skills in spoken and written language. Students will be required to take on increasingly complex tasks which require them to be aware of and use different written and spoken styles and registers. Task will promote linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness at a more advanced level. The module will contain the following elements:
1. Text-based class – (1 hour a week).
This class will focus on developing skills in reading, writing, literary and non literary translation. Students will be required to read and respond to texts which deal with current issues in Spanish speaking countries in Europe and Latin America.
2. Translation into English Workshop ( 1 hr per week)
Students will develop their ability to respond to a range of source text types of an appropriate level of difficulty, grouped according to the course themes. They will also develop editing skills and improve their expression in English. Study of Spanish grammar in context will be embedded into the class.
3. Oral class ( 1 hr per week)
This class will encourage students to develop their skills in spoken language with an emphasis on being able to communicate information and a point of view and on eliminating basic errors from spoken language as well as developing fluency in spoken Spanish
4. Cursillo ( 1 hr per week)
This class will focus on preparing students for the year abroad and on highlighting and developing the professional skills which students develop as a result of studying Spanish at degree level
There will be an extra hour of language tuition for ex-beginners
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a wide range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
2. be able to read a wide variety of Spanish texts (fiction and non fiction) and identify important information and ideas within them.
3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4. be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Spanish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills - including practical language knowledge for living and working abroad
Harry Belevan has written that the Fantastic mode of literature is revolutionary because it created a new type of reader, one attuned to the limits between reality and unreality in a text. With this in mind, this course begins with a reflection on the practice of close analysis in order to develop the tools of active reading that will allow a proper engagement with the rich tradition of lo fantástico in Latin America. Students will then learn how the Fantastic has been theorised by critics, before using this knowledge as a lens through which to explore a range of texts by some of Latin America’s most important cultural icons (e.g. Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar) and exciting new authors (e.g. Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Provide a close reading of both image and text using a range of critical terminology
• Discuss and identify the most common characteristics of the Fantastic mode in literature and film
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work of important, 20th century Latin American artists
• Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from the text and with opinions from secondary literature
Skills
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Identify own areas of strength and interest
• Closely analyse the subtleties of a written text
• Undertake independent research
• Time management and working to deadlines
• Adopt a critical approach to the selection and organisation of a large body of material in order to produce a written argument of some complexity
• Extract relevant information for presentation and discussion based activities.
• Demonstrate ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (Word, PowerPoint, Internet)
The module explores, through practice, collaborative improvisation practice, with recourse, where appropriate, to exploration of more individual modes of improvised conduct which contribute to collaborative music making.
Through weekly practical playing workshops, students will learn improvisation through refinement of aural skills, memory skills, musicianship, collaborative music making, extended vocal and instrumental techniques and interdisciplinary collaborations.
This module will focus on improving self-confidence, creativity, cooperation skills, and transferable performance skills.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students will have developed, through exploring in practice, an insight into a variety of improvisational practices. Students will have developed a closer connection to their instrument musically and technically. They will have learnt to be more confident and creative, reducing stage fright as well as improving listening, social and ensemble skills.
They will have a better understanding of the connection between aspects of composition and performance.
They will have developed an ability to improvise using improved aural skills.
Students will have improved their playing style and instrumental/vocal technique and become more natural and spontaneous performers.
Skills
Listening, ensemble playing and thinking, collaborative music making, improvising, performance skills
This module will introduce students to key aspects of British politics, focusing on institutions and elections and voting. The module will provide students with an understanding of the main institutions of the UK (Parliament, the executive, devolution), the parties and party systems of the UK, and elections and voting behaviour. The module will allow students to use the skills developed in PAI2043 Studying Politics in the study and analysis of elections and voting in the UK. The module takes a contemporary and practical approach and will develop the students’ analytical, statistical, and writing skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will be able to identify the key institutions and players in British politics and to identify and define the major issues in British politics. Moreover, students will be able to appreciate and explain the major changes in British politics that have taken place over time. Students will be able to locate and engage with data relevant to past and contemporary British politics.
Skills
By the end of this module, students will be able to identify the key institutions and players in British politics and to identify and define the major issues in British politics. Moreover, students will be able to appreciate and explain the major changes in British politics that have taken place over time. Students will be able to locate and engage with data relevant to past and contemporary British politics.
This module examines a range of materials that includes: literature, textiles, and films/documentaries that explore the impact of social change, technology, and industry on the natural world in Latin America. Using the framework of environmental justice ecocriticism and moving from paradisiacal descriptions of Spanish America in the early colonial period to the protest movements of the 21st century, we will discuss how these genres may highlight the plight of local communities by using the arts (in their broadest sense) as a form of protest. The course will follow a theme of the four elements as part of the reflection on the interaction with the natural world: fire, air, earth, water.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will:
• Demonstrate understanding of the general concepts of environmental justice ecocriticism and the application of this theory to text and image/film.
• Demonstrate understanding of a range of major environmental issues facing Latin America in a global context and based on a particular historical trajectory.
• Demonstrate understanding of and ability to work with the different approaches in text, textile, and film that seek to challenge and inform the reader/viewer of the social impact of environmental changes.
Skills
On successful completion of this module students should have developed a range of transferable and subject-specific skills:
• Research skills (locating relevant materials, organising material, use of databases and reference techniques)
• Independent thinking: analysing a variety of ideas and ability to address these ideas within the framework of an independently-constructed argument; implementation of research skills.
• Critical analysis: active reading, argument building.
• Written expression: analytical dexterity, fluency and coherence.
• Oral expression: presentation skills, clarity, succinctness, communication of argument.
• Creative expression through textile management.
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop further competence in spoken and written language using a broad range of tasks and assessment methods in keeping with the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level. In addition, students will engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness. The module will contain the following elements:
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
This component will focus on enhancing oral and written ability through engagement with a range of multimedia texts (at appropriate level) based on a variety of topics introduced and discussed on a weekly basis. Topics will deal with current themes in society and the student experience, and will be chosen to facilitate a range of teaching methods to include group discussion, individual/group oral presentations, reviews, reports and synopsis writing.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
This component will reinforce and develop to a more advanced level the written competence and grammatical accuracy gained by students at level 1. Topics covered will include verbal nouns and infinitive structures, syntax of the copula and the genitive case.
3. Contextual Study (1hr per week)
This component will raise awareness of cultural and linguistic issues in Irish and allow students to deepen their perspective of the field. Issues introduced and discussed will be earlier forms of the Irish language, and Irish phonetics.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a broad range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
2) be able to read a wide variety of Irish texts and identify important information and ideas within them.
3) be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4) be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as reports, presentations, synopses and blogs.
5) be able to display knowledge of earlier periods of the language and the phonology of Irish.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia use; time-management; independent learning and critical reflection.
Course contents: Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to consolidate productive (writing and speaking) and receptive (reading and listening) skills in French language. Key components are: comprehension, translation into English and into French, résumé, grammar, CV preparation. The oral French component includes presentations and preparation for job interviews. Languages for special purposes strands equip students in law or business with skills for legal and professional contexts.
This module will contain the following elements:
1.Written language (2 hrs per week)
This component will focus on enhancing ability in written French through engagement with a range of journalistic and literary written texts at appropriate level. A variety of topics will be covered, dealing with current themes in society and topical issues. Written language tasks include translation (from and into French), résumé, comprehension and grammar exercises.
2.Oral language (1 hr per week)
This component will focus on enhancing ability in oral French. A variety of topics and themes are covered, which aim to develop knowledge of issues in present-day France, prepare students for the year abroad and for job interviews in the target language. Stimulus materials from a range of media (textual, visual, audio, video) are used.
3.Contextual Study (filière; 1 hr per week)
This component will raise awareness of cultural and linguistic issues in French and allow students to deepen their perspective of the field, as well as preparing students for a residence in a French-speaking country.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in spoken and written French, with a broad range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a variety of complex issues;
2) be able to read wide variety of French texts and identify important information and ideas within them;
3) be able to translate a range of texts into and from French;
4) have developed a detailed critical understanding of representative textual and other material;
5) be able to engage in complex problem-solving exercises.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
Skills in written and oral expression; critical awareness and problem-solving; close textual analysis; translation; comprehension; presentation; IT skills; employability skills, such as interview technique and cv preparation.
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to make students more adept in their use of grammatical knowledge gained in Portuguese 1, whilst increasing it by introducing more complex and diverse linguistic structures and registers. In preparation for the Year Abroad, students will also be exposed to different learning scenarios designed to increase linguistic, practical and cultural awareness. This module will also allow students to engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness.
It consists of five elements: a) a one hour language session that introduces more complex grammatical structures, and a greater knowledge of different linguistic register; b) a one hour tutorial that puts into practice the grammatical knowledge gained through written and oral exercises etc.; c) a third language tutorial which concentrates on developing students’ writing skills in Portuguese; d) a fourth language session that is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours of language teaching; and e) a fifth session that will allow students to engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness.
1. Grammar Class (1h per week)
The weekly class will focus on more complex aspects of Portuguese grammar with the aim of reinforcing and developing to a more advanced level the linguistic competence and grammatical accuracy gained by students at level 1. Topics covered will include direct and indirect object pronouns, direct and indirect speech, passive voice, and simple and compound tenses.
2. Grammar Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will test students’ ability to put into practice the grammatical knowledge gained in the previous hour through written, aural and oral exercises. Topics include Lusophony, literature, film and documentary, tourism, cultural traditions, work and environment. The development of language skills will also focus on practical aspects of living and working in Portugal and Brazil, as preparation for the period of residence abroad, giving students an opportunity to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the culture and habits of the Portuguese and Brazilian people. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, and translation.
3. Writing Practice Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will link to the two previous sessions, focusing specifically on the development of core linguistic skills required for writing in Portuguese. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of exercises that may include: reading/listening and comprehension, translation, interview, writing different types of text (formal and informal; objective and subjective registers), and asking for and giving directions.
4. Oral Class (1h per week)
This weekly session is designed to allow students to develop their oral skills and confidence in Portuguese, but will also offer further opportunities to explore relevant areas of grammar. This hour will also include some listening exercises.
5. Contextual Study (1hr per week)
This component will introduce students to socio-political and cultural aspects of contemporary Portuguese-speaking African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe) and Brazil. Issues introduced and discussed will relate to the understanding of cultural production within its specific context. In addition, students will also develop analytical competences through the analysis and interpretation of literary texts, films and documentary.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1) be able to demonstrate acquisition of more advanced knowledge about and understanding of Portuguese grammatical structures and vocabulary;
2) be able to communicate at a more advanced level in the target language in written and oral form; have further enhanced their ability to understand different varieties of spoken Portuguese;
3) understand and have the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of cultural material in the target language;
4) have gained critical awareness of cultural and social issues in contemporary Portuguese-speaking African countries and Brazil;
5) have acquired increased linguistic, practical and cultural awareness in preparation for the Year Abroad.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
enhanced linguistic skills, written, oral and listening skills,; ability to analyse learning resources in various formats; critical commentary-writing skills; reflective learning skills; ability to be critically aware of sociocultural and political aspects of contemporary Portuguese-speaking African and Brazilian societies; increased linguistic, practical and cultural awareness in preparation for the Year Abroad.
Being the most complex social species, human beings possess many competencies to deal with social interaction, including the capacity to make moral judgments that evaluate and regulate human behaviour (i.e., judgments on whether an action is right or wrong, and on whether someone deserves reward or punishment). Drawing from the anthropological and psychological literature on the matter, the module introduces the student to the various aspects of human morality, discussing the following types of issues:
- Are moral judgments totally relative to one’s culture or are there universal components of human morality?
- Is human morality based solely on religion?
- Are moral judgments framed by distinct concerns such as care/harm, justice/injustice, loyalty/betrayal, hierarchy/subversion, and purity/impurity or are they always related to a specific concern with basic human rights?
- Can the configuration of different moral concerns shed light on different political attitudes and ideologies, such as conservatism and liberalism, and their disagreement on a variety of topics, such as abortion, homosexuality, and economic equality?
- Although the intentional causation of harm is normally prohibited, why in many situations (e.g., in the punishment of heinous crimes, in the interrogation of suspected terrorists, or in the context of wars and revolutions) people have conflicting intuitions about the boundaries of such prohibition?
Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
- current anthropological and psychological approaches to the various aspects of human morality;
- the interplay between cultural learning and basic psychological dispositions in the domain of morality
- moral judgments to politics and the law.
Skills
The module will help foster students’:
- Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing the topic of morality.
- Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats.
- Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines.
- Ability to debate and defend arguments.
Modern American Fiction: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality
Overview
This module introduces students to some of the key American novelists, contexts and critical issues associated with the modern era, roughly interpreted as the first half of the twentieth century (c.1920-1950). It does not ignore the orthodox intellectual approaches to the era, namely that of the modern or modernism and how the representative fiction of the era sought to find new forms and languages suitable to the task of interrogating this modernity. However, rather than rehearsing old debates about national particularity, the “melting pot” and US exceptionalism, the focus of this module is the ways in which exemplary African-American, female, working class and gay novelists, as well as their white, male counterparts, sought to undo and re-write narratives of identity and belonging according to particularities of race, class, gender and sexuality. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between narratives of affirmation and negation (or ‘noir’). The module examines these axes of difference as multiple and overlapping, rather than mutually exclusive; hence the focus is on the narrative, formal and linguistic complexities thrown up the re-making of American fiction through the related and diverging prisms of class and race, for example, or gender and sexuality, or even in terms of race, gender, class and sexuality. A repeated concern of the module is whether or to what extent we can use US fiction of the era to trace and interrogate wider social and political challenges to dominant/normative understandings of the United States, modernity, capitalism, and national identity. The set texts reflect this heterogeneity in terms of the writers to be studied and in terms of the diversity of styles, forms and genres that make up American fiction of the era.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of modern American fiction (c. 1900-1950). They will be able to identify the ways in which representative novels of the era interrogate the modern era and the complex relationship between literary form, popular culture and modernism as organizing concepts. They will also be able to examine and reflect upon the complex ways in which dominant and singular narratives of national belonging are untold and reimagined according to the related and overlapping categories of race, class, gender and sexuality – and the implications of this for an understanding of “American” fiction. They will be able to offer close readings of this fiction according to its use of literary form and language and its thematizations of the urban, the modern, “noir”, capitalism, gender and sexuality and race and class. On completion of the module, students will be able to reflect upon the usefulness of fiction of the era to contest received or orthodox accounts of US political, social and economic life and potentially to intervene in this life for affirmative and/or politically progressive ends.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse modern American fiction paying attention to theoretical/conceptual and contextual issues and develop close critical readings of a diverse range of fiction.
• Demonstrate understanding of the complex relationship between literary forms and socio-political transformations.
• Think about the synthesis and weighting of different, sometimes competing interpretations of literary texts.
• Reflect on the usefulness of race, class, gender and sexuality as organizing categories to interrogate the exemplary fiction of the era and its thematizations of US identities.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research
• Demonstrate digital literacy skills required to make a digital map, using relevant software programmes, relating to one of the set texts.
In this field course you will explore a variety of contrasting landscapes within the Mediterranean, with particular reference to Mallorca, researching the human and physical dynamics that have shaped them. Module topics will include: evidence for past environmental change, its impact and contemporary challenges; physical processes of landscape evolution, including weathering, erosion, coastal processes, and the impacts of climate change; understanding the nature of urbanisation and impact of tourism; critiquing cultural politics of environmental change, heritage and social identity; reflecting on sustainable alternatives. Project work will provide you with an opportunity to gain valuable experience collecting information in the field, as well as data analysis and interpretation in relation to significant academic debates and policy issues.
Learning Outcomes
The module offers opportunities to:
- Gain experience and skill in the principles and practices of field investigation, including methods of data collection, techniques in its analysis, the interpretation of field data in the context of wider academic scholarship and the presentation of findings;
- Gain experience in working as part of a project team, managing a project, collaborating and supporting one another through online platforms (e.g. Teams, ArcGIS) and working to an agreed timeline;
- Demonstrate an organised approach to the design, execution and writing up of field research projects
- Gain experience in writing up research findings and presenting them in a variety of formats, such as presentations, reports, StoryMaps and vlogs
- Gain an understanding of the dynamics that account for change in the physical and human environments of the field study locations;
- Gain experience in assessing the evidence for long and short term environmental change;
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the nature of the relationships and processes that shape the physical and human geography of the field study locations.
Skills
Key skills: the ability to think and argue critically and undertake problem solving; the ability to undertake self-directed learning and the ability to work collaboratively on a project within a group. Additionally, taking part in managing the project, supporting one another and working towards an agreed deadline.
Subject-related skills: The ability to communicate geographical ideas by evidenced written, oral and visual means; the ability to apply specialised techniques or approaches to the collection and analysis of geographical information; the ability to undertake landscape (human and physical) interpretation.
Employability skills: The ability to work responsibly, autonomously and with others; self-awareness, reflection, self-management; project planning and project management; presentation of data and analysis in a variety of formats for a professional audience, such as reports, presentations, StoryMaps and vlogs; empathy, insight and ethical behaviour; flexibility and adaptability.
Cultural, historical and political geographies form the basis of this module, the field course element of which is located in Malta. The dynamic between Maltese people, tourists and their shared environment are examined through mapping, observation, participation and analysis. Issues of urban cultural heritage, rural life, national identity, archaeological heritage, European migration and religious landscapes are examined through first-hand experience of key locations around the islands of the Maltese archipelago. Self-motivation is fundamental, under guidance, with elements of student-driven and small group work
Learning Outcomes
To gain a practical understanding of observational and analytical field data collection methods, both theoretically as well as in an outdoor environment, where urban fabric, vulnerable landscapes, land use, sacred spaces, and heritage management issues can all be explored. Data collection and presentation are key.
Skills
Skills acquired (T: taught; P: practiced; A: assessed):
Successful completion of the module will result in acquisition and enhancement of the following skills:
• Cognitive skills: problem solving, working with groups both in terms of data collection and presentation, reflective skills, experience of written and oral presentations, self-directed learning, observational and other fieldwork skills developed in a new environment (T,P,A)
• Subject-related skills: Collection and communication of human geographical information about Malta in its regional geographical context, fieldwork in a historically significant yet vulnerable environment, wider knowledge of cultural, political and historical geographies of the region (T,P,A)
• Transferable skills: Group work, time-management, planning, reports, presentations (T,P,A)
This module will explore the relationship between Drama and mental health regarding the historical development of both subjects and their interrelationship in contemporary healthcare practice. Students will analyse key theories and practices in Drama by variously engaging with both canonical and contemporary plays that engage with mental health and its vicissitudes. Students will be trained in key aspects of acting that pertain to the on-stage performance of the interior life of characters constructed for performance. Students will have the opportunity to work with staff who engage with mental health in various subject areas across QUB and local health and social care trusts. Students will engage with the intersection between aesthetic performance and professional training in health and social care to gain a unique insight into how dramatic art can impact positively on mental health.
Learning Outcomes
In completing this module, students should be able to demonstrate, where appropriate, knowledge and understanding in a range of the following areas:
• critical awareness of research methodologies and methods used to investigate Drama and mental health;
• a range of key components of performance within Drama to include: ideational sources, body, space, image, sound, text, movement, environment;
• applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to Drama education;
• the use of group processes in the creation of work including working collectively, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures;
• the interdisciplinary elements of drama and how to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts and skills from other disciplines.
Skills
Students will be able to demonstrate the following:
• engaging in performance and production, based on acquisition and understanding of appropriate performance and production vocabularies, skills, structures, working methods and research paradigms;
• describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical and technical perspectives and using appropriate subject-specific vocabularies;
• analysing the role which drama may play in contributing to debates on mental health;
• questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences and participants.
Students will have the ability to:
• work in planned and improvisatory ways, to anticipate and accommodate change, ambiguity, creative risk-taking, uncertainty and unfamiliarity;
• operate and think reflexively, creatively, critically and technically to develop ideas and construct arguments;
• effectively lead, facilitate, participate, and problem solve within team working contexts;
• recognise situational and interpersonal factors and how these can be effectively accommodated to facilitate productive working relationships;
• articulate ideas and communicate information comprehensibly in visual, physical, oral and textual forms;
• critically use information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, manipulate, synthesise, evaluate and organise material.
Liberal values in Europe, as elsewhere, are coming under serious threat, driven by identity politics designed to exploit societal divisions. The historical link between liberalism and diversity in Europe, and the extent to which one can negotiate and accommodate, if not facilitate the other, holds the key to sustainable, coherent and peaceful societies. The module provides an overview and critical analysis of minority protection offering engagement with issues underpinning national politics, law and societal processes in Europe. Using a critical approach to contemporary politics, this module provides:
- a historical analysis of state formation and nation building in Europe with context of religious wars and political revolutions, including the (re-)conceptualisation of basic concepts and terms such as territoriality, sovereignty, state, nation and citizenship;
- reassesses primordial views on ethnicity/nationality and language & religious identities and provides a sociologically informed political lens to reconcile the requirements for political unity, obligations to international law and ensure social cohesion for the culturally diverse society;
- examines the liberal and national ideological framings of equality protection in liberal-democratic regimes and the number of mechanisms from voting rights to proportional representation in state bodies, forms of cultural and territorial autonomy and federalism to engage with the challenges of the ongoing re-nationalisation in all parts of Europe.
This module will help students interested in European politics, human and minority rights, governance and nationalism, and politics of diverse societies to understand the origins of and anticipate political developments of their increasingly diverse societies.
Learning Outcomes
- Place issues of governance in diverse societies in the context of domestic and European political and legal obligations to ensure equality of all citizens;
- Contrast the differential impact nation-state building had in different parts of Europe on diverse resident populations and reflect on the role of European integration on political process;
- Ascertain importance of diversity and equality as guarantee for societal stability and peace in and around Europe
- Understand and be able to reflect critically on the impact accommodation and support for minorities has on the likelihood of conflict in contemporary Europe
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in written form on issues relating to equality and diversity in contemporary Europe
- Pursue intellectual questions in an academic manner, using analytical skills and critical thinking to develop transferrable skills
Skills
Intellectual skills
- Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
- Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
- Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
This module introduces key themes in music psychology. These include models and experimental data relating to music cognition and perceptual processing; auditory neuroscience and the neuropsychology of music; developmental music psychology; empirical and experimental studies regarding the function and role of emotion in music; and applications of music in therapeutic, medical and commercial contexts. Additionally the module provides an introduction to psychological research methodology and the critical-analytical thinking employed in the behavioural sciences.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate a critical appreciation of the existing theoretical accounts of musical perception, processing and action. Students will be able to apply psychological methods to novel music-related questions. Students will understand the relationship between published science and how it is presented in the media. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of psychological concepts applied to music and bring psychological, critical thinking to bear on issues relevant to music production and creative technologies.
Skills
(i) Develop facility to review, critically evaluate and synthesise a body of psychological knowledge related to music and sonic arts.
(ii) Engage in processes of reflective scientific, psychological thinking.
(iii) Writing and communication skills related to production of an assignment which evidences ability to engage in critical analysis of relevant literature.
(iv) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(v) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(vi) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(vii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(viii) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
This module introduces Level 2 undergraduate students to the distinctive challenges of acting for musical theatre: namely, sustaining a character, sustaining relationships between characters, and sustaining the overall dramatic narrative while singing. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will learn how the core tasks of dramatic acting can be integrated with vocal technique to produce the unique performance genre of musical theatre, In so doing, students will gain practical knowledge of the history of musical theatre and its formal evolution over time. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include West Side Story (Bernstein/Sondheim, Oklahoma (Rodgers/Hammerstein), Guys and Dolls (Loesser) and She Loves Me (Bock/Harnick).
Learning Outcomes
• to acquire knowledge of major types of musical theatre across a range of periods and styles (eg, quasi-operatic, naturalistic)
• to perform scenes and songs from canonical works in the musical theatre repertoire
• to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
• to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performance
Skills
Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team-building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.
This module situates the concept of ‘justice’ in the context of violent conflict, exploring how justice has different meanings and is achieved through different mechanisms in societies affected by conflict around the world. Students examine themes including the troubled relationship between justice and peace, the complex roles actors such as victims and ex-combatants play in justice mechanisms, and a variety of justice mechanisms ranging from community-based grassroots processes, to more well-known transitional justice processes, to increasingly transformative justice processes. The module is global in focus, incorporating critiques of the imposition of Western notions of justice in the Global South, though gives specific attention to the case of Northern Ireland.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
• Understand the social construction of ‘justice’ and its different meanings in settings of conflict around the globe
• Discuss the limitations of traditional criminal justice processes in responding to conflict
• Explain the complex roles of victims and survivors, ex-combatants and members of wider society in justice mechanisms
• Critically analyse justice mechanisms in different settings of conflict
• Develop and communicate academic arguments supported by appropriate academic references
Skills
This module aims to enable students to develop the following skills:
• Identifying and retrieving relevant information from print and electronic sources in relation to a particular topic
• Evaluating evidence and drawing appropriate conclusions
• Summarising complex ideas and research evidence, conveying it in a clear, structured and critical manner (both orally and in writing)
• A capacity for critical reflection and independent thinking, generating new insights and seeing sensitive problems and issues from different perspectives
• Time planning and management
Over 85% of the population of Brazil lives in cities. In this module, students will explore and engage with a diversity of Brazilian urban configurations, spanning cities of different sizes in different regions of the country (as well as, potentially, cities outside of Brazil in which Brazilian migrants have established a presence). Students will be
introduced to and learn how to analyse varied practices of the occupation and representation of Brazilian urban spaces by their inhabitants and visitors in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which might include verticalization, auto-construction, migration, mapping, tourism, datafication, performance, events, protest, and commerce/trade, as well as different cultural forms such as film, literature, art, music, digital culture and so on. The module will also foreground diverse perspectives on the city informed by attributes such as race and ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Previous knowledge of the Portuguese language and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world are not required.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to: * Critically analyse a range of occupations and representations of Brazilian urban spaces informed by an awareness of their specific features as well as the historical, social, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which they are undertaken * Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of twentieth and twenty-first century Brazilian urban configurations, grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to the topic and the ability to engage with a range of social and cultural formations * Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from relevant social and cultural material and with opinions from secondary literature.
Skills
On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated: - Interpretive and analytical skills through the critical analysis of varied examples of Brazilian urban occupations and representations - Organisational and time management skills through their use of non-contact time to effectively prepare for and meet deadlines for classes and assessments - Oral and written communication skills through participation in class discussions and completion of coursework assignments - Independent study skills through identifying and making appropriate use of relevant secondary materials - The ability to formulate independent views and their effective expression and deployment in verbal and written form - The ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Internet, etc).
Understanding 20th Century Mexico through Art, Film and Literature
Overview
This module introduces students to key moments in Mexican history and cultural production through the study of art, film and literature.
The module will introduce students to a selection (typically three or four) of the following topics:
The Mexican Revolution
The Rights and Experiences of Indigenous Populations
1968, the Mexico Olympics, Student Movements and Tlatelolco
Migration, Border Crossing and Border Culture
The Zapatista Uprising
Mexico’s Dirty War
Mexico City becomes a mega city
Inserting women into Mexican history
NAFTA, maquiladoras and femicide
Communism, Fascism, and the Spanish Civil War exiles in Mexico
Workers’ Movements and Workers’ Rights
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, student should:
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of a selection of key moments in 20th century Mexican history
• Understand how cultural production (art, film and literature) has responded to a selection of key moments in 20th century Mexican history.
• Be able to use their knowledge of the set texts to construct an argument on a given topic.
• Understand individual texts and the contexts and critical debates surrounding them.
• Have demonstrated the ability to read and understand works of fiction and academic criticism in Spanish.
• At an advanced level students should have acquired an appreciation of the complex relationships and dialogues between texts and reality.
Skills
On successful completion of the course, student should be able to:
• Articulate ideas and arguments in written form using evidence from primary and secondary literature as appropriate
• Prepare presentations and handouts suitable for a specified purpose or audience
• Interpret texts in different media using appropriate critical vocabulary and terminology
• Be able to recognise and explain nuance and ambiguity in texts
• Adjust their writing style for different purposes
• At an advanced level students should be able to point out shortcomings in scholarly literature and analysis
• Read complex texts in Spanish
This module will bring together staff from a range of disciplinary fields including anthropology, film studies, and museum studies, in an examination of media, visual, and digital anthropology. The aim of the module is to offer students analytical skills to engage with the notion of the ‘visual’ and ‘media’ in research practice. A key focus will be placed on visual ethnographic methods, from ethnographic film, to photography, museum display and performance, as well as an examination of digital/social media and their anthropological significance. Some additional key themes will be those of the crisis of representation in anthropology, globalization and the dominion of the ‘visual’, sensorial and digital methods in the field, media and the social, the ethics of visual/digital anthropology and virtual/collaborative practices in ethnographic fieldwork.
Learning Outcomes
On completion, students will:
· be familiar with key issues in the study of the ‘visual’ and media in anthropology
· be able to recognize and critically assess the role of visual and other media in different cultures
· understand how visual methods can be utilized in ethnographic fieldwork
· understands the ethics and responsibilities involved in the use of visual and virtual/digital methods in ethnographic fieldwork
· be able to historicise the development of visual and media anthropology
· be able to employ different visual media (photography, ethnographic film, visual blogs, visual material) in interactive critical discussions with peers and employ visual methods in the practice of ethnographic fieldwork.
Skills
Academic reading and writing
Oral communication of theoretical and ethnographic data
Media literacy and criticism
Effective presentation of written work
Critical reflection on ethnographic films, museum displays and photography in anthropology
Creative work with electronic audio/visual media.
This module engages critically with major issues in the philosophy of race through analysis of historical and contemporary texts and arguments. The module incorporates attention to social epistemological and metaphysical issues as well as to ethical and political issues, and will encourage students to appreciate the interconnections between these. The module may include discussion of the following questions: What is race? How do race, class, and gender intersect? How does colonialism affect our understanding of race? In what was does the history of racism impact on knowledge? How has race and racism affected our understanding of artworks and bodies? The precise issues covered in the module may vary from year to year, but are likely to include critical philosophy of race, metaphysics of race, epistemic injustice and race, coloniality, gender, and race, debates concerning social constructivism and biological realism, aesthetics and race, and feminist philosophy and race.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate critical analysis of key debates in the philosophy of race;
• Apply relevant philosophical theories to analysis of key issues in the
philosophy of race;
• Demonstrate critical understanding of diverse accounts of race within
philosophy and society.
Skills
Intellectual Skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing.
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning.
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment.
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development.
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines.
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels
Overview
This interdisciplinary module introduces students to the central ideas of gender theory and to a wide variety of representations of gender across a range of media, including theatre, performance, literature, visual art, film and television. Using key texts and cultural works students are encouraged to examine critically the representation of gender across media, and the political, legal, and ethical dimensions of gender within our culture. The module involves a critical engagement with the relationship between identity, representation and culture and explores theories concerning the social construction of the masculine and feminine body. The module engages with several key issues, including the representation of femininity and masculinity, gender in the literary and theatrical canon of Western culture, the spatiality and temporality of gender, and its intersections with issues of race/ethnicity, class, and labour. Students will be asked to think about these issues and ideas across disciplines but also within their areas of study through seminars.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
* have engaged with a variety of representations of gender, the body and sexual identities within socio-historical, theoretical and representational frameworks and across multiple forms of media,
* have cultivated an understanding of the theoretical and practical movements that have shaped the construction and representation of gender, sexuality and the body in culture,
* have developed a critical understanding of the relationship between representation and identity.
Skills
Having completed this module, you should:
* have developed reflexive thinking and independent critical and analytical skills.
* have developed imaginative and communicative skills based on the application of reading materials to class presentations
This module – delivered in conjunction with the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme - introduces students to the concept of dramaturgy as a critical tool in interrogating the connection between the playtext and performance. With the input and insight of professional dramaturgs, this module will explore the historical development of dramaturgy alongside the critical role of the dramaturg in the contemporary theatre. This module will involve play/performance analysis of a diverse range of theatre forms, genres, and practices and will explore both canonical and contemporary artists, including the work produced under the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme. Students will consider the dramaturgical process of selection, construction and framing in relation to the work produced by the Lyric’s annual showcase of new work, as well as a dramaturgical analysis of select live performances. Students will also create a range of short projects using writing, research, art, with the option of devising a live short performance as part of a diverse portfolio of assessment. Completion of this module will be required for all students who wish to submit a creative writing dissertation for DRA3025 Dissertation in the form of a playscript.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
- Engage with the contested and problematic term ‘dramaturgy’ and understand the role of the dramaturg in the devising/new writing process;
- Demonstrate a critical and creative understanding of dramatic structure and style, including non-realistic performance (post-dramatic theatre, puppetry, dance etc.)
- Use dramaturgical tools of play analysis and creative research to interrogate playtexts as well as the process and performance of live theatre;
- Conduct background research (written/visual) on the world of the play or performance text;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practices of dramaturgy as they relate to plays from other cultures.
- Think differently about theatre – how it is made and its relationship to wider culture and society.
Skills
By the end of this module students will have:
- Enhanced their ability to work independently and interpersonally by creatively researching and critically reflecting on the process of developing work from page to stage;
- Developed their analytical, research, and practical skills;
- Developed their collective, individual, and interdisciplinary modes of working;
- Enhanced their potential to make theatre and to become reflective theatre practitioners.
This module will introduce students to the analysis of civil wars and the fields of conflict analysis and peace studies. The aim of this module is to introduce students to theoretical and empirical problems in the study of the outbreak, development and resolution of armed civil conflicts. It explores the conflict cycle, the complexity of violent conflict, dynamics of political violence, the effects of certain situations on conflict dynamics, different types of actors in civil war, the outcomes of civil war, peace processes, and techniques such as mediation. It explores the main concepts (such as “conflict”, “civil war”, “peace”, etc.), some theories (such as the causes of civil war, the dynamics, and consequences), and some issues and debates (such as when and how to mediate conflicts) in peace and conflict studies. It also covers theoretical and methodological issues in peace and conflict studies, such as issues in classification and measurement.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
-Understand basic approaches to the causes, development and resolution of conflicts
- Be able to identify and critically evaluate central concepts, issues, debates, and obstacles in civil wars, conflict resolution and peace
- Be able to explain, critically evaluate, and discuss central questions and theories on causes, development and resolution of conflicts
- Conduct independent research by independently finding, gathering, and evaluating information and texts on armed conflicts and peace
- Be able to recognise and differentiate between descriptive, explanative and normative studies
- Be able to distinguish between and locate primary and secondary sources of information
- Be able to identify different approaches to conceptualization and measurement of key variables as they relate to Peace and Conflict Studies
- Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form
- Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
- Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
- Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
- Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
- Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
- Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
- Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Northern Ireland’s peace process, the legacy of conflict and enduring divisions present a range of ongoing challenges for politics and society. Drawing on expertise from across the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics – combined with that of relevant practitioners, where possible – this interdisciplinary, team-taught module will examine a range of thematic challenges with respect to conflict, conflict transformation, peacebuilding, community relations, public representations of the past, and democratic governance. Rooted in the case of Northern Ireland, the module will also routinely consider broader comparisons with other cases and possible generalisation to other cases. It will be structured into three main parts. First, it will critically engage with Northern Ireland’s past. What were the underlying sources of division, and what can we learn about the complexities and nuances of identity over time? Second, it will explore how the past continues to interact with contemporary Northern Ireland. How is this past represented and understood in today’s public history landscape? Is it possible for Northern Ireland’s contested past to be publicly represented in ways that promote mutual understanding? Can Northern Ireland now be characterised as a ‘post-conflict’ region? Finally, the module will look ahead. Does the current political settlement represent a sustainable form of governance for the region? What do internal developments, such as demographic change, and external challenges, such as climate change, mean for Northern Ireland’s future? By critically engaging with these interrelated themes through relevant disciplinary perspectives, this module ultimately seeks to better understand contemporary Northern Ireland, the history that has shaped it, and the future directions that are possible.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the successful student should be able to demonstrate in assessed essays, coursework and tutorial contributions:
- A familiarity with a range of topical issues and debates in Northern Ireland, including their historical roots, their contemporary political significance, and their relevance for the region’s future;
- An understanding of the Northern Ireland conflict and the peace process, including the factors that contributed to both;
- A critical appreciation of the challenges associated with conflict transformation, peacebuilding, community relations, public representations of the past, and democratic governance in a divided society from a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities and social sciences;
- Awareness of the role that arts, culture, heritage and public engagement with the past can play in reducing political and social divisions;
- A heightened sense of the complexity of identity, politics and place in Northern Ireland.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge; manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning;
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance .
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
The Romantic period (c.1789-1832) witnessed dramatic social and historical change as the effects of major events such as the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, widespread Enclosure and the Industrial Revolution initiated the sense of ‘living in history’. In the midst of these revolutionary changes, poets wrote with new confidence of the importance of the imagination, as a creative and utopian force; of the beauty, fragility and power of the natural world; of political ideals of social justice; of the arguments for gender equality. Poetry became synonymous with the imagination as a force which could unite idealism with social change. This module studies a range of Romantic poetry, including but not restricted to, the work of Anna Laetitia Barbauld, William Blake, Lord Byron, John Clare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Mary Robinson, Felicia Hemans, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charlotte Smith, and William Wordsworth. Poems will be studied through the key themes of the revolutionary imagination; the natural world; the language of class; representations of childhood; slavery and feminism. One hour of each week’s seminar time will comprise a close reading of one key poem for that week’s discussion, with the second hour being used for more generalized and broader discussion. The module will also include a specialised library visit and a field trip connected with the natural world.
Learning Outcomes
Students completing this module will have learned to read poetry in terms of its formal techniques and effects and to situate these interpretations in a range of contexts both historical and contemporary. They will be able to read and contextualize poetry of the Romantic period in particular, and to understand its significance for contemporary literature and society. They will be able to distinguish and appreciate a diversity of poetic genres and styles characteristic of the period, and to read and interrogate a range of diverse kinds of poetry in a critical way. Students will be equipped to debate political, aesthetic and social issues in an informed way with regard to their historical development, and their continued development in modern forms. Students will also be able to interrogate constructions of Romanticism and to deconstruct its various claims from contemporary perspectives both supportive and critical of its legacy for the modern world.
Skills
Students who have completed this module will be able to:
• Interpret a range of poems in ways which are attuned to their aesthetic effects and contextual meanings.
• Debate various aesthetic, social and political issues produced in poetry of the Romantic period.
• Show an understanding of formal and generic developments in poetry with regard to intellectual history.
• Examine the ways in which literary texts are implicated in the emergence of dominant understandings of political and social discourses.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
This module introduces students to the intellectual arguments and counter-arguments of the period known as the Age of Enlightenment, running through the long eighteenth century and embodied in its literature. As an increasing emphasis on rationality as a means to human understanding came to challenge earlier forms of social and political legitimacy, attitudes to self and identity; science and religion; gender and sexuality; politics and government were significantly reformulated from the eighteenth century onwards, with literature and the arts reflecting and participating in the broad historical movement that this shift in thinking represented. We will introduce and debate some of these key ideas of the Enlightenment (or of the various forms of Enlightenment) in relation to the development of generic categories and poetic forms over the period. The module will be organized around a series of texts and debates implicated in significant cultural and historical developments such as the growth of individualism, consumerism, ideas of political liberty and rights, and of the nation and its overseas empire. The module will include selections of poetry and prose (including literary forms such as the periodical essay, life writings, the political pamphlet, and the novel) to be read in relation to contextual, literary-theoretical, and historical considerations. We will also examine revisionist responses to the Enlightenment, reflecting the interests of contemporary authors seeking to represent the marginalized or silenced voices of the period such as those of women, labouring classes, slaves, and colonial others.
Learning Outcomes
Students completing this module will have gained, through their engagement with literary texts and genres, an understanding of major Enlightenment ideas and their impact on historical development. They will be able to read and contextualize literature of eighteenth century in particular with regard to such ideas, and to discern their significance for contemporary literature and society. They will be able to distinguish and appreciate a diversity of genres and texts characteristic of the period, and to read and interrogate such genres and texts in a critical way. They will be introduced to major digital resources giving them the skills that will enable independent research should they wish to progress further in this area. Students will be equipped to debate political, religious and social issues in an informed way with regard to the emergence of such controversies, and their continued development in modern forms. Students will also be able interrogate constructions of the Enlightenment and to deconstruct its various claims from contemporary perspectives critical of its legacy for the modern world.
Skills
Students who have completed this module will be able to:
• Analyse literary texts with regard to the major intellectual debates and forms of knowledge generated by Enlightenment thinking.
• Debate various religious, social and political issues produced in literature relating to Enlightenment.
• Demonstrate research skills with regard to the use of digital platforms such as Eighteenth-Century Collections Online and British Periodicals with regard to the exploration of such topics.
• Show an understanding of formal and generic developments in literature with regard to intellectual history.
• Examine the ways in which literary texts are implicated in the emergence of dominant understandings of political and social discourses.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
Utopia / Dystopia: The Future in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Literature
Overview
In the late nineteenth century, utopian literature met speculative fiction: the ‘nowhere’ of utopia was reimagined as the future, which was conceived as both the best and worst possible worlds. This course examines a variety of late nineteenth-century utopias and dystopias, but also shows the ways this imaginative tradition shaped literary prediction in the twentieth century (including works by Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and Margaret Atwood). It considers the ways twentieth-century writers both engaged with their literary predecessors and rewrote utopian and dystopian traditions to speak to the urgency of their own political moments. From the dangers and promises of science and technology to the future of feminism, socialism, race and mass culture, we will explore what utopias and dystopias reveal about their own historical moments, and analyze the claim that one person’s utopia is another’s dystopia.
Indicative selection of texts
Edward Bulwer Lytton, The Coming Race
H. G. Wells, The Time Machine
William Morris, News from Nowhere
Catherine Helen Spence, A Week in the Future
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland
E. M. Forster, ‘The Machine Stops’
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
George Orwell, 1984
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to analyze the evolving generic traits of political fantasy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and will have gained an understanding of utopian, dystopian and speculative fiction as literary forms. They will be able to relate utopian and dystopian fiction to social debates and historical changes in the period in which it was produced (including debates over feminism, socialism, evolutionary biology and eugenics and the future of democracy and mass culture). They will be capable of analyzing the political function of utopian and dystopian literature, and the role of reading communities in the evolution of the genre. Students will be able to use their understanding of genre to reflect on continuities with as well as changes between late Victorian and twentieth-century literature.
Skills
• A demonstrable understanding of the relationship between the political and the literary, and an ability to see the relevance of debates generated by this ‘literature of ideas’ to the present as well as the past
• Transferrable skills in the forms of group discussion, ability to present material to peers and individual research and essay writing skills – the ability to synthesize texts and create a clear analytical argument
• The ability to interweave close and historical reading skills – a demonstrable awareness of the ways historical and cultural change shapes literary form within political fantasy from the nineteenth to the twentieth century
• Ability to apply theoretical and historical debates over genre (utopian and dystopian and speculative fiction) to a range of literary contexts
• An ability to show the ways fiction is shaped by reading communities as well as writers (including socialist and feminist readerships).
This module examines the development of prose fiction in English from the later seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century. This is the period in which the novel emerged in its recognisably modern form, establishing itself as an important genre within literary culture. It was also an era of generic experimentation, as writers debated the nature of the novel, took the form in new directions, and grappled with earlier modes of writing in prose, such as romance and picaresque, allegorical and fantastical fiction. In this module, we explore the variety of prose fiction published during this period: from romance and amatory fiction, through works of realism and social comedy, to the sentimental and Gothic modes that emerged in the later eighteenth century. These works engaged closely with contemporary social, cultural and political issues, and we will consider texts that address topics such as travel and empire; science and civilisation; marriage and gender; crime, morality and the state of the nation. By considering these works in their literary and cultural contexts, the module both highlights the diversity of fiction written during this era and charts the early history of the novel up to the sophisticated narratives of Jane Austen.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed higher-level knowledge and understanding of prose fiction during the period 1660-1820. They will be able to identify the different kinds and modes of fiction published during this period, including romance and amatory fiction, works of realism and social comedy, the sentimental and Gothic modes. They will be equipped to assess critical arguments concerning the ‘rise’ of the novel as a distinctive literary genre during the ‘long’ eighteenth century. They will also be able to situate this body of fiction more broadly within its literary and cultural contexts. On completing the module, then, students will be able to articulate the key types of fiction in English during the period up to (and including) Austen, theories about the novel’s emergence as a literary form, and the engagement of these works with a range of contemporary issues.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse works of prose fiction published during the ‘long’ eighteenth century, in terms of genre, technique, and social and cultural contexts
• Demonstrate understanding of the variety of forms, modes and styles within fiction during this period, and the pre-history of some of these ways of writing
• Adjudicate critical and theoretical ideas regarding the ‘rise’ or emergence of the novel genre during the period up to Austen
• Demonstrate understanding of the particular issues explored within this body of fiction - from issues such as marriage and travel to concerns about crime, morality and empire
• Demonstrate transferable skills in the forms of group discussion, written communication, and individual research
This module will introduce a number of British films from a range of different historical periods. Students will consider films in relation to theoretical issues of national identity, representation, class and gender and will also explore British film culture to examine issues of production, film funding, censorship and reception.
Films studied may include well-known examples from British cinema such as Passport to Pimlico (Cornelius, 1949), Room with a View (Ivory, 1985), or Elizabeth (Kapur, 1998) but will also consider a range of less well-studied texts to explore the breadth and range of ‘national cinema.’ One of the key objectives of the module will be to use film examples to address complex issues relating to national identity, shared history and popular taste. It will also consider how film can be a useful vehicle for understanding and addressing such issues.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) an understanding of the film culture of Britain and a knowledge of British film production and reception
2) an understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to British cinema
3) an understanding of the relationships between cinema, history and national identity
4) the ability to analyse and evaluate films produced within Britain
Skills
1) Critical thinking skills
2) Analytical skills
3) Skills of rhetoric and argument
4) Presentation skills
5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills
This module introduces students to the literature and culture of the period 1900-1930, with a focus on the literary movements grouped under the term ‘modernism’. These literary texts will be examined as complicated and ambivalent responses to the experience of modernity. Students will cover key figures of British and Irish ‘High Modernism’, including James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, alongside American modernists and writers of the so-called ‘middle brow’. Particular attention will be paid to the historical contexts in which these texts were produced, and on their conditions of publication and consumption. These contexts include: the aftermath of the Great War; gender politics, from the New Woman to Suffrage and beyond; the politics of race; terrorism and violence; queer sexualities; urban decay and urban development; the relationship between cultural centres and peripheries; poetry and its publics; American cultural politics; media, and the rise of youth cultures. More broadly, the modules will explore theories and manifestations of ‘modernity’, examining the challenges of modern technologies and social formations to literary practice.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the literature of modernity. They will be able to read a variety of texts from the period 1900-1930, including novels, poems, short stories, novellas, and periodical essays. Students will be able to read these texts in relation to a number of contexts, including political, social, and cultural developments. They will also develop the skills to read these texts with an eye to their formal complexity and ingenuity, tying this experimentation to the dynamic social contexts to which they responded. Students will be introduced to a number of digital resources that will encourage their independent research into the periodical publication of modernist works. Moreover students will be able to interrogate a number of dominant critical frameworks, including: those that have, until recently, elevated modernism above the broader literary culture of the period; those that diminish the influence of Victorian literature on modernism.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse modernist literature in both a historical and critical context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex relationship between formal literary innovation and social transformations.
• Examine the relationship between ‘high’ cultural forms and the so-called ‘middle brow’ works of the period.
• Explore how literary texts challenged dominant understandings of race, gender, and class.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
• Demonstrate advanced research skills, in particular the use of digital platforms to explore the nature of modernist periodicals.
We are all familiar with people who have recently been quickly catapulted to the heights of fame and public attention. The status of such individuals is often associated with wealth and public exposure, and the rise of mass media makes it much easier for them to gain publicity and recognition instantly, across the world. But has it always been this way?
This module will examine the career and legacy of Charles Dickens, who was first recognised for his extraordinary creativity, in producing the works of literature for which he is best known. He was also, however, a careful and intelligent manipulator of his own public image, to the extent that the catchphrase ‘the man who invented Christmas’ survives to this day. By carefully scrutinising Dickens through fiction, journalism, letters, advertising, biography, photography, and film, students will come to understand just how ‘constructed’ this Victorian superstar was; they will also understand how the means he, his publishers, agents, and advisors, and his inheritors employed to develop and maintain his public image serve as forerunners for the phenomenon of celebrity culture in our own day.
Indicative set texts & other media:
Lee Barron, Celebrity Cultures: An Introduction (Sage, 2015)
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
Ralph Fiennes, The Invisible Woman (DVD 2013)
Bharat Naluri, The Man Who Invented Christmas (DVD 2017)
Michael Slater, Charles Dickens (Yale UP, 2011)
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the history of celebrity, and the role it has played in shaping cultural values. They will be able to read and engage critically with key Dickens novels from the 1830s-1850s, as well as with his journalism and letters. They will also be able to examine and perform critical assessments on other media that feature Dickens as the central figure, including film, photography, and advertising. Students will be able to analyse and interrogate the ways in which various media project the idea of celebrity in light of their target audiences, and will be able to assess the effects of the strategies employed.
Skills
Having completed this module you will be able to:
• Analyse Dickens’s literary texts in both historical and critical contexts.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the meaning of ‘celebrity’ and the role it has played in shaping cultural values
• Examine how textual and visual media have had an impact upon the development of celebrity
• Explore the construction of the author as a complex amalgam of creative ability and targeted media manipulation
• Demonstrate how celebrities become brands in their own right, and are used in marketing to promote products and services
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
• Demonstrate advanced research skills, in particular the use of digital platforms to explore the nature of celebrity culture
An introduction to the theory and practice of directing, writing and performing for radio and podcasting. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Students will apply these skills in their own short radio dramas as writers, script editors, SFX Spot/Foley Operators, directors or actors. We will work closely with students on the Broadcast production degree on the technical aspects of this module. The module is open to students on all drama and Broadcast Production programmes and on the Creative Writing programme in the Seamus Heaney Centre.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have an understanding of the distinctive demands of acting, writing and directing for radio
Have a critical appreciation of radio drama as a genre and be familiar with a range of relevant examples
Skills
Oral communication, team-working and specialist technical skills.
The module will focus on the nature, causes and consequences of environmental change. Changes in the various aspects of the Earth system including the Earth’s climate, hydrological systems and ecosystems will be investigated. A range of geographical methods will be employed to examine these changes, including palaeo-environmental records. The role of humans in changing the Earth’s environment will be investigated and will be placed in the context of past environmental change and natural variability.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of the module students will:
• Have a knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change over different timescales
• Develop skills in analysing and interpreting secondary environmental data
• Be able to interpret and critically evaluate scientific literature
• Enhance skills in scientific writing
Skills
Students are expected to allocate study time in proportion to the significance of issues covered within the lecture course. Successful completion of the module will result in acquisition and/or enhancement of the following skills. (P=Practised; T=Taught; A=Assessed)
Subject-specific skills
Key skills
Employability skills (see ‘key skills’ above)
Critical thinking, verbal and written communication, explanation of complex ideas and concepts, presentation, analysis and interpretation of numerical information, ability to synthesise and critique multiple sources of information.
This Level 2 Film Studies and Production module aims to introduce students to the importance of animated feature films, through a specific focus on the American animation industry. The module will cover the history and development of American animation through a series of case studies to engage with recurring themes, artistry and the digital revolution. Students will also be introduced to key directors and studios that have influenced and defined the contemporary landscape of the American animation industry, such as Walt Disney, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Students will gain broader insight into the trends of popular cinema and the industrial processes of mainstream animation.
Learning Outcomes
On Completion of this module, the learner will be able to demonstrate:
1. a clear knowledge and understanding of the contemporary history and significance of the American animated film industry;
2. an ability to evaluate the narrative, aesthetic, and cultural challenges to dominant animation production studios and practices;
3. critical awareness of how animated film forms and genres relate to concepts such as the still, the moving image, the frame, animism, and utopia;
4. Enhanced understanding of the visual, audio and verbal conventions through which animated images make meaning;
5. Enhance skills in written, oral and visual communication.
Skills
In taking this module, the learner will acquire and enhance their skills in:
• Critical thinking
• Visual Analysis
• Research
• Written and oral presentation
This module introduces students to sociological approaches to conflict and peace processes. It presents theoretical approaches to conflict and peace, as well as comparative analyses of particular cases, such as Northern Ireland, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Topics include theoretical approaches to conflict management, resolution and transformation; the role of civil society in conflict/peace processes, militarism and military masculinities, the role of religion, the role of women, the role of ex-combatants, and victims/dealing with the past.
Learning Outcomes
Understand theoretical approaches to conflict management, resolution and transformation, including sociology’s distinctive contributions to these theoretical debates.
Understand and critically evaluate the concepts of ‘civil society’ and ‘social peace processes’.
Critically analyse and compare the sociology of conflict and peace processes in different contexts.
Identify key actors within social peace processes and critically evaluate their role, including religious actors, women, ex-combatants and victims.
Skills
Intellectual Skills
* An ability to critically read and evaluate sociological literature and non-academic/media material on conflict and peace processes.
* An ability to collect and interpret evidence about conflict and peace processes.
* An ability to demonstrate evidence of independent thinking and to compose reasoned opinions based on development of thought and knowledge
Practical/study skills
* An ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner using a range of source material
* An ability to present information in spoken form and to contribute to discussions
* An ability to retrieve and synthesise primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative, sources of (print and electronic) information
* An ability to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate material
Employability skills
* Organisation: planning and managing your learning, working on your own initiative
* Communication skills: written and oral
* Problem-solving: research, analysis, handling different types of data
This module is an undergraduate elective module. It will address contemporary debates on migration and gender while contextualising migration as individual and collective cross-border movement, internationally. It focuses on the gendered dynamics of (im)migration while differentiating agency of men and women, problematising the notions of femininity and masculinity, speaking about LGTB people, and also looking at nation state power formations (e.g. pull/ push factors) that trigger and shape migration movements, historically. Students will be introduced to a range of relevant sociological and feminist theories advancing our understanding of gendered migration, and they will learn how state regulated (e.g. nation states as defining what is ‘legal’) migration changes across time. Topics include among others labour migration (e.g. immigration law; gendered citizenship and EU trans-border mobility), but also forced migration (e.g. gendered causes and experiences of asylum seekers/ and refugees).
Learning Outcomes
* To develop students’ understanding of the feminist critique of Migration Studies and the ways Gender (& Ethnic) Studies influence this field of academic study and practice, especially since the 1970s.
* To understand the heterogeneity of gendered experiences of migration, including the contexts of individual, family-based and mass movements, and those in particular social spaces, for example, regional, rural and urban contexts.
* To understand the gendered implications of different ways of representing and responding to immigration.
* To engage critically with key debates regarding the gendered dimensions of concepts such as nation, agency, rights and belonging.
Skills
By the end of this course, students will have acquired the capacity to:
Understand and evaluate different conceptual approaches to the phenomenon of migration;
understand discourses on migration as historically situated and embedded in nation-state politics;
reflect sociologically on legal, political and social structure framing migration discourses in and beyond Europe;
understand the specific dynamics of gendered migration;
develop oral and written communication skills in presenting arguments on migration policy and debates with respect to different countries;
apply knowledge of gender and migration to various country case studies;
apply communication skills in order to disseminate research results effectively;
design and write up an essay on the topic of current gender & migration debates.
The Archaeology of Islands (Residential Fieldtrip Module)
Overview
This module will introduce students to the archaeology of islands. Opening weeks will provide an overview of the conceptual issues surrounding the study of islands including the physical geography of islands, theories of island colonisation, concepts of insularity, material adaption and evolution in insular environments, and social resilience and decline on islands. This section of the course will be assessed through an essay. Following this, students will explore concepts through specific island case studies presented by staff and through directed leaning and seminars. This will be assessed via short projects/ posters. The module will have a substantial residential field work component; so the penultimate weeks will focus on preparation, exploring in depth issues specific to the fieldwork destination (currently Malta). Students will also receive training in basic recording methods prior to the fieldtrip and presentations to the class on sites (with an accompanying prepared fact sheet).
Learning Outcomes
- An understanding of themes central to island archaeology including colonisation, insularity, adaptation and material evolution, climate resilience and collapse of island cultures;
- Critical interpretation of monuments, architecture, building materials and artefacts, within an island context;
- An awareness of current debates in island archaeologies;
- Critical understanding of how heritage Is presented as part of contemporary island identities;
- An understanding of the relevance of studying islands to current society.
Skills
· Observation and interpretation of material culture in the field and landscape
· Discussion skills
· Research skills
· Preparation of site reports and effective writing
· Presentation skills
· Critical understanding of popular archaeological media
Havoc and Rebellion: Writing and Reading Later Medieval England
Overview
From the Black Death to the Uprising of 1381; from the usurpation and murder of King Richard II to the Oldcastle Rebellion of 1414; from the rise of the Lollard heresy to the Wars of the Roses – how did late medieval writing, from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Langland’s Piers Plowman, and Gower’s Vox Clamantis, to the work of a range of anonymous poets, dramatists, and chroniclers, respond to several decades of tumultuous social and cultural change? This module introduces students to the vibrancy and vitality of a crucial period in the history of English writing, and it explores the methodological challenges of reading literature historically. Students will engage with key historicist readings of the period’s literature and will consider literature in its material circumstances with reference to online facsimiles of key manuscript books, as well as the museological presentation of the period’s material culture. The key genres, conventions and preoccupations of the period will be explored in relation to the explosive social mobility that followed the devastation of the Black Death. The module will conclude on the eve of the coronation of Henry VIII, when it was assumed that the political and religious tumult of the ‘calamitous fourteenth century’ had finally been settled.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of late medieval literature and culture (c.1370-1509). They will have learned to address the challenges of reading literature in its historical contexts, and become familiar with the central tenets of historicist critical practice. They will have learned to interrogate critically the re-presentation of texts and artefacts from the Middle Ages in online archival and museological contexts. They will have learned to reflect critically on the idea of the Middle Ages itself and on questions of historical periodisation in general.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse late medieval literature, paying attention to the relationship between texts and contexts assumed by historicist modes of reading.
• Demonstrate understanding of the complex relationship between literary forms and socio-political transformations.
• Situate the literature of this period in the contexts of its influence on literary ideas and modes of transmission, such as authorship and printing, that will be of critical importance to later periods
• Demonstrate enhanced digital capabilities, both in terms of using digital repositories and in working collaboratively on a digital project for assessment.
Through lectures, assignments, reading discussions, essay writing, and examination, this module attempts to improve students' historical and theoretical comprehension of architectural discourse, mainly in the areas of architectural design, communication, art, and the city.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
Build coherent narratives of the architectural developments and their significance in certain periods/contexts.
Understand the influences, which gave meaning and value to architectural design and in association with socio-cultural situations.
Present in a well-structured way and analytically evaluate the characteristics of architecture that are sound and critically reflective.
Have the knowledge of theories and practices of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design.
Understand general principles of urban history and theory and the influence their complex economic, socio-cultural contexts have on architecture.
Develop a critical approach to the role of theory in the design and communication of architecture, and to develop methods to transfer theory into practice.
Skills
Academic research, reading, writing and discussion, critical thinking, turning theory into practice, presentation, group work and (inter)active learning.
The module is designed for beginners and aims to teach all four key language skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. The text book is supplemented by aural and oral exercises accessible on all the student workstations in the Language Centre. Regular written assignments are required to reinforce the grammar taught in class, particularly language drills which are marked and returned with feedback.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, the student should be able to demonstrate an ability to translate simple passages from English into Scottish Gaelic and from Scottish Gaelic into English, using basic sentence structures and a limited vocabulary.
Skills
Linguistic analysis and comparison; translation; communication; IT; independent learning; time management.
Managerial Economics is concerned with the application of economic principles and methodologies to the decision-making process inside corporations and other organisations operating under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Students acquire a solid foundation in key analytical tools: game theory, transaction costs, information asymmetries and the principal-agent problem. These tools are used to understand organisational architecture: the assignment of decision rights within organisations, the methods of incentivising individuals, and the structures and systems used to evaluate the performance of individuals and business units. This module draws on material from allied academic fields, including personnel economics, behavioural economics, financial economics and business history.
Learning Outcomes
• Students will gain a better understanding of the functioning of economic agents under conditions of risk and uncertainty.
• Students will acquire detailed knowledge about the economics of the firm, including the specific role of information, property rights and transaction costs.
• Students will become familiar with key issues facing the owners, managers and employees of business organisations, including how these issues change with the external economic environment.
• Students will learn how to identify, describe, analyse and solve a selection of real-world problems in managerial economics.
Skills
Skills gained include: logical reasoning and problem solving, working effectively in groups, and written and verbal communication skills.
In this module we cover several perspectives pertaining to deeply divided societies and the unique challenges such conflicts face. We discuss, compare, and contrast cases such as Northern Ireland, South Africa, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Israel-Palestine while also discussing other cases from around the globe. Understanding deeply divided societies’ internal and external dynamics and effects is at the core of this module. It covers domestic causes and effects of identity-based conflicts, their regional embeddedness, and their effects on global politics.
Throughout the semester, students will learn to appreciate a range of dimensions throughout the conflict cycle, from claim making (violence, political competition), through strategies for conflict mitigation (institutional reform, societal cohesion, international involvement) and opportunities for conflict management (power-sharing, secession).
More specifically, we will investigate the challenges of reforming state institutions, their relationship with the governed, and international recognition of domestic claims to power and regime legitimacy.
Learning Outcomes
• Identify and explain the phenomenon and unique features of deeply divided societies
• Applying theoretical arguments related to such key features and the different processes deeply divided societies go through to both historical and contemporary cases
• Evaluate debates amongst scholars who represent different theoretical perspectives
• Comparing and contrasting cases of deeply divided societies from other types of conflicted societies
• Comparing and contrasting between cases of deeply divided societies
• Acquire a deeper and complex understanding of key topics in the study of deeply divided societies (T, P, A)
• Attain a better understanding of several theoretical traditions in International relations and comparative politics and the way they help us identify, examine, and understand deeply divided societies (T, P, A)
• Have the ability to critically analyse and formulate view on central debates and controversies in the study of deeply divided societies (T, P, A)
• Have the ability to compare and contrast between historical and contemporary cases of deeply divided societies (T, P, A)
Cognitive:
• Develop analytical thinking (P, A)
• Develop critical thinking (P, A)
• Apply theoretical concepts to real-life events (P, A)
• Synthesise information from various sources (P, A).
• Collect, sort, criticise, and analyse data (T, P, A)
Transferable:
• Communicate clearly both orally and in writing (P, A)
• Construct evidence-based arguments (P, A)
• Display originality of thought and argument (P, A)
This module focuses on a critical analysis of key texts and themes in the history of modern political thought. It has two aims. Firstly, by adopting a historical approach to the development of modern political thought we learn about the ideas that have shaped our own political thinking. We are typically unaware of the ways in which this history has shaped how we frame problems and our basic assumptions about how to respond to them. Adopting a historical perspective on modern political thought helps us to bring these unexamined assumptions into focus and allows us to think more creatively about how to respond to political problems. In learning about this history we are learning about ourselves
Secondly, the course has a practical aim. Ideas are tools for responding to problems. By learning about the different arguments of these thinkers we can acquire tools to help us think about our own political problems. Some of the ideas of these thinkers are good ones, some not so good and there is often disagreement about which is which. We can learn from the mistakes of others as much as we can learn from their positive contributions.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
- Be familiar with the central arguments of key texts in the history of modern political thought
- Understand the main traditions of thought which have shaped contemporary political thinking
- Be equipped with the analytical skills necessary to necessary to interpret and criticize complex arguments.
Skills
The aim of the module is to provide students with the necessary analytical and interpretive tools to understand complex arguments. It will provide students with an opportunity to develop communication skills (listening, oral and written), and equip students with basic intellectual skills (particularly critical thinking and analysis). Students will also learn to present their own thoughts and arguments in a logical and coherent manner and to make points in a clear and succinct manner. These are key transferable skills.
Lectures will offer case studies that illustrate how the fame of a person or a creative work can be manifested and measured in different cultural and temporal contexts. Assessments develop writing, critical, research, and bibliographical skills. Students select a person or work to research. For the first project, students develop and present a bibliography on their chosen subject using electronic resources and a standard bibliographical method; included is a report that outlines their research technique and evaluates the results of the searches. Students will develop writing and critical skills through a critical review of a book related to their chosen subject. For the final project students will write a blog post on their chosen subject.
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn how to write clear and fluid prose, directing their assessed work to specific purposes and identified audiences. Students will develop skills which will make them more effective critics (of musical performances and written texts in different formats). Students will learn how to source bibliography and develop an awareness of professional standards for its presentation.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Develop critical skills as applied to listening, reading and writing.
(ii) Develop writing skills, directed towards different formats and specific audiences.
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(v) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(vi) Demonstrate the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
(vii) Apply and exploit information technology.
(viii) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
This module serves as in introduction to the European Union and demonstrates how this evolving and expanding tier of European governance impacts on national political systems. The module is divided into four parts. The first part sets the scene for the study of the EU and introduces students to the evolution of the EU, the treaty base and the theories of integration. The second part explores the composition and powers of the main EU institutions (such as the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the Courts). It also accounts for the decision making process and the role of NGOs in the EU system. The third part focuses on the EU policy base and explores a selection of salient policy regimes within the EU. These include the common agricultural policy, environmental policy, the euro, the single market, enlargement and immigration policy. The fourth part explores the role of the EU on the world stage via lectures on trade policy and defence policy before turning to assess the UK’s current relationship with the EU post Brexit.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module participants:
- Should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the UK’s relationship with the EU
- Should understand debates about explanations of the EU referendum outcome and challenges for delivering Brexit
- Should be able to understand how different theories and approaches in political science can help make sense of the UK’s changing relationship with Europe
- Should have developed basic blog writing skills and basic policy brief writing skills
Skills
Students will advance their:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module introduces students to the drama of the English Renaissance. It explores texts by a wide range of authors, including Shakespeare, Cary, Marlowe, Middleton, Rowley and Webster and examines the forces working on drama in the early modern period. Lectures will provide an introduction to the dramatic form, close readings of the set plays, and readings in relation to contemporary issues such as nationality, authority, desire, religion, sexuality, gender, strangeness, race, identity, social standing, fantasy, magic and taboo.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have learned how to study dramatic form and how to relate a text to its context. Through class discussion and formative assessments, you should have further developed your oral and written communication skills.
Skills
To familiarize students with the range of drama produced during the English Renaissance; to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake Renaissance modules in Stage 3.
This module introduces students to the extraordinary diversity and achievement of Irish literature, from the Act of Union in 1800 to the late twentieth century. The module is chronologically structured, and places particular emphasis on situating texts in their wider historical contexts, as well as developing their relations to broader European movements and traditions. Encompassing poetry, fiction, and drama, the module considers a range of themes, such as romanticism, gender, the gothic, cultural nationalism, the politics of modernity, liminality and exile, and northern perspectives on an Irish tradition. Writers studied will include W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the student should have an ability to set Irish literature in its historical context; an ability to make connections between differing genres of Irish writing; an ability to scrutinise the politics of Irish writing.
Skills
On completion of this module you should have an ability to set Irish literature in its historical context; an ability to make connections between differing genres of Irish writing and an ability to scrutinise the politics of Irish writing.
In this module, you will read and analyse a selection of key, early medieval Irish myths and sagas including The Cattle-Raid of Cooley and the Tale of Mac Dathó’s Pig. You will be taught how to properly contextualise and critically analyse selected tales and explore recurrent themes such as love, gender, kingship, greed and war. We will see how medieval authors projected their own lives and beliefs back onto the ancient past, created their own history and sought to influence society around them.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, the students should possess knowledge and understanding of:
• a selection of tales from early Ireland
• the early Irish ideology of kingship and its reflection in the literature,
• issues of masculinity and femininity in saga literature
Skills
This module will develop students’ capacity to
• analyse historical literary texts and situate those texts within their historical and cultural context
• identify contemporary concerns within medieval texts
• identify suitable resources from a reading list
• plan their own study and learn independently
• communicate ideas fluently in an appropriate register
The Roman Origins of the East and West; From Augustus to Charlemagne
Overview
This course focuses on one of the most exciting periods in the formation of the East and West, namely, the transition between the ancient and medieval worlds. Invasions of ‘barbarian’ hordes across the Rhine and Danube frontiers in the fifth and sixth centuries ended a stable system; in the seventh and eighth centuries, the invasions came from the south, as the forces of Islam exploded from Arabia and changed the Mediterranean Sea from a Roman lake to a contested frontier. In response to these political changes, individuals such as Augustine, Jerome, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzos, Basil of Nyssa and John Chrysostom sought to incorporate the Classical heritage into the Christian life. Beginning with the Emperor Augustus, this course charts the development of the Roman empire and surveys its major institutions and culture, from the mechanics of autocracy to the character of polytheism. The success of Christianity within this empire is examined, particularly in relation to persecution and the ways in which the triumphant Christian church shaped ‘late antiquity’ are explored. This world, however, became subject to forces of change that transformed it dramatically. The course proceeds to highlight the significance of Theoderic, King of the Ostrogoths, who strove to unify Roman and barbarian cultures. It also examines Justinian the Great, the Byzantine emperor, whose attempt to reunite the Roman world ultimately failed. This course looks at Rome’s successor states in the East and West, namely medieval Byzantium, Frankish Gaul, Ostrogothic Italy and Visigothic Spain. The emphasis is on the theme of continuity and change. We look at how the Franks, having conquered Gaul, drew on Roman imperial and Christian ideology to legitimise their authority; how the Visigoths, having established their authority in Spain, produced a remarkably rich Roman-based culture; how the Romans of Byzantium, under hammer blows of Gothic, Hunnic and Muslim invasions, forged an enduring Byzantine culture combining Roman polity, Greek civilisation and Christian religion.
Learning Outcomes
• Help students think critically, reason logically and evaluate evidence.
• Develop students’ written and communication skills.
• Encourage critical appraisal of historical sources.
• Enable students make effective use of electronic sources
Skills
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Late Roman and early medieval history.
• Make conceptual links between different historical periods and places.
• Trace concepts and ideas over time.
• Critically evaluate historical issues and problems in this field.
• Write essays and develop arguments, making extensive use of both primary and secondary literature in the field
Without understanding the methodology of research practice it is not possible to undertake political research effectively or to critically assess the work of others. Equally, without research skills it is not possible to test our assertions, assumptions, knowledge and preconceptions about the political world. Research methods are therefore crucial if we are to be able to address the important questions of ‘how do we know’ and ‘what is there to know’, which are critical in all fields of political studies. Consequently, this module has four aims. Firstly, to introduce students to the political research environment, incorporating both the elements and processes that underpin inquiry. Secondly, the module seeks to examine different methodologies and techniques to enable the undertaking of both original and critical research. Thirdly, to encourage candidates to develop a critical appreciation of data including both content and use. Fourthly, to promote a general awareness and working knowledge not only of the complexities of political research but also of the variety of environments in which research takes place.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Describe the relationship between the researchers of, the actors in and the environment determining political and social processes.
• Develop communication skills through computer lab participation and writing for coursework.
• Identify both the strengths and weaknesses of different research techniques.
• Pursue intellectual questions on the basis of interpretation and analysis of data in a rigorous and academic manner by employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
• Critically assess the collection of data and understand its use as a tool for understanding political processes.
• Evaluate and discriminate between qualitative and quantitative data analyses and, in doing so, demonstrate a willingness to implement good practice.
• Interpret the research of others and appreciate the problems involved in both collection and interpretation of data.
• Compare, contrast and choose between different quantitative research methods and justify the choice through an awareness and working knowledge of quantitative methodology.
• Implement basic intellectual skills that include data understanding, analysis, numeracy, and problem solving.
• Present research findings in an appropriate manner and communicate finding to others in a clear and concise manner in written form.
Skills
To think analytically and methodologically, to apply quantitative analysis techniques using specialised computer software, and to interpret and communicate results of statistical analyses.
This module sets out to help students understand and analyse the development of International Relations as a discipline through its theories and major issues. The key theories of international relations are examined, from Realism, through Marxism to contemporary approaches such as Poststructuralism, with a focus upon how each one criticises and responds to the others revealing its strengths and weaknesses. Within this, major issues of international relations will be explored from a theoretical and conceptual perspective, such as the balance of power, peace, international society, norms and gender. Finally, the course turns to modern challenges to the discipline of International Relations, such as International Political Economy, the spread of Globalization, and contemporary concerns with security and the War on Terror. The module therefore considers how well International Relations is responding to these challenges.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to: Understand the main approaches to the study of IR, including current theoretical developments in the discipline. Understand the relationship between the academic analysis of international relations and the actual behaviour (e.g. foreign policy) of states. Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form. Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
Skills
The module aims to equip students with basic intellectual skills (e.g. critical thinking, analysis, problem solving), as well as communication skills.
The study of the Classical idiom through analysis of selected chamber and piano music by Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. The course will define the basic elements of Classical harmonic language and deal also with longer-range formal thinking.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire a working knowledge of the harmonic idiom, textures and structural thought of the music of the Classical era.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS
Students will develop the skills of:
(i) Precise observation.
(ii) Discrimination between surface detail and more fundamental procedures.
(iii) Identification of Classical harmonies.
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(v) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
An examination of the Politics of Ireland (North and South) since 1920.
Learning Outcomes
To provide an understanding of the political systems of both parts of Ireland and to understand Northern Ireland as an example of a deeply divided society.
Skills
The ability to think analytically, communicate ideas with peers, reproduce ideas in an exam setting, and construct cogent essays.
Instruction in 1st study solo performance (instrument or voice). Attendance at and participation in the weekly performance platform. Attendance at weekly concerts, and at masterclasses and workshops throughout the year. Attendance at tutorials as timetabled.
Learning Outcomes
Students will develop advanced technical and interpretative skills in performance at a level equivalent to externally awarded teaching diplomas (such as the LRSM)
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS
Students will learn:
(i) The ability to perform as a soloist.
(ii) To develop technical and interpretative proficiency through private practice.
(iii) To evaluate and learn from the performance of others.
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(ii) Display interpersonal sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and being able to adjust behaviour accordingly.
(iii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(iv) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(v) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
(vi) Reflect on and evaluate their own practice.
This module will explore the relationships between film and sound, examining how the aesthetic, historical and cultural significance of film sound practices have been understood in the context of evolving technologies.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the of module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) The ability to undertake the close critical analysis of sound in film.
2) The ability to link sound practice to sound theory.
3) An understanding of the ways in which sound technology affects film aesthetics.
4) An awareness of the social and cultural significance of sound in film.
Skills
1) Critical thinking skills
2) Analytical skills
3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
4) Presentation skills
5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills
The union and post-union government of Ireland; the development of nationalism and unionism in their different forms; the relationship between religion, politics and society; economic and social development, the famine and emigration; gender relations and the family; the land question and attempts to resolve it; Home Rule and resistance to it; Ireland’s relations with the British empire.
Learning Outcomes
Students should understand the key developments in Ireland’s political and social history over the course of the nineteenth century, in terms of continuities and changes.
Skills
The acquisition, weighing and assessment of historical information and interpretation. Analytical skills in interpreting and critiquing primary sources. Development of presentation skills involving the analysis and interpretation of material and articulation of evidence-based argument.
In a nation which would later commit itself to upholding the ideals of freedom and democracy, the early American South developed a distinct social order based on the enslavement and subordination of Africans and their descendants. This course will explore the development of southern distinctiveness over two centuries, from the evolution of racial ideology in the early Chesapeake to the armed defence of the South's "peculiar institution" in the Civil War.
Learning Outcomes
To explore and understand the unique development and problems of the American South.
Skills
The ability to analyse and explain orally and on paper, the complex issues relating to the topic.
Foundations for Speech Analysis: The Phonetics of English
Overview
This module offers you an introduction to the study of speech analysis. We begin by investigating the mechanisms which are used to produce speech and providing a framework for the convenient classification and description of pronunciation features. We then examine accent variation, in terms of aspects such as contextual effects, intonation and voice quality. Finally, the module gives you the chance to acquire an understanding of the acoustic characteristics of speech. Throughout the module, you will be required to develop your oral and aural skills in phonetics by means of various practical and online facilities. While the module concentrates on normal English speech, we may also have the opportunity to consider data from non-English speech and from non-normal speech.
Learning Outcomes
This module should give a practical grounding in phonetics. Knowledge of how speech works is needed for a variety of occupations. Students intending to teach English will find phonetic skills essential in implementing oracy and literacy requirements in the classroom. Drama students can benefit from phonetic knowledge in order to deal with voice production, projection and accent learning. For foreign language learners and teachers, phonetics is invaluable in achieving target pronunciations. Future students of linguistics and communication should find that phonetics complements their study of linguistic communications and, finally, those interested in communication disorders need a detailed knowledge of speech production and perception in order to understand specific impairments and their effects..
Skills
When you have completed this module, you should be able to apply your knowledge of speech production and variation to a variety of communicative and educational situations. By means of your aural and oral training, you should have developed skills in detailed, analytic listening and in accurate perception, production and transcription of various phonetic distinctions. The 50% essay should enable you to acquire and demonstrate ability in critical assessment of, for example, the role of a speaker's phonetic profile in achieving particular communicative ends.
Problems in contemporary analytical epistemology and metaphysics. Epistemology topics covered will include scepticism, analysis of knowledge, internalism/externalism, and sources of justification; metaphysics topics will include identity, necessity, universals, and particulars.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will: · have gained an understanding of foundational issues in contemporary epistemology and metaphysics · be able to analyse and critique the arguments of contemporary philosophers in these areas · be able to defend their own conclusions with respect to the various topics considered
Skills
Intellectual skills • Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner • Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments • Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills • Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing. This will include presentation skills developed for the research presentation and interview, dialogue, and discussion skills developed in the seminars and assessed by the oral exam at the end. • Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment • Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development • Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills •Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills •Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines •Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information •Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way •Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguements in innovative ways.
An exploration of linguistic varieties of contemporary French, including regional variation, the role of socioeconomic status, age, gender etc and varieties of French spoken outside France.
Learning Outcomes
A detailed critical understanding of linguistic varieties of contemporary French, including phonological, syntactic and lexical variation.
Skills
Marshalling and synthesising diverse material; critical awareness; skills in written and oral expression, and in linguistic analysis.
Through lectures, assignments, reading discussions, essay writing, and examination, this module attempts to improve students' historical and theoretical comprehension of architectural discourse.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- have knowledge of theories and practices of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design,
- understand general principles of urban history and theory and the influence their complex economic, socio-cultural contexts have on architecture, and
- develop a critical approach to the role of theory in the design and communication of architecture, and to develop methods to transfer theory to practice.
This course reviews key concepts and traditions in political philosophy and social theory which have affected the development of a number of welfare regimes internationally and historically.
Learning Outcomes
To develop an understanding of concepts such as social and economic justice welfare regime and the main political philosophical traditions; fabianism, neo-conservatism, socialism and social democratic; to develop an appreciation of the relationships between politics and social policy and social change and social policy.
Skills
An appreciation of theoretical frameworks and concepts in social policy. Effective communication and presentation skills; the ability to marshall ideas behind an arguement.
This module investigates the ways in which language intersects with the social and political reflexes of power and ideology. Students are encouraged to challenge, through exposure and then analysis, the discourse conventions that characterise the language of powerful groups and institutions. This module places particular emphasis on print and broadcast media, legal, political and advertising discourse, and on other forms of institutional rhetoric. Among the topics covered are: The Discourse of Institutions and Organisations; Power and Talk; Language and Gender; Language and Race; Language and the Law; Humour as Power; Political Discourse and the Language of Advertising.
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to carry out systematic analysis of differing forms of language in different contexts of use. The moudle should help students to analyse a range of texts and practices, understand the ways in which language is used to exercise control, understand the anatomy of texts and text-types, especially print and broadcast media, and advertising discourse. Also analyse critically the interrelation between powerful institutions and the discourses they disseminate in the public sphere. Students should also further develop effective oral and written communication skills.
Skills
Students are invited to think in new ways about the English language in relation to its social and political context. Students should also develop skill in unpacking a variety of spoken and written texts, and in developing arguments about the way language practice is informed by and reinforces relationships of power. It is hoped that the course itself acts as an empowering tool, helping students to interrogate the discourse that surrounds them in everyday social contexts.
Spanish Memoirs and Autobiographies of the 20th Century
Overview
This module will focus on Spanish 20th century memoirs and autobiographies. Particular attention will be paid to the republican, francoist and democratic periods. The analysis will aim to situate this genre within the contexts both of literature and history of contemporary Spain.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the autobiographical genres in relationship to Spanish society and politics. To enhance their capacity in dealing critically with literary and historical texts.
Skills
Literary analysis, writing of essays, presentation techniques, use of bibliographies, use of the Web.
This module introduces students to sociological approaches to identity, peace and conflict in Northern Ireland. The nature of Northern Ireland’s peace process is analysed in relation to contemporary local evidence as well as to scholarly debates about conflict transformation.
Learning Outcomes
To promote a critical understanding of the nature of conflict and peace in Northern Ireland. To use sociological approaches to identity and conflict in Northern Ireland. To connect empirical observations of the society around us to scholarly analyses of the nature of conflict transformation in Northern Ireland.
Skills
Presentation and writing skills. Critical evaluation of evidence. Logical argument in written work and seminar presentation. Demonstration of competence in understanding sociological concepts. Literature review and searches.
The outcome of the Civil War sealed the destruction of slavery and raised hopes among African Americans and others of a new,more egalitarian social order in the American South. After a promising start in the immediate aftermath of the War,those hopes were crushed beneath the weight of racial reaction and the demands of the region's new industrial order,leaving ordinary southerners of both races languishing amidst intense poverty and racial violence. In this module we will attempt to understand both the remarkable resilience of racial divisions in the American South and the periodic attempts on the part of black and white southerners to challenge regional "tradition".
Learning Outcomes
To explore and understand the consequences of the ending of slavery in the American South.
Skills
An ability to analyse orally and on paper, the complex issues of race in the context of the American South.
This course previously covered Ireland from 1900 and included Home Rule, the First World War and the Irish Revolution. This covered a lot of material already covered at A-level or by other modules (e.g. HIS3073). The focus on the Troubles was largely military and political (overlapping with HAPP2001). In recent years the content has expanded to cover twenty-first century developments (2008 financial crash, referendums on marriage and abortion, St Andrews agreement etc) so the title ‘twentieth century’ is no longer an accurate description. The expanded content makes the module very cramped and the continued inclusion of pre-1921 material often leads to students simply regurgitating A-level material. Moving the start date to 1921 will resolve these and also allow for greater focus on social changes, such as the growing ethnic and racial diversity, especially in RoI. Student feedback indicated that students would like to see a broader approach to the Troubles, less focused on purely political and military events and more on topic such as the experience of women. Including more material on gender and race would chime well with the school’s EDI policies.
Learning Outcomes
This course previously covered Ireland from 1900 and included Home Rule, the First World War and the Irish Revolution. This covered a lot of material already covered at A-level or by other modules (e.g. HIS3073). The focus on the Troubles was largely military and political (overlapping with HAPP2001). In recent years the content has expanded to cover twenty-first century developments (2008 financial crash, referendums on marriage and abortion, St Andrews agreement etc) so the title ‘twentieth century’ is no longer an accurate description. The expanded content makes the module very cramped and the continued inclusion of pre-1921 material often leads to students simply regurgitating A-level material. Moving the start date to 1921 will resolve these and also allow for greater focus on social changes, such as the growing ethnic and racial diversity, especially in RoI. Student feedback indicated that students would like to see a broader approach to the Troubles, less focused on purely political and military events and more on topic such as the experience of women. Including more material on gender and race would chime well with the school’s EDI policies.
Skills
This course previously covered Ireland from 1900 and included Home Rule, the First World War and the Irish Revolution. This covered a lot of material already covered at A-level or by other modules (e.g. HIS3073). The focus on the Troubles was largely military and political (overlapping with HAPP2001). In recent years the content has expanded to cover twenty-first century developments (2008 financial crash, referendums on marriage and abortion, St Andrews agreement etc) so the title ‘twentieth century’ is no longer an accurate description. The expanded content makes the module very cramped and the continued inclusion of pre-1921 material often leads to students simply regurgitating A-level material. Moving the start date to 1921 will resolve these and also allow for greater focus on social changes, such as the growing ethnic and racial diversity, especially in RoI. Student feedback indicated that students would like to see a broader approach to the Troubles, less focused on purely political and military events and more on topic such as the experience of women. Including more material on gender and race would chime well with the school’s EDI policies.
This module explores the linguistic history of English from prehistoric times to the present day. Adopting a chronological approach and working always with reference to texts, it traces the development and use of the language through varieties of Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Present Day English. The key topics of the course, applied to each of the periods studied, are (i)internal features, examining underlying grammatical characteristics; (ii)external features, with particular reference to vocabulary; and (iii)transitional and sociolinguistic features, considering the social context of language change, paying attention to changing practices in language writing.
Learning Outcomes
This module should provide an informed understanding of the history of the English language and of language change, with reference to social and cultural factors; to increase students' analytical and descriptive abilities, enabling them to engage in linguistic analysis of texts from different periods and with different writing conventions.
Skills
Students who complete this module should be able to deomonstrate knowledge and understanding of the historical development of English, relating language to its socio-cultural context, and they should be able to apply that knowledge and understanding to particular texts, using analytical and descriptive skills.
The module focuses on the consolidation of technical skills in composition and on the development of an individual approach to composition. The module is aimed both at students who wish to progress to a Year 3 portfolio, and those who wish to gain further experience of composition-based skills that may be utilised elsewhere (teaching, arranging, media, etc)
Learning Outcomes
The module gives a deeper insight into compositional activity, both through study of existing work and in the application of technique learned. There is also some opportunity for practical experimentation through workshops.
Skills
The student acquires intellectual confidence through the decision-making involved in original composition, and applied skills through meeting the demanding standards of presentation required in practical contexts..
A dramatic expansion of medieval Europe occurred between about 1000-1300. This module will explore the growth of kingship and state formation, but will cover not only political history, but also economic and social, religious and cultural change. The main historical themes that dominated and shaped the history of Europe in the central Middle Ages will be explored with a focus on those institutions that laid the foundations for the formation of modern Europe.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire knowledge of the history of medieval Europe and be able to recognize and evaluate historical debates relating to the content of the module; be able to engage with historical interpretations and to judge between them; be able to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the principal primary sources relating to the module; be able to write informed and critical analysis of the historical issues and problems explored in the module.
Skills
Development of skills in critically analysing, contextualising and evaluating different types of written evidence; development of a critical understanding and appraisal of different types of historical writing and of approaches and concepts used by historians;; development of writing skills through formative and assessed coursework and a timed examination; development of oral communicative skills through tutorial presentation.
The course teaches the wide range of skills needed to make editions of music from original manuscripts and printed sources of the 15th and 16th centuries. The module also includes a lecture on 14th/15th/early 16th century music for context. Students are taught to read early handwriting, to transcribe mensural notation and instrumental tablatures and to acquire facility in the techniques of editing.
Learning Outcomes
To achieve a good functional standard in the main technical aspects of editing. To deepen awareness of musical styles and genres of the period through close contact with the music.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS
Students will develop:
(i) The ability to read and interpret original scores
(ii) Clarity and accuracy in the presentation of editions
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict
(v) Display interpersonal sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and being able to adjust behaviour accordingly
(vi) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability/flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(vii) Demonstrate the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology
(viii) Apply and exploit information technology
Nationalism has been a key factor in African history since the late 19th Century. How has it emerged, under what forms, how has it evolved, when and how did it become a mass ideology, and what happened to it after the independence of African states in the second half of the 20th Century? This module offers a critical look at these themes, focusing on ideas, cultures and the politics of nationalism and liberation. The module considers different theories and articulate their discussion to a consideration of diverse case studies, e.g. Ghana, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module should
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries;
• Be able to develop critical arguments about nationalism, liberation and the non-Western world;
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of essay writing, archival work, and oral presentation.
Skills
Critical writing; archival research; oral presentation.
Archival research will be kept to a minimum, in an archive in Belfast or online. The oral presentation will be a presentation of archival material to be used for the second essay.
This module on International Organizations offers an introduction into the multilateral global security architecture. The core focus of the module is collective security. The module IO thus will deal with international law, collective security, regimes in international security and International security organizations. The United Nations system forms the core of the study. Peacekeeping, peace enforcement, peace building and the ‘outsourcing’ of core collective security tasks to regional players will dominate the sessions of the module. Core military interventions by international organizations will be analyzed. The module thus will deal with military interventions by the UN, NATO, CIS/CSTO, EU and core security and mediation tasks by the CIS, SCO and OSCE. The new policy agenda of energy security will be tackled by studying resource control: The NPT regime, the IAEA and oil and gas regimes thus will be scrutinized at the end of the semester. The major aim of the module is to outline the ‘institutionalized’ world order of today – with its hierarchies, cleavages and contradictions. The module is wedded to a strategic studies approach to IR.
This module explores contemporary approaches to the study of security and terrorism. It will examine changes in definitions of security and terrorism, the evolution of approaches to the study of security and terrorism. Students will be familiarised with the main “threats” to state and human security; the changing nature of war and other organised violence; and areas of security policy and practice including arms control, alliance formation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, among others. Students will also explore domestic and transnational non-state terrorism, state terrorism, and counter-terrorism policy and practice.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course students will:
• Be familiar with the main theories and approaches to the study of security and terrorism; and the debates between them.
• Understand and be able to discuss the relative merits of different theoretical approaches to security issues.
• Be able to critically evaluate international policy and practice in key areas of security policy and counter-terrorism.
• Be able to communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form;
• Be able to pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
Skills
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Communication Skills, including oral and written communication.
• Time-Management
• Information Technology skills;
• Organisation and communication skills;
• Enterprise Thinking.
From St Patrick to the Plantation: The Archaeology of Historic Ireland
Overview
The study of Ireland from the 5th to 17th centuries through the physical remains of the past rather than documentary history. Early Christian crafts and settlements; the impact of the Vikings; the lordships of the Anglo-Normans and the problems of the later Middle Ages.
Learning Outcomes
1)An understanding of the key areas of archaeological evidence of the period; 2)appreciation of the relationship between archaeological and documentary evidence; 3)appreciation of the role of excavation in the study of the period; 4)an understanding of Ireland's position in medieval Europe.
Skills
1)Identifying evidence cited by authors holding different views on issues within the period; 2)An introduction to assessing the results published in primary sources, especially excavation reports.
The module will examine the revolutionary developments in Europe from the age of the high Renaissance around 1500 to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 and its aftermath. Although the course content will be structured and delivered chronologically, the main focus of the module will be on those specific events and developments that historians have labelled ‘revolutionary’. Included in the analysis will be the cultural innovations brought on by the Renaissance, the upheavals in the religious world effected by the Reformation, the social and political changes associated with the rise of the state, and the revolution in forms of thought (from the scientific to the political) that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment. The module will end with a close study of the French Revolution, which was in many ways the culmination of the events and developments that make up the content of the module.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire knowledge of the main historical developments of early modern European history and the extent to which the various revolutionary aspects of the age (from the religious and the cultural to the social and political) led to a fundamental reshaping of society and provided the foundations for the making of the modern age. The student should acquire knowledge and understanding of these historical developments in historical context, by which is meant they should acquire an understanding of the cause, consequences, and basic histories of developments such as the Renaissance, Reformation, state formation, and the rise of political revolution. They should also be able to place the specific developments within the broader dynamic of early modern history, thus acquiring a knowledge of how the various revolutions during this period influenced each other.
Skills
The module should enable the student to develop the following skills:
Analytical Thinking: the ability to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
Critical & Independent Thinking: the ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field;
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
Efficient and Effective Work Practice: demonstrate the ability to work efficiently to deadlines for both written work and tutorial presentations;
Clear Organisation of Information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
Students should develop knowledge of twentieth-century social history through a case-study of Belfast. By conducting their own interview, and analysing those conducted by the other members of the group, students should develop a working knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of oral history as a research method and thus enhance their understanding of the broader methodological issues posed by research in modern social history. They should develop team-working skills (through collaborative research on their chosen topic), as well as their capacity for independent learning (through the conduct of one-to-one interviews and the transcription and analysis of those interviews). Oral presentational skills will be developed through reporting on work-in-progress in seminars. The module will, therefore, significantly enhance many of the skills related to the types of employment to which history graduates aspire, i.e. team-working, interpersonal skills, the ability to synthesize large bodies of information, and the compilation of written reports.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills:
Team-working (through collaborative research on your chosen topic)
A capacity for independent learning (through the conduct of one-to-one interviews and the transcription and analysis of those interviews).
Oral presentational and interpersonal skills will be developed through reporting on work-in-progress in seminars and by carrying interviewing.
The ability to synthesize large bodies of information
The ability to compile professionally prepared written reports.
Skills
Taking Recording History should enable students to:
develop skills in the collection and analysis of primary sources
gain experience of project management
develop research skills
gain experience of pitching project ideas in a non-academic context
develop experience of the professional compilation and presentation of research results, including footnoting, referencing
The module examines key critical issues in so-called “non-fiction” filmmaking. Many major filmmakers, periods and movements which have come to constitute the documentary tradition as we know it today will be identified, and discussed, examining how the formation of the various modes of documentary filmmaking are partly historical but more importantly, conceptual. In particular, the module will interrogate the commonplace notion of documentary as a specific kind of film preoccupied with truth and social reality. And yet, every representation has within it elements of the subjective, the fantastic, the unconscious and the imaginary just as every fiction has elements of the document within it. The module will study films that play at the border of fiction and non-fiction rather than assume a distinct category like ‘documentary’ to be elaborated.
Learning Outcomes
1. Advanced skills in the critical analysis of documentary forms, genres and contexts
2. An understanding of critical approaches to the study of documentary film, particularly in relation to the role of documentary in other artistic practices;
3. An understanding of the interplay between notions of fiction and documentary;
4. An understanding of the visual, audio and verbal conventions through which images, sounds and words make meaning;
5. Advanced skills in written, oral and visual communication.
Skills
Organising and synthesising of a range of formal and historical materials
This module will examine the short story as a distinct genre within the Irish-language literary canon. We will analyse the development of the short story from the early 20th Century to the present day using a selection of representative texts from authors such as Pádraig Mac Piarais, Pádraig Ó Conaire, Seosamh Mac Grianna, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Liam Ó Flaithearta, Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Síle Ní Chéileachair, Alan Titley, Angela Bourke, Biddy Jenkinson, and numerous others. Students will investigate the historical and cultural factors that effected the ‘introduction’ of the short story in Irish-language writing, and analyse how opposing theories dealt with the modernist question. The formal aspects of the short story will be examined in detail– including plot, narrative progression and characterisation– and this analysis brought to bear on the intricate relationship between structure, style and subject matter.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• demonstrate a knowledge of the cultural and historical background of the short story
• provide a critical overview of the main developments associated with the genre in the 20th century
• show an in-depth understanding of the formal aspects of the short story
• apply relevant literary and stylistic theories to short story texts
Skills
This module will equip students with the capacity to
• analyse and reflect critically on literary texts
• conduct directed research on a chosen subject
• write a substantial essay piece
• plan their own study and learn independently
• manage their time effectively
Through a series of lectures and practicals, this module will provide students with a flavour of some of the leading techniques and proxies used to reconstruct past environments. Lectures will present an overview of the methodological principles and applications, showcasing relevant scientific studies to illustrate the potential of the techniques. A field trip and practicals will provide students with hands-on experience, including coring, stratigraphic recording, proxy identification and analysis, and sample preparation. Relevant statistical and graphical techniques to interpret fossil proxy time series and put them onto secure time-scales will also be introduced. The practicals are intended to give students a taster for a range of palaeoenvironmental techniques that could be employed for their Level 3 dissertations.
Learning Outcomes
By completing this module, students will:
-obtain a greater understanding of past events of abrupt climate and environmental change, -obtain a greater understanding of how these events have been reconstructed from a range of fossil evidence, -be aware of the potential and limitations of fossil proxy evidence in informing us about environmental change, and -be able to put current climate change into a longer-term context.
Skills
Subject-specific skills
Hands-on experience with the most important proxies, produce and interpret fossil proxy diagrams, work with relevant software Cognitive skills Students will be able to assess, interpret and evaluate evidence from fossil proxy deposits for past events of abrupt climate change.
Transferable skills
Students will be able to use different pieces of software, and write succinct summaries of research.
This second-year undergraduate course has three parts, the first providing the theoretical grounding for the other two, which are more policy-orientated. The first half of the syllabus provides the basic theoretical underpinning of modern industrial organisation, and tries to answer the positive question: what is competition? It compares and contrasts different paradigms on the relationship between market structure and firm conduct, as well as different theories of the firm. It introduces classic models of imperfect competition, shows how they have been revised in light of new economic thinking, and demonstrates how welfare analysis can be used to understand their social implications. Special attention is given to models of product differentiation. The second part of the syllabus looks at why and how public policy influences industrial organisation, and tries to answer the normative question: how do we achieve competition? Starting with a look at the historical origins of antitrust law, the module sets out how competition policy is used today by looking at real competition cases. The last topic covers three controversial areas of public policy as it relates to firms and industries: priviatisation and natural monopoly, patents and innovation, and recent government bailouts of banks.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: On completion of the course, students should have greater familiarity with theoretical and applied topics in industrial organisation. They should have developed further ability to interpret sources of information on industrial issues. The module is intended to complement the other intermediate modules which place more emphasis on microeconomic model building; accordingly this module will place emphasis on the application of theories and on the economic policymaking process as it relates to firms and industries.
Skills
Intellectual skills: Students should understand the major theoretical aspects of the theory of the firm as well as more modern conceptual and empirical developments. Topics such as imperfect competition, product differentiation, barriers to entry, innovation and incentives, and mergers and acquisitions are covered. Case studies, both contemporary and historical, are used. Students should develop an advanced understanding of the aims and objectives of public policy and how it relates to firms and industry. They should be familiar with the pros and cons of different points of view on controversial current issues and the practical difficulties and trade-offs emerging from their implementation. They should be able to use positive and normative perspectives to weigh evidence and draw conclusions based on argument and empirical analysis.
Practical skills: Students will develop their oral and written communication skills and will get an awareness of how economic analysis can be applied to firms and industries.
This module aims to give students a working knowledge of terminology, methodology and applications of basic contemporary game theory. Students should leave the course with a clear understanding of the game theoretical concepts and their application to the study of a variety of economic problems in finance, economics and business.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students should be able to formulate a multi-agent interaction problem as a game and solve this game using various solution concepts. They should be also familiar with the strengths and limitations of the basic equilibrium concepts
Skills
Intellectual Skills:
Enable students to apply game theory and strategic reasoning to practical problems in economics.
Other Skills:
Enhance communication skills through tutorial discussions and presentations.
This module will introduce and explore a number of films drawn from a range of global production contexts, in particular those outside of Europe and North America. Students will consider films in relation to theoretical issues of national identity, ethnicity, globalisation and hybridity, alongside more pragmatic issues of production, distribution and exhibition. Films studied may include examples from Brazil, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Senegal, Algeria, and Israel/Palestine.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) a broad knowledge of a range of film production contexts outside of Europe and North America
2) an understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to world cinema/s
3) an understanding of the relationships between cinema, identity, and globalisation
4) the ability to analyse and evaluate films produced outside of Europe and North America
Skills
1) Critical thinking skills
2) Analytical skills
3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
4) Presentation skills
5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills
The course opens with a brief tour of the global economy. This is followed by a discussion of the meaning and measurement of the main macroeconomic variables: output, unemployment, inflation and growth. The goods and financial markets and the concept of macroeconomic equilibrium are introduced. The IS/LM model is used to analyse the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policy in the medium term. Aspects of the labour market are then considered followed by the introduction of the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model. The final third of the course is devoted to a discussion of factors contributing to the long run growth of the economy. The topics covered include: the Solow model of economic growth; growth accounting; factors contributing to total technological change and total factor productivity and the role and regulation of foreign direct investment.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
On completion of the course, students should have greater familiarity with salient features of the macroeconomic environment. They should understand the main determinants of aggregate output in a monetary economy in the short, medium and long-run. They should have an understanding of the factors contributing to growth and development as well as to fluctuations in macroeconomic performance. Students should understand government’s role in the economy and be able to analyze the effect of different policy interventions.
Skills
Intellectual Skills
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of aspects of macroeconomic theory and development theory. They will become aware of competing views on the role of governments and markets. They will develop the ability to search for and interpret empirical evidence and bring it to bear on policy issues. They will gain experience in weighing evidence, developing policy options and outlining the pros and cons of these options.
Practical Skills
Students will develop their oral and written communication skills as well as their awareness of how economic policy can impact on business.
Thinking through Things Theorizing Global Archaeology
Overview
This module introduces students to the range of archaeological thought. Many of the theoretical issues currently being debated have a long history, and their placement in a broader social and political context is a necessary adjunct to a fuller understanding of where the discipline is now. In addition, the module will focus in more detail on a selected number of key topics for further exploration, such as the nature of archaeological assemblages, the concept of culture, the processual-postprocessual debate, gender, and the so-called 'interpretative' approaches. The module will also introduce students to methodological concepts and the techniques of research design, in preparation for their thesis.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be expected to have acquired:
- A broad knowledge and understanding of archaeological interpretation, and its social and political context
- An appreciation of the relationship between archaeological theory and practice
- An understanding of current issues and debates in archaeological theory, and of the major terms used in such debates
- An understanding of how to appraise archaeological research;
- An understanding of how to prepare a substantial research project or thesis
Skills
Ability to undertake guided library and web-based research
- Ability to present a succinct summary of arguments in written format
- Ability to critically assess complex and competing hypotheses
- Ability to summarise and discuss key points from selected readings and to communicate these to a seminar group
- Ability to assess and design a research project
This course surveys the archaeology of Ireland from c. 8000 BC to the coming of Christianity. The course begins with the background to human colonisation of this island. It traces the evidence for Ireland’s first colonists and their cultural development, seen in such sites as the hunting-fishing camp at Mount Sandel, up until the arrival of the earliest farming communities. The settlements, economies, megalithic tombs such as Newgrange and other ritual structures of Ireland’s first farmers are examined within the framework of both their environmental and social context. The course then takes up the earliest metal-using communities of the Bronze Age and follows the rise of bronze- and iron-using elites in Ireland. Special attention is given to sites such as Navan Fort, the problem of the origins of the Irish, to what extent earliest Irish traditional literature provides a ‘window on the Iron Age’, and consideration of the main debates in Irish prehistory.
Learning Outcomes
• An awareness of major issues in the study of prehistoric Ireland
• Initiative in the acquisition and synthesis of evidence-based archaeological material, using a range of library and digital sources
• Proficiency in oral and written communication skills, including academic referencing
• A familiarity with the material cultural of prehistoric Ireland
Skills
Critical thinking; Oral and written communication skills; Digital presentation skills; Independent study; Group work; Use of library and digital resources
The making of contemporary Britain: 1914 to the present
Overview
The course examines key debates in British history between 1914 and the present and complements "The making of modern Britain". It charts political, economic and social change in twentieth century Britain, including decolonisation and the loss of empire.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, students should have developed an increased ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contemporary British history as well as an enhanced ability to critically evaluate historical issues and problems in this field. Increased ability to discuss key historiographical debates relating to contemporary Britain. Students should also have enhanced ability to prepare written analyses of a primary source that draws upon key secondary literature. Increased ability to gather and synthesise material.
Skills
Students should develop an enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically and evaluate evidence, as well as to have further developed written and communication skills. They should also have an increased critical appraisal of and engagement with historical sources. Enhanced ability to make effective use of a range of sources.
This course introduces students to the main theories of crime and deviance. It takes a historical approach to exploring the main developments in criminological theory.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to key criminological theories and sociological theories of deviance. To illustrate the historical development of criminological thought.
Skills
Demonstrate competence in critically evaluating criminological arguments. Display ability to write informed,literate essays.
This module aims to build on foundational skills developed at Level 1, placing these within the wider context of performance and theatre production. Lectures and workshops will be themed around a menu of key skill areas and students will select from these according to their specialist interests. The module will provide an understanding of the evolution of the philosophy and practice of actor training in terms of the cardinal figures in the field.
Learning Outcomes
During the course of this module you will develop an understanding of the theory and practice of selected modern acting techniques and an overview of approaches to acting from Stanislavsky and Meisner. You will also explore a practical interaction with another actor in performance.
Skills
You should have developed your teamworking, communication and problem-solving skills to a high level.
This module explores both the status and content of morality. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, it addresses a broad range of metaethical and normative questions, including: can morality be objective? Are moral judgments based on feeling? Are there any reasons to be moral? Is moral truth relative to particular cultures or societies? What makes right acts right? Does the end justify the means? Are there any absolute restrictions on human conduct? Is happiness all that matters? Do animals have rights?
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to give a brief history of ethical theory from ancient times together with a more detailed discussion of some twentieth century moral philosophers who have been most influential in modern thought about ethics.
Skills
An understanding of the nature of practical reasoning. Learning to discuss rationally and dispassionately moral views which one may find personally abhorrent.
The history of the interwar period in Europe is a familiar story to many, with the rise of Stalin and Hitler forming the central pillars of the narrative. This module offers a new perspective on this period, exploring issues that enable comparisons, as well as highlight contrasts, between the histories of various European states and peoples. It is:
- thematic, not chronological, in structure, though it clearly has a first part focused on the 1920s, and a second on the 1930s
- geographically de-centred – we are as likely to discuss Italy and Spain, as Germany and Russia
- organised in a way that suggests the Spanish Civil War was both the central epic of our period but also the culmination of interwar social, political and cultural struggles
- focused on social and cultural aspects of the period, as much as political and economic – we are as likely to discuss gender and art, as fascism and communism
- based on wide-ranging and in-depth reading, including fictional works and films read as texts
- aimed at those who want to go beyond men with moustaches, who enjoy the unusual and the quirky and like to go off the beaten track in their history studies
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to demonstrate:
- a good knowledge of the political regimes and their ideologies which were established in Europe during this period
- an understanding of the economic forces at work between 1919 and 1939 and their implications for various European societies
- an understanding of the outlook and experiences of various sectors of European society, including ethnic minorities and women
- familiarity with primary sources from this period and with relevant secondary materials and historiographical debates
- the ability to identify and select information relevant to the topic area from a variety of sources
- the ability to analyse and evaluate evidence and argument
- the ability to present your own arguments in essays, using appropriate evidence to support your views
- the ability to work effectively within a group, making appropriate contributions to discussions, debates and tasks, as well as contributing and presenting a group presentation
Skills
- to provide students with an understanding of European history between 1918 and 1939, in the context of previous and later historical developments
- to acquaint students with a variety of historical sources from this period including official documents and the press, films and images, as well as with secondary materials and historiographical debates
- to promote the development of key skills required to study history effectively
The American political system is in many ways exceptional and has throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries exerted an increasingly global influence. Peoples worldwide have looked to America as an example of a resilient democracy, based on that peculiar combination of egalitarianism and liberty, community and individualism of which Tocqueville and others so highly spoke. The American republic has since its inception claimed to represent universal aspirations to democracy and freedom. Since the very beginning, however, a triumphal account of American democracy and its liberal tradition has coexisted uncomfortably with institutions of slavery and racial segregation, persistent inequalities and controversial ‘foreign entanglements’. American democracy has endured, yet it is often criticised for what it has become.
The American Civil War was the bloody resolution to a national deadlock over slavery and states’ rights but did not end institutional discrimination. Victory in World War II entrenched America’s role as the world’s leading military and economic power, from which emerged a prosperous middle-class society but, in turn, also tumultuous social change that would eventually result in historically high levels of polarisation. American wealth has dominated the global economy but coexists with high levels of socioeconomic inequality and widespread marginalisation, intensifying scrutiny of the country’s claim to being a democratic exemplar. While American ‘exceptionalism’ still underpins national politics, increasing socio-cultural, political, economic and ideological divisions pose a serious challenge to American democracy from within.
Learning Outcomes
This module is a survey course, introducing students to the American political system and current debates about democracy in America. Students will acquire an understanding of the key institutions of the American political system, its origin and evolving dynamics. Students will become familiar with contemporary debates on the nature of democracy and the democratic process in America, including controversies surrounding a range of socio-economic developments and related policy processes.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This Level 2 module introduces French postwar Film Noir and Crime Fiction. It will contextualize this cultural production within historical circumstances and trends of the period, such as American influences on French Culture, Existentialism, 'Leftism' and 'Néo-Noir'. Aesthestics of the 'Noir' genre will be studied through a variety of Media, including Film, Novel, Comics and Posters. Among the themes discussed will feature Depiction of the City, Slang ('argot') and Modern Morals.
Learning Outcomes
Students should, after completion of this module: have acquired an awareness of the relation between commercial culture and artistic culture; have gained an understanding of the process of reception and assimilation of foreign cultural products; be able to analyse how art forms converge in a cultural phenomenon such as the 'Noir'; be able to analyse different kinds of documents and draw upon relevant primary and secondary sources in order to present structured, cohesive arguments in oral and written form; have developed transferable skills in group work, time-management and in the use of Powerpoint.
Skills
Textual analysis skills; written and oral expression skills; critical analysis.
This level-2 module introduces a selection of introductory methods used to analyse data used in business and economics, such as regression analysis, optimization and project management. Statistical software (Stata and Excel) will be used in tutorials to illustrate concepts presented in lectures. Students are expected to use the knowledge gained in lectures and tutorials to perform their own data analysis project as part of a team. This module remains accessible to students without a strong statistical background, as long as they are open to learning how to read and interpret basic statistics. Tutorials, group presentations and group projects in addition to traditional lectures are essential parts of this module as it focuses on practice and applications of quantitative methods used in business. Upon completion, successful students are expected to understand and use these methods and to improve their skills concerning problem solving, verbal and written presentation, computer utilization, and working as a group.
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the principles of multivariate regression and time-series analysis.
2. Discuss forecasting techniques, including their practical applications and limitations.
3. Use Excel to apply statistical methods and present data-driven insights effectively.
Skills
Exercise solving, computing skills, the adoption of a quantitative approach to practical problems encountered in business.
The first half of the module focuses on the politics of devolution in the UK and discusses the devolution of power to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a multi-level perspective. It discusses the way power was devolved across the UK and how these settlements have changed over time, the policy impact of devolution, the politics of resources and identity that shape the party systems of the regions and nations of the UK, and the relations between the devolved ‘parts’ and the whole (Westminster and the UK government) and the challenges of intergovernmental relations in an asymmetrical union.
The second half of the module is concerned with the economic experience of devolution/decentralization in the UK, as well as the theoretical models developed by economists to discuss devolved political structures. It will include a survey of economic performance under devolution and a discussion of the relationship between devolution and new institutional economics.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of
- the political and economic dynamics of devolution in the UK, including the existence of long-running economic unevenness within the UK;
- the asymmetric nature of devolution;
- the opportunities devolution provides for policy transfer and learning across the devolved territories;
- its effects on the party systems of the devolved territories; an understanding of the UK as a union rather than a unitary state;
- the continuing challenges devolution presents to the governance of the UK;
- how the financing of devolution has operated in practice; and the extent to which devolution has affected economic performance in the ‘Celtic Fringe’.
Skills
Key intellectual skills relate to the managing and prioritization of knowledge; analytical and critical thinking and the ability to construct independent arguments. The professional and career development skills include: the ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing; to work with others in a team; to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences within the learning environment; the ability to identify and act upon ones own development needs; and to negotiate diverse and competing pressures in order to achieve an effective work-life balance. Technical and practical skills involve the ability to employ relevant ICT, while organizational skills involves working to deadlines; handling information efficiently; and employing evidence-based arguments.
Excavation of an archaeological site; recording of stratigraphy and features; understanding the reasons for excavation. Daily attendance on an excavation approved by the department for a prescribed period (up to four weeks, normally in June) is required. This module is compulsory for Single Honours students if Archaeological Excavation was not taken at Stage 1 (normally only available to students transferring in from other programmes or institutions).
Learning Outcomes
Introduces students to one of the basic methods of acquiring archaeological data and studying the techniques involved.
Skills
Understanding the reasons for the methodology used on the excavation and experience in use of that methodology. Understanding and experience in recording the stratigraphic sequence uncovered.
This module examines the interface and inter-relationships between politics, philosophy and economics and draws on the disciplines of political economy, political theory and moral philosophy, and political science to provide a comprehensive account of these relations. Particular topics covered will vary from year but may include, for example:
issues in classical political economy
the relationship between political ideology and economics,
the history of economic thought,
how democratic institutions interact with the economy and the notion of public goods.
Post-war economic development project,
Modernity and conceptions of development
Debates about the concept of the rational actor
Freedom and economic life
Distributive justice
Libertarian ideas about the relations between the market and politics
The idea of ‘market society’
Workplace democracy
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will:
• Have a familiarity with some of the key debates in classic political economy and moral and political philosophy concerning economic power, the economy as a political creation and the relationship between the state and the economy; freedom and economic relations
• Be able to apply these concepts and debates to questions of economic development, the ethical implications of contemporary development trajectories and to current policy issues;
Skills
Students will develop the ability to think critically and philosophically about economics and the economy, while placing it in its appropriate political context.
Students will be able to communicate ideas to others in coherent and concise, written and oral form;
Students will be able to think analytically, critically and logically about a range of important contemporary social issues.
Is the media a cause of crime? Does media depiction simply reflect public interests and attitudes, or help to shape them? Does media representation of ‘crime’, ‘criminals’ and criminal justice impact penal and social policies? These are some of the questions this module will debate through drawing on theory, research and illustrative media examples. Examining both ‘factual’ and ‘fictional’ representations of crime and justice, the module examines the extent to which media representation reflects reality, and impact on attitudes, emotions and behaviours. You will also learn skills in media analysis and apply these in your own small project.
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand how abstract arguments about ideology, law, order, and disorder relate to fictional representations of crime.
2. Evaluate the media’s role in constructing ideas about crime and criminality.
3. Draw upon and engage with critical debates concerning moral panics, crime legends, and media effects.
4. Understand and be able to employ a range of techniques used to carry out analysis of the media.
Skills
1. Demonstrate an improvement in their ability to communicate abstract, theoretical arguments, in both oral and written work.
2. Operationalise theoretical concepts and debates by carrying out research on the media.
3. Synthesise analysis of media texts and theoretical argument.
4. Develop research and organisational skills by using library e-journals and other online resources such as Lexis-Nexus.
5. Conduct content and narrative analysis of media sources.
This module introduces students to key texts and arguments in the early modern period of philosophy. As well as examining texts by philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, and Hume, the module also enables students to explore texts written by less commonly taught philosophers, and to examine critical engagements with early modern texts. An indicative list of topics to be covered includes: empiricism and rationalism, ideas and language, scepticism, induction, causation, free will, and capacity for reason.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion, students will have an understanding of some of the key ideas and arguments in four of the most influential works in the history of western philosophy.
Skills
Skills in literacy, communication, organisation and presentation of extended arguments, development of critical powers, sensitivity to the significance of historically and culturally remote materials
This module aims to map the world of the Anglo-Saxons through their language, literature and material culture. Students will learn about the heroic past and values of the Anglo-Saxons, magical rituals and prognostications, and systems of faith and beliefs. A fascinating range of texts and genres from the period (c. 7th-11th centuries) will be studied in relation to their cultural context and audience. These include: heroic poetry; elegies; riddles, charms and prognostications; historiography; and biblical writings. Students will engage with selected texts in the original language and consider issues of literary interpretation and translation. They will also be introduced to concepts of authorship, gender, genre, time, health, self, otherness and religion. Students will become familiar with the basics of Old English literary and religious vocabulary and acquire a working knowledge of the Old English manuscript tradition.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce the study of Old English; to introduce the world of Anglo-Saxon literature and culture.
Skills
Having completed the module, students should have acquired the basics of Old English grammar and poetics, the ability to translate and discuss critically selected Old English texts and to relate texts to their cultural and historical contexts.
Students undertake studies away from Queen’s for the second semester of Level 3; this module provides the opportunity to expand their degree experience at a partner University offering cognate Liberal Arts, interdisciplinary or pathway modules at the equivalent level of study.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) have a developed awareness of the multiple public roles of the arts and humanities in contexts external to Queen’s and Belfast;
(ii) demonstrate critical understanding of how their discipline contributes to the wider contemporary world;
(iii) be able to advocate for the arts and humanities as key components of any society;
(iv) understand the particular challenges facing and opportunities for the arts and humanities in the twenty-first century in societies further afield;
(v) gain practical as well as theoretical insight into the how arts and humanities disciplines in partner institutions correspond with as well as differ from their home institution;
(vi) demonstrate improved critical engagement with the pathway and interdisciplinary subjects selected at the hosting institution.
Skills
(i) develop awareness of the roles that arts and humanities subjects play in the wider world;
(ii) improved communication and language skills;
(iii) global outlook on the issues raised by the degree programme;
(iv) more firmly conceived sense of personal independence;
(v) more diverse understanding of pathway and programme subjects through the study of cognate subjects in national and international contexts;
(vi) experience of a different learning environment and ability to fuse their learning while away from Queen’s with their degree experiences in Belfast;
(vii) articulation of the value of the arts and humanities in societies beyond Belfast and Northern Ireland.
The role of the arts and the humanities in the twenty-first century, and how they are intrinsic to the shaping of society, are the central concerns of this module. It examines the multiple historical, practical, and theoretical applications of the arts and humanities disciplines in a range of public fora. Practitioners from relevant arts sector institutions (e.g. the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Hall, the Arts Council) will share theory and praxis experience in their current roles while creative practitioners (e.g. artists, broadcasters, musicians, photographers, writers) will also contribute to the students’ developing conceptions of the public roles of their disciplines. Students will debate questions such as the value of the arts and of the humanities, social, economic and personal benefit, the importance of outreach activities, civic responsibility and citizenship, and the increasing role of impact in terms of a University’s research and education agendas.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) have a developed awareness of the multiple public roles of the arts and humanities;
(ii) demonstrate critical understanding of how their discipline contributes to the contemporary world;
(iii) be able to advocate for the arts and humanities as key components of any society;
(iv) understand the challenges facing and opportunities for the arts and humanities in the twenty-first century;
(v) gain practical as well as theoretical insight into the how arts and humanities disciplines engage with and facilitate the local arts sector and the wider knowledge economy.
Skills
(i) develop awareness of the roles that arts and humanities subjects play in the wider world;
(ii) practical skills relevant to degree discipline and future career planning;
(iii) effective communication and group work skills;
(iv) examine the contribution of student’s degree pathway to wider society;
(v) ability to apply theoretical concepts of study to workplace scenarios;
(vi) articulation of the value of the arts and humanities in society.
The history of European imperialism is firmly back on the cultural agenda. The murder in Minneapolis of George Floyd in May 2020 supercharged already heated and urgent debates about racial inequality across the world and about its roots in the past. As a consequence, the legacies of European imperialism have come under renewed and intense scrutiny. Slavery, land grabs, resource extraction and the violent destruction and oppression of indigenous lives and cultures were justified using spurious but powerful accounts of racial difference in ways that have left deeply troubling legacies. This module will use episodes in the making of modern geographical knowledge to explore the complex and troubling connections between imperial ambitions and practices, deeply engrained forms of scientific and cultural racism and the creation of geography as a modern way of knowing the world. It will also address how the history of geography and its lingering legacies might be re-thought and decolonised in pursuit of racial justice.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the module, the students will:
- Better appreciate the complex entanglements between modern forms of imperialism, racism and racial inequality.
- Be equipped to critically appraise the morally troubled histories and legacies of modern geographical thought.
- Be proficient in new ways of assessing, critiquing and decolonising the histories and legacies of empire and racial thinking as manifest in the history of modern geography.
Skills
- Independent learning
- Analytical and synoptic thinking
- Critical interpretation
- Ethical appraisal
- Imaginative insight
- Identifying, retrieving, sorting and presenting ideas and information
- Constructing clear, accessible and compelling arguments, written and oral
- Time planning and coursework management
- Teamwork
Spaces of Urbanisation in Emerging Economies and Sustainable Development
Overview
This module is designed to encourage you to expand your basic knowledge of the emerging process of regional urban transformation in the Emerging Economies. It explores key theoretical debates associated with urbanisation in the context of development. By exploring the interface between political economy of development and urbanisation, you will be introduced to the problematic of urban sustainable development and its implications for policy analysis in a comparative perspective. The module begins with an introduction to concepts and paradigm shifts, which informed the process of urban development in the developing world. It then broadens out the discussion to incorporate ideas of creative clusters of urban development, urban social policy and poverty questions, sustainable cities, and urban management and policy questions. This module will provide opportunities for you to develop your critical analytical skills in assessing concepts, data and policy issues associated with urbanisation and sustainable development in the Emerging Economies.
Learning Outcomes
The module provides an examination of the processes urbanisation and sustainable development in the Emerging Economies within a comparative perspective. It will help to develop an understanding of the key concepts, theoretical approaches, paradigms and policies across a wide spectrum of social sciences disciplines. On completion of this module, you will have attained:
1) A working knowledge about the diverse theories of urbanisation to evaluate and analyse critically the issues pertaining to urbanisation in the Emerging Economies.
2) Ability to read a wide range of materials on cities in the Emerging Economies from a critical multi-disciplinary perspective.
3) Familiarisation with key concepts on urbanisation and sustainability
4) An appreciation of the links between the spatial, social and cultural contexts, which effect urban development in the Emerging Economies.
5) Ability to evaluate policy questions associated with urban management in the Emerging Economies
6) Undertake bibliographic searches of a wide range of both academic and specialist materials.
7) To engage in group-based workshops and to construct and deliver sustained reasoned arguments on urbanisation and sustainable development.
Skills
Taught Skills: An analytical and critical reasoning skills and to contextualise knowledge in varying geographical spaces, both within a local and global contexts. It also includes advanced word processing and technical application of bibliographic guidelines and graphic presentation of data and ideas.
Practised Skills: Bibliographic searches, to assimilate and present a coherent appraisal of the various document relating to urban sustainability in a developmental context. Retrieval, interpretative skills, critical reasoning, essay writing based on a sustained level of argumentation and evaluation, oral presentation, time management, group work in workshops.
This module introduces students to the principles and practice of philosophy for children. At the beginning of the module, students undertake an intensive two-day training course where they consider what makes a good philosophical stimulus, how to structure a philosophy for children enquiry, and how to use their philosophical expertise to develop suitable learning resources for children. On successful completion of this training course, they will be assigned a placement in a local primary school where they will be expected to facilitate 8x1hour philosophical enquiries. As part of the module, they will also be expected to attend a number of seminars where they will consider the philosophical underpinnings of the Socratic method of enquiry that is at the heart of philosophy for children and compare it with other styles of doing philosophy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students,
--should have an understanding of the principles and practice of philosophy for children;
--should have a critical awareness of different conceptions of philosophical enquiry;
--should be able to facilitate an effective one-hour philosophy for children enquiry with primary-age children.
Skills
This module will develop intellectual skills, including analytical thinking, managing and developing subject-specific knowledge, and critical and independent thinking.
It will also promote professional and career development skills, notably communication skills, teamwork, sensitivity to diversity issues, and time management.
In addition, it will develop organizational skills, such as the ability to meet deadlines, the ability to facilitate discussion amongst a group of people, the ability to lead discussion, the ability to innovate and think creatively within a workplace setting.
This module examines the role of natural resources in modern societies through the specific lens of energy resources – from hydrocarbons to renewables – and how they have shaped international politics, economics and societies. Specific topics include: the transition from coal to oil and the emerging role of the multinational energy corporations in international politics; the link between natural resources and development in the Global South; the nature and consequences of the ‘resource curse’; the geo-strategic implications of contestation over energy resources; a range of case studies, which may include the following: the politics of energy and resource nationalism; the politics of post-colonial petro-states; the global impact of the US shale revolution; energy and authoritarianism in the Global South; the future of fossil fuels and the capitalist world order; and the nature of the embryonic energy transition towards a low carbon global economy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will be able to identify key developments in the modern era of resource politics, and how domestic and international contestation over natural resources such as oil, gas, minerals and land have shaped global economic and political developments. Students will also be able to relate a range of topics and developments in global resource politics to other aspects of international politics and economics, including the emergence of the post-colonial world and the rising powers of the Global South, socio-economic development, international conflict and environmental sustainability.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module examines in depth the work of two major twentieth-century American poets: Wallace Stevens and Elizabeth Bishop. The work of the module will divide evenly between the two writers, with the first five weeks concentrating on Stevens and the second five on Bishop. Students will engage with two main texts (the collected poems of each poet) and assess their writings either in terms of individual collections or as examples of a longer career in poetry.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students should have a thorough knowledge of the work of both Wallace Stevens and Elizabeth Bishop within a range of particular contexts: their connection to other poetic movements or schools or traditions; their place within a canon of twentieth-century American poetry; their relation to philosophical movements, both within the United States and further afield; and of how their poems work as poetry. They will also be familiar with other examples of Stevens’ and Bishop’s writing, whether in the form of letters, essays, or in prose and how these assist in the understanding of their poetry within related contexts.
Skills
Students will develop the ability to read and critically analyse poetry in a range of forms and modes: short poems; philosophical poems; narrative poems; long poems. Their skills in assessing fundamental examples of twentieth-century American poetry between 1923 and 1976 will be enhanced by a range of approaches: comparing poems by Stevens or by Bishop from across her/his oeuvre, and/or by comparing the work of both writers; by reading their work in relation to key critical and contextual understandings of their contemporary moments (Modernism, late Modernism, World Wars 1 and 2, the Depression, the Middle Generation). Students taking this module will develop an appreciation of poetry on its own terms as exemplified by two giants of the form in the United States.
An examination of the Thatcher era (1979-1990) from political, cultural, social, intellectual and international perspectives. The module will also consider the longer-term, post-1945, development of Thatcherism and its legacy in the 1990s. Topics to be considered include: race and national identity; Britain and the wider world; devolution and local government; economics; party and identity politics; urban unrest; and debates over the nuclear deterrent.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate: 1) knowledge of the main developments of the Thatcher era, both in outline and fine detail; 2) an understanding of the deeper, and longer-term, changes occurring in British politics, society and culture after 1945; 3) an ability to engage with the relevant historiographical debates; 4) an ability to analyse a range of relevant primary sources; 5) an appreciation of the distinctive challenges of contemporary history.
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills: 1) an increased ability critically to engage with historiography; 2) an increased ability to analyse primary sources; 3) an increased ability to develop an argument in written and oral forms.
Sin Cities? Everyday Life in the Modern Metropolis
Overview
What, when and - perhaps most importantly - where was modernity? Were cities merely the inactive sites or containers of emerging economic, social and cultural processes, or was urbanity a fundamental part of what it meant to be living in a ‘modern age’? ‘Sin Cities’ explores these questions through the study of metropolitan centres in the Western world between c.1880-1939. You will be taken through urban life in places such as London, New York, Paris and Berlin – and the pleasures, anxieties and identities that they came to represent.
The course begins with the late-nineteenth century growth of both academic and popular belief in the idea that cities were now somehow different to what had come before – new, shocking, and possibly the end (or maybe the beginning?) of Western society. Following lectures and tutorials range widely across a diverse field of analytical approaches and topics, including: sexuality sub-cultures; shopping and entertainment; miscegenation and ‘slumming’; prostitution and ‘sexual danger’; and the rise of urban sociology. We will end the module by debating the importance of the ‘urban variable’, and its value as a distinct category of historical analysis.
Learning Outcomes
i) Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of urban history as a specific discipline.
ii) Students will be able to critique the concept of ‘modernity’ in a Western framework.
ii) Students will hone their capability to understand different theoretical approaches (gender, class, sexuality) relevant to social history more broadly.
iv) Students will be able to understand the history of different countries in a comparative framework.
Skills
i) Students will enhance their ability to critically analyse different primary sources in connection with secondary literature.
ii) Students will increase their confidence and ability to orally present analysis and argument, working in groups.
iii) Students will increase their ability to organise and synthesise secondary literature in a coherent argument.
Writing Africa: The Colonial Past to Colonial Present
Overview
This module provides an overview of Anglophone prose fiction from and about the African continent, from the late 19th century to the present. Beginning with texts written at the height of British imperial power, the course charts imperial decline and decolonisation through literary eyes. Coming to focus on the African novel in English, students will study major concepts and debates in colonial and postcolonial studies and, by interrogating globalisation and the ‘colonial present’, will reflect critically on postcolonial theory itself. This course is structured around five themes: 1) Adventure, Exploration, Empire 2) Imperial Decline 3) Decolonisation: The Rise of the African Novel 4) Gender, Trauma, Conflict 5) Postcolonialism or Neo-imperialism
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will have analysed a range of colonial and postcolonial fiction set in sub-Saharan Africa, from the Victorian period to the present. They will have engaged critically with key debates in colonial and postcolonial studies concerning language, identity and representation, and applied these to course texts. Students will have extended their knowledge and understanding of module themes (including colonialism, decolonisation, postcolonialism, globalisation and neo-imperialism), and developed an informed critical vocabulary for the examination of colonial and postcolonial literatures.
Skills
On completing this module students will be able to:
• articulate their knowledge and understanding of colonialism, decolonisation, postcolonialism, globalisation and neo-imperialism
• analyse and evaluate key critical terms, and deploy an informed vocabulary for the examination of colonial and postcolonial literature
• demonstrate an ability to work with secondary materials
• identify independent research questions (having selected their own essay and presentation topics)
• display transferable skills in group discussion, written communication and oral presentation
• demonstrate skills in using online research and learning resources effectively (having participated in a digital resources workshop)
Since the end of the Cold War, environmental issues have become one of the most important considerations in global politics. While geopolitics has been largely defined by territorial matters, geopolitics is increasingly concerned with humanity’s geological changes, what has been termed the Anthropocene. We are now determining our own geological futures, inextricably embedded with nature which requires new spatial categories and political thinking. The student will be introduced to the debates around global environmental change in geography and cognate disciplines of International Relations and environmental politics with a keen interest in the spatial dynamics at play. This course will review the conceptual and contemporary theoretically driven case studies related to environmental politics at the local, national, regional, and international scales of geopolitics. In this module, we will explore the relationship between environmental changes and conflict; global governance and international environmental agreements; capitalism and climate change; industrial development and indigenous populations; resource scarcity; relevance of environmental security to national security; and environmental catastrophe related matters such as migration.
Learning Outcomes
This module will enable students to:
1) Write and talk fluently about debates in environmental politics;
2) Think geographically about environmental politics;
3) Assess theoretical approaches for analyzing environmental security and geopolitics;
4) Appreciate the complexity of the relations between space, politics, and environment.
Skills
Description
Pre-Requisites
None
Co-Requisites
None
Compulsory Element
None
Course Contents
Since the end of the Cold War, environmental issues have become one of the most important considerations in global politics. While geopolitics has been largely defined by territorial matters, geopolitics is increasingly concerned with humanity’s geological changes, what has been termed the Anthropocene. We are now determining our own geological futures, inextricably embedded with nature which requires new spatial categories and political thinking. The student will be introduced to the debates around global environmental change in geography and cognate disciplines of International Relations and environmental politics with a keen interest in the spatial dynamics at play. This course will review the conceptual and contemporary theoretically driven case studies related to environmental politics at the local, national, regional, and international scales of geopolitics. In this module, we will explore the relationship between environmental changes and conflict; global governance and international environmental agreements; capitalism and climate change; industrial development and indigenous populations; resource scarcity; relevance of environmental security to national security; and environmental catastrophe related matters such as migration.
Supplementary Notes
None
Learning Outcomes
This module will enable students to:
1) Write and talk fluently about debates in environmental politics;
2) Think geographically about environmental politics;
3) Assess theoretical approaches for analyzing environmental security and geopolitics;
4) Appreciate the complexity of the relations between space, politics, and environment.
Skills
On successful completion, students will have acquired the ability to:
Subject-specific:
1) Appreciate the spatial dimensions of environmental security/politics (T taught; P practiced; A assessed);
2) Apply geographical thinking to understanding and potentially resolving environmental conflicts, practices, and perceptions (T; P; A);
3) Gain acquaintance with key thinkers and major concepts that relate to environmental geopolitics (T; P; A);
4) Understand key moments and places in the history of global environmental change (T; P; A);
Cognitive:
1) Carry out independent research (P; A);
2) Think analytically and synoptically (P; A);
3) Appraise and imaginatively reconstruct a range of arguments (P; A);
4) Offer and receive academic criticism in a constructive way (P; A)
Transferable:
1) Construct a logical and effective written argument (P; A);
2) Speak clearly and persuasively to a group (P);
3) Read attentively and critically (P; A);
4) Work independently and to deadlines (P; A);
5) Retrieve and sift relevant information from books, archives and electronic sources (T; P; A)
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In Gods We Trust: The New Anthropology of Religion
Overview
Drawing on anthropological approaches to the study of religion, this course explores key themes and methods in the study of religious beliefs and practices. The course begins with a questioning of the notion of religion, drawing on key anthropological studies in the field. The course will also explore the intersection of religion, colonialism and post-colonialism (especially in relation to Christianity), religion and politics, and religion and science. The overall aim is to explore the role of religion in the structure of different societies, as well as the intersection of religion, community and identity.
The module will place a particular emphasis on more recent issues in the study of religion and in the practice of religious beliefs. Some of the topics covered in this direction are the relation of religion and modern scientific thought, Evangelism and global politics, religion and sex, atheism and non-belief, spirituality and mindfulness, religious humanitarianism. The overarching goal is to explore the diversity of religious practices and the ways in which contemporary religious beliefs and practices can be explored from an anthropological perspective
Learning Outcomes
Be able to understand: 1) Anthropological approaches to the study of religion 2) The intersection of religion, identity and belonging 3) How religion relates to morality and spirituality 4) The relationship between religion and science 5) The contributions of anthropology to the study of religious beliefs and practices 6) The role of religion in contemporary society
Skills
The module will help foster the students’: · Ability to consider the role of anthropology in engaging with key debates in contemporary societies · Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats · Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple sources · Ability to debate and defend arguments · Ability to engage in groupwork · Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
This module considers the ancient Greco-Roman city as a dynamic form of settlement, from its origins in archaic Greece to its demise (or transformation) in the late antique West. Our readings will include ancient discussions of the political and economic roles of cities and of urban architecture and design, as well as depictions in prose and poetry of everyday life in imperial Rome and classical Athens. We will also examine the material remains of these two ancient “mega-cities” and of the smaller but well-preserved cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. We will attempt to formulate our own definition(s) of the ancient city, and we will trace changes in the organization and uses of urban space, and in ancient writers’ conceptions of the political, social, economic, and religious roles of cities, over the course of classical antiquity.
Learning Outcomes
- An understanding of the historical and geographical diversity of ancient Mediterranean urbanism.
- An ability to recognize and evaluate historical debates (both ancient and modern) relating to the development of the Greco-Roman city.
- An ability to evaluate the wide range of textual and material-cultural evidence pertaining to the Greco-Roman city.
Skills
- The ability to engage with historical interpretations and to judge between them, both orally and in written form.
- The ability to evaluate the strengths and limitations of diverse primary and secondary sources.
- The ability to locate relevant sources and to construct a consistent written argument from them.
- The confidence to discuss, present and articulate arguments to peers.
This module explores Ireland’s unique contribution to the Gothic through an extraordinary range of texts that encompasses classics of the genre (such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula) alongside lesser-known writers such as Gerald Griffin and James Clarence Mangan. Whilst the reading for the module exemplifies the formal diversity of the genre, particular emphasis is placed on the accelerating use of the short story as a literary vehicle for terror (notably in the work of Sheridan Le Fanu and Elizabeth Bowen). The module pursues several interrelated lines of intellectual inquiry: the longstanding perception of Ireland as a site of Gothic horror; the role of Gaelic folklore and myth in creating supernatural terror; the reception and development of Gothic themes in Irish writing; and current critical debates in the field. In tracing the widespread prevalence of Gothic motifs and themes, the module seeks to delineate the contours of a distinctive aesthetic, and reflects on questions of colonial and gender politics, as well as dilemmas of national and sexual identities as they appear in the dark glass of Irish Gothic writing.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should have a thorough knowledge of the Gothic genre as it developed in Irish writing, and be able to identify and expand upon the distinctive formal and thematic features of this literary tradition. Students should also be able to situate texts in a range of relevant contexts, relating Gothic motifs and themes to the historical and cultural particularities of their production. Students should also gain good understanding of the current critical debates surrounding Irish Gothic writing.
Skills
Over the course of the module, students should develop/acquire the following skills:
• to analyse primary and secondary material in a scholarly manner;
• to research appropriate critical and historical material on any given literary topic;
• to edit and present scholarly arguments and literary analyses to peers;
• to negotiate a ranging critical field, and situate in relation to it their own analytical perspective.
This module will touch upon some supranational criminological issues in contemporary societies. It aims to consider how crime and justice unfolds outside the remit of the sovereign state. In particular, it will cover the following topics:
-Crime and Justice Beyond the state: Globalization, and state sovereignty, challenges for crime and justice.
-Transnational threats: from the emergence of international crime, to contemporary issues such as terrorism, migration and organised transnational crime as current international threats.
-War and its framing: crime, justice or new forms of war; and responses to conflicts.
--International Policing: the raise of Interpol, Europol and Frontex; their role and functions; data mining and technology; drones as policing tools; the continuum between war and the re-structuring of the security sector.
-International Criminal Courts and the crimes of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity; War Crimes; Rape as a Weapon of War.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of relevant theories, concepts and debates on globalization and supranational criminology.
Critically engage with the idea of international threats and their implications, broadly conceived, for our societies and institutions; the emergence of policing and sentencing bodies to regulate behaviour in the global arena.
Analyse, evaluate and engage in systematic and critical argument concerning contemporary global criminal justice issues.
Show development in their capacity for independent critical thinking, research and oral and written skills.
Skills
Practical/Study Skills and Employability Skills:
- Present information and communicate ideas in a coherent manner and academic format
- Oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials, class presentations and group
discussions, ability to argue personal viewpoint and discuss with others
- An ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner incorporating information from academic texts and international organization reports
-Retrieve, select and read critically relevant information from international governmental and non governmental organizations
- A capacity for critical reflection and independent thinking, generating new insights and seeing topical problems and issues from different perspectives.
This module explores some of the major topics in contemporary epistemology, especially the epistemology of testimony, and contextualism and its rivals.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will: Acquire the ability to critically discuss some of the most central problems and arguments in contemporary epistemology.
Skills
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
• Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
•Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
•Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
•Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
•Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Gender, Family and Social Policy: Comparative Perspective
Overview
The module aims to explore the critical study of the gendered distribution of welfare. It reviews the welfare systems and institutions in the UK and elsewhere, and assesses their capacity to meet the welfare needs of women in diverse circumstances. The module also considers the position of women in relation to welfare states, as citizens, workers, carers and clients from international and comparative perspective.
Learning Outcomes
- To develop an understanding of key concepts and theories of welfare relating to the gendering of social needs and welfare systems from comparative and international perspective.
- To improve an ability to identify appropriate evidence and analyse its relevance to policy-related issues, gender and policy issues in particular.
- To understand the main sources of statistical data on gender (e.g. gender and poverty, inequality, and employment).
Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; Oral and written communication and presentation skills; teamwork skills.
The politics of asylum and migration are undergoing profound changes. States are closing down many routes for asylum seekers, turning attention to security and border control concerns. Bilateral and multi-lateral relations are imbued with concerns about controlling the movement of people as states work with and respond not only to each other, but to non-governmental and international organizations. These dynamics are imbued with global power relations, with changing notions of security and with age-old questions of sovereignty, citizenship, and belonging. The dominant policy direction favours solutions that emphasize either preventative protection or repatriation, both practices of containment and conflict resolution and management. We are witnessing a decline in the traditional category of refugees, but a rise in the number of internally displaced persons. Economic deprivation and poverty continues to pair with conflict to drive migration that muddies the waters between “forced” and “voluntary” categories. Increasing incidents of human smuggling and human trafficking, and a failure in many circles to effectively distinguish between the two, are demanding new policy innovations that are linking international criminal law to diplomatic relations – and migrants are caught in the middle. Finally, emerging categories such as “environmental refugees” are challenging the current refugee regime, which remains rooted in the 1951 Convention.
This module will examine these changes in the fields of refugee and migration studies, asking questions that assess not only shifting policy and practices but also the impacts these shifts have on the lived lives of migrants themselves. We will engage these questions and the issues they raise through thoughtful and critical dialogue. We will focus on the politics of migration and citizenship as dynamic practices rather than pre-determined institutions, and ask what roles the various structures and frameworks of contemporary International Relations play in these politics. Importantly, we will also ask what role individuals play, and examine the politics of voice and agency in both shaping, contesting and resisting state practices. To tackle these issues, we will engage with both policy and theoretical literatures and illustrate conceptual and philosophical arguments through extensive use of specific case studies from different regions of the world. We will emphasize contemporary and emerging issues, but also look at the historical contexts and questions that shape the politics of migration and citizenship as they exist today.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of key literature on migration, refugee and citizenship studies
• Frame and explain global policy directions and changes in the field of migration, and the role of security and economic discourses in shaping government practices and decisions
• Explain the dynamics and shifting relations of power and resistance between states, individuals and advocacy groups in shaping migration and citizenship politics
• Engage with and assess philosophical and theoretical developments in the field, and relate them to national and international law and policies and the experiences of migrants ‘on the ground’
• Communicate their ideas on a particular case in a coherent, clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Knowledge Development: ability to develop a strong research program that is ongoing over time and has several products
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Policy Analysis: ability to read and understand policy and legal documents and critically assess their foundations and consequences
• Presentational and Advocacy Skills: ability to present your ideas and arguments before a group of peers and respond to questions in a convincing fashion
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures and cope with stress
Organizational skills
• Preparatory Skills: always being well prepared for tutorials (e.g. required reading) and presentations.
• Time Management: effective use of study time, meeting coursework deadlines
• Independent Research: making good use of the library and the materials available
Understanding the nature and sources of the world’s pre-eminent superpower is indispensable in analysing global security arrangements and the liberal international system. Using international relations theoretical perspectives and approaches in security studies, this module introduces students to a number of themes and debates concerning the central role of the United States in the international system and the contemporary global order. More specifically, it critically engages students with US foreign policy during the Cold War, US grand strategy, the purposes of US global military presence and its influence in the contemporary liberal global order, the “Pax Americana”, and other pertinent issues, placing these in historical context from the Cold War up until the current challenge of the rise of China. The course uses various historical cases to elucidate central dynamics in US foreign policy, from US involvement in Latin America during the Cold War to US counter-terrorism strategies in the War on Terror. In this sense, the course is designed to provide substantive content regarding US foreign policy and its dynamics as well as critically evaluate the role of US power in the international system.
This module offers students the opportunity to explore the syntax and morphology of English. Starting from the insight that sentences have structure, and that all native speakers of English have knowledge of the rules that underlie that structure, this course focuses on the grammatical tools and theoretical concepts that allow us to investigate and describe the nature of our syntactic knowledge. Students are introduced to a basic formal framework for syntactic analysis (a simple phrase-structure model informed by modern Principles-and-Parameters Theory) and the kinds of questions and problems that such a model allows us to address, including those relating to child language acquisition and syntactic variation across different dialects of English. Throughout the course, the emphasis is placed on developing practical skills for data analysis alongside scientific skills of hypothesis formation and argumentation, and on setting the English language within the wider context of human language more generally.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will have proficiency in linguistic analysis using a theoretically-informed model of syntactic description, as well as an appreciation of the value of using such a model to discuss and explain not only real language data but also more abstract properties of linguistic competence. On a practical level, students will be able to identify and describe the major types of syntactic categories and constructions in terms of their formal characteristics and structural properties, as well as to manipulate constituents in order to arrive at a structural analysis. They will be equipped to evaluate alternative descriptions and analyses of linguistic phenomena and to argue for (or against) a particular solution to a problem.
Skills
The primary aim of this module is to familiarize students with a basic technical vocabulary and set of descriptive and analytical skills that can be applied to new data sets, including tests for identifying syntactic categories and for determining syntactic structure. A secondary aim is to develop an awareness of the kinds of linguistic facts that can be revealed by a theoretical approach to language involving introspective methods, including grammaticality judgments. In pursuing these aims, our purpose is not only to develop an ability to solve linguistic problems using the tools and concepts provided, but also to gain an understanding of how abstract structural notions can help us to capture and account for often subtle and surprising empirical patterns and generalizations.
This module will focus on various crimes and different forms of punishment in nineteenth-century Ireland. It will consider offences against property and the person, including political offences, arson, murder, infanticide, domestic and child abuse, prostitution and sex offences. The punishment of criminals changed significantly during the nineteenth century and included execution, transportation, and imprisonment. Other suspects were deemed to be insane and were transferred to the so-called lunatic asylum. Much attention was devoted to the ways in which criminals could be punished and reformed before being safely released back into society. In this module, students will explore how female and male suspects, criminals and convicts were treated during this period. Emphasis will also be placed on the interpretation of primary source material relating to crime and punishment in nineteenth-century Ireland.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, the successful student should be able to: Outline motives for and consequences of various criminal offences; Identify, describe and assess ways that criminals and convicts were punished in nineteenth-century Ireland; Locate, question and interpret nineteenth-century sources relating to crime and punishment; Identify how the Irish experience of crime and punishment compared to other countries; Present work in written form for different audiences and develop additional transferable skills such as team-working and quantitative research skills.
Skills
Analytical skills; Research skills; Written and oral communication skills; Debating skills; Quantitative methods skills; Computer skills; Group work skills; Peer assessment skills.
Politics in Popular Song from the French Revolution to Punk
Overview
This module will look at how music and song have functioned as vehicles for promoting political ideas or as reflectors of cultural philosophies or developments. Themes include: The expression of democracy in the Enlightenment; “Utility songs” in 19th-century revolutionary movements; Berlin Cabaret communication techniques; Eisler’s political song theory; song in Opera of our Time and Epic Theatre; American Civil Rights protest song; politics of folk; the 1960s, youth and counter culture; postmodernism, gender-crossing and pop as artifice; late-1970s punk rock; protest pop in the Thatcher years; techno from Kraftwerk to the Love Parade; 1990s hedonism and rejection of ideology.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will acquire:
• knowledge and understanding of musical and performance techniques used by popular song in the communication of ideas to an audience;
• knowledge and understanding of theories regarding the relationship between politics and music
• knowledge and understanding of the political and historical background to trends and developments in popular music.
Skills
On successful completion of this module, students
will have acquired the skills to investigate and understand issues to do with the relationship between politics and popular music;
will have increased their skills in reading secondary literature and applying knowledge of it in their research for the assigned work;
will have acquired skills in developing ideas, applying theoretical concepts, constructing arguments and showing the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
Will have developed communication skills in a variety of oral, written and visual media.
Building on skills acquired at level 2, this module aims to develop the skills and understanding that will be required to deal with a broader variety of language tasks. Linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness will be consolidated and deepened.
The module will contain the following elements:
1. Language Enrichment (2 hours per week)
This session will form the core of the module and will revolve around a set topic (at an appropriate level) each week. A variety of language acquisition and development methods will be employed: group discussion, oral presentation, reading and critical analysis, synopsis and independent writing.
2. Language Accuracy (1 hour per week)
This class will focus on particular aspects of the target language appropriate to this level (e.g. deeper structures involving copular and relative clause constructions, some of which will be further complicated by elements of regional variation).
3.Contextual Study (1hr per week).
This component, which will vary across the two semesters, will deepen and contextualise the other elements of the module by placing them in a broader sociolinguistic and/or historical linguistic context, for example, Dialectology (Sem. 1); The Irish Novel (Sem. 2).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate a high level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in oral and written communication, including the use of a broad variety of linguistic structures and vocabulary, congruent with carrying out activities in Irish in a professional environment;
2) be able to deal with a broad variety of material in the target language, including material which is complex and abstract, and which involves a variety of genres, dialects and registers;
3) be able to demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the structures of the language and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works effectively;
4) be able to synthesise knowledge, identify key points, and structure and present arguments at a high level in a range of formats and registers;
5) be able to demonstrate understanding of core dialectal differences in Irish.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: The module will advance the skills acquired in Levels 1 and 2. Key skills which will be developed to a high level will be independent thinking and learning, self-reflection, and self-management.
Security politics has long been associated with the development, use and regulation of new technologies, from the ‘nuclear revolution’ to contemporary practices of cyber-security and surveillance. This module focusses on the inter-relationships of technology and security, and seeks to develop advanced understanding of the complexities of the “technopolitics” of security. This includes both novel technologies and the mundane materialities of security (fences, walls, guns). It introduces students to the role and political significance of science and technology from different theoretical perspectives, from political realism to the contemporary ‘material turn’ in critical security studies. It seeks to engage students in contemporary political debates and practices that entangle science and technology and security politics which may include issues such as cyber-security, UAVs/Drones, disarmament, nuclear terrorism, critical infrastructure protection, technologies of killing, biotechnology, biometrics, surveillance, border control, food security, health and medical technologies, and technologies of (military) bodies, among others. The module incorporates both theoretical perspectives (including IR/Security theory, and wider philosophy of technology and Science, Technology and Society approaches) and in depth empirical material.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will:
- Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different theoretical understandings of science and technology in security politics and practice.
- Be able to discuss in depth the politics of several key security technologies.
- Critically engage in debates on key developments in the politics of security that relate to emerging technologies and technologically mediated forms of security practice.
- Be able to reflect upon the ethical and political implications of technological developments and practices in relation to security.
- Pursue independent, creative and critical thinking through both written work and group discussions.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This course aims to explore the writing and culture of the working class, to ask how socio-economic distinctions inflect judgements of ‘taste’, and to develop an understanding of the historical role of class in shaping identities across ethno-nationalist lines. A good deal of scholarship in recent decades has signalled a growing awareness of British working-class writing, though Irish Studies, by comparison, has tended to neglect issues of social class. We will therefore engage the more substantial body of scholarship on British working-class literature to inform our discussion of Irish working-class writers, signalling new and exciting possibilities for future scholarship.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will have refined their broad critical understanding of key thinkers in cultural materialist and left-wing literary theory. They will have applied this understanding to over a dozen key texts (including films), engaging a range of historical and social contexts across twentieth-century British and Irish writing, analysing the recurrence of key themes and ideas in working-class writing. Students will also have related these readings to developments in postcolonial, postmodern and feminist theories, where applicable, drawing on a broad range of cultural and intellectual perspectives.
Skills
During this module, students will have the opportunity to practise the following skills:
- Critical analysis of key debates in literary and cultural theory;
- Engagement with interdisciplinary debates regarding historiography and the sociology of culture;
- Application of learning to key texts in working-class writing;
- Comparative analysis of literary and filmic representations and conventions;
- Writing critically and reflectively;
- Presentation skills.
The Rise of Christianity 2: The Conversion of the Roman Empire
Overview
A study of the growth of the Christian community within the Roman world from the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (AD 70) to the death of Constantine the Great (AD 337). Students will assess the variety and character of early Christian teaching; the appearance and definition of heresies; the literary interaction between the upholders of Roman religio and Christians; the nature and extent of persecution within the Roman empire; the conversion of Constantine the Great (c. AD 312) and its significance for the Roman empire.
Learning Outcomes
To understand the methods used for the resconstruction of an historical topic and acquire advanced perspectives of early Christianity in its Roman context.
Skills
Advanced development of skills of analysis and evaluation, in particular the organization and interpretation of widely scattered and frequently fragmentary source material.
This module examines contemporary (twenty-first century) novels set during the period 1660-1820: from the Restoration of Charles II to the Regency era popularly associated with Jane Austen. These works form part of the boom in ‘historical fiction’, a branch of the novel genre that dates at least as far back as Walter Scott’s Waverley (1814) but which has gained renewed popularity and prestige in recent years. By examining narratives set during a specific time-period, the module assesses the strengths and limitations of historical fiction, the reasons for its cultural and commercial purchase, its relationship to the past and to our contemporary moment, and the usefulness of the term ‘historical fiction’ itself. ‘Historical fiction’ encompasses a variety of modes, sub-genres and aesthetic categories, and the module addresses examples of ‘popular’, mass-market fiction and ‘literary’ (highbrow) fiction; intersections with other novelistic forms (such as crime, mystery and fantasy fiction); and the place within historical fiction of literary adaptations (of Austen’s novels especially). Historical fiction often returns to familiar motifs and historical events – such as the Napoleonic Wars or the decade of the 1660s, which saw the return of the monarchy, the spread of plague and the Great Fire of London. At the same time, contemporary writers have also revisited this period in order to recover marginalised voices: to reclaim, and re-imagine, historical identities in relation to gender, sexuality, race and class. Among other elements, we will consider narratives that focus on servants and slaves, and that explore such topics as crime and the city; social hierarchy and the status of women; empire and national identity; fact, fiction and historical ‘truth’. Via a dual focus on history and the present, the module will thus ask what contemporary fiction tells us about our understanding of the past, and about our own contemporary concerns, anxieties, and obsessions.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed higher-level knowledge and understanding of contemporary ‘historical fiction’, in relation to the specific time-period 1660-1820. They will be able to identify and articulate the key critical and theoretical issues surrounding this body of fiction, such as the relationships between narrative, history and ‘the past’; fact, fiction, and historical ‘truth’. They will be equipped to distinguish different kinds of historical fiction and the various genres and modes in operation within these novels: popular vs ‘literary’ fiction; crime, mystery and fantasy; the role of literary adaptation. They will be able to situate recent historical fiction in relation to earlier novels and the history of the (sub-)genre. On completion of the module, they will be more fully attuned to the limitations and risks, popular appeal and value of contemporary historical novels, with particular regard to the period from the Restoration of 1660 to the end of the Regency era.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse contemporary works of historical fiction in terms of genre, technique, readerships, and constructions of the past
• Demonstrate understanding of the various ways in which contemporary novelists have conceived and depicted the period 1660-1820
• Adjudicate critical and theoretical ideas regarding the relationships between fact and fiction, narrative and history within this literature
• Demonstrate understanding of the ‘politics’ of historical fiction, with regard to the voicing of the historically marginalised and the investigation of personal and group identities in terms of gender, sexuality, race and class
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of group discussion, written communication, and individual research
This module examines the last century for the most populous country in the world. During that period China experienced far-reaching changes and after a long submission period to the Western powers reaffirmed its central role on the global stage. In terms of political structures, there was a move from empire to republic, and then from a right wing to a left wing mono party rule. In that regard, the century can be split into before and after World War Two, when the leadership of the country was first in the hands of the Chinese Nationalist Party led by Sun Yatsen and then Chiang Kaishek, and since 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong, then Deng Xiaoping and his successors. The twentieth century for China also witnessed epochal changes regarding society and culture, including the New Cultural Movement, the May Four Movement, the emancipation of women, and opposition to Confucian values. The course also presents the intricate foreign policy, which passed from a tributary system, to Japanese occupation, to a central player of the Cold War in Asia, and to a central player in the globalized world of today.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the political and social changes of twentieth-century Chinese history.
• Confidently evaluate a range of relevant historiographical debates and approaches.
• Analyse and evaluate in translation a variety of primary sources drawn from across the period.
• Evaluate evidence for continuity and change across the period, and compare regional variations.
Skills
• Students will improve their ability to engage with and critique a variety of historical interpretations.
• Students will develop their ability to identify and locate primary and secondary sources and to exploit them in constructing sustained and coherent arguments.
• Students will enhance their self-confidence, team-working and oral and written communication skills by engaging in group discussions, making presentations, and submitting written work.
The module provides a theoretical and practical background to the geographical study of health. The module encompasses three broad topics; health and environment, health inequalities, and health policy. Under these themes, we will demonstrate to students the importance of geography in influencing an individual’s health status, how to produce and collect empirical evidence to support these theories, and also provide an understanding of how research and evidence can influence public health policy. The module will have a practical and applied focus, with emphasis on solving real-world problems. It will also introduce the students to using R, which will be of great benefit to their future study/career. It will also include guest lectures from outside of the department and QUB to reflect our collaborations and multi-disciplinary approach.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module, students will develop:
• An understanding of how the environment influences both mental and physical health
• An understanding of the extent and nature of health inequalities and the challenges faced in overcoming them
• Experience in using R
• Experience in analysing secondary data from at least two countries with different population data systems including Northern Ireland and Finland
• Skills in interpreting analysed outputs and applying them to solve real-world problems
• Oral and visual communication skills in the form of a PowerPoint presentation
• Written communication skills in the form of an essay and report
• Experience in working effectively as part of a team
Skills
Key skills
• The ability to think and argue critically and undertake problem solving
• The ability to undertake self-directed learning
• The ability to work within a team.
Subject related skills
• The ability to communicate geographical ideas by evidenced written, oral and visual means
• The ability to produce descriptive tables and basic graphs using R
• The ability to apply analytical techniques or approaches to geographical information
• The ability to interpret a range of information
Employability skills
• Groupwork, leadership and time-management skills
• Project planning and oral skills
• Report writing, data synthesis and presentation skills
This module engages critically with major issues in the philosophy of technology and environmental philosophy through analysis of historical and contemporary texts and arguments. The module may include discussion of the following questions: Ought we to enhance ourselves and future generations? What is artificial intelligence, and how does it affect knowledge? How should we be responding to the climate crisis? How should humans understand their relationship with nature? In what ways does climate justice intersect with refugee justice? How can we best address epistemic issues involved in understanding climate change? The module incorporates attention to epistemological and metaphysical issues as well as to ethical and political issues, and will encourage students to appreciate the interconnections between these. The precise issues covered in the module may vary from year to year, but are likely to include philosophy of enhancement, artificial intelligence, algorithm bias, digital privacy and surveillance, land and urban philosophy, animal philosophy, the global climate crisis, climate justice and refugee justice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to: * Demonstrate critical analysis of key debates in the philosophy of technology and in environmental philosophy; * Apply relevant philosophical theories and case information in discussing and responding to contemporary practical technological and environmental issues; * Demonstrate critical understanding of diverse accounts of technology and environment within philosophy and society.
Skills
Intellectual skills • Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner. • Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments. • Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field. Professional and career development skills • Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing. • Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning. • Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment. • Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development. • Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance. Organizational skills • Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines. • Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information. • Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way. • Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
Building on the foundational knowledge and core skills gained in DRA2060 (Acting for Musical Theatre), this advanced Level 3 module provides intensive practical and dramaturgical study of a significant musical theatre composer and/or lyricist. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will gain (i) higher-level skills in acting and staging musical theatre and (ii) proficiency in dramaturgical analysis of musical theatre. Logistics permitting, the module will culminate in a public performance in the Brian Friel Theatre, thereby enabling students to present critically informed practical work outside of a classroom setting. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include those of Stephen Sondheim (e.g., Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Passion).
Learning Outcomes
. to acquire deeper dramaturgical knowledge of musical theatre by focusing on the work of a major composer and/or lyricist (e.g., Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein).
. to perform scenes and songs from works by a major composer and/or lyricist (see above)
. to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
. to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performance
Skills
Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.
This module investigates the making of the Irish diaspora; explores factors that led unprecedented numbers of Irish migrants to permanently leave the country of their birth in the course of the 19th century and comparatively assesses the often challenging experiences of Irish migrants in the leading host societies of Britain, the United States and Australia. It also assesses the Irish migrant outflow against the backdrop of European migration to ascertain the distinctive features of Irish 19th-century migration. Course contents: Week 1 Introduction to migration history Week 2 The Scattering: the Irish case study Week 3 The key features of a diaspora Week 4 Pre-famine migratory patterns Week 5 Famine migration Week 6 Post-famine migration Week 7 Women and Irish migration Week 8 Host society analysis I: Britain Week 9 Host society analysis II: The United States Week 10 Host society analysis III: Australia - convict migration Week 11 Host society analysis IV: Australia - free settler migration
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
In Understand the social and economic conditions in Ireland, and in recipient countries over the course of a century; Comprehend why people leave their country of birth; the difficulties and prejudices they often face in their new homelands; and the impact of migration on the place of birth and to the place of destination; Develop a wider and deeper understanding of the experience of Irish migration and the historical debates that surround the Irish diaspora; Understand the occupational and residential distribution of Irish migrants, paying particular attention to regional diversity and gender difference; An Be aware of the comparative aspect of migration studies; AN Be able to investigate migration in a rigorous academic manner Co Communicate historical arguments effectively both orally and in writing Have knowledge of Irish immigrants’ political, cultural and religious affiliation and the complex and problematic questions of ethnic identity, ethnic fade and attitudes to migrant populations which are issues of considerable contemporary resonance.
Skills
Managing and Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments Critical and Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field professional and career development skills Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Practical and technical skills: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT/historical databases/online archival resources. Organisational skills: Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show ability for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments by the use of historical evidence
Rehabilitating Reality: studies and strategies of the use of fiction to strengthen fact
Overview
The phenomenon of “post-truth” has infiltrated and destabilised conventional factual broadcast practice. Among other problems, it has bred a deep suspicion and a burgeoning rejection of the observational mode of storytelling, a staple of conventional audio and audio-visual documentary and news gathering.
In the face of this paradigmatic shift and the existential threat to the power and integrity of the media it represents, this module will look at various techniques in which fiction/fictive strategies can be used not to weaken or compromise representations of fact but rather to strengthen and deepen them.
Focusing on both seminal and emergent audio and audio-visual work, this module will explore narrative strategies in broadcast media that channel fiction/fictional strategies in a bid to deepen the audience’s experience/understanding and feeling about factual situations. This will include strategies of re-enactment, ‘essayism,’ heightened subjectivism, docu-fiction, experimental documentary, creative memoire and socially-engaged drama.
The optional module is intended as an equally-balanced theory and practice hybrid, which enables students to build on and interrogate broadcast skills they know well either through media practice or media consumption. It will also be a sound primer on the dilemmas and possible solutions/strategies facing media practice in the “post-truth” era.
Students will engage with theory in the following area: documentary studies, epistemology, semiotics, post-structuralism, post-truth discourse, narratology and genre experimentation, among others. They will be exposed to examples of audio and audio-visual work which exemplify the constructive commandeering of fiction (or fictive strategies) in the service of strengthening of the veracity of factual information for audiences living in the “post-truth” era. Students also have the opportunity to develop and apply some of these strategies in their own factual broadcast practical work on the module.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Understand analyse and critique “post-truth” discourse; its effect on factual media and society; and the larger societal stakes that surround its emergence.
- Analyse media texts in relation to their attributes that are clearly fact-based and those which are fiction-based.
- Analyse fiction-based attributes of factual output and discern if specific fiction-based attributes are beneficial or detrimental to the veracity of the output and, by extension, in the public interest.
- Produce a media output that puts “fictional attribute(s)” or “fictive strategy/ies” at the service of a larger factual thrust.
Skills
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Academic analysis and communication
- Devising of fictive strategies for the purpose of bolstering the factual intention/character of a given broadcast output
The cultural politics of memory in a global perspective
Overview
This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of memory studies as an interdisciplinary field through a discussion of contemporary theoretical debates and case studies from across the globe. The module will cover key themes such as: memorial sites and commemorative objects; national memory and national identity; long-term impacts of conflict, terrorism, war, and genocide; transnational and diasporic
memories, and contemporary legacies of Empire and colonialism. The module is designed to equip students with theoretical and methodological tools for undertaking data collection and analysis of social processes surrounding memory and commemoration.
Learning Outcomes
Students will develop an understanding of the historical and contemporary debates surrounding collective memory and the cultural and political struggles over the social remembrance of the past. By the end of this module, students will be able to:
* understand contemporary debates in memory studies as an interdisciplinary field.
* analyse and critique the concept of ‘collective memory’ and its theoretical and practical implications.
* critically appraise different methods for studying commemorative processes.
* understand how memory and collective identity shape social relations, especially in post-conflict and post-colonial societies around the world.
* systematically compare and contrast different case studies through reasoned analysis
Skills
This module will provide practice in:
* Critically analysing and appraising strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical and methodological approaches in collective memory.
* Reflecting on suitable research methods for studying various aspects of memory and commemoration.
* Forming, developing, and defending arguments based on empirical evidence from a range of sources.
* Making comparisons of empirical case studies through reasoned analysis.
This module will provide experience in:
• Communication
• Using the spoken word - participating in discussions
• Using the written word Information and communication technology:
• Searching and obtaining information Entering and processing data
• Presenting information
• Improving own learning and performance
• Demonstrating a degree of independence while learning
• Reviewing progress and achievements
• Problem solving Identifying a problem Exploring options
• Selecting an appropriate solution
• Use of appropriate resources
• Synthesis, critical analysis, and interpretation of information
This module covers the sociology of revolution and protest. It encourages students to examine the structural causes of protest and revolution and the agential factors involved in carrying out dissent and revolutionary change around the world. The module will be concerned with a range of historical and contemporary case studies internationally. Students will be stimulated to engage with a wide range of conceptual frameworks and social theories in relation to revolution and protest.
The course will additionally seek to outline approaches to measuring and understanding the effects of protest and revolution. Students will further examine forms of counter-protest and counter-revolutionary action, such as the policing of dissent. Case studies will include the Arab Spring, decolonisation, LGBTQ rights. African American Civil Rights, the Peasants Revolt, the French Revolution. The course will further encourage students to consider a wide range of forms through which dissent is expressed: e.g. street demonstrations, violence, art and culture, and political mobilisation.
Learning Outcomes
Students will develop an understanding of the main causes of protest and revolutionary action. They will also be able to analyse activism, social movements, and social change By the end of this module, students will be able to:
* understand classical and contemporary theories on protest, social movements and revolution
* identify and analyse the main causes of protest and revolution
* understand a range of historical and contemporary case studies
* analyse the effects of protest and social movements on our societies.
* systematically compare and contrast different case studies through analysis
* apply interdisciplinary approaches to analysing protest/revolution
* use various methodological approaches to researching protest/revolution
Skills
This module will provide practice in:
* Critical analysis of the structural forces the drive protest and revolution
* To engage in various methodological approaches to measuring the outcomes of protest and revolution
* Critically analysing and appraising strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical and methodological approaches in protest and revolution.
* Forming, developing, and defending arguments based on empirical evidence from a range of sources.
* Making comparisons of empirical case studies through reasoned analysis.
* Interdisciplinarity in terms of using sociological, criminological, historical and political science approaches to protest and revolution
* To understand comparative sociology
This module will provide experience in:
• Communication
• Using the spoken word - participating in discussions
• Using the written word Information and communication technology:
• Searching and obtaining information Entering and processing data
• Presenting information
• Improving own learning and performance
• Demonstrating a degree of independence while learning
• Reviewing progress and achievements
• Problem solving Identifying a problem Exploring options
• Selecting an appropriate solution
• Use of appropriate resources
• Synthesis, critical analysis, and interpretation of information
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that 23% of all global deaths are linked to the environment, that equates to roughly 12.6 million deaths per year. Therefore, understanding what’s in our environment and how potential environmental factors impact on human health becomes increasingly important.
This module aims to give students a deeper understanding of the relationship between environmental factors and human health. Moreover, the module will explore the potential impacts of climate change on environmental and health relations. We will investigate the role of potentially harmful environmental elements which may be naturally occurring (geogenic) or formed through human activities such as industrial practices (historical and modern), atmospheric air pollution or traffic pollution. This module will cover important aspects such as how our changing climate poses one of the greatest health security and societal challenges (UKSHA 2023); the increasing frequency and intensity of environmental health threats such as flooding and heat waves; and the disproportionate impacts on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable including the impacts of an ageing population. In addition, we will investigate how urban nature-based solutions (NbS) can be used to mitigate against the anticipated adverse health effects of climate change. We will also consider how co-benefits of NbS are possible to help the environment and to mitigate against health threats.
Lectures will be used to deepen understanding of key issues and concepts, practicals using R, GIS and remote sensing will develop skills in mapping and spatial data analysis of environmental factors and health indicators and urban heat modelling.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students will:
Understand the environmental factors which may influence human health
Understand the potential impacts of climate change on environmental and health relations
Develop a greater understanding of different types of urban nature-based solutions and
Evaluate how NbS may be used to help the environment and to mitigate against health threats.
Skills
Ability to understand and critically evaluate scientific evidence;
Enhanced skills in scientific writing and project work including evaluation of limitations;
Enhanced skills in spatial data analysis, synthesis and evaluation, including the use of GIS and remote sensing
Time management
Referencing of published literature
Presentation and communication skills
Ability to communicate complex information to a range of audiences
From national anthems to Hip-Hop, and from K-Pop to the Proms, music is a means of performing and contesting power. Drawing on perspectives from ethnomusicology, sound studies, and the anthropology of music, this module provides students with the opportunity to work intensively on a series of topics related to music, power, and conflict in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will explore a range of key themes, including sounds of protest and resistance; music, conflict, and reconciliation; and the performance of race and gender. This will be carried out through interactive class sessions and innovative assignments, as well as listening to and reflecting upon music itself. As anthropologists, we are less concerned about the ‘notes on the page’. Instead, we will focus on music as a social and cultural practice, as a site of contestation, and a source for ways of (re)imagining, (re)conceptualising and (re)organising society.
In this module, we will use music as a window into the lives of others (and ourselves), which will help us understand different social, cultural, and political agendas and the issues that matter most to people in society. In so doing, we will grapple with a range of questions, including: how does music reflect the cultures that produce it? How is music used to represent a nation or group of people? Can music play a role in conflict transformation? How does musical performance intersect with identity? Can music be used as a tool for social justice? Should some music be banned? Does music need to be decolonised? Our classes will engage with diverse case studies such as: western classical music and the legacy of white supremacy; musical populism in Latin America; nationalism and identity politics in the Eurovision song contest; soundscapes of torture and detainment; and rap, drill, and moral panic.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• understand anthropological and ethnomusicological theory associated with the study of music and humanly organised sound(s)
• be able to identify and critically assess a variety of music and sound cultures
• understand how performance and aesthetics impacts the construction of sociocultural identities and political circumstances
• have written critical texts engaging with academic and popular debates about diverse music and sound scenes
present work in a variety of formats, including a synthesis of class readings and discussions, oral presentations, and a well-crafted research paper that demonstrates a firm understanding of the connections between music, power, and conflict.
Skills
By the end of the module, students should have developed the following key skills:
Generic
• Effective presentation of written work at a level appropriate to the year of studies.
• Competency in presenting orally findings from readings and primary research.
• The ability to research both independently and as part of groups.
Module-Specific
• have created and curated a digital playlist on a topic related to music, power, and conflict
• have written an ethnographic vignette on the use of sound as a creative practice
• have written critical texts engaging with academic and popular debates about diverse music and sound scenes
This course will explore the phraseology of Irish. We will examine what phraseology is–the study of the structure, meaning and use of word combinations–and analyse types of multi-word expressions (MWEs) in the language. These phraseological units include proverbs and proverbial expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs, complex nominals, irreversible binomials, catch phrases, and memes. We will consider the difficulties associated with defining multi-word prefabricated expressions, examine the various criteria by which they may be identified, explore usage across a range of media, and find out why they are so important to linguistic knowledge. We will also learn how phraseological units can be studied in real texts.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• demonstrate understanding of the concept of phraseology and its significance
• illustrate different types of phraseological units
• discuss issues related to the definition and identification of phraseological units
• identify phraseological units in texts and explain usage
• explain how phraseology is important in a range of applied areas of everyday life
• research, plan and complete a textual analysis and linguistic commentary using appropriate
referencing conventions
Skills
This module will enable students to:
• critically evaluate ideas and arguments
• present information and ideas clearly and coherently in Irish, including in discussion for a
• articulate points of view through informal discussion and class presentations
• analyse language samples qualitatively and quantitatively using a range of methods.
The work internship module will provide students with a practical exposure to working in an Irish-language setting. Students will undertake an internship (minumum of 50 hours across one semester) in an Irish-language organisation, public body, company, or educational service, where work is conducted through Irish. Students will be required to arrange this internship in consulation and in agreement with the module coordinator, and to complete relevant paperwork in advance of placemment.
The module will provide students with a breadth of practical experience in a professional Irish-language environment and the opportunity to apply and build on the skills attained from modules taken at level 1 and 2 (particularly professional oral and written language skills).
Students will be required to (i) maintain a weekly log book or diary which will describe their activities and what they have learned from these, (ii) complete a minimum of 50 hours work across one semester, (iii) prepare and present an oral presentation on their activities (20%), and (iv) complete a final essay piece (80%).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• apply their academic experience and knowledge of Irish language in a professional setting
• appreciate and understand how Irish language businesses/organisations operate
• reflect on, evaluate, and report their own practice
• identify existing and new work-related skills
• report on enhanced knowledge of career pathways in the Irish language sector
• communicate professionally through the medium of Irish in a variety of modes (digitally,
verbally: written and oral)
• produce a professional report describing the details and experiences of their work placement and the details of the particular project on which they worked.
Skills
This module will enable students to:
• demonstrate a capacity for independent work in a professional setting
• demonstrate an understanding of what the placement organisation does, how it is managed, and the culture within the organisation
• identify the skills needed in relation to particular job/career opportunities
• analyse their own personal skills, identifying ways to improve through personal development planning
• demonstrate high-level presentation, reading and writing skills (in Irish)
Remembering the Future: Violent Pasts, Loss and the Politics of Hope
Overview
The module will draw on social theory and ethnographic case studies to examine the role of memory in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Most inter-group conflicts involve contestation over competing pasts and losses. Such contestation plays an important role in how and whether societies can move forward, recover from violence, and deal with reparations. Memory therefore is instrumental not only in how the past is mobilized but also how the future is imagined and constructed -as equal or unequal, shared or divided. By looking at relevant concepts such as loss, nostalgia, remembering, forgetting, expectation, and hope, the module will investigate on one hand how memory politics operate in our post-truth era and in phenomena of nationalism, populism, racism, and exclusion. On the other hand, we will look at how social movements, groups, and communities use memory across the world to build sustainable and inclusive futures.
Topics covered in the module will include: The politics of memory and forgetting: ‘Official’ Histories and ‘Voices from the Edge’; Transnational Narratives of Violence and Justice; Nostalgia, Competing Losses, and the Rise of Populism on both sides of the Atlantic; Displacement as Space and Time; On ‘Speaking Out’: Truth Recovery, Transitional Justice and Human Rights; Social Movements, Alternative Futures, and the Politics of Hope.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• be familiar with social theory on memory, violence, loss, and futuricity.
• be able to describe and critically engage with ethnographic examples from across the world in relation to these themes.
• understand the role of memory in the construction and mobilization of contested pasts and futures.
• be able to explain some current debates on the role of nostalgia, longing, loss and hope in the construction of collective identities, contestation, and social justice agendas.
Skills
By the end of the module, students should have developed the following key skills:
Generic
• Effective presentation of written work at a level appropriate to the year of studies.
• Competency in presenting orally findings from readings and primary research.
• The ability to research both independently and as part of groups.
Module-Specific
• produce written work engaging critically with academic and popular debates on the issues of violence and memory.
• have demonstrated presentational skills both in online and offline learning environments, and learnt how to address different audiences .
• be able to employ fieldwork skills in working in memory sites locally
• have written public engagement pieces for the module’s blog.
Wolf Children and Baby Boomers: The Family in European History 1945-1970s
Overview
The Second World War caused enormous upheaval to families across Europe, separating parents and children as well as couples and resulting in an estimated 11 million children having lost one or more parents by 1945. The project of the reconstruction of post-war Western European society placed a huge emphasis on reuniting families, where possible, and reconstructing the so-called traditional family. As the Cold War took hold, the idea of the ‘traditional’ – nuclear, Christian – family also came to be seen as a bulwark against the threat of Communism. However the return to traditional family life after 1945 was in large part an illusion, since the impact of war was so deep that there could be no return to normal. The long separation of war put enormous strain on the couples and families who were reunited, while aerial bombardment meant that millions had lost their homes: separation, divorce and single mothers were common features of the late 1940s. The war also changed how psychologists thought about parents and children: witnessing the trauma of children in war sparked a new focus on children and childhood in psychoanalysis.
By the 1950s, Western European society was also being transformed in new ways: migration was transforming European cities into modern, multicultural spaces, while villages and farmlands across Europe were being emptied of people. The scale of social change meant that political and religious authorities also felt the so-called traditional family to be under threat, prompting moral panics about women and youth. By the late 1960s, it was clear that the ‘traditional family’ of conservative, Christian rhetoric was deeply out of touch with reality. The ‘sexual revolution’ of the 1960s gave way to wide-scale youth revolt by the end of the decade. The 1968 protests which erupted across schools and universities in France, Italy, West Germany and beyond, were above all a generational rebellion. The second-wave feminist and gay liberation movements of the 1970s continued their radical critique of the family, suggesting new communal forms of living were the answer.
This module will examine the political importance of the family in the post-war reconstruction and the Cold War, setting the rhetoric of political and religious leaders against the reality of changing family life, while exploring how new ideas of family life emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. We will draw on the history of the emotions to discuss changing family relationships. We will also examine how ideas about children, childhood and adolescence changed over the late twentieth century from the fears about feral ‘wolf children’ playing in the rubble of bombed cities to the emergence of the teenager in the 1960s. While the focus will be on Western Europe, with case studies drawn from France, Britain, Italy and West Germany, we will also examine the alternative ways of thinking about the family that emerged from communism. Tutorials will focus on source analysis and discussion: primary sources will be drawn from newspapers, political posters, novels, memoirs and films as well as manifestos and oral history interviews.
Weekly topics may include:
Displaced children after 1945
Returning veterans and post-war families
The family as Cold War propaganda
Moral panics about 1950s youth
Race, migration and multiculturalism in Britain and France
Migration and the family in southern Europe
Radical ideas about family in 1960s Italy and West Germany
Learning Outcomes
Aims
• Explore a variety of approaches to the history of the family, as they apply to late twentieth-century Europe.
• Examine the history of family life in late twentieth-century Europe as it intersects with cultural, social and political developments in history from the impact of World War II, the rise of consumer society, developments in medicine and technology to the rise of youth cultures, counter cultures and protest movements.
• Prompt reflection and debate about how and why the private, intimate sphere of family life can become the subject of political and religious concern.
Objectives
Having successfully completed the module, you should be able to:
• Understand the different methodological approaches to the modern history of the family.
• Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of different types of primary sources including personal testimonies, manifestos, fiction and mass media sources such as film, magazines and documentaries.
• Discuss how commercial, religious and political forces have shaped people’s attitudes to family life, emotions and relationships over the course of the late twentieth century.
• Be able to draw connections and comparisons across time and space, using the case studies covered in the module.
Skills
In completing this module you will develop the following skills:
• Analysing and discussing a range of primary sources in textual, visual and audio-visual forms
• Working individually and as part of a group to analyse sources and readings, and to present historical arguments
• Examining and evaluating the arguments of other historians
• Presenting your arguments and analyses in written form
Emotion, Power, and Politics: The Political Sociology of Emotions, Trump, Brexit, and Populism
Overview
The module will introduce and give students a firm understanding of a new, and increasingly important, sub-field that operates at the intersection of political sociology, and the sociology of emotion: the political sociology of emotion. The approach is interdisciplinary, deploying concepts and literature from various areas across the social sciences, including social and political theory, sociology and the sociology of emotion, political psychology, and political science. The module examines the ‘politics-emotion nexus’ in various ways, and shows how an understanding of emotion has become increasingly salient in and vital for the explanation of the contemporary world. There will be seminars addressing the relationships between emotions and: social movements; nationalism; affective and/or emotional citizenship; war and conflict; the emotional state; the increasing importance of emotions in and for party politics; the rise of populism, Trump, and Brexit; and emotions in post-conflict and divided societies. This is a research-led module, arguing for the importance and distinctiveness of the sociological approach to understanding and explaining these issues, and introducing work and case studies at the very cutting edge of the discipline. Teaching will combine a lecture and seminar/discussion format.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will:
• Gain an understanding of key theoretical concepts debates about emotions and power in social and political life from sociology and other social science disciplines;
• Evaluate a range of perspectives on the relationship(s) between emotions, power, and politics;
• Develop a capacity for critical analysis of emotions and power in the field of politics, using case studies and examples.
Skills
This module will provide practice in:
• Analyzing, evaluating and interpreting information
• Developing and defending reasoned opinions
• Developing and demonstrating independent thinking
• Employability Skills
This module will provide experience in:
• Communication
• Using the spoken word - participating in discussions
• Using the written word
Information and communication technology:
• Searching and obtaining information Entering and processing data
• Presenting information
• Improving own learning and performance
• Demonstrating a degree of independence while learning
• Reviewing progress and achievements
• Problem solving Identifying a problem Exploring options
• Selecting an appropriate solution
• Use of appropriate resources
• Synthesis, critical analysis, and interpretation of information
This module will explore the history, theory, and practice of the individual performer on stage, in manifestations including storytelling, stand-up comedy, performance art, the confessional (often queer) performances of the 1990s, and various types of fictional performances featuring a sole performer acting against absent interlocutors. Artists examined may include Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, Marina Abramovic, Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, John Leguizamo, Anna Deavere Smith, Neil Watkins, and many others.
Concurrently, students will be asked to develop and perform their own work, either through the emulation of an historical style, or through the creation of a uniquely personal performance method.
Key issues will include: Poor Theatre, engaging with audiences, creating characters/selves, performing autobiography, monologue theatre, and one-person theatre vs. performance art, among others.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Understand different forms of performance featuring a single performer throughout history.
Be able to analyse solo performances of different styles and types.
Be able to create and perform your own solo performance, either based upon previous styles or as a new invention.
Be able to help colleagues and fellow students develop and improve their performances (as a director).
Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Creative writing
The placement module is compulsory for those on a non-language Liberal Arts degree in the first semester of third year. The 100-hour placement normally lasts for a duration of 3 months and students work closely with School and Faculty Placement Officers to obtain approved professional experience with an employer relevant to their programme studies. LIB2002 will provide opportunities to make contact with employers providing career routes for arts and humanities graduates. It is expected that students will also expand their networks during LIB3001 where they will meet representatives from arts and cultural organisations with a view to future employment opportunities. During the placement, the student is a full employee and subject to all the requirements of the employer.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) have a developed awareness of the multiple public roles of the arts and humanities, with a specific focus on their employer’s contribution to the sector;
(ii) complement the critical understanding of how their discipline contributes to the contemporary world with practical experience in the workplace;
(iii) understand the operation of a relevant employer in the sector and how their work agenda correlates with the student’s learning to date on the programme;
(iv) understand the challenges facing and opportunities for the arts and humanities in the twenty-first century workplace;
(v) gain practical as well as theoretical insight into the how arts and humanities disciplines engage with and facilitate the local arts sector and the wider knowledge economy;
(vi) acquire experience of working with people at all levels of a relevant sector employer.
Skills
(i) develop awareness of the roles that arts and humanities subjects play in the wider world;
(ii) practical skills relevant to employment and future career planning;
(iii) effective communication and group work skills;
(iv) examine the contribution of student’s degree major to wider society;
(v) ability to apply theoretical concepts of study to workplace scenarios;
(vi) articulation of the value of the arts and humanities in society;
(vii) improved understanding of the organisational and administrative principles involved in running an arts/humanities sector organisation;
(viii) invaluable experience of the practical challenges facing arts/humanities sector organisations.
Bringing the entire cohort into a single class setting for the first time since Level 1, the module uses interdisciplinary methods to explore a range of significant sociocultural themes and their instantiation in varied musical practices. These themes include sexuality, identity, mortality, consciousness and otherness. Exploring music through a range of filters, ranging from structuralist commentary to mystical hermeneutics to feminist musicology, the module will offer students the opportunity to understand music from the perspective of the most recent theoretical understanding; to further their listening and explore unfamiliar musics in a stimulating manner; and to engage in novel assessment practices that will heighten their professional skills at the moment when they prepare to enter the workplace.
Lecture topics will include:
Music in Culture. Otherness and Orientalism.
Sex, Joy and Transcendence in Messiaen
Sexualities in Pop/Rock
Death in 19th Century Romantic Repertoire
Themes of Violence and Gore in Metal
Improvisation: Social and Cultural Practice
Berlioz, Psychedelia and Disco Biscuits: Drugs and Music
God in The Cathedral of Music: 18th Century Music
Song in Northern Irish Troubles
Beethoven, Flamenco and Cat Stevens: Islamic influence on Western Music
Learning Outcomes
As a result of completing this module, students should be able to understand the nature of the interaction between sociocultural concepts/practices and their instantiation in musical (and by extension cultural) artefacts. They should be able to apply this knowledge to real-world situations and articulate how their knowledge of musical/cultural practice has impacted upon their conception of musical behaviour in society. They should be able to understand the importance of cross-cultural understanding, particularly on a global level, and discuss creative ideas in a variety of formal settings.
Skills
Problem solving
Communication
Time Management
Leadership
Teamwork (social intelligence)
Abstraction of thought
Imagination
Self-expression (emotional intelligence)
Self-reliance
Reflection
Editing
Proofreading
Formatting
Plotting outcomes
Prioritisation
Evaluating success
Resource management
Making decisions
Independent thought
Students complete a work, volunteer or study placement in fulfilment of the residence abroad requirements of their Modern Languages degree.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
- Advanced linguistic skills
- Enhanced cultural and intercultural awareness
- An understanding of the work environment and professional skills OR an understanding of a different university system and enhanced academic skills
- Personal development
These skills will be assessed as part of the co-requisite module, either FRH3050 or SPA3050
Skills
Students undertaking the placement will develop their skills in the following areas: linguistic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking); professional or academic skills; cultural and intercultural awareness; personal development.
The media are time-based; they have a narrative flow from line to line and scene to scene and episode to episode, with each programme fitting into the wider flow of its schedule or platform, and into the wider schedule of the audience’s day and life. The media are also key mechanisms for communicating ideas and information about history and about potential futures, through fact and fiction. This module explores the ways that the media engage with time, drawing mainly on television. This will include the presentation of history and possible futures through both fact and fiction, including consideration of the political and cultural role of history and historical drama. It will include engagement with key concepts such as heritage drama, nostalgia and authenticity. It will also include consideration of the temporal nature of the media themselves, such as in their narrative construction and scheduling, and how that plays into the lives of the audience.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
Analyse media texts in relation to key ideas relating to time, history, memory and nostalgia;
Analyse the social and cultural role of history as related through the media;
Analyse media narratives in relation to their temporal construction.
Skills
Students will practice and develop core academic skills of research, analysis and communication through class work, independent research and assessed work.
Analysis and interpretation of media texts in relation to specific theoretical concepts.
Understanding of the social and cultural significance of the representation of history and potential futures in the media.
Love Across the Divide: Northern Irish Literature and Culture 1968-Present
Overview
This module examines how Northern Irish texts, from 1968 to the present, engage with the ‘Troubles’ through the motif of ‘Love Across the Divide’. The attempt to negotiate the perennially fraught Anglo-Irish relationship through an Irish/British, Catholic/Protestant or Republican/Loyalist love story has a long literary history: and took on renewed urgency after the eruption of violence in the late 1960s. Exploration of this narrative trope illuminates the roles that gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, politics and class play in shaping individual, cultural and national identities. Students will study a wide variety of materials, including poetry, novels, plays, short fiction, TV & Film, to ask if the motif is mobilised differently across literary and/or cultural forms and if so, how and why? What do these narratives tell us about the progress (or lack of) with regards to women’s rights and gender politics in Northern Ireland? How should we read narratives exploring homosexual romance in a province where same-sex marriage is still prohibited? In thinking about how the conflict and its legacy have impacted on the most secret, intimate and surprising of things – sexual desire – students will be critically equipped to scrutinize the domestic debris of the ‘Troubles’.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the student should be able to:
1. Discuss and evaluate a broad range of Northern Irish literary and cultural texts from the period studied.
2. Show an awareness of the historical and intellectual contexts to Northern Irish Literature, Culture and the Troubles.
3. Discuss differing critical approaches to Northern Irish literature and culture.
4. Think critically about the intersectional nature of identity, and the role that gender, sexuality, politics, religion, ethnicity and religion play in shaping our lives.
5. Comment upon the representation of the evolving political landscape and gendered nature of life in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present.
6. Analyse how gender, sexual identity and desire can be politicised.
7. Reflect on the domestic impact of the violence and conflict of the ‘Troubles’.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse texts from contemporary Northern Irish literature and culture with regards to their aesthetic, political and historical contexts;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the ‘politics’ of contemporary Northern Irish literature and culture;
• Critically appraise how identity is ‘intersectional’ with regard to ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, race and class;
• Demonstrate knowledge as to how the ‘Troubles’ were depicted in contemporary Northern Irish literature and culture, and how their impact can still be traced in the ‘post-Good Friday Agreement’ present;
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of seminar discussion, written communication, and individual research.
The field of environmental economics informs policymakers of the policy levers required to efficiently guide society towards sustainable patterns of consumption. This module will provide students with a solid grounding on the theory and practice of environmental economics, focussing on climate change and the sustainable transformation of the energy system. Students will understand the economic rationale for a variety of alternative environmental policies, such as Pigouvian taxes. This module will cover the difference between theory and practice, outlining the policy experience in the UK, Ireland and Europe, and the role political and social constraints have in enacting effective environmental policy. Decarbonisation of electricity forms a central element of tackling climate change. Students will gain an understanding of how the single electricity market on the island of Ireland operates and will critically evaluate various decarbonisation policies. This module will also touch on issues such as behavioural economics when dealing with energy efficiency and consumer behaviour. As many well-meaning environmental policies have had counter-intuitive negative consequences, this module will empower students to fully engage with the costs and benefits of climate change interventions.
Learning Outcomes
1. To provide an understanding of the theory of Pigouvian taxation and to critically assess the means of implementing these policies.
2. To critically evaluate environmental policy as enacted in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
3. To understand the efficiency, equity and political economy trade-offs in environmental policy design
4. To understand the economics of electricity markets and the efficiency and equity
implications of various decarbonisation policies.
5. To understand that well-meaning policies can have perverse unintended outcomes and that one must carefully think through the economic consequences.
Skills
Knowledge and understanding:
Students should develop the economic rationale behind carbon taxation and the context for implementing different environmental policies. Students should understand how current environmental policies came to be and their economic and environmental impact. Students should understand how electricity markets operate. Energy and environmental economics touches on fields of game theory, behavioural economics and industrial organisation so students should develop an understanding of these fields also.
Intellectual skills:
Students should develop the ability to interrogate policies and to think through the economic consequences of a given measure. The ability to construct arguments on a solid economic foundations should be introduced to students.
Practical skills:
Students should develop an ability to evaluate and present an economic argument through continuous assessment assignments. Students should have a foundation in energy economics that will be desirable for future employers in industry, policy and research.
Study skills:
Students should develop the ability to critique an economic policy or argument. Students will work in groups when presenting their tutorial seminar, which should develop collaboration skills.
International economics is a challenging and exciting sub-discipline of economics, which investigates the drivers and consequences of: (i) the international movement of goods and services; (ii) the international movement of money and capital; and (iii) the distributional consequences of these international transactions. This module will cover topics such as:
- Which are the most influential theories of international economics?
- What are empirically the most important drivers of international transactions?
- Who benefits from international trade and why?
- How can trade-induced inequalities be mitigated?
- What are nominal and real exchange rates? What are their determinants? How do they influence international transactions?
- What are the costs and benefits of different monetary systems, such as currency unions or fixed exchange rate systems?
Learning Outcomes
A course in international economics should help students gain a better understanding of a range of issues concerning the international transaction of goods, services and money. Specific learning outcomes for students include:
- to gain a deeper understanding of both theory and empirical analysis in international economics, including international macroeconomics and international trade
- to develop analytic skills, and be introduced to the main empirical methodologies used in international economics
- to broaden students’ perspectives of the wide scope of international economics
- to critically assess the often ambiguous evidence and real-life trade policy choices
- to understand that well-meaning policies can have perverse unintended outcomes and that one must carefully think through the economic consequences.
Skills
Knowledge and understanding:
Through this course, students should acquire a knowledge and understanding of:
- the main theories of classical and contemporary international economics
- increased awareness of distributional issues created by international trade
- how the application of theory can help us understand the functioning of the world economy, and therefore predict the impact of government policies while taking into account country-specific contexts
Intellectual skills:
Through this course, students should be able to:
- critically evaluate the main theories and concepts discussed in the course material
- apply economic theories to a range of “real world” problems with specific reference to international economics.
Practical skills:
Through this course, students should develop:
- an ability to evaluate and present an economic argument through continuous assessment.
- a foundation in international economics that will be desirable for future employers in international institutions and (non-)governmental organisations that are concerned with analysing causes and consequences of international economic interaction, as well as policy and research.
Study skills:
Through this course, students should demonstrate and further develop the following skills:
- research a wide range of relevant information
- give effective presentations making use of appropriate information technology
- write analytical essays based on sophisticated arguments.
Transferable skills:
Through this course, students should demonstrate and further develop the following transferable skills:
- library and research skills, including time management
- oral and written communication
- presentation skills, including the use of appropriate information technology
- group participation.
In this module, we will look at a range of often controversial arguments within and outside Archaeology and Palaeoecology, and focus on ways of reasoning and logical fallacies within those arguments. Topics discussed include ‘fringe’ science where a degree of archaeology is involved, such as the so-called ‘crystal skulls’ or the existence of giants or extremely long-lived humans as supposedly documented within religious texts, but also wider debates using Earth-(pseudo)science such as the age of the Earth, supposed evidence for a global flood, flat Earth, chemtrails and global warming denial.
While discussing these topics, we will look at the nature of arguments made, and identify logical fallacies. We will also look at hypothesis testing. It is hoped that this module will equip the students with enhanced capabilities to apply critical thinking during and after their studies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, the student will:
- have acquired knowledge on lines of reasoning
- have applied critical thinking to a range of topics inside and outside archaeology
- be able to identify logical fallacies in arguments
Skills
• Written and oral self-expression
• Group work
• Website investigation
• Time management
• Critical thinking
Radical Hope:Inspiring Present-day Sustainability Transformations through an Examination of Our Past
Overview
• Indicative module content
• Listening Carefully (Carsten Wergin)↓
• Looking at the ordinary – a tender practice of forging relationships (Tania Katzschner) ↓
• Radical Hope in Turbulent Times: sources of inspiration from politics to poetry (John Barry)
• The Rise of Optimism in the Conservation Movement (Elin Kelsey) ↓
• Expecting the Unexpected—The Role of Art in the Dissemination of Radical Hope (Patrick J. Reed) ↓
• The Art of Protest: Radical Hope Envisioned and Embodied (Amy Hay) ↓
• Recurring Earthquakes and the Rebirth of Hope (Sophia Kalantzakos) ↓
• Infrastructures of Hope (Erika Bsumek) ↓
• Air Pollution: Issues and Solutions (Hal Crimmel) ↓
• Thrifty Science (Simon Werrett) ↓
• Planting seeds of hope: Environmental Education for the Present & future (Kieko Matteson) ↓
• Environmental Security: The Courage to Fear and the Courage to Hope ( Allan W. Shearer) ↓
• Look Down for Hope – Phytoremediation in an Italian Steel Town (Monica Seger) ↓
• Living In Good Relation with the Environment: A Syllabus of Radical Hope (Alina Scott) ↓
• On Love and Property (Kara Thompson) ↓
• Design, Hybridity and Just Transitions (Damian White) ↓
• The Answer is Blowing in the Wind: Grassroots Technological Networks of Wind Energy (Kostas Latoufis; Aristotle Tympas ) ↓
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to demonstrate:
• An understanding of the different dimensions of hope and its variants and opposites in the context of climate breakdown, environmental crisis
An ability to integrate different disciplinary perspectives on hopeful responses to the global ecological crisis;
• Understanding of the uses and resources from history and other countries;
• The ability to analyse and evaluate different disciplinary, historical and geographical examples and debates around radial hope and the Anthropocene;
• Develop ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence in multidisciplinary context
• Understand main differences and similarities between political, ethical, economic, creative and historical methods of studying the Anthropocene
Skills
Ability to work with other people;
Ability to work across and integrate different disciplinary perspectives on the same issue;
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments *
Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and in creative and innovative ways and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the fields of study
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills
Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills
Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
The world of information technologies (IT) has changed our relations to space. By enhancing connectivity, new technologies bridge distances and geographic gaps. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into a broad spectrum of technological solutions promises to further overcome real-world barriers and holds the potential of mitigating social disparities. Investment in IT industries and innovative entrepreneurship is also the engine of growth for national economies. However, there can also be a darker side to development which is based on IT industry. This concerns social, economic and political dimensions at the macro, mezzo and micro level, which create new geographic and social centres and peripheries and broaden the gaps between them. Investment in IT entrepreneurship might deepen the disparities between those who are part of such industries and the segments of society which are left behind. Policies which support neoliberal entrepreneurship on the national scale therefore often lead to an ostensible paradox: while driving the national economy, they may also foster the broadening of inequalities. This module explores this paradox by focusing on Israel as a case study and furthering research into such processes in Northern Ireland. As a “start-up nation”, Israel has a vibrant and successful information technology (IT) entrepreneurial eco-system, which has led to accumulating resources and driving the state’s economic growth. At the same time, at the geographical and social periphery, a parallel society has emerged, with marginalised groups which are left behind. In this periphery, entrepreneurs are struggling to survive and are often pushed into precarious working and living conditions. In a country with one of the highest levels of social and economic inequalities, with extremely high rates of poverty, entrepreneurial heroes are celebrated at the centre, promoting a myth that all could be self-made successes if they just try hard enough. Consequently, the Israeli entrepreneurship scene exemplifies the existence of parallel entrepreneurial societal spaces, with a widening gap between winners and losers. Drawing on lessons learned from the Israeli case, students will explore the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Northern Ireland to identify processes of inclusion and exclusion in different sectors of the local society, and develop approaches for counteracting the adverse effects of investment in IT growth.
Themes that will be explored:
Policies fostering IT industry and entrepreneurship
The relations between geographic and economic centres and peripheries
Exclusion and inclusion in entrepreneurial IT ecosystems
Impact of IT entrepreneurship on inequality
Ethical considerations of AI and technology-driven economic development
Alternative forms of IT development
Learning Outcomes
This module will enable students to:
1) Form detailed understandings of IT development following government policies;
2) Think geographically about the manifestations of neoliberal development;
3) Critically assess theoretical approaches for analysing entrepreneurship;
4) Understand key moments and places in the history and contemporary dimensions of economic inequalities;
5) Appreciate the complexity of the relationship between IT development industry on the national and international scales;
6) Acquire a comprehensive understanding of Israel’s national economy and the factors which drive its growth;
7) Deepen their understanding of the effects of IT investment on the economy and society of Northern Ireland;
8) Develop models for fostering IT entrepreneurship while overcoming social disparities in Northern Ireland.
Skills
Subject-specific:
1) Write and talk fluently about the spatial dimensions of neoliberal policies (T taught; P practiced; A assessed);
2) Apply geographical thinking to understanding economic development (T; P; A);
3) Apply key theories and themes relating to the spatial manifestations of IT industry (T; P; A);
This module will provide an introduction to urban history and theory. It will present key ideas about the cultural, social, economic and political factors that shape the spatial and built structure of cities. It will highlight the significance of historic urban landscapes while interpreting the practice of urban design aesthetics and technologies. The focus will be on the relationship between architecture and the city, the role of buildings in the urban fabric and the complexity of context.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
Have an understanding of the complexity of contemporary urban landscapes and their historical and theoretical encounters.
Have a knowledge and understanding of how cultural, social and intellectual histories as well as urban history and theory can impact on practice and design.
Demonstrate an understanding of architectural and urban developments with special reference to specific themes and movements.
Demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of the architect and co-professionals to the formation of briefs in diverse scales including building and urban scale.
Have an ability to describe, analyse and synthesise structured arguments and present them in written, graphic and oral form using scholarly research methods (including essay writing, bibliography and referencing).
Skills
Ability to describe, analyse and synthesise concepts and ideas and communicate them in written form;
Ability to carry out basic research methods;
Ability to correctly reference and compose a bibliography;
Ability to present a conceptual development to an audience;
An introduction to the classical literary language and culture of Gaelic Ireland and Scotland in the early modern period, c. 1200-1650, involving close reading of a selection of texts.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the common literary language employed in Ireland and Scotland in the period c. 1200-1650, of its associated literature and of its cultural background.
Skills
Linguistic analysis; translation; critical and analytical thinking; independent learning; time management
As a director of his own work as well as one of the twentieth century's most innovative playwrights, Samuel Beckett has had a major impact on theatre and performance of the last fifty years. This module will explore Beckett's theatre for stage, radio and television, concentrating on his use of each medium, and in particular, the body in performance. In workshop and presentation sessions, students will explore practically Beckett's approach to performance, informed by a range of theoretical issues relating to gender, authority, technology and the body.
Learning Outcomes
Students will,
• Understand the main principles of Beckett’s aesthetic practices and his approach to the various media that he worked within,
• Understand the function of embodied practices in relation to Beckett’s work,
• Have engaged with a wide variety of theorists and thinkers on Beckett and across cognate topics,
• Have advanced their ability to closely read texts and performances,
• Have honed their skills of critical analysis in verbal, written and creative forms.
Skills
Research and analytic skills. Communication, team work and interpersonal skills.
The module will explore revolutionary politics in Ireland between 1916 and 1921. Key themes will include the rise of Sinn Fein following the Easter Rising, the establishment of Dail Eireann, the Irish Volunteers' military campaign and the British government's response to these political and military challenges. The course will make use of a wide range of local and thematic studies to investigate controversial questions relating to the Irish revolution: what factors motivated republicans, how important was sectarianism in revolutionary violence, why did some areas of the country see little fighting and how important a factor was the north?
Learning Outcomes
An ability to identify the key issues and themes of this period. An understanding of the importance of the economic, social and cultural forces which contributed to the political events of this period. An ability to assess and evaluate a range of approaches to the key controversies relating to the Irish revolution. An understanding of the historiography of the Irish Revolution.
Skills
The ability to demonstrate an argument based on study of documents and secondary readings in a written essay and examination paper. Oral participation in tutorials through debate and presentations. Assessing and evaluating conflicting arguments in the secondary literature.
Hollywood Cinema has arguably become the dominant mode of film exhibition, functioning as the yardstick by which other forms of cinema are defined and measured. By overtly considering the spectacularism inherent to Hollywood Cinema in the wake of the Paramount decree of 1948, this module offers a critical overview of its history, production and exhibition processes, aesthetics and key theoretical approaches of contemporary Hollywood Cinema in order to elucidate its spectacular potential. In addition to delineating the notion of spectacle, it explores how cinema has used spectacle since the collapse of the studio system to seduce audiences with the promise of an experience unique to the film theatre.
Learning Outcomes
Ability to demonstrate in written and oral form an appropriate level of critical engagement with the institutional history and aesthetic tendencies of post-war American cinema;
Ability to apply appropriate historical understanding and critical approaches in the analysis of specific films and their social and economic contexts
Demonstrate an understanding of how contemporary Hollywood Cinema positions itself as a spectacular form of entertainment.
Skills
Skills in the written and oral presentation of analytical study of images, sounds and written word, working in a flexible, creative and independent way, showing self-discipline and organisational competence (time-management, etc.), relating general historical issues and theoretical debates to other related issues and debates.
The Politics of Performance: From Negotiation to Display
Overview
This module brings together the ecological, sensorial and political relations of performance in comparative analyses of intercultural practices from around the globe. We will explore how human and other-than-human aspects of sound, image and movement generate various modalities of ‘attunement’ between oneself and one’s environment to inform a politics of performance. By attending to the particularities of sound, voice, affect, reaction and resonance, we will analyse differentiated ‘atmospherics’ (Eisenlohr 2011) of negotiation, display and contestation. We will then examine how the politics of sound, image and movement give rise to expressions of resistance, resilience and reconciliation. Central to critically engaged performativity is a diversity of environments, environmental change and the ecological relations that they entail. Taking space, place and the effects of climate change seriously, we will further examine how the politics of being and belonging stem from different ways of knowing, sensing and performing self, other and the ‘other-than-human’ in these environments. Using a series of key settings, the module will reveal the political effects of sound, language, voice, positionality and performativity.
Some case studies that will exemplify this environmental and performative politics include i). an analysis of indigenous protest and resistance in song, theatre and public display, focusing on processes of fragmentation, recombination and reclamation; ii). art as a process of reconciliation, negotiation and spectacle, foregrounding identities, rights and policy agendas; iii). political imagery e.g. street art and graffiti; and iv). improvisatory music-making in refugee camps and conflict zones, addressing tension, liminality and resilience. Finally, the module will take into account the ongoing effects of Covid19 as artists and performers reposition their voices in a digitally interconnected world. We will examine how expanding technologies are transforming the power of performance and reshaping how processes of creativity are politically motivated and communicated.
Learning Outcomes
We will be using informal self and group assessment methods during the module to monitor learning outcomes and to reflect on the development of conceptual skills of the following:
• Knowledge of key approaches to the anthropology of the senses, the anthropology of music, arts and performance and music in peacebuilding.
• Ability to discuss critically the importance of multi-sensoriality and performativity in case studies from different cultural contexts.
• Knowledge of the role of performance, poetics in protest, politics, nationalism and expressions of Indigenous rights.
• Ability to work critically with central concepts in the politics of performance.
• Ability to analyse the relationship between different arts/performance genres across distinct performative arenas, e.g. parliamentary, theatrical, ritual and staged events.
• Competence in dealing with issues of cultural diversity in academia.
Skills
• Ability to analyse performative issues and their political implications through relevant anthropological and ethnomusicological frameworks.
• Ability to research and critically analyse a range of information sources effectively.
• Demonstrate skills development in conducting music and arts research online.
• Ability to express anthropological ideas clearly and logically.
• Ability to debate and defend arguments.
• Ability to work with other students in groups.
• Experience in musical participation and reflection.
Earth, Energy, Ethics and Economy: The Politics of Unsustainability
Overview
The continuing problematic relationship between key dynamics of modern economic and social systems and the non-human world is one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century and will continue shape the political agenda both nationally and globally. This module will examine some of the key debates of the politics of sustainable development, including: green ethical and political theory; the role of the environment and nature in political theorising; the economic and policy alternatives to unsustainable development and the normative underpinnings of a sustainable society.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module students will: Have a firm understanding of the key ethical, political and economic dimensions of green theory Be able to identify and understand the varieties of schools of thinking with green theory. Have a firm understanding of sustainable development; Be able to relate green theory to the politics of sustainable development; Be able to relate green political theory to other schools of thought within contemporary political theory; Be able to articulate and defend their own understandings of both green political theory and sustainable development; Be able to relate the empirical and scientific arguments and debates about sustainable development to normative theorising about sustainable development; Be able to defend and explain interdisciplinary methodological approaches to the study of sustainable development
Skills
Knowledge of the main issues, thinkers, schools of thought and debates within green political and ethical theory; knowledge of the political, economic and ethical dimensions of debates about sustainable development; ability for independent research and study; critical, analytical and independent thinking; presenting informed arguments in class; critical independent and reasoned judgement and assessment and appreciation of the arguments of others; awareness and appreciation of the complexities and nuances of different normative positions; relating the issues, thinkers and schools of thought covered in this module to other modules that students have done in Politics or other pathways.
This module aims to provide a strong background in English language by focusing on the print and broadcast media in Britain. It will also introduce students to some of the theoretical concepts and critical issues associated with Media studies. For students, one of the most effective ways to begin understanding the media is to analyse media texts such as newspaper articles, magazine advertisements, political speeches, television and radio interviews, talk shows in detail. Students will also look at non-verbal communication, layouts, and images to see how language interacts with other modes of communication. The course examines important media issues, such as the myth of a free press, racism, violence and commercialization and also provides important information on areas of media studies essential for analysing media discourse, i.e. media practices (the way reporters and editors work and how audiences shape and are shaped by the media).
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you should have developed skills in a critical linguistic analysis of spoken and written media texts/textual and visual media. You should also have gained an awareness of the place of the media in their broader political, economic, social and cultural contexts.
Skills
This module should enable students to build upon and enhance the linguistic skills that they have already acquired during the course of their degree and in particular should allow them to acquire and demonstrate: an ability to critically analyse and interpret written and spoken media texts; a broad understanding of media practices and media audiences; knowledge of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches within the field of media and language; critical thinking about how print and broadcast media are produced and distributed; proficiency in oral and written communication skills.
The module covers the application of geoscience to criminal investigations. The range of geoscience disciplines will range from the macro- to the micro and will all centre on physical geography.
Learning Outcomes
Application of new and routine geoscience techniques to aspects of geography that the students will not have encountered before. They will thus gain an understanding of the importance of precise field recording and multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving. Upon completion of the module, the successful student will be able to: Understand the range of geoscience techniques applied to criminal, humanitarian and environmental legal investigations. Argue for the appropriate use of techniques in different (macro to micro, environment-specific) investigations. Stand by their decisions and results in a legal framework: to have notes examined, their observations questioned and their arguments countered. Provide evidence of the historical and scientific background to their arguments. Present their Geoforensic skills in both a technical, detailed manner and transpose this to an easy to understand synopsis, such as presented to a jury.
Skills
Subject Specific Skills\T,P,A Landscape interpretation, T. remote sensing, T. geophysics, T, P, A best practice in note-taking and recording. Cognitive Skills\ P, A Generating arguments based on hard data, presented in support of succinct arguments. P, A. Questioning assumptions. Transferable Skills\ P. Debating (including legal issues), T, P, A. precise recording for auditing, assessing, stock-taking. T, P, A Landscape interpretation for planning.
Traditional Irish Music: Form, Style and Development
Overview
This course is about the formal and stylistic characteristics of Irish traditional music and song. It explores the styles which have evolved on various instruments, the regional variations in styles, and some of the main aesthetic developments within the tradition since the early twentieth century. The styles of pipes, fiddle players, and singers are examined in detail in successive lectures. The course then examines the major aesthetic changes that have taken place over that last century: the introduction of new instruments, the increasing sophistication of ensemble performance and harmonic texture, and the resurgence in composition in the second half of the twentieth century.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you should understand the formal and stylistic limitations that characterize traditional Irish music and the variety of approaches that have been successfully incorporated into the tradition. You will have a detailed understanding of the stylistic techniques developed in particular regions of Ireland and on specific instruments, especially the pipes, fiddle, and voice. You will also have developed an understanding of the compositional process in Irish traditional music, and the characteristic styles of arrangement that have developed in the twentieth century.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS
Students will develop:
(i) Critical tools for structural listening.
(ii) Stylistic appreciation of a particular genre of music.
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(v) Display interpersonal sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, and being able to adjust behaviour accordingly.
(vi) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(vii) Demonstrate confidence and motivation, creativity, initiative, and the ability to cope with stress.
(viii) Apply and exploit information technology.
(ix) Be aware of organisational culture, policies and processes.
(x) Understand basic financial and commercial principles.
(xi) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
(xii) Reflect on and evaluate their own practice.
Literature and Science in the Nineteenth Century: Evolution, Degeneration, and the Mind
Overview
This course will explore the diverse ways that writers responded to the dramatic developments in science in the nineteenth century, from Darwinian evolution and degeneration theory to the fascination with psychology, mesmerism and the mind. These emergent bodies of knowledge transformed conceptions of the self and society, and we will examine the strategies used by writers to engage with new conceptions of time, fears about progress, and the challenge to religious beliefs presented by the prospect of a directionless universe. Considering the emergence of social science and anthropology, as well as developments in evolutionary biology, psychology and the occult sciences, we will explore the ways science helped to shape nineteenth-century ideologies of race, class, and gender, and led to experiments with new and popular subgenres (including science fiction, imperial adventure, detective fiction and the utopian/dystopian novel).
Learning Outcomes
You will gain an understanding of the ways science participated in nineteenth-century constructions of race and empire, class and gender, and informed debates over subjectivity and social relations. You should be able to relate developments in biology, psychology and social science to fictional modes of representation, including developments in realist fiction, fantasy, and subgenre fiction. You will gain a more nuanced grasp of relationships between science, literature and culture in the nineteenth century.
Skills
You should build on skills developed on ENG2070, including the ability to relate texts to their historical contexts, the ability to engage with texts in both thematic and formal terms, the ability to relate scientific developments to literary developments (including the rise of science fiction, imperial adventure, detective fiction and the utopian novel), the ability to contextualise and question relationships between literature and science in the nineteenth-century, and to explore the dynamic relationships between fictional and non-fictional writings, the development of a critical awareness of the way science shaped (and was shaped by) nineteenth-century politics and culture. You will also acquire enhanced skills of independent thought and research, group-work skills and oral presentation skills.
An examination of the range of concepts related to the notion of identity in modern and contemporary Europe. The module offers an interdisciplinary survey of the construction of identity in localities, regions, and states of Western Europe, with a particular emphasis on the role of identity in cultural integration and diversity
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the notion of identity and the various factors (linguistic, ethnic, national, social, historical) which have contributed to the identity of western Europeans.
Skills
Development of critical and analytical skills. Emphasis on comparative methodology and the ability to synthesise knowledge in both written and oral form in a cross-national (European) context.
This course will examine the causes and repercussions of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. This was a significant uprising by the peasantry (and others) within medieval England, though its roots and consequences are the subject of much debate. The fourteenth century as a whole was a period of much social and economic upheaval, dominated by famine, plague, war and heresy. Students will explore the Peasants’ Revolt by situating it within the wider contexts of medieval society, such as lord-peasant relations, the Black Death, the decline of serfdom, the Hundred Years War, the growing repression of the Wycliffite or Lollard heresy, the kingship of Richard II, and revolts across Europe in the late-fourteenth century. A variety of primary sources will be examined in depth, such as court rolls, laws, chronicles, literature and tax records, in order to gain a detailed insight into the nature of revolt.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will have:(a) acquired detailed knowledge of the events of the Peasants' Revolt; (b)understood key aspects of social, economic, political and religious changes in fourteenth-century England; (c) evaluated the different factors which contributed to the outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381; (d) analysed a variety of medieval primary sources in a knowledgeable and critical manner.
Skills
On completion of this module students will have: (a) critically analysed a variety of primary source material; (b) integrated social, economic, religious and political history; (c) evaluated and synthesised relevant secondary material; (d) followed an independent investigation of an historical subject, including identifying and locating suitable primary and secondary sources; (e) developed their communication skills in both written and oral forms.
This module aims to raise questions about the relation between works of fiction set in the Victorian period, and made-for-TV reappropriations of these texts. It considers the way that we ‘read’ the Victorian period through visual image, and the impact of technologies of the visual on the written word. It introduces different theoretical approaches to film, and explains, by means of example, the differences between cinema and television. It explores connection between cinematic practice (montage, the shot, editing, sound, space and mise-en-scène) and notions of writing. It will ask questions about the nature of genre, spectatorship, and issues of ideology and effect. The module will concentrate on identifying the range of different resources required to understand the flow of images on the TV screen, and will examine how ‘adaptation’ is conceptualised, particularly the ways in which the comparison of book and film is haunted by notions of faithfulness and the ‘original’ primacy of the literary work.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should have refined your ability to analyse literary texts sensitively in relation to films made for TV. You should have developed your skills in constructing written and spoken analyses and arguments, based on assembling appropriate primary and secondary evidence from textual and visual media. You should have developed an ability to conceptualise adaptations, to speak in a theoretically informed manner about reappropriations of works set in the Victorian period, to distinguish between film and television as visual media, and to read visual images in such a way as to appreciate how literature and film work together to produce cultural artefacts.
Skills
This module should enable you to build upon and substantially enhance the skills that you have already acquired during the course of your degree, and in particular should allow you to acquire and demonstrate the following: broad comprehension of modern scholarly debates concerning adaptations; understanding of how Victorian social and cultural contexts are translated or interpreted for the modern age; understanding of the fundamentals of film and television art; the ability to analyse critically the interrelation between works of fiction and their made for tv counterparts, in the process identifying their complexities and contradictions; effective oral and written communication skills.
This module introduces students to the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping political dynamics at the local, national and global level. It approaches the topic from three perspectives - feminist political thought; strategies for political mobilization and change; and the relevance of gender in international affairs. The module aims to offer an introduction to the contribution of feminist intersectional scholarship in challenging understandings of politics and international relations as gender-neutral and draws attention to the, often neglected, experiences, agency and political claims of gender minorities. It considers key contemporary issues such as intersectionality and feminist politics, sexuality and reproductive justice; social movements and anti-gender politics; war, peace and security; climate change and the politics of global crises.
Lectures will chart the development of feminism in its diverse ideological strands and ‘waves’.
Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered complexities of global politics.
Learning Outcomes
To provide a political perspective on gender; to clarify the diversity of feminist thought; to analyse and explain the causes of women's inequality in the public and private realms; and to provide an understanding of the inequalities confronting women.
Skills
The ability to comprehend the politics of sex and gender in an historical and theoretical framework; to develop a political perspective on gender; to debate positions; to engage in small group activity; to improve oral presentation and essay-writing skills.
The late twentieth century has seen a proliferation of Shakespeare on screen. This module investigates the phenomenon through the cinematic history of four plays - Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Othello. It looks at the work of directors such as Laurence Olivier, Franco Zeffirelli, Orson Welles, Kenneth Branagh, Baz Luhrmann, Oliver Parker and Michael Almereyda. Debate will focus upon the following areas; the relationship between the playtext and the film; the malleability of Shakespeare as a cultural icon; the relevance of Shakespeare to a modern audience; the shifting status of Shakespeare as a signifier of gender, race, technology and politics.
Learning Outcomes
This module aims to inculcate an in-depth knowledge of the multifarious ways in which Shakespeare is appropriated in late twentieth-century cinema; to enable students to discriminate between various filmic versions of a play; to gain the confidence and capability to deploy critical and theoretical tools to talk about film constructively; and to reflect upon connections between Shakespearean production and the preoccupations of a particular historical moment.
Skills
Having successfully completed this module, you should have become familiar with a range of ways in which Shakespeare is appropriated in the cinema; you should have learned how to utilise a theoretical filmic vocabulary in the interests of larger analyses; you should be able to discriminate between various filmic versions of a play and to identify some of their cultural and intertextual influences; you should have further honed your presentational skills and, through regular teamwork, learned the value of collaborative practice.
To understand the most terrible historical moment in modern Irish history. This single-semester module is concerned with one of the great climacteric episodes in Irish history. The demographic, economic, social and political events of the period 1845-49 will be studied in detail. Considerable attention will also be paid to the decades preceding the Great Famine, in an attempt to answer the question: "was the Great Famine inevitable?" Similarly, consideration will be given to the longer-term economic, social and political consequences of the Great Famine. This is a tutorial-led module and will employ a purpose-designed tutorial handbook.
Learning Outcomes
To understand the most terrible historical moment in modern Irish history.
Skills
The analysis of historical problems; critical evaluation of facts and arguments; the interpretation of primary historical evidence; practice in constructing and writing informed and literate essays; verbal presentation and group work.
The module aims to develop a sociological understanding of the dramatic social change which has occurred in recent times on the island of Ireland (particularly Northern Ireland). This will be accomplished by focusing on a series of key issues which help to illustrate both the scale and the nature of the transformations involved.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, student will be:
- Familiar with contemporary sociological debates within, and applied to, contemporary Irish Society
- Able to analyse, evaluate and interpret information in relation to society and social life on the island of Ireland
- Capable of developing and defending independent thinking, reasoned opinions and argument
- Able to engage in systematic and critical reasoning about contemporary issues in Irish society
- Confident in using and comparing different types of evidenceand experience from across Irish society, north and south, and from a variety of case studies
Skills
The course aims to enable students to develop the following skills:
- Retrieve and select relevant information from print and electronic sources
-Select, utilize and interpret material to address a particular issue or problem
- Present information and communicate ideas in a coherent and appropriate manner and format.
- Develop oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials, presentations in class and group discussions
- Develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material
This module will provide an introduction to urban history and theory. It will present key ideas about the cultural, social, economic and political factors that shape the spatial and built structure of cities. It will highlight the significance of historic urban landscapes while interpreting the practice of urban design aesthetics and technologies. The focus will be on the relationship between architecture and the city, the role of buildings in the urban fabric and the relevance of context.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
Have an understanding of the complexity of contemporary urban landscapes and their historical and theoretical encounters.
Have a knowledge and understanding of how cultural, social and intellectual histories as well as urban history and theory can impact on practice and design.
Have the ability to describe, analyse and synthesize structured arguments and present them in written, graphic and oral form.
Have the ability to undertake basic research methods including essay writing, composition of bibliography and referencing and self-management.
Demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of the architect and co-professionals to the formation of briefs in diverse scales including building and urban scale.
Skills
Ability to describe, analyse and synthesise concepts and ideas and communicate them in written form;
Ability to carry out basic research methods;
Ability to correctly reference and compose a bibliography;
Ability to present a conceptual development to an audience;
For most of us the labour market is arguably the most important market that we ever participate in: it’s where we spend a lot of our lifetime and is where most of the income that we spend on goods and services comes from. Labour economics helps us to understand this key market and our own place within it. Many social policy issues – poverty and inequality, unemployment, welfare benefits, education, migration – are also inextricably linked with the labour market. Labour economics helps us to gain a better understanding of these issues and the trade-offs faced by policy makers in trying to address them. The course is divided into 11 substantive topics as follows: an introduction to the labour market; labour supply; labour demand; compensating wage differentials; human capital; wage inequality; labour mobility; labour market discrimination; incentive pay; unions; unemployment.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
On successful completion of this module, students will have acquired an understanding of:
• The theory and reach of labour economics;
• How to apply relevant theory to a variety of labour market and social policy issues and contexts;
• How quantitative methods can be used to analyse labour market and social policy issues;
• How to critically evaluate the application of models and methods in labour economics to labour market and social policy issues.
This module also provides opportunities for the student to acquire or enhance the following subject-specific skills:
• The ability to construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of labour economics theory and its application;
• The ability to comprehend and evaluate academic and policy literature related to labour economics and social policy;
• The ability to construct, interpret and critically evaluate models of behaviour in labour economics;
• The ability to apply economic models and concepts to real world questions;
• The ability to understand, evaluate and commentate on economic and social policy;
In addition, this module provides opportunities for the student to acquire or enhance the following cognitive and transferable skills:
• Problem solving
• Logical reasoning
• Independent enquiry
• Critical evaluation and interpretation
• Self-assessment and reflection
• Synthesising information from a variety of sources
• Written and verbal communication
• Organisation and time management
Skills
An understanding of the employment relationship and labour market economics.
The American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877
Overview
Against the backdrop of increasing tensions over slavery, Abraham Lincoln posed the question in 1855 of whether the United States could “as a nation, continue together permanently—forever—half slave and half free.” The answer came in 1861, when war broke out between the federal government at Washington and the newly seceded Confederacy. The American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction that followed are sometimes referred to by historians as a “Second American Revolution”: together they constitute one of the most dramatic social upheavals of the nineteenth century world, and their outcome established the foundations upon which—for better or worse—the modern United States would be built.
Making use of a range of primary sources and some of the best recent scholarship in the vibrant field of Civil War & Reconstruction historiography, we will approach the events through close examination of key historical problems: sectionalism and the causes of war; Lincoln, war and emancipation; slavery and grand strategy, North and South; and Reconstruction & the limits of black freedom.
Learning Outcomes
To explore and understand this critical period in the history of the United States.
Skills
The ability to analyse and explain both orally and on paper, the complex issues relating to this topic.
This module examines the different positions of disabled and non-disabled men and women in Britain and Ireland in relation to social rights and public services. Students will consider how social protection systems, (social security and labour market policies) and other social policies produce these different outcomes. Students will also examine institutional responses to existing forms of disability discrimination, disadvantage and inequality. Students will be introduced to the social model of disability and consider its implications for policy and practice.
Skills
To develop critical skills; to enhance written and verbal skills; to develop skills in using offical government statistics and policy documents.
This module examines problems in contemporary normative political philosophy. Topics may vary from year to year, but will typically include questions about the interpretation of values such as freedom, equality, and welfare, principles of distributive justice, equal respect and social recognition, pluralism, toleration, and democracy.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
-be in a position to think critically about the normative aspects of social and political life,
-understand and be able to construct normative arguments about moral and political problems
Skills
The aim of the module is to provide students with the necessary analytical and interpretive tools to understand complex arguments. It will provide students with an opportunity to develop communication skills (listening, oral and written), and equip students with basic intellectual skills (particularly critical thinking and analysis). Students will also learn to present their own thoughts and arguments in a logical and coherent manner and to make points in a clear and succinct manner. Students will learn to identify particular tasks and what is required to complete them.
Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process
Overview
This module will investigate the role of the arts, and specifically theatre and performance, in contributing to processes of conflict transformation, the politics of reconciliation, and the modes through which a post-conflict society deals with the past. It will examine different approaches various practitioners and performances have adopted in dealing with the legacies of political violence and it considers how theatre/performance is being used to assimilate traumatic history into public memory.
Learning Outcomes
On the completion of this module, students will:
• have a critical understanding of how theatre/performance engages with questions of memory, history, testimony, witnessing, conflict transformation, commemoration and politics of reconciliation.
• be able to evaluate how contemporary theatre/performance is responding to – and influencing – the post-conflict experiences of Belfast and beyond.
• Be able to identify and evaluate different dramaturgical strategies employed by playwrights to deal with the past and the violent legacies of the Troubles.
• Have improved their critical and intellectual understanding of the relationships between theatre, politics and performance;
• Have improved their oral communication, time-management and essay writing skills through the submission of an essay abstract and the provision of formative feedback by peers & tutor.
Skills
Reflexive and independent thinking; awareness of interdisciplinary approaches to study. Writing of essays, seminar papers, presentations, use of library bibliographies and databases.
The political, social, economic and international conditions leading to Bolshevik success after 1917; the nature of the Soviet state as evolving under Lenin ; the evolution of Stalin's personal rule and the Stalinist system; the nature and limits of de-stalinization under Kruschchev.
Learning Outcomes
To understand the Bolshevik takeover of Russia, the adaption of Marxism to Russian conditions and the adjustment of the peoples of Russia to such circumstances.
Skills
To discover, assess and select evidence mainly from secondary sources, to interpret and evaluate this material, to envisage the ways of thinking in a very different environment.
The module will examine the rise of Protestantism in the early modern period (1517-1740), from the onset of the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland to the spread of the movement throughout Europe and America to the eve of the mainstream Enlightenment.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to history of confessional development in Europe; to encourage critical thought.
Skills
Analysis of textual evidence (primary and secondary) and the ability to formulate arguments in written and oral form.
United Irishmen and Unionists: the religion and politics of Ulster protestants
Overview
This course considers the religion and politics of protestants in Ulster from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It examines the interplay of religious, social, and political developments by considering a number of themes. These include, the formation of the United Irishmen and the 1798 rebellion, the rise and significance of evangelicalism, the response of churches to urban growth and industrialisation, religious revivalism and missionary activity, the development of unionist politics, and church-state relations in Northern Ireland. Students will be encouraged to place Irish developments in a broader context. They will encounter a range of primary source material including pamphlets, newspapers, sermons, and official reports.
Learning Outcomes
An understanding of the relationships between the religion and politics of protestants in the north of Ireland.
An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module.
An ability to evaluate critically, and place in their particular historical context, primary documentary sources relating to the subject-matter of the module.
An ability to write an informed analysis of the historical problems discussed in the module.
Skills
Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and work independently.
Further develop communication skills, both written and oral.
Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical sources.
To hone student skillsets in one of three distinct strands: Acting, Directing and Production Skills. Students are encouraged to have taken DRA2003 before joining this module.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module you should have:
1. Significant command of fundamental skills in and approaches to acting, directing or production.
2. An understanding of the rigours and commitment required in mounting a full production.
Skills
1. Have a developed command of at least one key production or performance skillset and an understanding of related skillsets.
2. Have developed your team-working and problem solving skills.
3. Have developed your capacity for reflective review.
National and Ethnic Minorities in European Politics
Overview
Often trapped between the competing logics of nation and state, minority groups in Europe have played an important role in the twentieth century's bloodiest tragedies and have been targeted in many conflicts. However, contemporary Europe offers a substantial institutional approach to put minority issues on an entirely novel footing. This course looks at the role of minority groups in Europe addressing their competing claims over political representation, economic resources and cultural rights that persist throughout the Union. The course will examine minority issues from a comparative perspective to shed light on challenges that face specifically postcommunist European societies and will address issues pertaining to recognition of minority rights in the ‘older’ EU member states.
We start with the analyses of the origins of minority rights, the establishment of the European minority rights regime, and the relationship between national minorities and majorities in contemporary Europe. The module will engage with issues on European minority rights agenda moving beyond the perspective of nation-state, and will focus upon the impact of both, social processes domestically and geopolitical considerations regionally to enhance understanding of complicated relationship between the human rights and non-discrimination agendas globally. It engages literature on postcommunist Europeanisation, minority rights regime and accommodation of rights of migrants during the complex path of building European institutions. Taking its starting point in theoretical debates of post-cold War minority protection in Europe, the module is focused empirically on European cases, East and West, where tensions between groups have been identified and examined in terms of ethnic and/or national identities. By contrasting the issue relevant for national minorities throughout Europe the course will allow greater understanding of consequences going in hand with the recognition of national minority rights for European societies with growing numbers of old and new minority communities.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Place minority situations in a broader context of domestic and European politics
• Contrast the differential impact European integration had on minority groups in different waves of enlargement
• Ascertain importance of national minorities as guarantors of geopolitical stability
• Understand and be able to discriminate the impact of new and old minorities have on likelihood of ethnic conflict in contemporary Europe
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in written form contemporary situation in Europe
• Rigorously pursue intellectual questions in an academic manner, using analytical skills and critical thinking.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Organizational skills
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
The module will have three main themes - human osteoarchaeology and its contribution to our understanding of life in the past, the study of funerary monuments and disease and its impact on past societies. In the first theme, students will be introduced to the study of archaeological human remains and what the osteological and palaeopathological analysis of past people can contribute to the studies of societies. Four practical sessions will provide an opportunity to identify human bones
and to determine the age, sex and stature of a human skeleton. Theme 2 will focus on the information that can be gained from the study of funerary monuments and, in particular, Post-Medieval grave memorials. Fieldtrips will be made to Friar's Bush and Balmoral cemetries and students will be required to undertake a project on an aspect of grave memorials. The final theme will investigate a number of diseases of considerable antiquity, including leprosy and tuberculosis, which have had a strong impact on past human societies.
Learning Outcomes
An appreciation of human osteoarchaeology and palaeopathology
An understanding of some of the contentious themes in osteoarchaeology
An appreciation of multidiscplinary research
An ability to critically evaluate scientific reports/papers
An understanding of Post-Medieval grave memorials
Competence in communicating ideas and arguments clearly to others
Skills
Undertanding of the basic techniques of human osteoarchaeology
Practical analysis of Post-Medieval grave memorials
Written self-expression
Critical analysis of reports/papers
Political Parties and Elections in Northern Ireland
Overview
This module analyses political parties and elections in Northern Ireland. The module is motivated by the following simple question: What drives citizens’ party choice in Northern Ireland elections. The module situates the Northern Ireland case in the context of the international literature on political and electoral institutions. Specifically, given the consociational institutional context of Northern Ireland, what expectations should we have of how citizens choose parties at election time? The module assesses the relative importance of ‘conflict’ and ‘non conflict issues’ in determining voting behaviour.
The following is an indicative description of the seminars
1. Introduction
2. The Institutional Context: Consocationalism
3. Social Bases of Voting: Religion versus other effects
4. Ideological Bases of Voting: Ethno-national ideology versus other ideological effects (economic left-right, liberal-conservative, pro-EU anti EU)
5. Psychological identification: Positive Affective attachment versus negative identification
6. Group representation: Tribune versus Catch-All effects
7. Holding parties responsible for governing performance
8. Parties from the South and the East: What would happen if...?
9. Implications for other deeply divided places and consociational contexts
Note that there will be an element of quantitative statistical analysis in this module. Students should be prepared for this.
Learning Outcomes
Understanding of the nature of party competition and electoral choice in Northern Ireland
Skills
Intellectual skills
Understanding theoretical interpretations of political choice and understanding how theories are empiricallly tested
Professional and career development skills
Participation in seminars and knowledge of methodological matters
This module will examine gendered dimensions of performance from the late sixteenth century to the Restoration. It will introduce students to ways of reading performance via a range of playwrights, genres and theatrical contexts. Topics will include Shakespeare’s boy actors, the children’s playing companies, female performance, shifting dramatic practices and theatrical innovation. It will raise questions about performance spaces and traditions and the representation of gender, location, status, cross-dressing, the body and the actor on this stage.
Learning Outcomes
Students will gain knowledge of modes of representation on the Renaissance stage. They will become familiar with important developments in theatrical practices in this period. They will be able to critically reflect on the ways in which dramatic texts refract contemporary issues of gender, sexuality, status and location and to evaluate these themes across dramatic genres and performance spaces.
Skills
Students will develop skills of close analysis of texts in relation to Renaissance performance and cultural contexts. They will develop the ability to explore questions of gender, genre, space and performance. The module will improve students’ written and oral communication skills and enhance their abilities to develop an argument independently and through group work.
This is a Special Topic module offered by a visiting Fulbright Scholar. This course focuses on contemporary Irish women writers and their depiction of home in light of the poetic duality of scáth, an Irish word that may be translated as either shadow or shelter. This duality of scáth helps capture the complicated nature of home, especially for Irish women, who have historically been caught somewhere between viewing “home” as a sheltered respite or as an imprisoning shadow. After rooting the Irish female literary tradition in Irish myths, we will study both how today’s authors not only describe this paradoxical relationship but also offer models of women who simultaneously resist the shadows and create their own shelters of beauty and hope without denying or ignoring ugly realities. Sample texts include Emma Donaghue’s Room, Anna Burns’s Milkman, and Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be the Place.
Learning Outcomes
Students will develop their skills in: close reading of literary texts; analysis of literary texts within cultural, historical, and biographical contexts; oral communication; formulation of critical arguments; research methods; scholarly writing, including the integration of primary and secondary sources and adherence to academic conventions
This module explores some of the central concerns of sociology, namely the interplay between social norms, institutionally anchored social roles, and complex and contested identities. The focus is on theoretical approaches and debates as they address a number of social phenomena, including the dynamics of social stigma, gender, family life, work, collective/cultural identities, honour codes and rationales for punishment (the precise range of topics may vary from year to year).
Learning Outcomes
Students taking this course will have the opportunity to:
• gain an understanding of key sociological debates concerning the significance of norms in social life;
• develop an understanding of debates on the consequences of modernity for identities and role inhabitance;
• develop a capacity for critical reflection on taken-for-granted assumptions about the connections between social institutions and agency.
Skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop the following skills:\n1. Intellectual skills\n Analyse, evaluate and interpret information \n Develop and defend reasoned opinions\n Develop and demonstrate independent thinking \n\n2. Employability Skills (Practical skills transferable into employment):\na) Communication\nUsing the spoken word - participating in discussions\nUsing the written word\n \nb) Information and communication technology:\nSearching and obtaining information\nEntering and processing data\nPresenting information\n\nc) Improving own learning & performance\nDemonstrating a degree of independence while learning\nReviewing progress and achievements\n\nd) Problem solving\nIdentifying a problem\nExploring options\nSelecting an appropriate solution\nUse of appropriate resources\nSynthesis, critical analysis, and interpretation of information
This module considers how music and image interact in film, and the social and cultural aspects of these associations. Students will be introduced to a range of key theories, in particular those surrounding music in classical cinema, and will obtain a precise understanding of the ways in which music ‘works’ in film, achieved via the close analysis of a range of filmic texts.
The module also considers ways of discussing film music in non-specialist terms, and as such no formal training in music is required to enrol on this module.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) the ability to analyse the associations between music and film in a sophisticated manner
2) a broad understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to film music
3) an understanding of scoring practices in film, including how they have developed over time
4) an understanding of the sociological and cultural aspects of film music
Skills
1) Critical thinking skills
2) Analytical skills
3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
4) Presentation skills
5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills
This module covers various topics in the economic history of the world across the last 500 years. It is intended to complement other final year modules; accordingly it emphasises the application of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, and qualitative and quantitative methods, to solve historical puzzles. On completion, students should be able to consider how economic reasoning can be used to explain both major historical events and long-run historical processes. Applied economics which uses historical data is also considered in this module. Tutorials concentrate on the in-depth discussion of landmark papers, especially in the New Economic History tradition, and on country-specific material, especially on Britain and Ireland.
Topics may include: population dynamics and the Demographic Transition; the Industrial Revolution and the Great Divergence; the origins of financial capitalism; famine and migration in Ireland; slavery, discrimination and American capitalism; command economies and the Soviet Union; macroeconomic policy and the Great Depression; European integration, British decline, and Irish divergence.
Learning Outcomes
Module Aims
1. To acquaint students at an advanced undergraduate level with the fields of economic history and historical economics.
2. To help students to appreciate the usefulness of historical enquiry within economics and the broader social sciences.
3. To develop students' understanding of important themes within economics, such as demographic transition, industrialisation, competing economic systems, and economic crises.
4. To provide students with an awareness of current academic debates in the field of economic history, including its major sub-fields business history and financial history.
5. To develop students' ability to critically read academic articles, interpret data, weigh evidence and draw conclusions from a range of sources, both quantitative and qualitative.
6. To provide students with the requisite skills to identify and frame independent research.
Skills
Intellectual Skills:
Students should understand the relationship between historical evidence and economic/quantitative reasoning. They should be able to use objective arguments, to weigh evidence and draw up conclusions based on narrative and empirical analyses.
Practical Skills:
Besides gaining an awareness of how economics can be used practically to better understand of the wealth and poverty of nations, students will also develop their oral and written communication skills. The skillset acquired by students in this module is particularly useful for those intending to pursue undergraduate research (e.g. a dissertation) or postgraduate study in economics or related disciplines, for those wishing to work as a consultant or civil servant, or more widely for those intending to pursue careers that require problem-solving and independent research skills.
The study of public administration and policy has witnessed resurgence in political and other social sciences in recent years, as scientists in these fields seek to better understand a) how political preferences are translated into action, or otherwise, and b) the role played by contemporary bureaucratic systems and international organisations in shaping public policy. The recent financial, economic and political crises across the OECD have also renewed popular interest in key aspects of governing, including the regulation of markets, the organisation and role of the public service, the interplay between institutions and policy choices, and the politics of reform – all of which require analysis that moves beyond the political sphere. This Module, addresses these and other questions by drawing on a new generation of scholarship with which the Convenor is closely involved. In combining theoretical learning with real-world practice, it will provide students with high-quality competence in respect of the dominant theories and schools of thought concerning the organisation and management of contemporary government.
The Module provides students with the opportunity to develop a more detailed understanding of modern governing by exploring the interplay between politics and public administration in the process of policy making. For the last three decades, the disciplines of public administration and policy-making have been predominantly taught in business schools (under such titles as public sector management) but without recourse to concepts or theories which political science usefully offers and which are now in much demand. This Module thus presents an excellent opportunity for graduate students to gain proficiency in public administration and policy, and to develop detailed knowledge of modern governing in and beyond the political arena.
• The role of public administration in public policy
• Comparing systems of policy making and administration
• Autonomy and control in public administration and policy
• The policy process in theory and practice
• Regulatory governance
• The role of politico-administrative culture
• Public policy development and network forms of governing
• Public policy and administration at the sub-national level
• The role of international organisations in national public policy and pdministration
• The politics of administrative reform
In all cases, students will be exposed to theoretical approaches to these issues with a view to mastering them, and also expected to apply their learning to real-world practice of policy-making in a political environment. The Module will also involve engagement with statistical datasets and publications produced by international organisations such as the OECD, IMF and EU which have become of increasing importance in understand the motivations of national governments. The Module will be presented by means of 11 seminars, including some with invited practitioners, and assessed by means of written assignments and reflective learning logs.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will have acquired:
1. Critical knowledge and awareness of contemporary theories in public administration and policy making and their relevance to current problems faced by Western governments
2. Enhanced understanding of political-administrative relationships and their role in shaping contemporary policy making
3. In-depth knowledge of a number of key processes in contemporary government, including policy implementation, regulation, reform and evaluation
4. Competence in some of the key international and national debates concerning the future role, organisation and cost of public administration systems
5. Excellent knowledge of varieties in public administration systems and cultures, at national and local levels
6. The ability to sustain critical assessment of policy proposals and administrative organisation
7. Communicate ideas about the work and reform of systems of political governance
Skills
As per the University’s requirements, this module will assist in developing students’ skills in a wide variety of areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing, Understanding & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage and use such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments in the context of theoretically informed knowledge
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT to source data and produce coherent information
• Data management: ability to source timely and relevant information from international organisations and databases
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module focuses on two themes: party system change and the contemporary challenges that affect political parties. Why and how do new parties emerge? Why do old parties survive crises and new party challenges? Who joins political parties and how can we explain the decline in party membership? How can parties and their representatives be more representative of society at large? Should parties be funded through our taxes or private money These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this module.
The module is comparative in nature, with a focus on European and North American countries, but discussions of other cases are welcome.
Assessment is designed to hone the students’ presentation, writing, critical and knowledge-transfer skills: students make a presentation that is partly assessed through student peer evaluation, write a country report, and write a policy paper in which they advise a political party on addressing a contemporary challenge (representation of women and minorities, party finance, or membership).
Past students on this module have enjoyed the presentations and the advantages of peer assessment (making the presentation to the whole class, more focus on content and making a good presentation, and getting to exercise their critical skills through marking), as well as the relaxed style of the seminars and the ability to write a policy paper instead of an academic essay.
Learning Outcomes
- ability to critically discuss the functions and roles played by political parties in modern representative democracies
- ability to identify the challenges political parties currently face
- increased ability to use comparative qualitative and quantitative data to support arguments
Skills
I- oral presentation skills through a presentation and seminar activities
- written communication skills and knowledge-transfer skills through writing a case-study report and a policy paper, including ability to write for a non-academic audience
- critical skills through seminar discussions, writing a book review and a policy paper, and assessing their peers’ presentations.
Contemporary Irish and Scottish Fiction Devolutionary Identities
Overview
The past decades have not only seen an increasing interest in the historical, political and economic crosscurrents between Scotland and Ireland, but they have also witnessed a remarkable literary renaissance on both sides of the Irish Sea. This course explores the transformed literary landscape of Irish and Scottish fiction since the 1980s in relation to the (d)evolutionary processes of cultural and social change in today’s Atlantic archipelago, concerning in particular the Irish Republic’s economic boom in the 1990s (commonly referred to as the ‘Celtic Tiger’), the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, and the movement towards the reconstitution of the Scottish Parliament. We will examine how these changes and the issues that they raise are reflected in an indicative selection of Irish, Northern Irish, and Scottish novels, focusing on the relationship between the formal and stylistic experiments often found in these writings and the concepts of identity, society, the nation, history, and gender that they draw on, resist, and/or give rise to. In this respect, we will pay due attention to ideas about the role of literature, gender, sexuality, class, race, and religion in the (re)construction of national identity; questions of power, authority and authenticity, and the impact of globalization on cultural production; the politics of place and the rural/urban divide; revisions and representations of history, and issues of trauma and memory; the literary use of non-standard English; narrative tropes, techniques, and typographic experiments.
This course aims to establish a comparative framework in order to trace the shared concerns and noteworthy differences that characterise and constitute a significant part of the contemporary Irish and Scottish literary scene. It is designed to introduce students to dominant critical and literary paradigms as well as key debates in Irish and Scottish Studies raised by postcolonialism, postmodernism, (post-) nationalism, gender studies, and feminism. To that end, literary texts will be read alongside theoretical and cultural perspectives in both fields, copies of which will be provided in a course reader.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will have gained a in-depth knowledge of 11 Irish and Scottish novels and developed an understanding of the corpus of, and crosscurrents between, contemporary Scottish and Irish fiction. The module will introduce students to dominant critical and literary paradigms as well as key debates in Irish and Scottish Studies raised by postcolonialism, postmodernism, (post-) nationalism, gender studies, and feminism. They will be able to apply the knowledge they have gained in textual analysis of contemporary Irish and Scottish fiction, expanding their sense of new developments in subject matter, literary technique, and language use.
Skills
Students will gain a range of subject-specific, intellectual, practical and transferable skills: they will develop their critical assessment of texts and gain deeper analytic and textual competence. They will also hone their presentation and writing skills and learn to present and discuss complex issues with clarity and cogency, both orally and in writing, write clearly and succinctly, and organise study time effectively.
This is a Special Topic module offered by a visiting Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Creative Writing. The contents of the module, which will change on an annual basis, depending on the area of creative writing expertise of the Visiting Scholar, will provide an opportunity for students to work on a specific aspect of creative writing. The specific module content will be announced as early as possible each academic year. Students who sign up for this module will, as normal, have the right to switch to another module if the content does not suit their academic plans.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will have examined an aspect of creative writing and will have written extensively in the appropriate form or genre. Objectivity about their own creative practice will have been further fostered by the writing of a self-reflexive commentary to accompany their final submission. Students should have come some way towards developing their own creative voice.
Modern Families: Intimate and Personal Relationships
Overview
This module will focus on the sociological theory and research on the family and it will do so by examining both the scholarship on the family and the place of the family in different European societies. The history and current state of the family in Northern Ireland will be examined in the immediate context of family studies in both the UK and Ireland and in the broader context of other European societies. Both theoretical and empirical work will be considered.
Learning Outcomes
(1) To make students familiar with the literature on the sociology of the family. (2) To give students a knowledge of the different approaches to understanding and studying the family. (3) To make links between this literature on the family and the main sociological theories more broadly. (4) To identify the significant feature of the family in Northern Irish society and how the family has functioned in this society as compared with others. (5) To give students an appreciation of comparative studies and the comparative method.
Skills
Acquisition of information, literature review, reproduction of information in essay and examination. Critical evaluation of evidence. Presentation skills.
This module explores some of the major issues in contemporary applied ethics. The precise themes discussed may vary from year to year, but examples of topics which may be discussed include: the badness of death, the wrongness of killing, abortion, euthanasia, population ethics, genetic engineering, climate ethics, and intergenerational justice.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have an understanding of some of the main arguments in contemporary applied ethics and their relation to normative theories, such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. They should also an appreciation of the bearing of such issues on current legal and social practice.
Skills
This module nurtures skills such as the careful reading of texts, the ability to explain and summarize the views of others, the ability to think dispassionately about issues on which one may already have preconceptions, the ability to develop (both orally and on paper) arguments of one's own, the willingness to engage in discussion with others in a tolerant and constructive manner.
This module examines how politics conceived as relations between governments and with and between various socio-economic interests and groups shapes the global economy and the power relations it represents. Various issues addressed in the module include: how to think about power and authority in the global economy; contrasting national models of capitalism; the United States as a global economic hegemon in the post 9/11 era; the political economy of the rise of BRIC; the Doha Round of trade talks; Credit Crunch (causes, implications and responses); the geo-politics of currency rivalry; the global governance of oil; and a new global economic order to replace the old order?
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• Understand the main theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of IPE;
• have knowledge of key issue areas in the study of IPE, including finance, trade, rising powers, development, sustainability and environment;
• appreciate different approaches to the understanding of IPE and political economy;
• understand global and heterodox approaches to political economy and consider the relation between concepts, political economy practices and everyday lives;
• be able to apply key concepts and analytical frames from the IPE literature in examinations of these key issue areas;
• pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking;
• communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organisational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
and concise, written and oral form;
Students will be able to think analytically, critically and logically about a range of important contemporary social issues.
Students will have the capacity to identify many of the key causes, strategies and motivations of contemporary global economic trends and developments.
This module will examine the different ways that war and conflict are produced and represented across both historical and contemporary visual culture. It will examine specific examples of how war and conflict are represented in visual art (e.g. photography, photojournalism, museums and memorials), but also how visual technologies enable conflicts and reconcile citizens to permanent war (e.g. Surveillance, drone warfare). It will draw on interdisciplinary research in Visual Culture, International Relations, Cultural Studies and War Studies, and ask students to reflect on their own assumptions about, and engagements with, how war and visuality intersect.
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to explain the complex relationship between war and representation, and understand relevant interdisciplinary debates that inform how we interpret and create meaning out of images of war and conflict. Students should be able to explain the political importance of war representations through theoretical concepts such as consensus-building, ideology and discourse, and develop these concepts through more specific issue areas (e.g. nationalism, gender, patriotism, race, the sublime). Students should be able to reflect on their own engagements with visual representations of war, and identify different political positions from which to interpret images.
Skills
Students will be given the opportunity to communicate their ideas in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written work. Tutorial sessions will allow them to develop their oral communication skills whilst working in teams and completing set tasks. The written assignments will enhance student skills such as time management, prioritizing knowledge, managing information, and producing analytical, critical and creative arguments. Because the students will be asked to address their own interpretations of visual images, the module also enhances the general skills of self-reflexivity.
This module will require the student to reflect on their extended period of residence abroad and the skills acquired as a result. It will include a written assignment in the target language or languages. There will also be an oral examination in the target language or languages.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module it is intended that you will:
Linguistic Skills:
-demonstrate advanced competence in the target language in both oral and written contexts
-be able to understand the spoken language at near-native level
have developed enhanced strategies for independent language acquisition
-be able to prepare and deliver an analytical report and oral presentation in the target language
Academic/Professional Skills
-have demonstrated an ability to adapt to a new educational/professional context
-be able to analyse and reflect critically on these experiences, and to communicate your conclusions orally and in writing
have developed an awareness and understanding of the structures and ethos of an educational institution (school/university) or workplace in a foreign country, and draw comparisons with the UK/Ireland
-have enhanced your employability profile
Cultural Awareness
-gained an enhanced understanding of the culture and society of the foreign country through the experience of living and working/studying there
-be able to draw comparisons with those of the UK/Ireland, and reflect critically on your own culture and society
Skills
have enhanced personal skills in six key areas (self-management & development, managing tasks, communication, working with others, applying knowledge, problem solving)\nbe able to articulate these skills in such a way that you are able to maximise personal development during residence abroad for your future career
The project will require the student to reflect on their extended period of residence abroad and the skills acquired as a result. It will include a 2000-word essay in the target language or languages. There will also be an oral examination in the target language or languages to be completed in the first half of the first semester following re-enrolment into Level 3.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module it is intended that you will have developed skills in the following areas: (i) Linguistic Skills: demonstrate advanced competence in the target language in both oral and written contexts; be able to understand the spoken language at near-native level; have developed enhanced strategies for independent language acquisition; be able to prepare and deliver an analytical report and oral presentation in the target language (ii) Academic/Professional Skills: have demonstrated an ability to adapt to a new educational/professional context; be able to analyse and reflect critically on these experiences, and to communicate your conclusions orally and in writing; have developed an awareness and understanding of the structures and ethos of an educational institution (school/university) or workplace in a foreign country, and draw comparisons with the UK/Ireland; have enhanced your employability profile (iii) Cultural Awareness: have gained an enhanced understanding of the culture and society of the foreign country through the experience of living and working/studying there; be able to draw comparisons with those of the UK/Ireland, and reflect critically on your own culture and society.
Skills
At the end of the module, it is intended that you will: have enhanced personal skills in six key areas (self-management & development, managing tasks, communication, working with others, applying knowledge, problem solving); be able to articulate these skills in such a way that you are able to maximise personal development during residence abroad for your future career.
Religion and Empire: Christian Missions To Africa, Asia and Middle East
Overview
Christian missions are often seen as old fashioned, but for long they were at the forefront of modernity. They carried modernity overseas and brought back fresh ideas which helped shape new societies. This course investigates when and how Christian overseas expansion happened; how missionaries related to empire and indigenous peoples; why and how Africans or Asians chose to convert; what they did with the Christianitywith which they were confronted; and how missionary activities contributed to the elaboration of new ideas of race, class and scientific knowledge at home.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module should
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of Christian expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries;
• Be able to develop critical arguments about religion and modernity in the West and in the rest of the world;
• Be able to engage successfully with archival material;
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of essay writing, bibliographic work, and oral presentation.
Skills
Critical writing; archival research; oral presentation.
Archival research will be kept to a minimum, in an archive in Belfast or online. The oral presentation will be a presentation of archival material to be used for the second (major) essay.
• Theories of Punishment
• Sentencing and Human Rights
• Pre-Sentence Decisions
• The Sentencing Process
• Custodial Sentences
• Non-Custodial Sentences
• Sentencing the Young Offender
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module the students should have acquired the following:
• Understanding of the philosophical rationales for the imposition of punishment and of the ways in which they are reflected in the Northern Ireland Sentencing system;
• Understanding of the relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the way in which it impacts on sentencing decisions;
• Understanding of the ways in which the sentencing process can be affected by decisions made at an earlier stage of the proceedings;
• Understanding of the law relating to the sentencing process (including the collection of relevant information, the legal constraints on sentencing, and the manner in which the sentence is chosen) and the ability to apply that law in context;
• Understanding of the social and political factors relating to sentencing, and the way in which they are reflected in the current sentencing system;
• Understanding of the relevant statutory provisions relating to custodial and non-custodial sentences, and the ability to apply those provisions in context;
• Understanding of the law relating to the sentencing of the young offender, and the ability to apply it in context.
Skills
• Identify accurately issues that require researching
• Identify and retrieve legal information
• Use of primary and secondary sources
• Recognise and rank items and issues in terms of relevance and importance
• Bring together information and materials from a variety of different sources
• Act independently in planning and undertaking tasks
• Synthesise doctrinal and policy issues in relation to a topic
• Judge critically the merits of particular arguments
• Present and make a reasoned choice between alternative solutions
• Reflect on own learning and proactively seek and make use of feedback
• Use of English
• Time management
• Present knowledge or an argument in a way that is comprehensible to others and is directed at their concerns
• Read and discuss legal materials which are written in technical and complex language
• Produce word processed text and present such work in an appropriate form
• Use of the World Wide Web and of e-mail
• Work in groups as a participant who contributes effectively to the group’s task
This module aims to provide an understanding of the complexities involved when people interact in challenging situations involving life-changing decisions. The module is delivered in collaboration with healthcare and social care staff and students in QUB and local NHS services. Students will engage with various models of interaction including acting for the stage, the sociology of symbolic interaction, simulation-based education in healthcare and social care, and applied behaviour analysis. Students will learn how to draw upon these different models as they analyse their own performance and that of their peers in Drama and other subject areas as they perform in complex and challenging interactive scenarios. Students will be able to demonstrate leadership as part of their continuous assessment by analysing and providing feedback on the interactive skills of other students. By completing the learning outcomes students will gain a more nuanced understanding of human interaction as it is manifest on stage in theatrical performance and in other professional contexts.
(Convenor: Dr Paul Murphy, p.murphy@qub.ac.uk)
Learning Outcomes
Creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of research projects on theatre and social justice.
Communication in a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media.
Developing ideas and constructing arguments and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
Understanding of group dynamics and an ability to implement them in research projects.
Drawing on contemporary theories regarding new national and postcolonial literatures, this module will introduce students to post-independence Indian literature in English through a selection of texts including fiction, poetry, drama, travel writing and journalism. These will be accompanied by critical readings and discussions engaging with issues such as the role of English in India; the politics of nationalism, regionalism, caste and gender in contemporary India; India’s global reach and its (literary) diaspora; as well as current media and travel writing in India. While the emphasis will be placed on canonical literary texts (in printed form), other materials such as film, media, and internet resources will be used to complement and contextualise these literary works.
Learning Outcomes
Students will gain a broad understanding of contemporary Indian literature within a framework provided by current critical theories regarding new national and postcolonial literatures.
Skills
This module will develop the following skills:
- ability to engage in literary analysis
- the ability to understand and use current critical theories (specifically those relating to postcolonial and new national literatures in English)
- the ability to closely work with peers through group discussion
- oral engagement through discussion and class presentation
- formal written presentation of individual research work in the area
Marvels, Monsters and Miracles in Anglo-Saxon England
Overview
The very nature of marvels insists on their subjectivity: they are defined by the experience of their viewer. To marvel from the Latin mirari or to wonder from the Germanic wundar is to be filled with awe, surprise, admiration or astonishment. When we try to generalise about the meaning of marvels and the use of wonder in the Middle Ages, we are confronted with multiplicity. How do we read marvels? What’s their role in medieval texts? Are monsters and miracles to be read as marvels? One of the most critical tools for discussing the nature of difference that is central to the marvellous is the idea of the ‘Other’ which offers both psychological and political means of analysing the experience of wonder. The Anglo-Saxons were fascinated by the idea of encounters with strangeness and difference – a fascination that expressed itself in a rich and diverse rang of textual, artistic and geographical representations of such imaginings. Difference was considered both marvellous and monstrous; terrifying and fascinating; disgusting and desirable.
This module examines the perceptions of the marvellous and monstrous in the literature of the Anglo-Saxons. It investigates the nature of those phenomena which the Anglo-Saxons experienced as marvels, how they interpreted their experiences of astonishment and how they recreated them for others. It analyses the importance of ‘marvellous difference’ in defining ethnic, racial, religious, class and gender identities, as represented in different genres including historiography (i.e. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle), travel narratives (Wonders of the East, Alexander’s Letter to Aristotle etc), hagiography (i.e. The Life of St Christopher) and other literary texts including Beowulf, Judith, Genesis B.
Texts in Latin, Old Norse and Middle English may be used for comparative purposes. Modern English translations will be provided for all the texts. Students are also expected to be able to engage with texts in Old English.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module students should be able to:
-Demonstrate a critical awareness of a variety of early medieval concepts and constructions of otherness and difference;
-Show a familiarity with a range of medieval texts, genres and cultural concepts;
-Demonstrate the ability to engage with both contemporary critical concepts and their applicability to pre-modern texts;
-Show evidence of independent research and study skills;
-Use relevant electronic databases to further their written work;
-Demonstrate a consistent level of contribution to seminar discussions.
Skills
This module will enable students to:
-Develop an informed sense of the complexity of concepts such as monstrosity, marvellous, superstition, miracle, religion, otherness;
-Consider and evaluate how difference (racial, religious, gender, national) was conceptualised in early medieval English culture;
-Acquire an understanding of various literary texts in relation to their cultural context and audience;
-Develop an ability to engage critically with the primary material as well as familiarity with modern scholarly and critical approaches;
Apply independent thought and academic research skills.
This course covers selected themes and movements in architecture internationally from earliest times to the present day. These include detailed aspects of the Modern Movement, Architecture and Design c1900, and the Renaissance in Italy.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to build coherent narratives of the architectural developments and their significance in certain periods/contexts,
- Understand the influences which gave meaning and value to architectural design and its associated with socio-cultural situations,
- Present well‐structured and analytical evaluation of the characteristics of architecture that is sound and critically reflective.
Skills
Understanding of the influences which gave meaning and value to architectural design; evaluation of the architecture of the periods covered.
The module concentrates on public expenditure and taxation issues. Following a review of the welfare basis for government intervention, the expenditure section focuses on public goods, externalities, public choice, equity and efficiency aspects of health care and education provision, and fiscal federalism. The taxation section considers issues of tax incidence and the effects of taxation on savings and labour supply. The optimal (direct and indirect) tax literature is reviewed.
Learning Outcomes
To develop the skills appropriate to an economic analysis of the role, and the effects of the government in market economies such as the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Students will be introduced to the concepts of economic efficiency and social justice and to the development of a framework which attempts to explain why the state produces and/or allocates some goods but leaves others to the private market. Furthermore students will be introduced to the theoretical and empirical issues of positive and optimal taxation.
Skills
The module will build on and reinforce the analytical skills of students and encourage them to think critically about the role of government in the economy.
The dissertation is an extended piece of interdisciplinary research study that spans both semesters. Students will work independently on an area chosen by them with guidance from a named tutor in a relevant discipline. Students will be expected to exercise skills acquired in previous assessments, to exhibit an appropriate theoretical understanding and to engage in detailed analysis as relevant to each subject. The range of subject matter dealt with will usually fall within the normal range of subjects covered by the Liberal Arts programme and be related to one or more of the issues raised on the co-requisite module LIB7001 Incorrigibly Plural and/or other Liberal Arts modules. The dissertation must be interdisciplinary in its genesis and execution.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire a greater understanding of their chosen topic. They will also be able to devise and carry through to fruition an appropriate and practicable project. In doing so they will develop their ability to work independently, to plan a suitable work schedule, to respond positively to constructive criticism and advice. By the end of the module a student will:
(i) have a developed critical understanding of an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary area of study arising out of their work on the programme up to this point;
(ii) have developed the skills needed to conduct an independent line of research;
(iii) be able to write a cogent, well-illustrated dissertation, which displays originality of consistent thinking and application of ideas, concepts and theories;
(iv) demonstrate advanced engagement with a chosen subject;
(v) advanced skills of setting and solving research questions.
Skills
(i) skills in devising and researching an area of study appropriate to Stage 4 Liberal Arts subjects;
(ii) enhanced writing skills;
(iii) enhanced skills relevant to the area of study, e.g. increased ability to understand, analyse and contextualise texts from particular periods or places;
(iv) increased ability to deploy theoretical concepts and frameworks relevant to the area of study;
(v) increased ability to make links between subjects of study and develop interdisciplinarity more critically.
“World is crazier and more of it than we think,
Incorrigibly plural” (Louis MacNeice, from ‘Snow’).
With a nod to local contexts (Louis MacNeice in particular) and building on the diverse range of experiences of the student cohort, especially after their study abroad or placement, this module emphasises pluralism as a guiding principle of academic debate and social engagement. Co-requisite with the Liberal Arts dissertation module (LIB7002) this module concludes with a mini-conference or showcase event at which the students each present an aspect of their Liberal Arts experience or their dissertation topic.
Among the issues the students will examine will include the importance of diversity, disciplinary flexibility, vocational training; the interplay of research and teaching at the tertiary level, the role of the University, and the necessity of arts and humanities subjects in forming, knowing and reforming our world.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module student will:
(i) have an in-depth awareness of issues of plurality and diversity within the arts and humanities;
(ii) be able to contextualise their studies to date within a pedagogical framework defined by and dedicated to plurality;
(iii) understand how their learning to date, and their semester/year abroad, combine in diverse and multiple ways;
(iv) provide peer support and constructive feedback through group work and the concluding mini-conference;
(v) recognise and demonstrate the relations between cognate disciplines in the arts and humanities and their contribution to diversity in society.
Skills
(i) enhanced group and teamwork skills based on open and supportive communication and the ability to provide constructive peer feedback;
(ii) oral and presentational skills;
(iii) flexibility of thinking across disciplines and the ability to move between theoretical and practical applications of the module content;
(iv) ability to self-reflect on the learning process;
(v) demonstrable understanding of the relation between a student’s degree pathway and the concerns of the module and the Liberal Arts programme more broadly;
(vi) advanced ability to construct and present an appropriate and relevant case study.
This module will introduce students to some of the latest research in critical geopolitics exploring the spatial dynamics operating within the frameworks of politics. Through a range of historical and contemporary case studies it will incorporate perspectives on state, sub-state and super-state structures and actors, and critically engage with key geopolitical concepts such as the nation, the state, sovereignty, government, identity and belonging. These case studies will allow the exploration of topics such as empire and spaces of postcolonial encounter, gender, identity and space, knowledge and representation. It will incorporate themes such as the political power of imperial mapping, the politics of gender in geopolitical conflicts, or discourses of territory and bordering in post-imperial spaces, to name just a few, to understand the interplay between space, power and politics. Challenging traditional definitions of power and the political, as well as spatial presuppositions, it will explore the working of power ranging from violence, control and domination, to productive and soft power and influence operating at a range of different scales on the communal, regional, national and global levels. Students will therefore engage critically with the intersections of theory and practice; domestic and international; and state and non-state actors; through a broad range of case studies, and be able to understand contemporary transformations in the changing geopolitical landscape.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have attained:
- An advanced knowledge of contemporary critical approaches to geopolitics and power;
- An ability to critically evaluate a range of relevant theoretical approaches and analytical techniques;
- Experience in the processes of advanced academic writing, including the formulation of critical arguments and the ability to accurately summarise academic work
Skills
On successful completion, students will have acquired skills including (T taught, P practiced, A assessed):
Subject specific:
1) To identify and appreciate the key conceptual approaches used in the study of critical geopolitics (T; P; A);
2) To identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject- specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (T; P; A);
4) To think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A)
Cognitive:
1) Managing & prioritising knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge (T; P; A);
2) Analytical thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject- specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (P; A);
3) Critical and independent thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A);
4) Abstract and synthesise information from a range of different geographical sources (T; P; A)
Transferable:
1) To think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument. (P; A);
2) Written and oral communication (P, A);
3) To reflect on one’s own progress (P);
4) To negotiate diverse and competing pressures (P);
5) To use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments (P; A)
The aim of this module is to introduce students to the central theoretical frameworks and conceptual debates underpinning the study of political geography. Drawing from literature in critical geopolitics and human geography more generally, this module will identify and critically reflect on some of the questions that are informing current research in global politics and have shaped today’s research agendas. Both approaches from the social sciences and the humanities will be discussed and the epistemological and ontological status of particular approaches reviewed. Topics that will be addressed in the module include: states, nations and landscapes; spatiality of knowledge and power; new mobilities; urban political geography and vertical geographies. Taking the form of weekly seminars each session will include the discussion of a key conceptual text and a paper exemplifying the use of a particular approach to a specific empirical question. The module will seek to provide an overview of ‘grounded’ theory, and will provide a background for the completion of a literature review for the dissertation component of the degree programme.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have attained:
- an advanced knowledge of social science and humanities conceptual frameworks for tackling current research questions in geopolitics;
- an ability to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a range of relevant theoretical approaches and analytical techniques;
- an ability to identify suitable conceptual literature to underpin the research in their chosen dissertation topic;
- experience in the processes of writing a literature review and preparing an annotated bibliography that will act as a backdrop to their dissertation proposal.
Skills
On successful completion, students will have acquired skills including (T taught, P practiced, A assessed).
Subject specific:
1) To identify and appreciate the key conceptual approaches used in the study of global politics (T; P; A);
2) To evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of different theoretical approaches to different fields of enquiry in global politics (T; P; A);
3) To identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (T; P; A);
4) To think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A)
Cognitive skills:
1) Managing & prioritising knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge (T; P; A);
2) Analytical thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (P; A);
3) Critical and independent thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A);
4) To abstract and synthesise information from a range of different geographical sources (T; P; A)
5) To develop a research literature search (T; P; A)
Transferable skills:
1) To think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument. (P; A);
2) Written and oral communication (P, A);
3) To reflect on one’s own progress (P);
4) To negotiate diverse and competing pressures (P);
5) To use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments (P; A)
‘There are no peoples however primitive without religion and magic. Nor are there, it must be added at once, any savage races lacking either in the scientific attitude or in science’ (B. Malinowski, 1926, 79). The difference between what is deemed magic and what is deemed religious or scientific must be related to the culture within which each were produced, and to the social and historical contexts within which each developed. Many of the distinctions modern scholars make in defining magic and religion or magic and science did not appear as distinctions in the early medieval worldview, such as supernatural versus natural, faith versus reason and magic versus scientia. This course will consider how these systems of thought interacted with each other in the Anglo-Saxon period under the influence of Christianity, by focusing on a range of magical, philosophical, theological and scientific texts. Did Christianity, with its other-worldliness and its emphasis on Biblical authority, stifle interest in the natural world, as the old stereotype maintains? The module will begin with an introduction to Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse manuscripts (palaeography and codicology) and their material context. It will then explore the Anglo-Saxons’ concerns with time, healing, miracles, prophecy, geography, natural philosophy, celestial portents and magical rituals, as exemplified in different texts and genres including hagiography, exegesis, homilies, law-codes, scientific manuals, charms, medical remedies, prognostications, poetry and riddles. This course will allow students to study a fascinatingly rich and often overlooked body of texts.
Modern English translations will be provided for all the texts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course students should be able to:
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of the interplay between magic, science and religion in the early medieval period;
• Show a familiarity with the Anglo-Saxons attitude towards medicine, astronomy, prognostication, miracles and the natural world;
• Be familiar with a range of early medieval texts, genres and cultural concepts;
• Demonstrate the ability to engage with both contemporary critical concepts and their applicability to Anglo-Saxon texts;
• Show evidence of independent research and study skills;
Skills
This module will enable students to:
• Rethink and challenge the modern distinctions of magic, science and religion;
• Develop an informed sense of the complexity of the intellectual and historical concepts of religion, magic and science in the early medieval period;
• Acquire an understanding of various Anglo-Saxon literary texts and genres in relation to their cultural context and audience;
• Apply independent thought and academic research skills.
This module will introduce students to some of the latest research in critical geopolitics, that understands geopolitics as embedded into the rituals, practices and representations of everyday life and culture, affect and non-representational political geography. The module additionally covers subjects such as the geopolitical aspects to religion, the environment, literature, art and popular culture and new media. It will expose how central questions in political geography, such as borders and migration, global power structures, conflict and security, are reflected in, and are shaped by, local, national and cross-national cultures. Topics covered will include geopolitical interpretations of different types of media, including books and films, news reports, comics, games, and social networking sites, while exploring a range of contemporary case studies. The module will also examine work which considers the significance of audiences in the establishment of contemporary geopolitical discourse. Through this explorations students will learn how the geopolitical shapes our experiences of structures of power through language, visual imagery and affect, and to critically engage with the geopolitics of the everyday and of cultural production and consumption.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have attained:
- An advanced knowledge of contemporary critical approaches to geopolitics and culture;
- An ability to critically evaluate a range of relevant theoretical approaches and analytical techniques;
- Experience in the processes of advanced academic writing, including the formulation of critical arguments and the ability to accurately summarise academic work
Skills
On successful completion, students will have acquired skills including (T taught, P practiced, A assessed):
Subject specific:
1) To identify and appreciate the key conceptual approaches used in the study of critical geopolitics (T; P; A);
2) To identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject- specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (T; P; A);
4) To think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A)
Cognitive:
1) Managing & prioritising knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge (T; P; A);
2) Analytical thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject- specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments (P; A);
3) Critical and independent thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field (P; A);
4) Abstract and synthesise information from a range of different geographical sources (T; P; A)
Transferable:
1) To think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument. (P; A);
2) Written and oral communication (P, A);
3) To reflect on one’s own progress (P);
4) To negotiate diverse and competing pressures (P);
5) To use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments (P; A)
Kingship and Colonisation in Medieval Ireland: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Overview
This is an interdisciplinary Irish Studies module introducing students to the study of kingship and colonisation in Medieval Ireland through the perspectives and methodologies of History, Archaeology and Literature. The module will encourage students to consider how each of the disciplines contributes to the generation of knowledge and scholarly debate about Irish kingship and colonisation on the island, and how each disciplinary approach can enhance a holistic approach to the past. The teaching weeks will be divided between the three disciplines.
The course will focus on the period between 700-1350 and so trace important changes in Irish kingship over time and in response to the incursions of the Vikings and later the Anglo-Normans.
Using historical materials and approaches, students will examine the innovations of Irish kings in the military, ecclesiastical and administrative spheres and the increasing power of several dynasties of provincial kings following the rise of Brian Boru. The impact on Irish kingship of the Viking presence in Ireland and particularly Hiberno-Norse port towns like Dublin will be considered as will the impact of the wider reaching programme of colonisation and urbanisation by the Anglo-Normans in the later 12th century.
Students will be introduced to the literature of medieval Ireland as well as theoretical concepts and methodological approaches for analysing this material. Using these approaches they will discuss what these sources can tell us about the ideological underpinnings of Irish kingship. These sources will also be used to discuss the Irish understanding of colonisation and how Irish learned elites made sense of the island’s history.
Landscapes of kingship and specific royal sites – including royal residences, defensive structures and ceremonial sites like those used for inaugurations – will be discussed and students will be encouraged to think about the ways in which Irish kings modified and used the landscape to preserve, extend and project their power.
This module will be available as an option to students on MA Irish Studies, MA History and the Arts and Humanities MRes (AEL) programme.
Learning Outcomes
1. familiarity with the major themes and debates about kingship and colonisation in medieval Ireland
2. a critical appreciation of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature relating to these themes
3. an understanding of how the different disciplines in the module approach Ireland’s medieval past using different kinds of evidence and approaches
4. The ability to write an informed analysis of the problems discussed in the module
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have developed the following skills:
An ability to assess and extract information from relevant sources
An ability to develop and present a sustained argument addressing interdisciplinary themes
An ability to relate larger themes and debates in Irish Studies to the case study of kingship and colonisation in medieval Ireland
An ability to effectively organise and communicate findings using written formats
This module offers students the opportunity to address core issues in Politics via the comparative study of federations and regionalised and devolved states. Across Europe and beyond, territorial reforms have transformed the shape, governance, and politics of the traditional nation-states that dominated the post-war era. These changes have often, though not always, been the result of increasing demands for territorial autonomy and increases in regional identity among voters.
Comparative Territorial Politics explores this territorial challenge across a range of topics, including multi-level governance, nationalism and constitutional politics, political parties and elections across levels, territorial finance, and multi-level policy challenges.
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the meaning of different forms of territorial governance, especially devolution, federalism, multi-level governance, as well as of concepts such as regionalism and nationalism.
2. Critically assess theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses on the development of regionalism and multi-level government in a comparative perspective.
3. Place Northern Ireland devolution in a comparative perspective by drawing comparisons with devolution across the UK and with other forms of territorial government in other multi-level and multi-national states.
4. Understand the multi-level dynamics that shape politics and policy in at the sub-state level
5. Effectively apply the comparative method
6. Develop research and analytical skills that facilitate independent learning
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Misinformation, image and sound manipulation and “post-truth” discourses all pose increasingly significant threats to the status of fact and factual media and the democratic culture it underpins in Western societies.
The development of these practices have bred deep suspicion and a burgeoning rejection of the observational mode of storytelling, a staple of conventional audio and audio-visual factual media.
This module is intended to do two things:
1) Study the rise and development of misinformation, image and sound manipulation and “post-truth” discourses and act as an essential primer on these developments for students entering the contemporary broadcast industry
2) Study various creative responses – primarily hybrid story forms – that can serve as antidotes to the above threats by bolstering the factual thrust of projects they are working on
This module is intended as an equally balanced hybrid of theory and practice, which enables students to build on and interrogate broadcast skills they know well through either media practice or media consumption Students will engage with theory in the following area: documentary studies, postmodernism semiotics, post-structuralism, post-truth discourse, narratology and genre experimentation, among others.
They will be exposed to examples of audio and audio-visual work which exemplifies creative responses to misinformation, notably hybrid forms where fiction (or fictive strategies) is commandeered in the service of strengthening of the veracity of factual information for audiences living in our “post-truth” era.
Students will have the opportunity to develop and apply some of these strategies in their own factual broadcast practical work on the module. They will also have the opportunity, through written work, to demonstrate their ability to critically analyse concepts covered during the course of the module.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
Identify, understand and critique misinformation, image and sound manipulation, and “post-truth” discourse and techniques; their effect on factual media and society; and the larger societal stakes that surround its emergence.
Analyse media texts in relation to their attributes that are clearly fact-based and those which are fiction-based.
Analyse fiction-based attributes embedded within larger factual outputs and discern if specific fiction-based attributes are beneficial or detrimental to the veracity of the output and, by extension, in the public interest.
Create a hybrid output that draws on learning from the module
Skills
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
Develop and activate both academic and practical skills
Acquire, deepen and implement media literacy, particularly with regards to fact, fiction, misinformation and dissimulation
Develop and activate core academic skills such as research, analysis and communication through class work, independent research and assessed work
Develop and activate core practice-based skills such as: devising and producing creative hybrids that strengthen the factual thrust of a project Advance their academic research skills
This module introduces the production of interactive and non-linear forms of new media as emergent alternatives to traditional linear forms of media.
New media is explored through both a practical exploration of interactive formats; and by considering critical debates around aesthetics, power, force, significance and form in a series of new media texts, artefacts and systems.
The module situates practices in an environment that is ceaselessly evolving and explores new technologies such as virtual reality, immersive media and interactive documentary for web/mobile devices.
This module offers a practical introduction to software authoring tools and an exploration of disruptive new technologies as they emerge.
Learning Outcomes
1. Critical awareness of digital media systems as innovative cultural forms and contemporary debates around technology and culture
2. Understanding of new media aesthetics, use, medium theory and form through practice
3. Engagement with non-linear storytelling devices
4. Awareness of emerging tools and platforms for creation of interactive content
5. Applied experience and engagement through practice in the production of interactive media projects.
Skills
The module will equip students with the necessary production skills and theoretical frameworks to explore and deliver projects that move away from linear production processes. This grounding will provide students with basic authoring skills, will give them the capacity to develop their skills further through individual study, and will also equip them to think critically about the forms and contents of contemporary media systems that originate online and reside naively on the web.
This module develops the skills needed for students to produce a character-focussed, narrative-driven, industry-standard documentary or series of mini-documentaries suitable for broadcast. The work will draw on documentary and story theory to incorporate narration, interviews, natural sound, sequence and scene building, and sound design. The module takes students through the production process from the initial idea to pitch to project design, material gathering, scripting, editing and final export. Media ethics and regulation is a core part of documentary practice as it is learned on this module. Keen attention is given to various administrative processes associated with documentary production. The module also examines the history of the documentary form and analyses various evolutions and developments in the form.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
Understand the nature of long form, documentary storytelling
Turn an idea into an effective piece longer form narrative storytelling that adheres to broadcast documentary conventions
Record and edit a documentary that adheres to current broadcast documentary conventions
Write, communicate and edit in a team environment
Understand and adhere to the ethical and regulatory frameworks circumscribing factual broadcasting
Skills
This module will help develop the following skills:
Story ideation
Project Pitching
Teamwork on media projects
Longer form broadcast storytelling
Broadcast writing
Story structuring
Audio and/or video editing conventions
This module covers an array of fiction that engages with African and European religious traditions and the complex historical and contemporary encounters between them. The module is oriented to the postcolonial period, beginning with literature published in and around decolonisation and continuing to the present. Ranging widely in geography, it addresses writers from across sub-Saharan Africa, such as Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania. Areas for discussion include representations of traditional cultures and religious practice; reassessments of the European missionary enterprise; appropriations and rewritings of biblical narratives; engagements with African initiated churches and African Islam; and explorations of African religious modernities. In addition to its specialist focus, the module will also develop students’ understanding of postcolonial theory and major debates in African literary studies.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will have analysed a range of postcolonial African fiction that engage with religious practices and interreligious encounter. They will have gained an understanding of the complexity of the concept “religion” and developed a critical vocabulary for its study. Students will have developed a familiarity with postcolonial theory and an ability to engage in theoretically informed close readings of sub-Saharan African Anglophone texts. They will be able to demonstrate a knowledge of key debates in African literary studies and an awareness of the literary, cultural and wider historical contexts relevant to the field.
Skills
In this module, students will gain a range of subject specific and transferrable skills. Students will:
- develop their understanding of African and postcolonial literary studies
- refine their skills in textual analysis
- enhance their skills in assessing secondary scholarship and popular sources
- develop their ability to engage in independent research projects
- improve their skills in academic writing and argumentation
- hone their skills in group discussion and oral presentation
This module will explore the development of anthropological approaches to conflict, examining what social and cultural anthropologists have added to our knowledge of conflict. It will particularly examine issues of group identity and cohesion in relations to conflict. Examining theories of ethnicity and nationalism it will examine power and hegemony of the state. In relation to this there will be a focus upon aspects of remembering and social memory, on the use of rituals and symbols and of the way acts of violence are legitimised or delegitimised. The course will look at examples from Irish case studies but work on a comparative basis.
Learning Outcomes
This module will introduce students to the history and the key theoretical debates within the field of ethnomusicology. On completion of this module students will have:
* to develop a broad understanding of theories of group conflict
* to develop a broad understanding of mechanisms of group cohesion and conflict
* to explore the use of the concepts of identity, ethnicity, culture, community, border, symbol, ritual and tradition.
* to apply theories of identity politics to understanding nationalism and ethnicity
* to examine the legitimacy of violence and critically explore the notion of ‘terrorism’.
* To examine lessons from the Irish/British context and compare.
* to increase competency in research and the writing of academic papers
Skills
The course is designed to develop both subject-specific and transferable skills. These include:
* Advanced skills in understanding, evaluating and expressing anthropological arguments, especially concerning the relationship between theory and ethnography;
* Enhanced skills in group work (through seminars), in note taking, in presentation and in written argument;
* Library research skills;
* Critical reading;
* Advanced writing and oral presentation skills.
This module will provide students with the background knowledge and skills needed to engage with some of the current issues in prehistoric archaeology. The main focus will be on European prehistory, but students are encouraged to draw on relevant techniques, approaches or theoretical perspectives from elsewhere in the world. The module is also designed to help students preparing their research in prehistoric archaeology for publication in peer review journals.
Students will consider a series of major themes that encompass a range of issues and debates with which archaeologists frequently have to grapple in their interpretation of the prehistoric past. A common theme throughout the module will be one of continuity versus change: how, why and when did cultures change; did cultures necessarily perceive the change as we do today; did death present an opportunity to express links with, or severance from, the past, the present, the future; how does the present influence our perception of past change? Different theoretical models and analytical approaches will be tested and critiqued in relation to specific issues in prehistoric archaeology. The subjects will be explored through a series of lectures and student-led seminars.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• demonstrate understanding of a wide range of different theoretical perspectives and analytical approaches to problem solving in prehistoric archaeology
• demonstrate a critical appreciation of some of the major themes and issues in prehistoric archaeology
Skills
• Ability critically to assess and analyse current approaches in prehistoric archaeology
• Ability to integrate different forms of archaeological evidence at a variety of scales.
• Ability to formulate research-led strategies for addressing emergent areas of prehistoric archaeology
• Aptitude in preparing research publications suitable for submission to peer reviewed academic journals
• Time and project management
• Oral communication and presentation skills
• IT skills in data analysis and presentation
This module introduces students to the skills required to produce broadcast material. Using practical sessions, it teaches industry standard broadcast gathering skills. Students will learn the technological skills needed to operate digital recorders and edit sound, as well as the practical skills required to carry out effective interviews and perform pieces to camera. The module also covers the ethical frameworks around producing and broadcasting broadcast material and relates that to the UK regulatory framework. Throughout the module the students will gain an understanding of how the process of newsgathering impacts on broadcast outputs. The module also utilises BBC staff and facilities, giving students a valuable insight into the industry.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should have acquired and be able to demonstrate:
• A solid understanding of the production process of making a piece of broadcast
• A solid understanding of the skills required to carry out an effective digital recording.
• Strong story ideation and pitching skills
Development of specific writing skills for broadcast.
• Development of editing conventions and aesthetics for broadcast
• Development of interview skills
Skills
This module will develop the specific skill in written and oral communication and presentation needed for broadcast. Students will develop skills in identifying story ideas for possible production and in planning and completing reporting project(s).
This module will equip students with a level of field competence in archaeology beyond the basic recognition and recording of archaeological features, with a particular emphasis on field project management and team supervision.
Students will be required to manage group tasks and oversee the work of a small team at trench supervisor level, demonstrating good archaeological practice to less experienced team members and ensure that they are applying good archaeological practice.
A limited number of places are available on this module, Admission to the module is through a formal application process modelled on that used in private-sector professional archaeology.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• formulate a site-specific fieldwork strategy, demonstrating an understanding of the processes involved in planning and conducting an archaeological field project
• critically reflect on the methodology chosen to put such a strategy into practice
• generate a report that interprets and summarises excavation data and reflects on own management and supervision performance
Skills
• Project planning
• Project management
• Team supervision
• Report writing
• Professional integrity
• Oral and written communication skills
• Time management
This module provide students with an opportunity to gain professional experience in the heritage sector through a part-time workplace internship. Over the course of the academic year, students will undertake a 24-week internship (or a number of shorter, consecutive internships of similar overall duration) of, on average, two working days per week at an institution, body or business in the heritage sector, e.g. with a museum or with a commercial-sector archaeological company.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate an ability to adapt to a workplace environment
• Develop an awareness and understanding of the structures, policies, procedures and ethos of a business, institution or organization
• Articulate skills developed to maximise future career prospects
• Learn independently in unfamiliar situations with open-mindedness and a spirit of critical enquiry
• Work in a team and understand professional responsibilities
• Apply acquired skills in a practical workplace environment
Skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Ability to work a part of a team
• Capacity to critically reflect on experiential learning
• Assume responsibility within a workplace environment
• Greater level of confidence and self-awareness
• Development of networking and communication skills
• Professionalism within the workplace
• Time management
The majority of films have a literary source. They are not ‘original’ texts, but ‘adaptations’ – rewritings and re-imaginings of another kind of literary source. This module takes the literary text in all of its generic forms – the novel, drama, short story, genre fiction, YA fiction, biography, memoir and autobiography – and theorises the ways in which it has been adapted for cinema and television. The module begins by examining three ‘shared texts’ – Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1599-1601), variously adapted on film by Laurence Olivier, Franco Zeffirelli, Kenneth Branagh and Michael Almereyda, Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave (1853), made into the 2013 film (dir. Steve McQueen), and Sally Rooney’s Normal People (2018), adapted into a ten-part BBC series (2020). We will discuss the politics and aesthetics of adaptation and the multiplicity of ways in which works of art interact and find a new cultural relevance. Beyond our three ‘shared texts’, this module is shaped by PGT interests. Students choose what we discuss in class according to the kinds of adaptations that most appeal to their interests. For example, students might choose to examine other canonical texts (such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice [1813] or Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women [1868]), other historical/autobiographical texts (such as Lynn Barber’s An Education [2009] or Thomas Keneally’s Schindler’s Ark [1983]) or other contemporary novels (such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale [1985] or Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting [1996]) which have been adapted in film or television. Alternatively, students might choose to focus on the ways in which a particular period, genre or author is adapted, how issues of nation and nationality feed into the transition from text to screen, or the place of race, class, age or sexuality in the adaptive encounter. The possibilities are endless – this is a module designed to follow student interests, not the other way around. As such, this module allows PGTs to utilise their own examples in order to think about intertextuality and the relationship between the page and the screen. Adapting the Literary Text provides opportunities for original research and supports the experience of sharing of knowledge and resources between MLS colleagues.
Learning Outcomes
A detailed knowledge of the processes of adaptation and its central place in film and television today.
A greater knowledge of the afterlives of texts and the ways in which they are made relevant to new audiences across time and cultures.
A detailed understanding of particular adaptive texts and the ways in which particular examples transfer to the screen.
A detailed understanding of adaptation theory and methodological approaches to the adapted text.
Skills
Enhanced skills in reading adaptation and in close reading of literary texts, film and television.
Enhanced skills in understanding the adaptive process and the ways in which literary texts are imagined for new audiences.
This module explores narrative engagements with slavery during the ‘long’ eighteenth century and the twenty-first century, with a particular focus on Britain’s involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. The ‘triangular’ trade reached its commercial height during the eighteenth century, with much of the nation’s new wealth deriving from the plantations in its West Indian colonies. At the same time, the period also saw the emergence of political movements that would issue, in the early nineteenth century, in the abolition of the slave trade and, in the British territories, the ending of slavery itself. In this module, we examine how various writers have sought to understand and represent the world of Atlantic slavery. Our texts will comprise fictional and autobiographical works from the period of slavery itself and recent examples of historical fiction which re-imagine the trauma of enslavement and the brutalities of plantation labour. It was during the second half of the eighteenth century that English-language texts by black writers were first written and published. Along with novels from the period, we will examine the slave narratives of Olaudah Equiano and Mary Prince, which recount the ordeal of slavery and endeavour to fashion new forms of personal, cultural, and national identity. In recent years, novelists have re-engaged with Britain’s history of slave trading and ownership to reflect upon and publicise this important chapter in the nation’s past and its continuing legacy in British society. By examining a series of paired narratives, the module will consider the relationships between representation and reality, genre and knowledge; portrayals of enslavement, colonial culture, and slave labour; the possibilities for resistance, rebellion, and liberation; and the movements towards abolition and emancipation. By exploring a variety of texts from the ‘long’ eighteenth century and the twenty-first century, we will also address the aims and motivations of narratives about slavery during the two periods: the sometimes conflicting claims of education and entertainment, personal testimony and political activism, documentary realism and imaginative reconstruction.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed higher-level knowledge and understanding of narrative representations of slavery within two time periods: the ‘long’ eighteenth century and the twenty-first century. They will be able to identify and articulate the key critical and theoretical issues surrounding this body of writing, such as the relationships between narrative and history, fiction and fact; the competing claims of instruction and entertainment, witnessing and activism; and the particular historical and thematic issues highlighted in individual texts, such as gendered experiences of slavery and the scope for slave resistance. They will be equipped to determine the role of genre in the portrayal of slavery and the significance of a specific narrative form that first emerged during the eighteenth century: the autobiographical slave narrative. They will have developed a broad understanding of Britain’s role in the Atlantic slave trade, abolition and emancipation, and of current debates about slavery’s continuing influence on national identity and social relations in Britain. On completion of the module, students will possess greater awareness and understanding of the narrative literature concerning slavery during the period of British slave-trading and ownership, and the re-imagining of that world in the twenty-first-century novel.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding of authorial representations of Atlantic slavery during the ‘long’ eighteenth century and the twenty-first century
• Analyse narratives of slavery in terms of time-period, genre, aims and techniques
• Demonstrate understanding of British involvement in the history of Atlantic slavery and the movements towards abolition and emancipation
• Analyse narratives about British Atlantic slavery with regard to particular historical and thematic issues, such as enslavement and plantation labour, slave rebellion, female experience, and ‘global’ mobility
• Show awareness of current debates about slavery’s continuing legacy in Britain.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of group discussion, written communication, and individual research
This module will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to Decadence, a literary movement that flourished in the late nineteenth century in France and Britain, and was a vital influence on the development of twentieth century literature. Decadent literature emerged as a challenge to conventional morality and literary value; conservative commentators bemoaned what they perceived to be the decadence of their contemporary culture. Decadent writers embraced this pejorative label, developing art that revelled in decay, the grotesque, the morbid, the erotic, the artificial, the excessive. Beginning with the French Decadence of the Second Empire and moving through into British aestheticism, classic writers of the fin de siècle like Wilde, the adoption of decadent tropes in popular fiction, the emergence of modernism, and the development of American Decadence in the Jazz-Age this module will introduce students to a range of both canonical and forgotten texts. Students will cover Decadence in its myriad forms, from essays to short stories, novels, plays, short poems, and periodicals. Student should expect to explore such issues as: the linguistic idea of decadence; Hellenism; impressionist and symbolist poetry; Decadent Gothic; Decadence and Philosophy; Decadent periodicals; Decadence in America; Decadence and Science; Decadent temporality; The New Woman; Camp Decadence; deviant sexualities; Decadence and Modernism.
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of this module students should be able to:
*understand the concept of ‘decadence’ in broad historical and philosophical terms
*identify the components of literary Decadence as they pertain to British, American, and French literature from 1860-1940
*analyse stylistic feature of Decadent literature
*apply a range of methodological frameworks to Decadent literature
*develop sophisticated, independent research practices.
Skills
• Analyse Decadent literature in both a historical and critical context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex relationship between formal literary innovation and social transformations.
• Examine the relationship between elite cultural forms and popular genre fiction (Gothic, Science Fiction).
• Explore how literary texts challenged, and conformed to, dominant understandings of race, gender, and class.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
A Space for Radical Openness? Writing the Margins in Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature
Overview
In her essay “Choosing the Margin as a space of Radical Openness”, bell hooks argues that the margin is, rather than simply a site of disempowerment, a “space of radical openness … a profound edge”, a “place of resistance … for oppressed, exploited, colonized people”. For her, conventional assumptions that the marginalised require correction or reform risk “co-opt[ing] or undermin[ing]” counter-hegemonic perspectives; the margin ought not to be viewed as a position “to give up or surrender as part of moving into the centre—but rather … a site one stays in, clings to even, because it nourishes one’s capacity to resist”. This module explores a range of marginalised perspectives—those of women, the precariat, immigrants, the working class, criminals, those condemned as ‘immoral’, those marginalised because of their sexuality, ethnicity or skin colour—across a diverse range of drama and fiction depicting twentieth-century British and Irish life.
Learning Outcomes
Students taking this module will increase their knowledge of writing from and representations of marginalised groups in British and Irish society, including those marginalised because of their sexuality, gender, religion, class and race. They will gain a strong understanding of the difficulties facing these groups and the narrative and aesthetic strategies they use to challenge inequality and othering. Those on the course will also gain understandings of more theoretical approaches to these issues and how those perspectives can be applied to the core texts.
Skills
In this module, students will gain a range of subject specific and transferable skills. Students will:
• develop their understanding of intersectionality in literary studies, including how class, race and gender oppression's are represented and challenged by a range of renowned writers
• refine their skills in textual analysis
• enhance their skills in assessing secondary scholarship and popular sources
• develop their ability to engage in independent research projects
• improve their skills in academic writing and argumentation
• hone their skills in group discussion and oral presentation
• develop their knowledge of British and Irish societies and cultures over the course of the twentieth century
Via film, performance and translation, Shakespeare has a long history in Asia. This module explores how Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted in Asian cultures and contexts. The module allows students to study the texts of the original plays as well as the various forms in which they have been reimagined. Hence, we concentrate on the texts of Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet while, at the same time, studying their film and theatre adaptations/equivalents. We will be working, in particular, with some excellent online resources, including the MIT Global Shakespeares (Video and Performance Archive) website, which features hundreds of Shakespeare productions from around the world. Other parts of the module cover film adaptations of the plays from China, Japan, India and Singapore. This is a module designed not only to introduce an important area of Shakespeare and adaptation studies but also to stimulate you to explore further. The presentations are designed to encourage you to find examples outside of the module and to reflect upon them in class. Shakespeare and Asia provides you with new knowledges of global Shakespeares, hones your writing and presentation skills, introduces you to theories and methodologies, develops your skills in reading and interpreting film and performance and enables you to understand the complex dynamics of postcolonial history.
Learning Outcomes
New knowledges of global Shakespeares.
A knowledge of how key Shakespearean texts are adapted in Asian cultures and contexts.
Acquisition of theories and methodologies relevant to Shakespeare and literary studies.
An understanding of the ways in which texts are reimagined in performance and on screen.
An understanding of the complex dynamics of postcolonial history.
Skills
The development of skills in the reading of literary texts.
The development of skills in interpreting film and performance.
The honing of your writing and presentation skills.
This module provides a thorough grounding in the concepts and practices on which current work in phonetics and phonology is built, and it provides students with a critical perspective on dominant trends in the discipline. It shows students how theoretical and applied strands in accounts of speech variation can complement one another in order to produce a comprehensive profile of the particular variety of speech under investigation. The module begins by introducing core concepts in phonetics and phonology, and moves on to apply phonetic and phonological analytic methods to speech samples chosen by students, beginning with a transcription task. Once students have completed a transcription and identified key features therein, the module invites them to select a range of journal articles and existing research sources which deal with the feature(s) in question, and provide a written critical review of the articles they have chosen. The module is assessed by means of (i) performance in the transcription task, (ii) performance in the mini-conference in which students provide an overview of the key phonological elements of their transcribed sample, and (iii) the critical review task.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to understand the distinctiveness and the complementary nature of phonetics and phonology. They will have acquired advanced knowledge of both areas, and they will understand how each discipline has developed, by means of engagement with existing practice, scholarship and research. By selecting data for and transcribing a speech sample, they will acquire skills in phonetic transcription and in accounting for speech variation using an appropriate range of phonological models. Students will also gain an advanced understanding of the role of techniques and research methods used in the analysis of data. By participation in the transcription task, students will develop their ability to negotiate and collaborate in the delivery of a common goal; and, by selecting contextual readings which address key variables in the transcription, individual students will acquire and exercise skills in mapping their experience in the subject onto broader disciplinary frameworks.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Recognise differences and complementarities in phonetic and phonological approaches to data; transcribe speech data; describe and explain formal and functional aspects of speech with regard to segmental and prosodic features; select relevant analytic tools, including digital methods for investigating acoustic phenomena.
This module introduces students to various ways of approaching Discourse Analysis, a broad sub-discipline of Linguistics which understands language as socially and culturally situated and therefore studies it in contexts of use. It explores key principles in Discourse Analysis which equip the analyst to appreciate context and society in discourse production and reception. It integrates approaches from other sub-disciplines of linguistics which can be employed in Discourse Analysis, such as Pragmatics, Conversation Analysis and Sociolinguistics. Students are equipped with different methods of collecting and analysing discourse in spoken, written and digital contexts. The module teaches students to understand and interpret the findings of Discourse Analysis in light of contextual, cultural and societal factors.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to articulate a range of approaches to the theory and practice of Discourse Analysis. Students will be able to adopt a suitable approach to a given discourse context and research question, and have an understanding of research design and methods in Discourse Analysis.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Define discourse and discourse analysis; evaluate and apply the role of each in understanding to social and linguistic variables.
Research Methods 1: Research Design in Linguistics
Overview
This research preparation module focuses on core research design issues in linguistics (particularly the formulation of research questions and the collection of data). Students are trained to identify gaps in linguistic knowledge, to formulate sound discipline-specific research questions, and to explore the diverse linguistic approaches which might fruitfully be applied to these questions. They will be introduced to practical issues in data collection, considering, for example, the medium, size and representativeness of data samples, and the ethical considerations involved in collecting data from different sources. The module will lead into the more analytically focused research methods module in Semester 2 and will lay the groundwork for the dissertation module in Semester 3.
The module begins with an audit of students’ exposure to linguistic sub-fields, and of their skills and interests. Weekly readings of published studies allow students to compare different theoretical and sub-disciplinary approaches to a similar topic. Class discussion centres on an evaluation of the merits of different approaches for the studies’ stated aims and on the data-collection processes suggested by those approaches.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Formulate and defend well-informed and discipline-specific research questions
• Design an appropriate dataset to respond to a linguistic research question
• Address the ethical and practical implications of their research design choices
Skills
The module equips students to:
Read case studies and abstracts for theoretical and quantitative or qualitative analytical approaches to similar language questions: identify research gaps, formulate discipline-specific research questions (drawing for example on studies in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, phonetics and phonology, corpus linguistics, syntax, depending on the needs and interests of the group); read case studies for methodological approach: select data, evaluate fit; evaluate ethical and practical issues in linguistic research design.
This module addresses habit as an issue in the philosophy of mind, psychology and the neurosciences. It takes a historical approach by examining different philosophies of habit in 18th-century Scottish philosophy (principally in the work of Hume and Reid) and 19th-century French philosophy (principally in the work of Ravaisson and Bergson). Students will then engage with accounts of habit in the contemporary neurosciences and with phenomenological approaches (principally in the work of Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur). The module will show how conceptions of habit involve different conceptions of what it is to be embodied and, ultimately, different philosophies of nature in general. The module will also address the impact of different conceptions of habit for our understanding of the nature of the particular form of habit that is addiction, which is a pressing contemporary social problem.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will:
• Understand multiple interpretations and applications of the concept of habit in philosophy, psychology and the neurosciences
• Be able to critically discuss the proper relationship between philosophy and empirical science
• Be familiar with contemporary debates concerning the nature of human embodiment as well as with the historical origins of these debates
• Be familiar with competing positions in contemporary addiction theory
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
Research Methods 2: Skills in Linguistic Research and Data Analysis
Overview
This second research preparation module builds on the core semester 1 module on Research Design by providing students with the knowledge and skills to select and apply data analysis methods. Following the stages of the research process from the organisation of data (into, for example, a corpus or database) to annotation and analysis, it exposes students to a range of linguistic data drawn from various subfields of linguistics and encourages them to reflect on appropriate analytical techniques. Drawing on tutors’ diverse range of expertise, the module will cover quantitative approaches including statistical testing, as well as qualitative approaches such as thematic and discourse analysis, and train students in the use of relevant software. Students will be encouraged to consider the application of these approaches to their own upcoming dissertation research and it is intended that the final few weeks of the module will be flexible in terms of content, allowing students to deepen their knowledge in areas identified as of high priority according to the cohort.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Use a range of data analysis methods and software to investigate linguistic data of different kinds.
• Understand the advantages and drawbacks of different methods of data analysis.
• Select appropriate methods for analysing data according to the student’s own research interests.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Create and develop language corpora and databases; apply and evaluate statistical analysis; develop and apply methods for storing and presenting language data.
This module introduces students to the theories, applications and methods of analysis used in corpus linguistics. It enables students to collect their own corpora and use corpus software to undertake analyses based on their own interests. The module gives a comprehensive overview of core practical and theoretical aspects of corpus linguistics and allows students to engage in critical examination of a range of areas of study. Indicative content includes: corpus creation (ethical data selection and acquisition, issues in representativeness and size); corpus analysis tools and techniques (frequency lists, concordances, collocation, data annotation); interpretation and analysis of results (morphology, semantics, pragmatics, discourse, genre, language variation and change); applications: (lexicography, pedagogy, translation, stylistics, discourse analysis).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding of and critically evaluate the key concepts and terminology of corpus linguistics
• Use corpus tools to conduct corpus-based research at an advanced level
• Show a detailed and critical awareness of the major areas of linguistics in which corpora are used, such as lexicography, pedagogy, translation, stylistics and discourse analysis
• Respond to key debates in the field of corpus linguistics
Skills
The module equips students to:
Select appropriate methods for designing and compiling language corpora; interrogate corpora as a means for addressing key questions in language variation.
This module provides an introduction to onomastics with reference to place-names in Ireland. While the emphasis will be on names as linguistic items, there will be some discussion of other disciplines to which onomastics is relevant (literature, history, archaeology, ethnography, geography, cartography). Topics to be studied include the linguistic structure of names (including generic and specific elements); linguistic strata, language contact, and multilingualism; place-names as a resource for dialectology and historical linguistics, sources and the exploitation of names for literary and socio-political purposes; place-names and the linguistic landscape. Some task-based learning will be involved as Queen's is home to the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project and houses a large amount of archival material.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:-
- demonstrate a knowledge of the field of onomastics as a linguistic discipline
- appreciate its potential to contribute to interdisciplinary research
- demonstrate an understanding of the linguistic origin, structure and meaning of place-names with particular reference to Ireland
- exploit place-names as a resource for the study of dialectology and historical linguistics
- understand the relevance of place-names to the fields of multilingualism and the linguistic landscape
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; linguistic analysis and comparison, research; IT; improving own learning and performance; time management.
This module explores the connections between climate change and culture. We examine how human culture plays an important role in climate change discourse, ranging from how climate change is represented and communicated to how culture shapes our beliefs and responses to climate change. Drawing on knowledge and methods from various areas of the humanities, behavioural and social sciences, we will show that understanding climate change and responding to the climate emergency requires much more than an appreciation of the science alone.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Analyse the role culture plays in representing and communicating climate change
• Evaluate how culture shapes our beliefs and responses to climate change
• Apply a range of methods and theories relevant to understanding the connections between culture and climate change
• Communicate information relevant to culture and climate change to a range of audiences
Skills
General & Employability Skills: Bibliographic searching; referencing of published literature; Critical evaluation of published literature; Abstraction and synthesis of information into coherent written arguments; Ability to communicate theories and ideas to a range of audiences; Ability to undertake independent learning; Time management. Subject-specific Skills: Qualitative Methods (e.g. Discourse Analysis, Textual Analysis).
This module explores how our natural world and the socio-economic systems we have created are responding to climate change. We examine the risks and impacts of climate change for both people and planet, and evaluate how these systems are adapting to climate change in various geographical contexts. With an emphasis on case studies and applying practical skills, we examine many connected concepts including vulnerability, resilience and adaptive capacity. In a world where we are already committed to a certain temperature rise and accompanying set of impacts, this module is vital in providing a sound knowledge and understanding for how we are living with climate change – an important complement to our efforts in climate mitigation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Examine the risks and impacts of climate change for various aspects relating to both people and planet
• Analyse the role of vulnerability and adaptive capacity in determining the resilience of various natural and socio-economic systems to climate change
• Evaluate how successfully various natural and socio-economic systems are adapting to climate change in different geographical contexts
• Apply a range of practical methods relevant to climate adaptation
• Communicate information relevant to living with climate change to a range of audiences
Skills
General & Employability Skills: Bibliographic searching; referencing of published literature; Critical evaluation of published literature; Abstraction and synthesis of information into coherent written arguments; Ability to communicate complex scientific ideas to a range of audiences; Quantitative and qualitative data and statistical analysis; Data presentation; Ability to undertake independent learning; Time management. Subject-specific Skills: Qualitative Methods (e.g. Interviews and Surveys); GIS.
Advanced Language Skills (French, Irish, Spanish or Portuguese)
Overview
The module will contain the following elements:
1. Advanced written Language Skills (2 hours per week) which will offer students an opportunity to develop their linguistic skills to high levels, demonstrate proficiency in handling complex grammatical structures and develop facility in handling intricate structures of standard, modern French, Irish Spanish or Portuguese, across a variety of genres, by means of sustained engagement (to include translation, editing, and/or essay-writing) with a range of texts carefully selected for both their linguistic interest (varying in style and register) and the thorough insights they offer into aspects of contemporary life in Francophone, Irish-speaking, Hispanic or Lusophone cultures and communities. Emphasis is placed on high levels of accuracy, fluent and idiomatic expression, and linguistic flair.
2. Spoken Language (1 hour per week), which will focus on aspects of life in contemporary French, Irish, Spanish or Portuguese-speaking countries/cultures, with the aim of training students to speak with high degrees of accuracy and fluency, to express a wide range of complex ideas and opinions, to organise material systematically, logically and coherently when presenting, and to demonstrate independent thought and judgement. This component of the module includes a presentation and extended discussion.
3. Contextual Study (1hr per week). This component, which will vary across the two semesters, will deepen and contextualise the other elements of the module by placing them in a broader cultural context and will include, for example, literary texts, films, art and linguistics. It aims to train students in methodological rigour, originality and critical judgement. This element includes an essay.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• demonstrate high levels of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in written and oral language, including the use of a broad variety of sophisticated linguistic structures and vocabulary;
• deal confidently with a broad variety of material in the target language, including material which is complex and abstract, and which involves a variety of genres and registers;
• demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the structures of the language and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works to high standards;
• structure and present original and methodologically rigorous arguments at a sophisticated level in high-level register.
Skills
On successful completion of the module, students will have developed:
•the capacity for high-level critical reflection and judgment
•the ability to analyse, at a sophisticated level, complex texts and/or linguistic data
•the ability to undertake and conduct sustained critical analyses
•the ability to present and analyse complex issues within the framework of an original and methodologically rigorous argument in both English and the target language
•High level written communication skills
This module provides a critical examination of the policies, theories, politics, and practices that comprise the field of international or ‘Global’ Development. This module is not only concerned with mainstream policies and practices, but also with the processes of resistance that result from the pursuit of ‘Development’ projects across diverse polities and geographical contexts. Interdisciplinary in nature, this module provides a comprehensive overview of the field. It engages with literatures and debates across International Political Economy, Human Geography, Business Management, International Relations, and Development Studies.
Students will examine the colonial origins of the development regime, the pursuit of "development" alongside US power and hegemony in the mid-20th century, the role of "modernisation" discourses and "state-led" forms of development, development as a vehicle towards neoliberal capital accumulation, radical and post-modernist understandings on the means and ends of development, the rise of "new" actors and discourses such as Chinese and Indian "South-South Cooperation", the growing privatization of global development, and the ecological limits to the pursuit of development alongside "post-growth" alternatives.
This module will be particularly of interest for those seeking work in international development, international organisations, or non-governmental sectors.
Learning Outcomes
* Students will possess an advanced understanding of the current state of international development both as a field of practice and area of academic debate and inquiry. * Students will be able to apply and interrogate a range of concepts from across International Political Economy, International Relations and Human Geography.
* Students will understand not only heterodox critiques of mainstream international development practices and discourses, but they will also receive balanced insights into the practical challenges and bottlenecks faced by practitioners in the field.
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include: Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner * Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments * Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing * Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills * Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organisational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines * Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information * Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way * Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module will analyse discourses of crime and deviance across fictional and non-fictional discourse arena including traditional media, social media, television and film, and literary fiction. A broad critical language studies (CLS) approach will be taken, additionally informed by insights from literary linguistics, forensic linguistics, cultural criminology and legal studies. The module will be organised into core themes (crime in the media/crime in the courtroom/crime in fiction) and will focus on key topics which include trial by media, adaptation, novelization and ‘true crime’. Themes of gender, class, and age will be addressed in these areas. The module will be available to students on the 4th year of the MLibArts programme and students undertaking the MRes in Arts and Humanities, which does not currently offer a taught module from English Language and Linguistics.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will have refined their broad critical understanding of the construction of crime across contexts. Students will engage in a range of historical and social debates, analysing the recurrence of key themes and ideas in areas of critical language studies. Students will relate these key themes to ongoing developments in culturally complex language settings, and through traditional as well as emerging digital mediums.
Skills
During this module, students will have the opportunity to practise the following skills: * Critical analysis of key debates on criminality in several contexts. * Engagement with interdisciplinary debates regarding perceptions of crime and deviance in various contexts, including the media, the justice system, films, and television. * Application of learning to key social and political debates. * Writing critically and reflectively.
In Life magazine in February 1941, publisher Henry Luce declared the twentieth century to be the American Century: “[i]t is [ours] not only in the sense that we happen to live in it but ours because it is America’s first century as a dominant power in the world.” For Luce, the failure of the American project at that point, reflected in the Depression, could be redeemed by a successful campaign to defeat fascism in Europe. Since the US’s entry into WW2, America has continuously had troops posted overseas and, in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020 and the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol, on American streets as well.
This module examines the aftermaths of the American twentieth century as demonstrated in specific cultural, literary, and political events of the first decades of the twenty-first century. It will examine a number of interconnected ‘aftermaths’: the war on terror; 9/11; racism and Black Lives Matter; the return of authoritarianism; #MeToo; the battle over reproductive rights; conspiracies, the disinformation wars, and social media; the Big Lie and the 6 January insurrection; the aftermaths of trauma; terrorism, foreign and domestic.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the contemporary American moment, this module offers an insistently twenty-first-century American Studies approach to the questions and issues that it discusses and is committed to decolonising academic and pedagogic practice.
*Students should be aware that the module texts and discussions deal directly with difficult material and potentially triggering issues such as gun violence, abortion, terrorism, mass murder, racism, rape, and other violent forms of sexism and sexual violence.
Suggested texts/sources:
Books: Don DeLillo, Falling Man (2007); Solmaz Sharif, Look (2016); Paul Beatty, The Sellout (2015); Claudia Rankine, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely (2004); Terrance Hayes, Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin (2018); Joyce Carol Oates, A Book of American Martyrs (2017); Miriam Toews, Women Talking (2018); R. F. Kuang, Yellowface (2023)
Films and Streaming:
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021), dir. Brian Knappenberger [Netflix]
Trouble the Water (2008), dir. Tia Lessin and Carl Deal [Amazon Prime, Apple TV]
The Purge (2013), dir. James DeMonaco [Amazon Prime, Netflix, Apple TV]
Mass (2021), dir. Fran Kranz [Sky Cinema, Now TV, Apple TV]
Women Talking (2022), dir. Sarah Polley [Amazon Prime, Apple TV]
Excerpts from Judith Butler, Precarious Lives: The Powers of Mourning and Violence (2004); Judith Butler, Frames of War (2010); Lauren Berlant, Cruel Optimism (2011); Mike Davis, Dead Cities (2002); Sarah Churchwell, Behold, America (2018)
www.blacklivesmatter.com
http://www.blacklivesmattersyllabus.com/
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
(i) have developed some critical insights on a range of contemporary American cultural, literary and political movements
(ii) demonstrate critical awareness of multi-disciplinary approaches to understanding the contemporary United States;
(iii) apply where relevant critical and theoretical models to texts, contexts and contemporary issues;
(iv) demonstrate an ability to engage with contemporary American studies discussions and scholarship in the twenty-first century;
(v) develop theoretical insights into how the contemporary US is represented in a range of disciplines, texts and critical contexts.
Skills
Skills
(i) develop close critical reading skills of a range of literary, cultural
and visual texts;
(ii) summarise theoretical arguments and concepts;
(iii) effective communication and group work skills;
(iv) basic Wordpress/blogging/vlogging and digital skills;
(vi) ability to apply theoretical concepts of study to literary and cultural texts;
(vii) independent thought and the ability to conduct academic research skills appropriate to the stage of study.
The module explores Ireland’s international experience, from the past to present, with a focus on three key relationships: that with Britain, with North America and with Europe. Through multi-method research, it explores common themes of empire, colonialism, emigration, diaspora identities, economic development, and culture. It examines the intersection of these themes at key moments in Ireland’s recent past such as the 1990s, when the Celtic Tiger economy, peace process, and global popularity of U2 and Riverdance all demonstrated the importance of the Irish diaspora. It also involves comparative examination of different diaspora experiences: how the Northern Ireland conflict affected the Irish in Britain; how Irish America contributed to that conflict, but also its resolution; and how the experience of female or Protestant migrants from Ireland had been markedly different from that of male and Catholic migrants respectively. The course looks at how Irish foreign policy continues to be shaped by its colonial past, particularly its role in the UN and peace-keeping operations. However, it questions the integrity of Ireland’s claimed neutrality, and considers how the Ukraine conflict fundamentally challenges its stance. The course looks particularly at the shock of Brexit, the ongoing challenges that it creates for both parts of Ireland, but also the possibilities which it creates for their reunification. Similarly, it reflects on how Brexit is reshaping Irish approaches to a changing EU order. In addition, the course reflects on the implications of globalisation and the role of the “New Irish” and other identities in Ireland that are now reshaping its international image. It concludes by considering the challenges of contemporary geopolitics, including climate change cyber security, the Covid pandemic, , and how Joe Biden’s election might be considered the last hurrah for Irish America, whilst a Chinese century unfolds.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will:
• demonstrate an awareness and understanding of Ireland’s place in the changing international order, from its integration into the British Empire to its embrace of an EU future without the UK;
• appreciate the continued importance of the UK relationship, particularly with respect to Northern Ireland, but also how the EU and the US still provide balancing forces to this relationship;
• be able to compare and contrast the very different experiences of the Irish diaspora, particularly in Britain and North America, and how female and Protestant migrants from Ireland have also had markedly different experiences from that of male and Catholic migrants respectively;
• be able to critically examine different conceptions of “diaspora”, plus related notions of identity such as “hybridity” and “authenticity”;
• understand how Irish foreign policy is shaped by its colonial experience, but is also is idealised in its presentation, and is facing increased challenges;
• identify patterns in the spread of Irish culture, from the “exile” of its greatest writers to the Continent, to the success of its musicians, filmmakers and actors in Britain and the US;
• critically interrogate the global phenomenon of St Patrick’s Day as an economic and cultural “soft power” project, with effective branding by the Irish government and private companies helping it to shut down Fifth Avenue and light the Great Wall of China up in green;
• understand the contemporary challenges of globalisation for Ireland, with the need to integrate “New Irish” ethnic minorities, and continue its economic progress through the dual shocks of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic;appreciate the ongoing political challenges that Brexit creates for both parts of Ireland, but also the possibilities which it creates for both their economic future and possible reunification;
• understand how international responses to issues like climate change and global tax evasion, and also the rising power of internet and social media-based companies, pose particular challenges for Ireland’s political future;
reflect on the future of global Ireland given power shifts both within and away from the US, political change and continued challenges for the EU, and the need for new international alliances.
Skills
The module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Comparative Analysis: ability to understand commonalities and divergences across the cases and themes examined
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates across the various disciplinary fields examined
Professional and career development skills
• Interdisciplinarity and multi-method learning: ability to use a variety of intellectual sources, from political speeches to poetry, song lyrics and film criticism, in order to analyse the overlapping themes of the module
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Presentational and Advocacy Skills: ability to present your ideas and arguments before a group of peers and respond to questions in a convincing fashion
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognise different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures and cope with stress
Organizational skills
• Preparatory Skills: always being well prepared for seminars (e.g. completing required reading)
• Time Management: effective use of study time, meeting coursework deadlinesIndependent Research: making good use of the library and the materials available
This module examines the problem of social injustice in contemporary, plural societies. The first half of the module explores some of the main philosophical assessments of social injustice. Students will first be introduced to key critiques of liberal theory as a response to the structural disadvantages associated with difference (including race, gender, sexual-orientation, religion, and class, among others). Here, liberal policy approaches to difference (including toleration, uniform treatment, and non-discrimination), will be critiqued alongside liberal modes of justification for their failure to deal appropriately with the disadvantages suffered by affected groups.
The second half of the module discusses the practical implications of both social injustice and its potential solutions. Precise topics vary year-on-year, but may include discussion of some of the following questions: Is unfettered freedom of speech a necessary feature of or a hindrance in the fight for social equality? What role does historical injustice play in the ongoing oppression of marginalised groups? Is the recognition of difference the appropriate response to cultural domination? How has social media changed the shape of social justice movements? Is civil disobedience a legitimate response to injustice, and must it always be ‘civil’ in nature?
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
• Should demonstrate a critical understanding of key debates about social injustice.
• Should be able to explain some of the central critiques of liberal theory as a way of dealing with structural oppression.
• Should be familiar with debates surrounding the role of historical injustice as it pertains to ongoing marginalisation.
• Should have a critical understanding of the changing nature of social justice movements.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing.
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning.
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment.
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development.
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines.
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
The modern era is distinguished by the emergence of divergent interpretations of the nature of freedom, individual, social, and political. This course is devoted to exploring the nature of these different conceptions and the theories of freedom associated with them. Benjamin Constant famously contrasted the liberties of the ancients, i.e. collective political freedoms, with the liberties of the moderns, i.e. individual freedoms. Berlin’s canonical contrast between negative and positive liberty, while partly inspired by Constant, approaches the analysis of freedom in a different way, foregrounding the contrast between ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom to’. Recent work on freedom, however, challenges these accounts by reviving an older, republican, conception of freedom as freedom from domination. Where libertarian theories typically consider the state to be the primary threat to freedom, the non-domination account understands the state to be a potential bulwark against domination by other social actors. In this way, its concerns overlap with those of the critical theorists who are similarly concerned with obstacles to freedom in social relations more generally, reflected in theories of alienation and disciplinary power. This course will combine analytical and genealogical approaches to the problem understating the complexity of freedom in the modern world. Topics will vary from year to year but may include: liberal and libertarian conceptions of individual freedom, the relation between individual and political freedom, populist and constitutionalist conceptions of collective freedom; freedom as non-domination and the problem of structural domination; dimensions and theories of autonomy: moral, social, and political; alienation and disciplinary power.
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be familiar with the standard theoretical analyses of the nature of freedom, i.e. negative liberty, autonomy and non-domination. 2. Students will be familiar with the historical development of different currents of thought about freedom in the modern era. 3. Students will be familiar with debates about interpersonal and structural accounts of domination, alienation and oppression. 4. Students will be familiar with debates about the different dimensions of freedom: personal, social, and political and their relations to one another.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner. * Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments. * Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field. Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing. * Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning. * Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development. * Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines. * Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information. * Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way. * Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
This module focuses on some of the most pressing current social epistemological and metaphysical, ethical, and political questions arising in the context of biomedical, environmental, and applied information technologies and associated professions. Issues covered are likely to include (but are not limited to) human enhancement, stem cell research, disability, embodiment, and justice, climate change, and global health. The module will incorporate a range of policy and empirical information as part of case studies, in addition to detailed philosophical analysis of each issue. While topics covered will vary each year, to reflect current and pressing concerns, the module may incorporate discussion of the following questions: Can a form of technology itself be ethical or unethical? How do biomedical sciences and technologies relate to human values? How can we best address justice challenges that are raised by innovations in biomedical and information technologies? How should we be responding to the climate crisis? Do we have a responsibility to enhance ourselves and future generations? How can health issues be effectively addressed across national borders?
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will:
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of key works of current scholarship in areas such as contemporary bioethics, social & political philosophy, applied metaphysics and epistemology, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, and philosophy of technology
• Be able to apply philosophical theories in conjunction with detailed case information when assessing issues in areas such as contemporary bioethics, social & political philosophy, applied metaphysics and epistemology, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, and philosophy of technology
• Be able to demonstrate critical analysis of key debates in areas such as contemporary bioethics, social & political philosophy, applied metaphysics and epistemology, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, and philosophy of technology
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
This module explores the ways questions of knowledge and ignorance shape our social world, for better and worse. Likely topics include, but
are not limited to: legal epistemology (How should we interpret legal standards of proof? When should purely statistical evidence be admitted? What criteria should determine whether predictive policing algorithms are biased?); epistemic injustice (In what ways can we wrong each other specifically as knowers? How do our epistemic practices uphold systems of oppression?); theories of ignorance; standpoint epistemology; moral encroachment (Can the moral features of a belief affect its rationality?); and other topics in social epistemology. Readings will include both theoretical and applied work.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will: * Be able to critically engage with contemporary debates around epistemological issues of oppression and injustice; * Be able to apply theoretical principles to assess active social and moral issues; * Be able to critically assess rival theories of ignorance and epistemic injustice.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner; * Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments; * Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing; * Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment; * Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development; * Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance. Technical and practical skills * Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines; * Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information; * Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way; * Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
This module uses the theme of responsibility to bring together some fundamental issues in ethics and the philosophy of law. In the first part of the module, we consider the nature of responsibility and its relation to both
rationality and the emotions. We then consider some of the familiar preconditions of moral responsibility, such as intention, causation and voluntariness, as well as factors that preclude responsibility, such as insanity, ignorance and duress. In the second part of the module, we look at some of the moral and legal consequences that seem to follow on from a finding of responsibility, including punishment and enforced compensation. We examine the rationale of both retributive and corrective justice, and we also explore debates about reparations for historic injustices such as slavery and colonialism. In all of this, considerable emphasis will be placed on both real-world examples and recent academic work in ethics and jurisprudence.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will: * Be familiar with and able to critically assess standard theories of moral responsibility; * Be able to articulate and defend moral and legal consequences of responsibility in a variety of real-world contexts; * Be able to apply philosophical theories of responsibility to active contemporary debates about reparations for historic injustices.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner; * Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments; * Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing; * Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment; * Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development; * Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance. Technical and practical skills * Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines; * Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information; * Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way; * Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
This module provides an exciting opportunity for students to personalize their MA experience by working with a research leader to
identify a research question of the student’s choice, and to develop a response in extended essay format. The module enables students to work individually with a researcher or in a small study group of up to 3 students to develop their knowledge and expertise in a very focused area of philosophy research. For example, students might choose to pursue a detailed study of the work of a single philosopher, or a key, highly influential, work and critical engagements with that work, or a set of arguments on a specific current research issue.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will: * Be able to articulate a clear, well-defined, independent research question on a very specific figure, text, or issue in philosophy * Be able to prepare and implement a plan for a research project that answers an independent research question * Be able to demonstrate their knowledge of a very specific area of philosophy such as the work of a single philosopher, or a key influential text and its critical reception, or a set of arguments on a specific current issue.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner; * Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments; * Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing; * Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment; * Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development; * Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance. Technical and practical skills * Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines; * Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information; * Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way; * Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
This module is intended to facilitate students’ active engagement with the research process and to prepare them for conducting research at postgraduate level. It addresses issues such as the nature of scientific inquiry and its place in modern society, the characteristics of current research methodologies, the selection of methods and project design, obtaining research funding, project management and producing professional research outputs.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have an understanding of:
• What research is and how it is embedded in modern society
• The different assumptions that underlie modern research methodologies and particularly the differences between phenomenological and logical positivist approaches, their strengths and weaknesses
• The common quantitative and qualitative techniques to use in different research contexts and how they should be built into research planning and operationalisation
• The processes of bidding for research funds, doing research and producing professional research outputs
Skills
• Project design
• Production of a fully costed and academically valid research proposal
• Selection and use of appropriate statistical methods
• Project management
• Production of professional-quality research outputs
How may music be studied? The purpose of this module is for students to explore some of the disciplines through which music may be understood or created and demonstrate a thoughtful awareness of some of the methods and concerns of these disciplines. Teaching delivery will include 6-8 group seminars, attendance of Music events, plus regular meetings with a member of the supervisory team. Assessment is by a reviews portfolio (4000 words; one book review and reviewing two events) and 10-minute seminar presentation.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to :
- Demonstrate an ability to situate themselves within Music as a creative or scholarly discipline;
- Engage critically with theoretical paradigms in their field;
- Produce written or creative work appropriate to MA level;
- Critically understand the context within which their scholarly discipline operates;
- Understand and apply relevant research methods needed for the successful completion of their portfolio or dissertation.
Skills
* Detailed knowledge of the interpretive tools through which scholarship or creativity in Music is formed;
* A detailed sense of Music as a scholarly or creative practice;
* An ability to study and understand complex issues and problems in the student's particular subject area;
* Effective oral communication skills;
* Advanced written skills
* Ability to be self-directed and exercise initiative;
* Ability to think critically, creatively and holistically
This module provides a themed examination of the changing politics of the world economy, through the lens of the sub/inter-discipline, known as International Political Economy. International Political Economy (IPE) has become the accepted academic term for the analysis of the exercise of economic power and the politics of economic policy and capitalist development placed in a global context. This module introduces students to theories and concepts in International Political Economy related to the exercise of power and authority. It then goes to analyze a number of key topics and issues relating to the power and politics of economic organization and management including: the future of United States supremacy; the politics of money and finance; theories of development; the politics and policy of economic development in developing countries; problems of underdevelopment; the politics of global civil society; the global politics of energy policy and climate change; and the political economy of environmental sustainability.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:, understand the main theoretical, ideological and normative interpretations of and claims relating to globalisation; understand the ways in which globalisation is reconfiguring political, cultural and economic processes; pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking; communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
Skills
Students will develop key intellectual skills such as critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving; communication, e.g., oral, listening and written, working with others, improvement of learning and performance, managing information They will also cultivate employability skills such as research and communication skills, independent learning (organising and prioritising ideas), critical/independent thinking, co-operative endeavour (e.g. tutorial based teamwork). Subject specific skills include: listening/analytical/literacy/presentation skills; comparative methods, textual analysis, developing cogent arguments, ability to participate in a tolerant and supportive learning environment
The module will evaluate the changing nature of intervention, from unilateral forceful intervention to multi-lateral intervention, to humanitarian intervention, and third party mediation. Focusing on state, intergovernmental and non-governmental actors’ interventions, it will look at various conflict intervention practices in all phases of conflict from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding.
Learning Outcomes
To acquire an overview, both historical and substantive, of various approaches to analysis of conflicts and of conflict transformation. The content will deal with different theories of conflict origins, conflict process, and conflict transformation, as well as examining the practices of different state and non-state actors after conflicts.
Skills
Emphasis will be placed on the development of analytic skills for identifying different types of conflict and alternative modes of intervention. Special attention will be given to questions of language, moral justification and power.
This module explores and analyses the modern political development of the Republic of Ireland. It combines historical, economic, political and social insights to provide a sophisticated understanding of the politics of and political economy of the State. It introduces students to key debates on the Irish economic crisis, its democratic politics, north-south relations, Irish –EU relations and the institutions of state.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• Comprehend arange of perspectives on modern Irish politics, and the points of political competition
• Understand the origins and development of the party system and alternatives to representative methods of democratic change
• Have greater awareness of the role of early 20th century developments on contemporary Irish politics
• Survey Ireland’s development from a European and international perspective
• Understand the dynamic nature of north-south relations from partition to Brexit
• Understand the nature of Irish economic fluctuations since the 1960’s and in particular the consequences for politics of the collapse of the Celtic tiger in the context of international financial crisis.
Skills
To enrich understanding of key debates and themes in modern Irish politics.
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement put an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland and set up institutions designed to govern a society and polity divided along unionist and nationalist lines. As the experience of Northern Ireland shows, governing in such a context is not easy. Stability and cross-community agreement can be hard to reach, which has occasionally led to the suspension of Northern Ireland’s institutions. Yet these institutions have endured despite repeated crises and are heralded by some as examples of post-conflict governance.
The module explores contemporary developments in Northern Irish politics and discusses institutional design and politics in a changing Northern Ireland. It addresses topics such as the development of Northern Ireland’s consociational model of government, how institutions like the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive perform their functions, how parties and identity shape politics and voting behaviour, North-South relations after Brexit, and Northern Ireland’s place in Europe.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students
- Should be able to understand how Northern Ireland institutions work and how they compare to other devolved institutions
- Should demonstrate a critical understanding of the debates about consociationalism and the role it plays in the stability of Northern Ireland’s institutions and of its community divisions
- Should understand party competition and voting in Northern Ireland
- Should demonstrate an ability to write well, concisely
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module encourages students to examine the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping political dynamics at the local, national and global level. It approaches the topic drawing upon feminist political thought; strategies for political mobilization and change; and feminist analyses of contemporary global politics. The module outlines the contribution of feminist scholarship in challenging understandings of politics and international relations as gender-neutral and draws attention to the, often neglected, experiences, agency and political claims of women and other minoritised groups. We will consider key contemporary issues such as transnational feminism, queer politics and social justice; feminism and global governance; reproductive justice; nationalism, populism and anti-gender politics; international security; borders and migration; feminism and the politics of crisis, feminist and queer visions for life. Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered complexities of global politics.
AIMS:
This module is designed to provide you with the conceptual tools and study skills for developing your own critical appraisal of gender politics in an intersectional and transnational perspective. At the end of this module, you will have enhanced your skills to critically interrogate different dimensions of the political through the application of feminist intersectional lenses. Crucially, I also hope that you will feel empowered to apply this mode of thinking to analyse intersections between gender and other inequalities and to reflect on your own position in learning, knowledge production and politics.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: analyse and explain the causes of gender inequalities in the public/private realm;
understand how gender interacts with race, class, sexuality and nationality to produce divisions of power and resources, as well as processes of violence and exclusion.
discuss and assess different feminist perspectives.
apply feminist theories to analyse key issues in global politics and current political problems.
think critically about narratives and practices of politics and international relations.
independently develop a small research project of their choice.
Skills
Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, in oral and written form.\nPursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.\nDiscuss issues that challenge dominant perspectives in an informed manner.\nEngage in small group activity.
This is a Special Topic module offered by a visiting Fulbright Distinguished Scholar. The contents of the module, which will change on an annual basis, depending on the academic area of expertise of the Visiting Scholar, will examine an aspect of modern Irish literature. The specific module content will be announced as early as possible each academic year. Students who sign up for this module will, as normal, have the right to switch to another module if the content does not suit their academic plans.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will achieve a detailed and complex understanding of an aspect of modern Irish Literature in English. Students will also acquire the ability to analyse a range of Irish literary texts, and further their understanding of appropriate historical and cultural contexts and particular critical approaches. Students will also be able to identify and analyse significant aspects of Irish literary texts and will have developed their skills in written and spoken argument with ability to draw on appropriate primary and secondary evidence.
Skills
Students will acquire and / or develop the skills of:
• close critical reading of primary material;
• the synthesis and weighing of different, sometimes competing, interpretations of literary texts;
• contextualisation of primary texts in relation to a range of historical and cultural narratives.
Contemporary Issues in Arts and Cultural Industries Management
Overview
This module is taught in two parts to provide students with an overview of key issues in the contemporary management of the arts and cultural industries and deliver key tools and frameworks to plan and make management decisions.
Part 1:
Overview of contemporary arts and cultural management
Leadership & management
Ethics
Entrepreneurship
Risk and managing uncertainty
Part 2:
Strategic & critical thinking
Approaches to planning & management
Strategic Analysis tools & frameworks Models and governance structures in business
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Identify a range of influences, opportunities and uncertainties in contemporary arts and cultural industries management
2. Understand what is meant by leadership, management, entrepreneurship and ethics in the contemporary arts and cultural industries
3. Identify how planning, leadership and management might be applied in a range of company structures and scales (as a sole trader, within an institution or SME)
4. Understand and utilise a range of tools and frameworks to analyse internal and external factors of creative businesses
5. Develop critical and reflective thinking skills and apply them to management decisions.
Skills
This course will support essential skills for strategic planning, leadership and entrepreneurship for application in the arts and cultural industries.
Although principally focused on nonprofit management, it will have application to profit-making enterprises.
Key skills:
• Analysis and research skills
• Critical and reflective thinking
• Strategic and business planning
• Group planning and collaboration
• Communication and presentation skills
This module introduces students to theoretical perspectives in cultural policy with attention to its influence on arts and cultural industries management. It will explore how various historical, political, social, economic and cultural contexts and objectives shape cultural policies. It will explore how these in turn define and influence arts and cultural industries’ management and practices in different nation states, and at regional and international levels. Through this it will reveal the tensions and values at play within the cultural policy field.
1. Policy-making in relationship to arts and cultural industries management, theories, models and approaches
2. Political regimes, cultural policy regulations and cultural rights
3. Cultural values and measurements
4. Cultural policy levels: local, (sub/supra)national
5. Intercultural and international policy and diplomacy
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Engage with and critique key theories underpinning cultural policy through academic study
2. Articulate the ways policy intersects with, and influences arts and cultural industries management and its political, social, economic and artistic role
3. Engage in clear and informed discussion about the nature of cultural policy and policymaking in a regional, national and international context
4. Identify and discuss contemporary and global issues and tensions within the cultural policy field
Skills
Students will gain greater awareness of the public policy landscape in which the arts and cultural industries operate at regional, national and international levels.
Key transferable skills will be:
• Personal effectiveness
• Analysis and research skills
• Critical reading and writing
• Critical and reflective thinking
• Written and spoken communication skills
This module introduces students to key debates in both theories and practice of how the ‘public’ engage with arts and cultural experiences. Blending theoretical and strategically oriented sessions with practice-based teaching, it explores how the mode and value of engagement with the public has and continues to change rapidly.
1. Overview of audiences discourse; contemporary issues in theories of engagement, development & participation
2. Cultural rights and cultural citizenship (local & international perspectives)
3. Audiences as part of strategic management
4. Planning & tools for effective engagement (digital engagement, branding, etc)
5. Data in relation to audiences & the public
6. Evaluation, analysis & understanding the customer/consumer
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Define and articulate principal issues of contemporary arts and cultural engagement with understanding of key theories and terms
2. Apply critical and reflexive thinking to contemporary concerns of public access, inclusion, participation, cultural rights alongside sustainability
3. Identify and assess the tools and techniques of engaging the public in arts and cultural industries activity, including but not confined to marketing, communications, branding, data analysis and digital engagement
4. Recognise and understand the relationship between strategic arts and cultural management and audience/public engagement in decision-making analysis, planning and evaluation
5. Plan and articulate practice-based responses to the development and engagement of audiences, customers and/or public.
Skills
This course will further enhance students' understanding of the field of arts management, how it relates to their engagement with the 'public' and the relationship between public policy and public engagement. The course is designed to act as a complement to other courses in management, planning and policy and students will be actively encouraged to make connections and synthesise the common learning present through the MA programme. Key transferable skills will be:
• Personal effectiveness
• Analysis and research skills
• Critical and reflective thinking
• Strategic marketing & communication skills
• Planning & evaluation skills
A feature of this course is the use of real case study organisations. This enables students to translate theory in to practice and apply theoretical learning to practical learning in the class environment. Assessments are designed to enable students to test their learning through a combination of theoretical and task oriented exercises.
Students will hold an internship in an institution such a museum, heritage site, library or archive. They will organise the placement themselves and establish a programme of work to be carried out, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the School’s internship co-ordinator. The assessment will reflect on the practical aspects of the internship and the theoretical debates around Public History
Learning Outcomes
- Learning more about the discipline of public history
- Learning about the operation and management of cultural institutions
- Gaining a more in-depth knowledge of a specific aspect of history
- Gaining experience in disseminating academic history to a popular public audience.
Skills
Students should be able to develop the following:
Subject specific skills
• the ability to identify and locate primary and secondary source material relevant to a particular field of study
•the ability to present the results of historical research in an appropriate format
•the ability to work with and learn from experienced public history professionals
Cognitive skills
•the ability to plan, undertake, evaluate and report on a project
•the ability to Understand, evaluate and present different interpretations of historical events
•the ability to identify and assimilate evidence relevant to a particular enquiry from a variety of sources
Transferable skills
•an elaborated awareness of how to relate academic study to a work environment
•an enhanced ability to organise and manage work tasks
•an enhanced knowledge of potential careers for history graduates
•an enhanced set of effective written and oral communication skills
This module aims to provide an overview of the field of ethnomusicology, outlining the major theoretical orientations and issues being debated within contemporary ethnomusicology. It begins with an introduction to some of the main scholars involved in shaping the discipline as it is currently constituted, and then proceeds by looking at how these ideas have shifted in the modern world. Throughout the semester students participate in an ensemble of non-western music in order to gain a reflexive understanding of the ways in which ethnomusicological knowledge can be obtained through personal musical experience.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will have:
• An understanding of how the discipline was shaped and how it is currently developing;
• An overview of contemporary theoretical debates and issues, and of the scholars propelling them;
• An appreciation of how ethnomusicological understandings are generated and disseminated;
• Basic knowledge of at least one non-western musical system.
Skills
• Library research skills;
• Critical reading;
• Communication skills in both written and verbal spheres;
• Practical performance skills in at least one non-western musical tradition.
The module is structured around the personal research interests of the student. It offers the opportunity to pursue an interest in a topic which will further contextualise or advance the project chosen for their dissertation. The topic will be chosen by the student and approved by the supervisor, and a plan of work will be agreed which will involve weekly meetings to discuss progress and give feedback.
Learning Outcomes
The Module seeks to enable students to pursue their own research interest in a structured way, and according to the highest academic standards. Amongst its outcomes are:
• Increased academic autonomy and ability to work autonomously
• The ability to develop independent and sophisticated insights into a chosen area of investigation and to demonstrate these through the undertaking of an independent research project
• Application of the specific critical, methodological or analytical apparatus required by the research at a high level of expertise
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the research undertaken
• Discussion of arguments in a structured way and critical reflection and judgment in the light of evidence and argument
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; research; improving own learning and performance; time management; planning and undertaking independent research.
Students will be introduced to techniques of calendaring and indexing and will prepare a calendar of a suitable body of previously uncatalogued material in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland or another archive. Alternatively, students may prepare a finding aid of primary and secondary sources for a previously underresearched topic. Or students may study of the methodology of analysing primary source material relating to periods of Greek and Roman history, including numismatics and the importance of legal sources for social and political history.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the handling of historical documents and to provide training in techniques of indexing, calendaring and listing and the preparation of finding aids.
Substitute the following:
• To give students practical experience of the methodologies involved in creating historical calendars, finding aids or databases that may be useful to researchers and other users of archives or collections.
• Increased familiarity with documents that may be used for dissertation
• Demonstrate an ability to synthesis historical significance of sources examined in written form
• Familiarity with the critical apparatus of annotation, translation (if applicable) and editing of original manuscripts
Skills
Assessment and analysis of historical sources. Abstracting, indexing and record keeping.
Develop skills in the assessment and analysis of sources
Develop skills in abstracting, indexing and record keeping
Develop knowledge of the work of an archivist and editor of historical docouments
Independent study of a topic (history, composition, analysis, or performance) in Music and Sonic Arts. Students must agree a topic and a programme of study with their tutor at the outset of the course. Students will be given directed reading and appropriate essays or other coursework. Students will meet regularly with their tutor to report on and discuss their reading, essays or other coursework. This module is designed to address any focused interests not catered for in other modules offered.
Learning Outcomes
By completion of the module students will be able to:
- conduct independent research
- critically interpret and analyse literature relevant to the topic of study
Skills
-identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
-apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway
-possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence and negotiate.
-have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence
-demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability/flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress
Students to undertake and in-depth study of a specific historical area or problem within the field of their Masters programme, as agreed with the History MA co-ordinator and the proposed supervisor.
Introduction to the principles, practices and research techniques of community interpreting in Northern Ireland
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an understanding of the principles and skills of the professional community interpreter. They will become familiar with the processes of public service organisations, and understand the importance of research and terminology gathering within that context.
Skills
Presentation skills, interpreting skills, mediation skills, research skills, familiarity with public sector processes
The module looks at the themes of ethnography and evolution in anthropology. Students choose to specialise in ethnography or evolution. Teaching of the ethnography takes the form of students reading a number of ethnographies and discussing and analysing these texts in class. Teaching of evolution draws on literature in the field of cognition and culture and focuses on the application of the logic of evolution by natural selection to the human mind and behaviour to help us better understand cross-culturally recurrent patterns in thought and behaviour.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
- be familiar with advanced understandings of anthropological perspectives
- be skilled at analysing ethnographic writing
- have gained experience in debating intricate questions in a critical fashion at an advanced level
- have learnt about the evolutionary perspective in anthropology and its applications
- be prepared for the main specialist areas available in Anthropological Studies at MA level
Skills
Skills in literacy, the organisation of arguments, critical reflection, effective oral and written presentation, independent research and writing of research essay.
The module will study a core set of influential analytical perspectives through readings that demonstrate both continuities and shifts in anthropological enquiry. Topics covered include: anthropological and local perspectives; philosophical approaches in anthropology; new insights from studies of the self, narrative and the emotions; visual anthropology and ethnographic knowledge as part of the debate of ‘ways of seeing’; perspectives on environmentalism, materiality, affectivity, memory and subjectivity; cosmopolitanism as a political and moral condition.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
- be familiar with advanced understandings of anthropological perspectives
- become acquainted with recent writings in a variety of anthropological topics
- gain experience in debating intricate questions in a critical fashion at an advanced level
- have produced a critical essay involving critical understanding of texts and the development of an original argument
- be prepared for the main specialist areas available in Anthropological Studies at MA level
Skills
Skills in literacy, the organisation of arguments, critical reflection, effective oral and written presentation, independent research and writing of research essay.
This module focuses on the key qualitative and quantitative techniques used by anthropologists in their field research, including participant observation, interviewing, the use of archives and written information, the production of genealogies, the collection and analysis of numerical data, etc. Students will learn about the place of these methods in the history of the discipline, and about the key debates surrounding the relationship between the anthropologist and his or her informants in the field; through a series of practicals, the students will learn how to use these qualitative and quantitative methods themselves. Two of these exercises will be formally assessed.
Learning Outcomes
The module has two objectives: to teach students how to use the main methods of anthropological field research and to make them aware of the place such methods occupy in the discipline and its history.
Skills
Skills in literacy, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work.
Essential Skills in Arts and Cultural Industries Management
Overview
This course is delivered using case studies. Working in groups, students will develop core business and management skills and apply them to real arts and cultural organisations.
1. Planning as Decision Making & Evaluation
2. Budgeting, cashflow and financial management
3. Essential planning, practice and techniques of fundraising and income generation
4. Risk and variables in the planning process
5. Time and Resource Management
6. Business essentials: Legal Issues
7. End of Year Accounts and the differing requirements within the private and public sector
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Learn to identify problems, solutions and opportunities in contemporary arts and cultural industries management in a creative and analytical way.
2. Be equipped with the tools of management - budgeting, fundraising and other means of income generation, planning and evaluation.
3. Recognise and discuss decision-making processes and their influences in programming, product development, budgets, income generation and planning processes
4. Recognise and critique how different models and approaches to arts and cultural businesses respond to the context and market.
5. Develop critical and reflective thinking skills and apply them to management decisions.
Skills
This course will support essential skills for strategic planning, leadership and entrepreneurship for application in the arts and cultural industries.
Although principally focused on nonprofit management, it will have application to profit-making enterprises.
Key skills:
• Personal effectiveness
• Analysis and research skills
• Critical and reflective thinking
• Business planning skills
• Finance, budget and fundraising skills
• Group planning and collaboration
• Communication and presentation skills
This module aims to provide students with the skills needed to engage with some of the major issues of Irish archaeology by employing techniques, approaches or theoretical perspectives from elsewhere in the world. The module is also designed to train students to prepare their research on Irish archaeology for publication in peer review journals.
Students will consider five major themes that encompass a range of issues and debates with which archaeologists frequently have to grapple in their interpretation of the past. A common theme throughout the module will be one of continuity versus change: how, why and when did cultures change; did cultures necessarily perceive the change as we do today; did death present an opportunity to express links with, or severance from, the past, the present, the future; how does the present influence our perception of past change? Different theoretical models and analytical approaches will be tested and critiqued in relation to specific issues in Irish archaeology. The subjects will be explored through a series of lectures and student-led seminars.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module the student will have understanding of:-
A wide range of different theoretical perspectives and analytical approaches to problem solving in archaeology;
Some of the major issues in Irish archaeological research.
Skills
Students will be trained to provide oral presentations on specific issues that mirror the skills required to make conference and lecture presentations;
Students will be trained to prepare research publications suitable for submission to peer reviewed academic journals.
This module explores the relationship between citizens and political decision-making in contemporary democracies. Around the world, conventional democratic processes and institutions have come under strain. Decreasing levels of voter turnout, low levels of trust in politicians and political institutions, and declining membership of traditional organisations such as political parties are just some expressions of a growing gap between citizens and decision-makers. This module will critically examine the changing nature of citizen engagement with democratic decision-making before considering ways of supplementing (or even replacing) conventional processes and institutions with greater opportunities for citizen participation. We will consider two broad, inter-related themes. First, the module will consider contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems, engaging with both democratic theory and relevant empirical literature. Second, using examples from around the world, it will then introduce students to a range of democratic innovations designed to supplement representative forms of decision-making, such as participatory budgeting and deliberative mini-publics. Students will engage in debates about different practical forms of participatory and deliberative processes as well as learn about how these processes are designed and implemented. The objectives are to enable students to engage critically in discussions about citizen participation in modern democracies and to develop their communication skills. Throughout the module there will be an emphasis on connecting academic research with democratic practice: where possible students will hear directly from practitioners and will have the opportunity to attend and observe real-world cases of democratic innovation.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
- Will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems, particularly regarding the role and attitudes of citizens;
- Will understand theoretical and empirical debates surrounding both established forms of citizen participation and democratic innovations;
- Will be able to draw on relevant criteria and evidence to critically evaluate democratic innovations and their design features;
- Will be able to communicate key findings from academic research in this field for the benefit of a non-academic audience.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge; manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning;
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance .
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
This module offers students the opportunity to address core issues in Politics via a focus on the UK’s relationship with Europe in a time of flux. It is built around three broad themes: understanding, negotiating and delivering Brexit.
The first part of the module focuses on explaining the UK’s past relationship with Europe, it’s nature as an ‘awkward partner’ in European integration and the outcome of the 2016 Referendum (“understanding Brexit”). It introduces students to theories of Euroscepticism, ideas of British ‘exceptionalism’ and the study of elections, referendums and public opinion.
The second part of the module engages with the on-going Brexit negotiations, in terms of trade, citizens’ rights and borders. It introduces students to the politics of trade and negotiation dynamics. It considers and explain changes to both the UK and EU positions in the negotiations.
The third part of the module focuses on Brexit delivery - the administrative challenges of taking back control and the constitutional challenges of repatriating competences for central and devolved governments. It introduces students to studies of multi-level governance and devolution and theories of implementation, enforcement and good governance.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module participants:
- Should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the UK’s relationship with the EU
- Should understand debates about explanations of the EU referendum outcome and challenges for delivering Brexit
- Should be able to understand how different theories and approaches in political science can help make sense of the UK’s changing relationship with Europe
- Should have developed basic blog writing skills and basic policy brief writing skills
Skills
Students will advance their:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Belfast: Place, Identity and Memory in a Contested City
Overview
This module introduces students to themes in Irish Studies through an interdisciplinary case study of Belfast. Throughout the module students will be encouraged to consider the ways in which Irish and other identities (municipal, regional, ‘British’, religious, class, gendered etc) have been constructed and contested in the urban environment, in language, literature, political affiliations and social interactions, from the establishment of Belfast as a colonial settlement in the 17th century, to the present day. Students will also be introduced to the ‘Belfast’ approach to Irish Studies as a subject of study dating to the foundation of the Institute in the 1960s, and encouraged to debate its continuing relevance and redefinition.
Outline of classes.
1. Introduction – Belfast’s Irish Studies: definitions and approaches
2. Belfast – from colonial to revolutionary town, 1613-1800
3. Belfast – industrial giant and cockpit of violence, 1800-1922
4. Belfast – class, gender and religion in a divided city, 1922-1969
5. Literature and identities in Belfast
6. Belfast in Contemporary Poetry
7. Staging Belfast: Stewart Parker’s drama
8. Music song and identity in Belfast
9. The Politics of Belfast: from the Troubles to Today
10. Walls, memorials and murals: the symbolic landscape of Belfast
11. Parades, Carnivals, and Protests: Ritual and Meaning in Titanic Town
12. Review and Discussion / Field trip
Learning Outcomes
1. familiarity with the major themes and debates in Belfast’s history, cultural life and social and political development
2. a critical appreciation with the disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature relating to these themes and the ability to engage with this in analysing questions of national, regional, class, gender and other identities evident in Belfast, past and present
3. a critical appreciation of major debates in interdisciplinary Irish Studies, especially those most associated with the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s
4. The ability to write an informed and original analysis of the problems discussed in the module, with particular reference to Belfast in preparation for work on the dissertation
5. an appreciation of the importance and structure of research seminars relating to Irish Studies
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have developed the following skills:
An ability to assess and extract information from relevant sources
An ability to develop and present a sustained argument addressing interdisciplinary themes
An ability to relate larger themes and debates in Irish Studies to the study of the case study of Belfast
An ability to communicate findings both in writing and to an audience
An ability to analyse the nature and importance of research presentations
Public History Internship(MA Public History pathway)
Overview
Students will hold an internship in an institution such a museum, heritage site, library or archive. They will organise the placement themselves and establish a programme of work to be carried out, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the School’s internship co-ordinator. The assessment will reflect on the practical aspects of the internship and the theoretical debates around Public History.
Learning Outcomes
- Learning more about the discipline of public history
- Learning about the operation and management of cultural institutions
- Gaining a more in-depth knowledge of a specific aspect of history
- Gaining experience in disseminating academic history to a popular public audience.
Skills
Students should be able to develop the following:
Subject specific skills
• the ability to identify and locate primary and secondary source material relevant to a particular field of study
•the ability to present the results of historical research in an appropriate format
•the ability to work with and learn from experienced public history professionals
Cognitive skills
•the ability to plan, undertake, evaluate and report on a project
•the ability to Understand, evaluate and present different interpretations of historical events
•the ability to identify and assimilate evidence relevant to a particular enquiry from a variety of sources
Transferable skills
•an elaborated awareness of how to relate academic study to a work environment
•an enhanced ability to organise and manage work tasks
•an enhanced knowledge of potential careers for history graduates
•an enhanced set of effective written and oral communication skills
An in-depth examination of key concepts of public history and their methodological application across a range of case studies. The module will cover a range of issues regarding the ways in which the past is presented to, and consumed by, public audiences. Students will be asked to engage theoretically with core historiographical themes including collective memory, oral history, materiality and visual cultures and will also work with Special Collections to explore issues relating to the use of textual and visual material for public consumption (IPR, copyright etc). These sessions will be accompanied by case studies drawn from the locale and beyond that will enable students to develop their understanding in relation to practical examples. The module will thus provide students with a strong historiographical grounding in both theories and concepts of public history whilst at the same time allow for an understanding of these issues in relation to ‘real life’ scenarios that will prepare them for the remainder of their studies.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will have
- an in-depth understanding of the way the past is presented to and consumed by members of the public
- A clear understanding of changes and developments in public history in different national contexts
- familiarity with relevant theories and concepts of public history, and a critical engagement with the relevant historiography
- An ability to distinguish various approaches to and methods used in public history
- An understanding of application of these issues in a range of practical settings
- An ability to present work in a way that is expected of historians to both academic and public audiences
Skills
Students should develop skills relating to the assessment and analysis of various forms of public history; to effectively using a variety of methods to engage a range of audiences; and to understand and articulate concepts around the practice of history in public spheres
The module will examine the purpose of historical research and writing, the main genres of historical writing, techniques of bibliographical research, footnoting, the handling of quantitative and non-quantitative evidence, and practical writing skills. An ancient history strand will include study of specialised methodologies relating to ancient writers and epigraphy.
Learning Outcomes
Students provide an understanding of the purpose, nature and specific techniques of historical research and writing.
Demonstrate an ability to locate relevant primary sources from a range of archives, both physical and virtual
- Development of the student’s understanding of the various methodologies used by professional historians
- Development of a deeper awareness of the value of inter-disciplinary study
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate to various audiences
Bibliographical research; handling of evidence, writing and referencing techniques.
An ability to communicate historical research to an academic and a non-specialist readership
An ability to apply a critical apparatus to a dissertation on a historical topic (bibliographical research; handling of evidence; writing and referencing techniques)
An ability to synthesise the aim and purpose of an academic seminar or workshop
An ability to reflect on personal development through attendance at seminars and workshops Improved verbal and oral skills
This course offers students instruction in reading literary texts in historical contexts. Students can choose from a range of strands and historical periods to suit their individual interests. Within these periods they will be taught how to read literary texts in close relation to the cultures in which they are produced. Issues covered will include the complexity of context; the changing nature of historicist paradigms; the ethics of historical reading; the various documentary sources that can be read alongside literary works; the relationship between context and literary form.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of historicist literary practice. They will be able to read a variety of texts from a particular historical period in relation to their context. Students will be able to understand the ethical and political pitfalls and practices of historical reading, and will be introduced to secondary criticism that examines these issues. They will also develop the skills to read these texts with an eye to their formal complexity, and to think about how that complexity might work with, and against, historicist reading, Students will be introduced to a number of digital resources that will encourage their independent research in the historical period they choose to study.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse literature in both a historical and critical context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex relationship between formal development and social transformations.
• Understand the ethical and political challenges facing historicist criticism
• Develop independent research topics with assistance from module staff
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
• Demonstrate advanced research skills, in particular the use of digital platforms to explore the past.
This module introduces students to key theoretical debates, issues, and practices in the field of conflict mediation and transformation. It charts these themes through an interdisciplinary perspective, with particular emphasis on critical peace and conflict studies, feminist and decolonial perspectives. We will consider a variety of contemporary issues in the changing landscape of mediation and examine transformative approaches that support inclusive dialogue and peacebuilding. Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on the hierarchies, challenges, and possibilities inherent to conflict mediation and transformation, exploring the contribution of actors, knowledges and perspectives that have traditionally been marginalised in the field. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with experienced mediators and peacebuilders, developing a deeper understanding of the skills and strategies at the core of mediative practice.
Aims:
This module is designed to provide you with the conceptual tools and study skills for developing your own critical appraisal of conflict mediation and transformation in a variety of contexts. You will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the complexities of addressing the legacies of violence in contexts of armed conflict, in community and inter-personal relations, and in social justice movements. At the end of this module, you will have enhanced your ability to critically interrogate different perspectives and practices in the field through interdisciplinary lenses. Furthermore, through engagement with practitioners and experiential learning, you will have the opportunity to practice some skills and strategies at the core of mediation. Crucially, I hope that you will feel empowered to apply these skills in academic and professional contexts, as well as everyday life.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Understand key debates and issues in the field of conflict mediation and transformation through an inter-disciplinary perspective.
• Discuss and assess different theoretical perspectives.
• Think critically about narratives, policies and practices of conflict mediation and transformation.
• Understand the specific ethical, practical and political challenges inherent to conflict mediation & transformation.
• Identify and assess transformative approaches to mediation and conflict transformation.
• Keep abreast of relevant literature in the field.
• Conduct independent research by identifying, gathering, and evaluating information and sources.
• Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
• Understand and reflect on how mediative practice can be applied to a variety of contexts.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
The module familiarises students with the field of religious peacebuilding, which is one of the growth areas within conflict transformation studies in the social sciences. The module establishes the nature of religious peacebuilding as it currently conceived and which has moved it intellectually significantly beyond inter-faith dialogue between the world religions. Religious peacebuilding is now integrally tied to the idea of reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice and is thus a meeting ground for theology, ethics and social science. The course places particular emphasis on three dimensions within religious peacebuilding, the role of religion in truth recovery, transitional justice, and inter-faith dialogue. These processes are subject to critical review and the module assesses the boundaries of unforgivingness after conflict, the burden of memory and the boundaries of forgetting, the problems with ‘truth’ and truth recovery, the limits of shame apologies and reparations, the constraints on inter-faith dialogue and the engagement of religious practitioners in social transformation and social justice after conflict. The module will focus on religious peacebuilding internationally, covering such cases as Northern Ireland, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Israel-Palestine and the Middle East, and South Africa. The module will provide opportunities to engage with practitioners in faith-based NGOs in Northern Ireland about their personal engagement in religious peacebuilding. The module will lay the necessary conceptual, methodological and substantive foundations for students, if they wish, to carry out their own independent researches in religious peacebuilding within the dissertation associated with the MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, and in other contexts, including possible future PhD research. The module is seminar based and will use a variety of different pedagogic strategies, ranging from lectures, student seminar presentations, student-led discussions, videos, and discussions with faith-based practitioners from Northern Ireland.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes of this module are:
•To give attention to the growth in religious peacebuilding as a means for achieving reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice after conflict
•To understand the meaning of reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice after conflict, both in the sense of reconciliation between former enemies and with the past more generally
•To address the range of processes in religious peacebuilding and its expansion beyond questions of inter-faith dialogue
•To critically assess the potential for reconciliation, conflict transformation and social justice by addressing religious peacebuilding in critical perspective by:
Exploring the boundaries of unforgivingness after conflict
Exploring the burden of memory and the boundaries of forgetting
Exploring the problem with ‘truth’ and truth recovery
Exploring the limits of shame apologies and reparations
Exploring the limits of inter-faith dialogue
Skills
Skills are focused on knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills, and study skills, as follows
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students should be aware of the issues involved in successful religious peacebuilding. In particular:
• the sociological features of religious peacebuilding
• the limits of religious peacebuilding
• the role of religion in managing legacy issues arising from conflict
• the role of religion in assisting reconciliation
Intellectual skills
The course aims to extend and develop the students’ sociological perspective and its application to understanding key public issues in the contemporary world. It will demonstrate how a rigorous social scientific approach can illuminate a fascinating and timely topic; raise very general issues about the nature of social scientific explanation and the status of evidence in the social sciences; and show the value of comparative analysis.
Study skills
Improvement in students’ ability to:
• obtain and evaluate relevant information
• to write concise and clear analytical essays
• communicate orally via the presentation of structured and reasoned arguments in small group settings
• to work under the constraint of time pressures
• to reflect critically on the quality of your own work
• to direct their own learning
The Applied Project allows individual students to work on an area of archaeological or palaeoecological research which interests them, by critical analysis of a particular problem. The module enables students to conduct a line of independent research, for example in the field of cultural heritage or GIS, and thus contribute to knowledge in the chosen discipline. The project will generally involve collecting and analysing primary data. Normally, the material studied has either never been published or the student brings analytical techniques to bear on it which have not been used before. By undertaking the Applied Project, students consolidate analytical and critical skills developed during the degree programme, whilst expanding their knowledge of “how” research is done.
Learning Outcomes
An in-depth understanding of a specific area within the disciplines of Archaeology or Palaeoecology; An understanding of the development of the growth of archaeological thought or palaeoecological debate through reading past literature on a topic; The application of critical or organisational skills in an individual research context; An understanding of the context of a piece of research in relation to other information on the area or period
Skills
Designing, researching and completing a substantial piece of individual research; Understanding of the way data-gathering relates to the later analysis and conclusions; Bibliographic research; Time management of a project over an extended period
This module engages with a range of Dickens’s writings from several stages of his career, examining his output as novelist and journalist. Particular attention is paid to the social, political and cultural issues affecting mid-Victorian England, including class; technological innovation and industrialisation; privilege and meritocracy; the experience of the metropolis; sanitary reform; and domestic ideology. Conditions of production and reception will also be examined, in order to reflect upon Victorian publishing, reading, and critical practices. The module will also consider the dialogue between Dickens’s prose and the works’ original illustrations.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able
- to demonstrate an advanced knowledge of Dickens’s fiction and journalism
- to interpret nineteenth-century texts with originality, through close reading
- to evaluate current scholarship on nineteenth-century prose and its contexts
- to apply advanced knowledge with independent judgement in the course of research, essay writing, and class presentations
Skills
In this module, students will gain a range of subject specific and transferrable skills. Students will:
- develop their understanding of Dickens and the context around his artistic output
- refine their skills in textual analysis
- enhance their skills in assessing secondary scholarship and internet sources
- develop their ability to engage in independent research projects
- improve their skills in academic writing and argumentation
- hone their skills in group discussion and online presentation
This module, will introduce postgraduate students to key themes in modern Irish history based on the current research interests of staff. These will vary according to the availability of staff but will include such themes as religion; culture and politics; migration; women and gender. Within each of these broad themes, students will examine major issues and developments over an extended period, engage with key historiographical debates and become familiar with the relevant source material. The small number of broad themes, which will be taught over successive weeks, will allow staff whose expertise lies in different periods to work together in exploring a particular theme; to showcase areas of current research strength; and facilitate a greater emphasis on approaches to history and historiographical developments.
Learning Outcomes
1. A broad understanding of major themes and debates in modern Irish history.
2. A critical appreciation of the secondary literature and historiographical debates relating to these themes.
3. A critical appreciation of the value of primary sources documents and the different ways they are used by historians.
4. The ability to write an informed and original analysis of the historical themes studied in the module.
5. An understanding of methodologies and approaches to Irish history, and how these have developed over time.
Skills
On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills:
An ability to assess information from primary and secondary sources
An ability to assess, develop and present a thesis
An ability to respond to the oral contribution of others in an informed and constructive manner.
This module provide students with an opportunity to gain professional experience in the heritage sector through a part-time workplace internship. Over the course of the semester, students will undertake a 12-week internship of, on average, two working days per week (or a number of shorter, consecutive internships of similar overall duration) at an institution, body or business in the heritage sector, e.g. with a museum or with a commercial-sector archaeological company.
Learning Outcomes
• Demonstrate an ability to adapt to a workplace environment
• Develop an awareness and understanding of the structures, policies, procedures and ethos of a business, institution or organization
• Articulate skills developed to maximise future career prospects
• Learn independently in unfamiliar situations with open-mindedness and a spirit of critical enquiry
• Work in a team and understand professional responsibilities
• Apply acquired skills in a practical workplace environment
Skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Ability to work a part of a team
• Capacity to critically reflect on experiential learning
• Assume responsibility within a workplace environment
• Greater level of confidence and self-awareness
• Development of networking and communication skills
• Professionalism within the workplace
• Time management
This module introduces students to the advanced methods and skills required in postgraduate studies of literature. It is taught through a course of lectures and/or workshops which will address key research questions and paradigms in literary studies, including manuscript and print traditions, textual criticism, methodologies and evidence in literary scholarship. Students will apply these methods and debates to particular case studies within literature.
Learning Outcomes
On completing the module, students will be able to demonstrate a clear grasp of key issues in literary studies including the theory and practical implications of literary editing, literary terminology and the history of the book. They will be able to retrieve information about resources, methods and skills necessary to their chosen specialised field of postgraduate studies in English and identify their own needs in terms of the pursuit of advance literary research.
Skills
This module will develop skills in:
Written and oral communication and presentation
Advanced application of theories and methodologies
Students will also develop skills which will be important for further research, including tracing source material through internet retrieval.
The Politics and Political Economy of Energy and Low Carbon Energy Transitions
Overview
This module will take as it’s starting the concept of ‘Carbon Literacy’, its definition, measurement and development. Students will study policy making, governance and institutional structures at International, national, regional and local levels through the selection of relevant case studies. They will gain an understanding of the spectrum of carbon literacy and the challenges of identifying knowledge and capacity building needs for stakeholders, policy and decision makers at all levels, from global to local and individual.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module each student should have gained knowledge of:
• The emergence of carbon literacy and its role in the creation of a low carbon society;
• The conceptual and interdisciplinary dimensions of carbon literacy as a communication and policy language and tool;
• The scientific and normative components of carbon literacy in theory and practice;
• The positive and negative dimensions of carbon literacy in relation to communication and policy relevance; and
• The relationship between carbon literacy and existing frameworks for understanding and devising policies for the green economy.
Skills
The module provides students with opportunities to develop the following skills:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.
The module explores the structure and institutions of the European Union (EU) as well as selected theoretical approaches to the study of European integration. It examines in detail the nature and roles of the EU’s main institutions (i.e. Commission, European Parliament, Council, European Council, European Central Bank, and Court of Justice), and provides a critical assessment of selected EU policies and political challenges facing the EU. In doing so the module explores the decision- and policy-making dynamics within the EU as well as some of the most pressing themes in European governance.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• have a detailed knowledge of the institutional structure of the European Union
• have an appreciation of the explanatory value of selected theoretical approaches to the study of European integration and EU decision- and policy-making
• be able to critically assess the essential characteristics of the EU’s institutional framework
• have a familiarity with the EU policy base and policy priorities
• be able to identify specific, timely and pressing contemporary issues of relevance to the politics of the European Union
• have detailed knowledge of a selection of salient policy areas
• be able to pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical/independent thinking
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing and Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical and Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
The module will examine the key theoretical approaches and practical issues and debates that have defined the evolution of Security Studies. They will engage the changing definitions of security and approaches to understanding security. It will address both ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ security and the ways in which these are increasingly connected in both theory and practice. Moreover, it will introduce students to the inter-disciplinary nature of engagements with security (from politics to geography to technology). It will engage theorising in application by introducing students both to the major concepts and theoretical assumptions of understandings of security and showing how these play out in debates and practices of security. Students will be introduced to the core concepts and differences between ‘traditional’ rationalist theories of security and the emergence and development of varieties of critical security studies. They will then examine key issues in security that may include: The state, sovereignty and internal securities; uncertainty, the security dilemma and risk; regimes, regions and security communities; non-proliferation and disarmament; theorising war; migration and borders; surveillance and security; cyber-security; environmental security: beyond energy and resource conflict; Poverty, food, and human security; gender and security; and others. Students will therefore engage critically with the intersections of theory and practice; domestic and international; and state and human securities; and be able to understand contemporary transformations of security in relation to power, sovereignty, mobilities, and technology.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will:
- Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different theoretical engagements with security and the diversity of critical approaches.
- Understand how theories of security translate into different political practices of security.
- Be able to apply critical security concepts to contemporary security practices.
- Critically engage in debates on key developments in the politics of security.
- Be able to reflect upon the ethical and political implications developments in security theory and practice.
- Be able to engage in depth with a wide range of security issues in a theoretically informed way.
- Pursue independent, creative and critical thinking through both written work and group discussions.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
This module examines concepts of ethnicity, national identity, multiculturalism as they relate to contemporary conflict. Students will be provided with a detailed and critical analysis of the political and constitutional options in societies beset by ethnic conflict, with particular emphasis being given to mechanisms directed at and institutions involved in management of and accommodation after the conflict. By examining theories of ethnic conflict the module introduces students to issues underlying conflicts across the globe including nation building and rights of minorities, territorialisation of ethnicity, partition and secession management, and kin-state involvement as well as socio-political integration as mechanisms to avert and/or resolve ethnic conflicts. The module introduces students to debates about the construction and salience of ethnicity as a source of conflict. We conclude by critically examining how these debates inform approaches to ethnic conflict management and which implications they have for practical solutions of ethnic conflicts.
Learning Outcomes
• explore different and contrasting meanings of ethnicity, ethnic conflict and nationalism and their connotations;
• examine the roots of ethno - nationalism and its impact on society, as well as the relationship between ethnic and other divisions in society;
• analyse the role of ethnicity as a source of internal and international conflict in the post - Cold War world;
• furnish students with basic intellectual skills (e.g. critical thinking, analysis, problem solving) in relation to nationalism and ethnicity;
• understanding the key concepts in the field of the study of nationalism and ethnic politics and appreciation of the relationship between ethnicity and sources of conflict in societies;
• develop a sufficient understanding of different methods of conflict regulation in ethnically diverse societies, paying particular attention to the role of political institutions in conflict management,
• be aware of the context and practicalities of management, territorial management of divisions, whether by means of federalism, ‘re-scaling’, or partition or consociationalism as a means of conflict-management;
Furthermore students will acquire a set of civic skills, including:
• Sensitivity and appreciation of cultural diversity and how to handle diversity and conflict based on group identities;
• Learning how to live with and tolerate other cultures in multicultural environments;
• Developing an understanding of different forms and consequences ethnic conflict can take;
• Relating to diversity in interpretations of the meaning of ethnicity and assess the role of diversity management and multiculturalism in this respect;
• Understanding ideas and impact of institutionalised power relations on perceptions of good citizenship and democracy in multi-ethnic societies
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
• Understanding of dynamic and changing nature of conflict resolution and management;
• Understanding a range of conceptual components associated with conflict management, including intervention, peace-building and reconstruction;
• Processing, summarising and presenting facts/information including critical reflection, in oral and written format;
• Pursuing intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field of conflict management
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing through related assignments. Resolve or manage communication conflicts.
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning through class simulation on conflict management
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress during class simulations; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways. Conflict management skills are particularly effective in managing life and work related challenges
Origins of community archaeology
Definition of community archaeology
Nature of global community archaeology
Community-led or community-based?
Examples of community archaeology in action in UK and RoI
Role of HLF in development of the profile of community archaeology in the UK
Public outreach and community archaeology
Social well-being and community archaeology
Future trends in community archaeology
Learning Outcomes
Community archaeology is a fast-developing field within the discipline, with an increasing relevance to wider society. The module will provide the students with insight into the development, delivery and practice of community archaeology, and offer them the experience of working with the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, a fieldwork unit that undertakes significant levels of work within community archaeology across Northern Ireland each year.
Skills
Direct experience of team work and being part of a team
Development of social and communication skills
Development of presentational skills
Development of written skills
Development of critical thinking and interpretation skills
A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to a grade A at A-level and a Distinction being equated to a grade B at A-level.
Irish leaving certificate requirements
H2H2H3H3H3H3 including English. If not offered at Higher Level, O4 English required.
Access/Foundation Course
Successful completion of Access Course with an overall average of 75%.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
36 points overall, including 6,6,6 at Higher Level.
BTEC Level 3 Extended/National Extended Diploma
QCF BTEC Extended Diploma (180 credits at Level 3) with overall grades D*D*D*
RQF BTEC National Extended Diploma (1080 GLH at Level 3) with overall grades D*D*D*
Graduate
A minimum of a 2:1 Honours Degree
Note
All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.
How we choose our students
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.
Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.
For applicants offering A-level/BTEC Level 3 qualifications, past performance at GCSE is taken into account when deciding whether or not to make conditional offers. For last year’s entry, we started making offers to applicants with 2 grade A/7 and 4 grade B/6 at GCSE. This threshold may be lowered as the cycle progresses depending upon the number and quality of applications. The final threshold is not usually determined until late in the admissions cycle, so there may be a delay in processing applicants who do not meet the initial threshold. Performance in any AS or A-level examinations already completed would also have been taken into account and the Selector checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled. GCSE English Language grade C/4 is also required.
For applicants offering Irish Leaving Certificate, please note that performance at Junior Certificate is taken into account. Last year the initial Junior Certificate profile to qualify to be made an offer was 2A/2 Distinctions and 4B/4 Higher Merit grades. The Selector also checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of Leaving Certificate subjects can be satisfied. This threshold may be lowered as the cycle progresses depending upon the number and quality of applications. The final threshold is not usually determined until late in the admissions cycle, so there may be a delay in processing applicants who do not meet the initial threshold.
Offers are normally made on the basis of 3 A-levels. The offer for repeat applicants is set in terms of 3 A-Levels only and is normally the same as that asked from the first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year; however repeat applicants must have obtained a minimum of BBC at A-Level in first attempt.
Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification), or one A-level and a BTEC Diploma/National Diploma (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.
Applicants offering other qualifications, such as Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, will also be considered.
For applicants offering a HNC, the current requirements are successful completion of the HNC with 4 Distinctions and remainder Merits. For those offering a Higher National Diploma, some flexibility may be allowed in terms of GCSE profile but, to be eligible for an offer, applicants must have good grades in the first year of their HND. Applicants will be required to successfully complete the HND with 6 Distinctions and 10 Merits overall. Any consideration would be for Stage 1 entry only.
Applicants offering Access/Certificate in Foundation Studies courses will be considered individually on their own merits. Applicants studying the two-year part-time course must achieve a minimum overall average of 60% in year 1 in order to be made an offer.
The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted however, these are not the final deciding factors as to whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.
A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking 4 A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.
Applicants are not normally asked to attend for interview.
If you are made an offer then you may be invited to a Faculty/School Open Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.
If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, Queen's University Belfast International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
International Students - Foundation and International Year One Programmes
Queen's University Belfast International Study Centre offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.
Studying for a Liberal Arts degree at Queen's will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen's are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline. In particular, employers value the initiative, imagination, creativity and independence of thought fostered by the Liberal Arts degree. These are high-achieving graduates with a diverse and multi-disciplinary skill set that is attuned to the demands of twenty-first century society and can provide flexible and innovative responses to global challenges. The following is a list of the major career sectors that have attracted our graduates in recent years:
Publishing, Media and Performing Arts
Public Relations
Interpreting and Translating
Advertising
Writing and Journalism
Broadcasting
Academia
Production and Editing
Theatre and Performing Arts
Law
Charities and non-government organisations
Librarianship
Location Manager
Banking and Business
Politics and Civil Leadership
Fast Stream Civil Service
Management Consultancy
Global Supply Chain Management
Tourism
Diplomatic and Embassy officials
Professional Economists
International Marketing
Education, health or government departments
Policy analysts
Musical performers, technicians and producers
Employment after the Course
You should take a look at the Prospects website for further information concerning the types of jobs that attract Liberal Arts graduates.
Further study is also an option open to our graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of taught Masters programmes as well as the MRes in Arts and Humanities.
Queen's is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers. Queen's students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.
Degree Plus and other related initiatives:
Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen's. Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including: recognised Queen's Certificates, placements, and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports.
Queen's actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students). Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts. As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, eg employers.
Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies. These qualities are amongst those highly valued by graduate employers. https://www.prospects.ac.uk/
Alumni Success
Our Liberal Arts graduates have gone on to careers in the charity sector, teaching, journalism, politics, and policy. A number are currently travelling the world! One of our recent-ish graduates is working for Mastermind, and putting their wide-ranging Liberal Arts experience to good use!
Prizes and Awards
There is a Liberal Arts Travel Bursary available for international students
Degree Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase in each year of the course. Fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.
Additional course costs
Students who undertake a period of study or work abroad, are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. These costs vary depending on the location and duration of the placement.
A limited amount of funding may be available to contribute towards these additional costs, if the placement takes place through a government student mobility scheme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at:www.ucas.com/applying.
When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2026 from early September 2025.
The advisory closing date for the receipt of applications for entry in 2026 is Wednesday 14 January 2026 (18:00). This is the 'equal consideration' deadline for this course.
Applications fromUK and EU (Republic of Ireland)students after this date are, in practice, considered by Queen’s for entry to this course throughout the remainder of the application cycle (30 June 2026) subject to the availability of places. If you apply for 2026 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applications fromInternational and EU (Other) studentsare normally considered by Queen's for entry to this course until 30 June 2026. If you apply for 2026 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.
The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.
Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students
Applying through UCAS Most students make their applications throughUCAS(Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2026.
Applying direct The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application.Find out more.
Applying through agents and partners The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult theAgent Listto find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.
