| Unit name | The Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM20052 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lueth |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Governments around the world have recently caught on to how much the so-called ‘cultural and creative industries’ contribute to national prosperity in purely economic terms: the German government estimates the sector’s value to its economy to be €106 billion as of 2019. The German-speaking countries are full of venerable cultural institutions and dynamic young cultural producers. From video games to architecture, concept art and pop music, nightlife and films, cultural products are necessarily part of systems of monetary value and exchange. At the same time, art and culture clearly also have a value which goes beyond the financial, and cultural institutions play a vital role in shaping identity, mediating complex ideas and projecting national power around the world.
This innovative unit will introduce you to the basics of cultural analysis and guide you to apply them to the study of German, Austrian and Swiss cultural institutions and products. Case studies might include commercial businesses (e.g. nightclubs, games developers, architects and designers), public institutions (museums and galleries, universities) and global organisations (such as the Goethe Institut or the Austrian Cultural Forum). What and who is involved in the creation of German-language culture? How and by whom are their activities valued, both financially and otherwise? How does culture relate to political and social power dynamics, both domestic and global? And how can we become critical consumers and producers of culture in this context?
The unit aims:
· to introduce students to theories of cultural analysis and the analysis of cultural institutions in particular.
· to further students’ understanding of the contemporary German-language cultural and creative industries.
· to develop further skills of independent research, collaboration and creative thinking.
On completion of this unit, successful students will be able to:
1. demonstrate knowledge of the basics of cultural analysis
2. evaluate and analyse the role of German-language institutions in a global context
3. formulate proposals for cultural events and products which would contribute to or critique German-language culture and creativity
4. develop independent arguments in oral and written forms
5. to develop effective collaborative skills when working as part of a group.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including group seminar-style discussion and self-directed exercises
1 x 15 mins group presentation (30%). Testing ILOs 1, 2, 4 and 5
1 x 2,500-word written project (70%). Testing ILOs 3 and 4.
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. GERM20052).
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.
