Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)
Module THEO2321: RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN
Department: Theology and Religion
THEO2321:
RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN
Type |
Open |
Level |
2 |
Credits |
20 |
Availability |
Available in 2016/17 |
Module Cap |
|
Location |
Durham
|
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Excluded Combination of Modules
Aims
- To introduce students to the broad cultural landscape of Britain
during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
- To explore ways in which religion- both traditional religious
groups and alternative religious movements- have interacted with this
environment, drawing from historical, sociological and theological
sources.
- To reflect on how religion might develop in Britain in the future
and how it might have a role to play in the construction of British
identity, given past histories and present concerns.
Content
- This module explores the contours of religious movement in
contemporary Britain, working from the Second World War onwards.
Focusing on how religious phenomena are shaped by changing cultural
contexts, we will address the state of British society in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries, before examining how this context shapes the
development of religious traditions movements and practices. Traditional
world religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and more marginal
developments such as the New Age, will be examined in relation to topics
such as national identity, multiculturalism and the power of mass
media.
Learning Outcomes
- A knowledge of the major issues facing
traditional and alternative religious groups in the contemporary
British context.
- A knowledge and critical understanding of different scholarly attempts to explain
or interpret the state of religious phenomena in contemporary Britain.
- Skills in the analysis and critical use of select theological, historical,
and sociological sources in making sense of how religious movements interact with the British cultural context.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to
the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the
subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of
the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating
information.
- Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding
both through preparation and through interaction with students and
staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and
approaches.
- Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and
understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of
information through reading and research, and in the structured
presentation of information in written form.
- Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and
understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation
of information in written form under time constraints.
- Summative essays assess subject-specific knowledge and
understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of
information through reading and research, and in the structured
presentation of information in written form.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
Activity |
Number |
Frequency |
Duration |
Total/Hours |
|
Lectures |
22 |
One in weeks 1-3; 5; 7-8; 10-11; 13-19; 21 |
1.5 hours |
33 |
■ |
Tutorials |
1 |
As required |
1 hour |
1 |
■ |
Seminars |
5 |
Once in weeks 4, 6, 9, 12, 20 |
1 hour |
5 |
■ |
Preparation and Reading |
|
|
|
161 |
|
Total |
|
|
|
200 |
|
Summative Assessment
Component: Examination |
Component Weighting: 60% |
Element |
Length / duration |
Element Weighting |
Resit Opportunity |
examination |
2 hours |
100% |
|
Component: Summative Essay |
Component Weighting: 40% |
Element |
Length / duration |
Element Weighting |
Resit Opportunity |
essay relating to the topics addressed in parts one and
two |
3000 words |
100% |
|
One 2000 word essay.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University