HUM4002 - Civilisation(s): An Introduction to Western Culture & Society

Objectives:

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

1 Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural development of the western world, being able to identify social and cultural key events and movements, artefacts/artworks, agents and themes, and begin to situate them within a global context.
2 Critically analyse narratives about western cultural development, addressing key issues such as class, race/ethnicity, and gender, and drawing on recent scholarship and approaches from relevant humanities subjects to inform their arguments.
3 Critically analyse individual artworks/artefacts, considering their significance as indicators of the development of western and non-western civilisations, and drawing on recent scholarship and approaches from relevant humanities subjects to inform their arguments.
4 Develop and present their own understandings of concepts as such ‘civilisation’ and ‘culture’, reflecting critically on the benefits and problems of establishing overarching hegemonic discourses and frameworks.
5 Carry out basic research using appropriate academic sources, collate and analyse evidence, and present findings effectively, lucidly and analytically in group oral presentations and in individual written work.

Content:

This module takes as its point of departure the 1969 landmark BCC series and its accompanying book, Civilisation, by Kenneth Clark, which explored and defended the values of Western Christian and humanist development evidenced in the cultural artefacts of European society since the fall of Rome. Students will be encouraged to engage critically with this central text, exploring its conceptual strengths and weaknesses, considering issues of class, race/ethnicity, and gender, and discovering how scholarship since the 1960s has revised, challenged, and developed Clark’s analysis. The module will encourage students to arrive at their own definitions of what civilisation and culture are, and to interrogate the role of humanities in past, present and future contexts.

Learning and Teaching Information:

A range of learning and teaching methods will be used, including short video extracts followed by group discussions, short presentations by tutors and students, debates, workshops with primary sources, and fieldwork. There will be a particular focus on building student confidence in accessing and using a wide range of sources appropriate for humanities students, and in developing good basic research skills via ‘report-back’ sessions. There will also be an emphasis on encouraging students to encourage critically with narratives of cultural development, and to develop their own interpretations of key terms, events, and movements.

Seminars/workshops
Contact hours: 32 hours
Number of Groups: 20

Individual/group tutorials
Contact hours: 8 hours
Number of groups: 1-4

Assessment:

001 Source analysis 1 x 1500 words 30%
002 Group oral presentation 1 x 20 mins 20%
003 Essay 1 x 2000 words 50%


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