Module manager: Dr Matthew Pritchard
Email: m.pritchard1@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as an Elective
The module looks at contemporary trends in critical theory and aesthetic thought and the ways in which those modes of thought can be applied, particular with reference to music. Specific texts by leading thinkers in aesthetics form the basis of class discussion, which are at the heart of the module.
This module seeks to develop in students an understanding of contemporary trends in critical theory and aesthetics as well as an understanding of the particular contexts in which they can be fruitfully deployed. The module aims to help students discuss complex thought, both in text and in speech, in ways that stress clarity and concision. Though the module largely focuses on aesthetic thought in a broad way, to succeed students will also have to think through the ways in which such theory can be worked to create musical insights.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Demonstrate developing competence in critical and aesthetic approaches appropriate to the study of music;
2. Evaluate critically the concepts, values, and debates of contemporary critical and aesthetic thought;
3. Engage with the ways in which interdisciplinary thought can support and enhance the study of music
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Exhibit intellectual confidence an independence of thought;
5. Take a proactive and self-reflective role in working through the evaluation of own and others’ ideas;
6. Make effective self-directed decisions in unusual and unexpected situations
The module focuses on a range of recent writings in critical and aesthetic theory. Each session will focus on a particular thinker and will function as a reading group, taught through staff-guided, but student-led discussion of the issues at stake within each text and their potential relevance to musical discourse. Students will work in small groups with the support of staff to develop and consolidate their understanding of the course materials. Thinkers studied may include (but are not limited to): Sara Ahmed, Rosi Braidotti, R. W. Connell, Richard Dyer, Jack Halberstam, bell hooks, Sianne Ngai, Peggy Phelan, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 280 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Progress is monitored on a weekly basis in class, principally through student contribution to discussion, which forms the basis of teaching on the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 5,500-6,500 words | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
There is no reading list for this module
Last updated: 4/10/2024
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