Modules
Literature and the History of Ideas (TRU1113)
| Staff | Dr Christopher Stokes - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15 |
| NQF Level | 4 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
This module will aim to introduce you to core philosophical, critical and aesthetic concepts that are relevant to the study and interpretation of literature. It sets out ways of reading given literary texts against some of the most resonant ideas of their own time, whilst also introducing you to the way that these ideas persist across literary history. Setting out foundational modes of critical analysis and inquiry, it prepares you for engaging with literary and cultural ‘texts’ at levels 2 and 3, as well as covering paradigms central to modern schools of literary and critical theory.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Through seminar contributions and/or written work, demonstrate competent knowledge and understanding of large-scale concepts and methodological questions relevant to literary studies
- 2. Demonstrate a competent knowledge and understanding of important literary texts
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 3. Demonstrate competence in the close reading and analysis of set texts
- 4. Draw upon relevant critical writings when analysing literary texts, and document these sources in bibliographies
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 5. Capably research, process and deploy information in written form to a set deadline and/or in a time-limited setting
- 6. Produce written work that conveys an argument competently, in clear and correct prose
- 7. Through exams, demonstrate knowledge and memory skills
Syllabus plan
Topics and text studies may include some of the following:
- Humanism and Posthumanism
- Power and Biopolitics
- Class and Marxism
- Empire and the Postcolonial
- Enlightenment and Terror
- Faith and the Secular
- Nature and Environmental Criticism
- Gender and Feminism
- Sex, Sexuality and Queer Theory
- Bodies and Affect
- Rhetoric and Politics
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Lectures large group teaching (22 x 1 hour) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Seminars small group teaching (11 x 2 hours) |
| Guided Independent Study | 256 | Preparation for seminars and assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1000 words | 1-6 | Written and option for oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | 45 | 10 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 45 | 1500 words | 1-6 | Written and option for oral feedback |
| Examination | 45 | 1.5 hours | 1-7 | Written and option for oral feedback |
| Participation | 10 | Continuous | 1-4 | Oral feedback with opportunity for office hours follow-up |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
| Examination | Examination | 1-7 | Referral/deferral period |
| Participation | Repeat Study or mitigation | 1-4 | N/a |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- You should purchase, or already be in possession of, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 9th edition, ed. M.H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt, et. al. (New York and London: W.W. Norton, 2012).
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
Yes
Origin date
31/05/2017
Last revision date
04/06/2019
Key words search
Literature, philosophy, critical theory