Unit information: Representations: (Re)-making the World in 2022/23

Unit name	Representations: (Re)-making the World
Unit code	AFAC10009
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Ms. Amy Laurent
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	Arts Faculty Office
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This unit aims to introduce students to a variety of theoretical perspectives on representation in the arts and humanities and in wider society. The theoretical issues under consideration may include metaphor, allegory and figurative perspectives; 'objective' representation and questions of interpretation; realism and discourse; signification and absence; ideology; the creation of stereotypes; the creation of meaning; and the use of critical perspectives to name and/or re-make the world.

Normally, these issues will be considered within the unit under one thematic heading, which might vary from year-to-year, e.g. race, slavery, gender, the Islamic world, old age or childhood. The issues will usually be considered through 5 'case studies' of representation, which might include (as examples) a novel or memoir, a painting, a philosophical or theological essay, a film and a television programme.

In addition to the theoretical questions that are introduced, students will have an opportunity to consider practical questions arising from the unit, and particularly issues about representation within arts/culture in society and about the perspectives that are normally heard or which may go unrepresented in the academy. These perspectives will be considered in part through contributions to the teaching on the unit by external experts such as members of local community organisations and professionals from related disciplines, e.g. a novelist, a television producer, an activist or a lawyer specialising in issues related to culture.

The assessment for the unit will allow students to specialise in either the academic or practical questions raised, and will provide an opportunity to undertake group work.

The unit will normally include an introduction to relevant issues – such as managing difficult situations and health and safety – for those undertaking working in/with the community.

Your learning on this unit

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

1. demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical issues underpinning how representation has been debated and articulated in different disciplines;
2. demonstrate an awareness of how non-Western perspectives have challenged and re-framed questions about representation in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries especially;
3. relate these theoretical groundings to practical questions about representation as they are debated and understood in non-academic settings and communities, and to questions about voices, communities or perspectives that may often go unheard in the academy;
4. apply what they are learning in the classroom to a range of settings, including in workplaces and through engagement with non-academic perspectives.
5. students may also have acquired skills necessary for effective team working and for working collaboratively with external organisations and complex non-academic communities.

How you will learn

Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback. There may be contributions to teaching in the seminars from external participants, e.g. from representatives of local community organisations and professionals from related fields, alongside input from academic tutors.

How you will be assessed

For this unit, students will complete one written assignment of 2,500 words (100% of the unit mark). This assignment will take the form of one of the three assessments listed below:

• An academic essay engaging with the theoretical issues prompted by the unit and emphasising ILOs 1-2, but drawing also on knowledge and skills acquired through tasks in the unit designed to facilitate ILOs 3-4 and 5 where applicable.

• A creative response to the themes of the unit, which may be in the form of a piece of creative writing, photographs, a short film, a piece of music, jewellery or another form to be agreed by the unit tutor (equivalent to 1500 words; emphasising ILOs 1-2, and which is accompanied by a reflective commentary of 1,000 words showing how the work responds to theoretical, practical and ethical questions prompted by the unit thus demonstrating also knowledge and skills acquired through tasks in the unit designed to facilitate ILOs 3, 4 and 5 where applicable.

• A reflective assignment that maps the cultural contexts of an individual or organisation outside the academy. Students may work in teams to map the cultural contexts of an organisation, but each student should submit a separate assignment, and the teams should assign separate aspects of the task to each individual student. This assignment will emphasise learning outcomes 3-4 and 5 where applicable, but the student should also draw on knowledge and understanding acquired through tasks related to ILOs 1-2.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. AFAC10009).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.