Course Catalogue

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This course offers students an introduction to thinking critically about forms of cultural production. The course examines cultural production as an arena where ideologies conflict and compete for legitimacy. Students will be introduced to key theoretical perspectives on the contested concept of culture itself and how these might be applied to historical and contemporary examples of cultural production including performance and dance; art and photography; literature and poetry: music and fashion. The course will be team taught to reflect staff specialisms in those fields.

Students will have 20 hours of on campus contact time. This will be 2-hour blocks of teaching as per honours structure.

Entry to Hons requirements and average of C3 at level 2 and D3 at level 1

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Students will complete two summative assessments. The first of these is a pre-recorded presentation (20%). A critical analysis of an object, practice/text through the lens of theory: Select an ordinary object or a consecrated item, practice or text and critically reflect on its significance, symbolic value and place in the cultural order, using theoretical and empirical material from the course. 7 mins individual presentations pre-recorded on zoom or power point. The second assessment consist of a 3000-word essay responding to a set list of essay questions (80%).

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. 

The course aims to equip students with the skills to reflect critically on the contested meanings associated with the term 'culture'. They should be able to apply competing and conflicting theoretical perspectives towards different fields of cultural production, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses historically as much as in terms of contemporary examples. They should develop an understanding of the complex social relationships that underpin the ways in which certain cultural productions become consecrated as 'legitimate' forms of culture; how are they negotiated and by whom.

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

1. Reflect critically on the contested meanings associated with the term 'culture'.

2. Critically evaluate the term 'cultural production'

3. Develop a deep understanding of the complex relationships of power that underpin cultural production

4. Apply and evaluate a range of theoretical perspectives which critically engage with the processes of legitimation of/within cultural production

5.. Critically interpret historical and contemporary cultural phenomena from a range of theoretical perspectives.

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