View Specification DocumentVampires and Vampirism: Intercultural Perspectives COMPLIT4043
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Runs Throughout Semesters 1 and 2
- Available to Visiting Students: No
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course explores the intercultural dimensions of vampire fiction, examining works from a range of countries and investigating various incarnations of vampire fiction (in literature and film) across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Timetable
20 x 1 hour seminars over semesters 1 and 2
Requirements of Entry
Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into one of the SMLC Honours programmes, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Written Assignment, aimed at a general audience (2,000 words) - 50%
■ Written Assignment, in the form of an academic essay (2,000 words) - 50%
If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:
■ There is no alternative to the written assignments, but an extension to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).
Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.
Main Assessment In: April/May
Course Aims
■ Analyse the cultural history of the vampire in a range of fictional works
■ Compare the representation of vampire figures in various cultures and periods across different genres and media
■ Examine critically the figure of the vampire as metaphor for a range of social anxieties related, in particular, to the otherness
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ Express in written form for a general audience a clear overview of the cultural history of the figure of the vampire in fiction and a cogent analysis of selected works and concepts
■ Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the set texts and the critical debates on the figure of the vampire in the form of an academic essay on a specific aspect of the course material
■ Demonstrate the ability to take account of formal elements and generic conventions, as well as the shaping effects of historical and social context, on literary production
■ Manifest a command of an appropriate range of critical terminology and concepts and the capacity to apply these approaches with relevance and discrimination.