| Unit name | Cultural Representation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCI30063 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Jo Haynes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The unit examines the issue of cultural identity and relations of power between individuals/groups and representational and discursive practices. Key theoretical and methodological frameworks for studying culture, identity and representations will be introduced. It examines how identities and subjectivities are created through systems of representation involving complex articulations of class, race, gender, sexuality, nation and culture. It also considers representations of the ‘Other’ and what it means to challenge or resist dominant representations. It will introduce students to a body of work from sociology and cultural studies in order to contemplate the significance of cultural differences in the construction and commodification of contemporary identities and within wider debates about the historically situated ordering of reality. Examples will be considered from a range of media and cultural sources such as music, advertising, film, TV, the internet and sport.
The unit aims are:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1hr lecture and 2hr seminar.
Formative: 1500 word essay
Summative: 3000 word essay
Both essays will address learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4 by offering students a range of questions that ask them to draw on substantive and theoretical material covered across the unit. The essays will also offer an opportunity to apply their understanding to a range of contemporary issues appropriate to the essay questions.
