Please note: there may be some adjustments to the teaching arrangements published in the course catalogue for 2020-21. Given current circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic it is anticipated that some usual arrangements for teaching on campus will be modified to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff on campus; further adjustments may also be necessary, or beneficial, during the course of the academic year as national requirements relating to management of the pandemic are revised.

Representations of Faith in Film and Television FTV4095

  • Academic Session: 2022-23
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Available to Erasmus Students: Yes

Short Description

This course explores how faith, religious institutions, and religious ideology have been represented in film and television. Whereas explorations of religion on the screen have, to date, largely been contained within theological studies, this course takes a sociological and cultural approach grounded in film and television studies instead.

Timetable

1x5 hr session per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. (includes film screening, lecture, and seminar).

This is one of the Honours options in Film and Television and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Film and Television Studies 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

Essay (3,000 words) - 60%

Four x 700 word Reflective Learning Log - 40% 

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Examine the ways religion, religious institutions, and religious ideology are represented in documentary and fiction film and television, taking into account particular historical, sociological, and cultural contexts.

■ Engage with theories and debates surrounding religious representation in film and television

■ Engage with issues that arise due to the influence and impact of religious institutions on the film industry

■ Consider the relationship between faith and the media, paying particular attention to the broader social and cultural consequences of representing faith on screen

■ Encounter specific case studies to analyse theoretical frameworks

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify the ways religion and religious institutions are represented in documentary and fiction film and television

■ Understand key theories and debates surrounding religion and religious representation in documentary and fiction film and television

■ Reflect critically on the ways that religious institutions have influenced and impacted the film industry

■ Reflect critically on the relationship between faith and the media, and evaluate the social and cultural consequences of representing faith in film and television

■ Critically analyse specific case studies within particular theoretical frameworks

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.