MCH1026 : Social and Cultural Studies
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Clifton Evers
- Co-Module Leader: Dr Sarah Hill
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
To enable students to investigate culture and society from a critical perspective.
2. To give students the intellectual tools to analyse the means by which culture is interpreted, analysed and used in a variety of social and political settings.
3. To provide students with a critical platform to evaluate how power shapes culture, society, identity, subjectivity, media, place, and representation.
This module explores the practice, politics, and ethics of Social and Cultural Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study. The module examines ways that culture is understood, analysed and mobilised through analysis of a diverse range of texts and issues. Some of the main topics and issues talked about may relate to the study of media in connection to race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, immigration, class, fashion, food, sport, subcultures, and the posthuman.
Outline Of Syllabus
1.This module is aimed at students who are new to the field of social and cultural studies and/or who have some initial knowledge of the field. The module will encourage students to critically engage with some of the key terms, concepts, ideas, and approaches from this field.
2. The module will deal with foundational material about associated theory, and will offer some answers to the questions: 'what is culture?'; “how does culture happen?”
3. In addition, the module will consider and discuss contemporary examples. The module places a strong emphasis on understanding how to link ideas and theories to living with and through everyday texts, practices, institutions, and identities.
4. Lectures and seminars will show students how to analyse cultural life: practices, texts, institutions, beliefs, values, power.
5.The module involves discussion of local, national and transnational perspectives.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Learning lectures on campus. These lectures can be delivered online, if necessary. |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 1 | 0:30 | 0:30 | Non-synchronous online video introducing students to module (30 mins) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 70:00 | 70:00 | Assessment 1: Multimedia content |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 2 | 20:00 | 40:00 | Assessment 2: Critical analysis of multimedia content |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Weekly seminars designed to enhance knowledge and understanding. On campus but can move online. |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured non-synchronous discussion | 1 | 0:30 | 0:30 | Discussion board to feed in to revision/ assessment prep lecture/seminar. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 36:00 | 36:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Social and Cultural Studies introduce a different way of looking at the world. Given that the majority of the students come from a wide disciplinary background, close and sustained support is required. Thus the lecture materials will provide formal approaches to the areas that are being looked at whilst students in synchronous discussions groups consider some of the more challenging aspects of the programme in more depth. Scheduled contact time will provide students with a pre-arranged appointment to discuss the module with staff.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 2 | M | 80 | See MCH1031 MOF for details |
| Written exercise | 1 | A | 20 | Timed Assessment: Critical analysis multimedia content (1000 words) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
For PQL0 students
Multimedia content (80%) (see MCH1031)
Timed essay (20%) Multimedia critique (1000 words)
A programme-level approach to assessment aims to make student’ assessment journey through the programme clearer, and strengthen students’ understanding and experience of the relationship between theory and practice. 80% of the marks will be taken from the MCH1031 multimedia content, which is based around a theme covered on MCH1026. Students will be assessed on their use and application of ideas and concepts from MCH1026, whereas MCH1031 will assess practical skills as per the module's learning outcomes. After creating the content, students are required to write a critique of a piece of multimedia content produced by their peers using theories, concepts and frameworks that are taught on this module. Peer-to-peer feedback is beneficial to students’ understanding and sense of community.
Students who do not study PQL0 Media, Communication and Cultural Studies are required to submit the following assessments:
Reflexive concept photo essay: (M) 650 words (20%)
The reflexive concept photo essay, to be submitted prior to the essay, will function as a road map for the final essay. It is aimed at helping students connect concepts and theory to daily cultural life. Feedback will be provided.
Critical photo essay (A) 2000 words (80%)
Students will build on the skills and feedback from the first assessment. Students are required to construct an argument on a topic or theme covered in the module.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MCH1026's Timetable