Unit information: The Censor's Scissors, 1750-1830 in 2021/22

Unit name	The Censor's Scissors, 1750-1830
Unit code	FREN30112
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Clare Siviter
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of French
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The freedom of expression was a key belief of the Enlightenment but the transition from monarchy to Revolution was a brutal one where speaking your mind could also cost you your life. This Unit examines the constraints to which authors were subjected during the second half of the eighteenth century in France by focusing on five main forms of texts: libertine literature; the press; theatre; the classification of knowledge; the art of the essay. We will consider how censorship shaped literature; how authors, publishers, and booksellers circumvented governmental authority, including the transnational circulation of texts across Europe; how censorship changed with the advent of the Revolution. Finally, we will ask how these censored texts, from the Encyclopédie to pornography, continue to influence our relationship to ‘dangerous works’ even in the twenty-first century.

Each literary form will focus on one main text to be read alongside a selection of further contemporary documents in seminars which will be made available via Blackboard.

The Unit aims to:

• Familiarise students to a range of illicit texts and the means of publication during the latter half of the eighteenth century;
• Develop students’ knowledge of the process of authorship and censorship during this time period, as well as of the cultural, political, and social context;
• Engage with theoretical models of censorship, political engagement, and readership;
• Introduce students with the appropriate tools to trace eighteenth-century censorship (through police reports, for example).

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the init, students will be able to::

1. Analyse primary sources from different political regimes in French from a variety of media (bibliographical listings to modern databases);
2. Apply an appropriate range of cultural and political theories to interpret these texts at a depth appropriate for level H;
3. Present complex arguments clearly using both primary and secondary materials;
4. Demonstrate an understanding of different cultural (and historical) approaches to censorship;
5. Write a concise technical report.

Teaching Information

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures, and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.

Assessment Information

1 x 1500-word censorship report (30%), assessing ILOs 3 and 5

1 x 3500-word essay (70%), assessing ILOs 1-5

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. FREN30112).

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

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

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