Module manager: Dr Barbara Engh
Email: b.engh@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module explores critical paradigms in cultural theory. Likely paradigms include the following: 1. the concept of 'commodity fetishism', central to cultural studies in its examination of contemporary consumer cultures, establishing a sense of its historical development in relation to political economy and philosophy; 2. the 'linguistic paradigm' in cultural theory, and the critiques generated through the concepts of sign, discourse, and text; 3. the question of the subject in the psychoanalytical tradition.
You will gain proficiency in important paradigms of critical cultural theory with which to analyse a broad range of cultural artefacts. You will develop your skills as interdisciplinary thinkers and an ability to change critical perspectives and to interrogate the presuppositions of your own projects. You will gain a shared conceptual vocabulary that will serve as the basis on which to develop collegial relations with each other, and on which to develop your individual projects.
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
1. Evaluate and compare major paradigms in critical and cultural theory.
2. Utilise these methodologies and theoretical resources in the analysis of cultural artefacts.
3. Construct critical arguments keyed to such concepts as ‘commodity’, 'text’ or ‘subject’.
4. Perform sustained close analyses of cultural artefacts that test the strengths and limitations of the theories employed.
Skills Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
5. Reflect on your own learning by developing the ability to recognise and express knowledge and understanding and how it relates to personal experience and to demonstrate learning and growth from the experience.
6. Think critically by developing the ability to weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Lectures | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| seminars | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 269.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 30.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Students receive written feedback on the essay. Discussion sessions in the lectures/seminars also contribute to formative feedback, as will meetings during office hours or essay prep sessions. These supervisions will provide formative feedback on the development of the assessed essay.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Written | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 29/08/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team