Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

This course considers Gaelic identity from the Middle Ages to the present through the prism of identity theory. It explores themes such as language, culture, ethnicity, nationalism and sustainability through the study of various linguistic, literary, onomastic, historical and archaeological sources. The course focusses on Gaelic-speakers in Scotland but includes comparison and contrast with parts of the Scottish Gaelic diaspora, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

12x 1hr seminars and 8x 1hr lectures over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Gaelic and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Celtic & Gaelic, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

GAELIC4049

HIST4248

None

Oral assessment (presentation; 10 minutes) - 40%

Essay (1,500 words) - 60%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will 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. 

This course aims to:

■ Provide students with the knowledge and skills to analyse expressions of Gaelic identity from the Middle Ages to the present through the prism of identity theory and across a range of sources within the context of lively contemporary debate on this topic; and due to the demand for graduates with the skills to analyse such material.

■ Enable students to present analysis and justify stances in relation to pressing challenges such as: societally-based Gaelic revitalisation; loss of local cultural heritage, including ways of being and perspectives; and social and environmental issues in the Highlands and Islands such as depopulation, housing and employment.

■ Provide students with an opportunity to study the culture of Gaelic-speakers across a wide chronological span and reflect critically on a range of primary source material relating to this culture, including literary, archaeological, art historical and documentary, in alignment with the aims and ILOs of the Celtic Studies and Celtic Civilisation degree programmes; and provide students with an opportunity to explore linguistic and cultural aspects of Gaelic, in alignment with the aims and ILOs of the MA Gaelic programme.

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

1. Analyse expressions of Gaelic identity in primary sources

2. Evaluate the hybridity of Gaelic identity

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