Module GERM3301: Narrating Otherness in the German-speaking Countries: 'Race', Colonialism, Gender

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (German)

GERM3301: Narrating Otherness in the German-speaking Countries: 'Race', Colonialism, Gender

Prerequisites

• German Language 2A (GERM2021), or German Language 2B (GERM2152) or an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction of the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Corequisites

• Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: German Language 4 (GERM3071).

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To explore and analyse the role literature, film, and/or visual culture plays in establishing or subverting contemporary concepts of the exotic, the ‘other’ in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century German-speaking countries
• To further familiarise the students with key texts /authors and/or visual culture in German-speaking culture
• To give students an insight into the changing perceptions of 'otherness' over the course of the centuries and to familiarise them with various theories of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century studies, but also Postcolonial Studies
• Students will develop competence in reading and analysis of literary and theoretical discourse and/or visual culture

Content

• Literature, visual culture and/or philosophical/theoretical texts
• Students will get an overview of historically and culturally crucial periods in Germany (topics may include for instance the Enlightenment, Age of Goethe, Realism, but also contemporary literature and visual culture)

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to have gained:
• Overview of debates about, and theories of, 'otherness' and related areas in a decisive phase of German-speaking culture
• Understanding of key texts/visual culture and their contexts
• Insights into broader debates surrounding the nature of 'otherness'

• By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to:
• Ability to analyse aesthetic texts/visual culture in their cultural, political and philosophical contexts
• Independent research skills, developed through two research-led essays
• Enhanced ability to talk and write about literary texts/visual culture and concepts of 'otherness' in German

• By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to:
• Enhanced range of fluency and expression in English and German
• Ability to formulate arguments coherently and to present them in written form
• Ability to pursue a guided programme of self-directed study, leading to the production of an extended piece of written work.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The teaching on this module will be mostly in German and will involve a combination of plenary lectures and seminars.
• The summative assessment will be in German.
• Lectures will provide information about the historical context and introduce methodological issues.
• In seminars, students will have the opportunity to present and discuss the central questions arising from their reading of a range of texts.
• In both oral discussion and in summative assessed work, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to formulate clear arguments and use both contextual and methodological knowledge in order to elucidate a corpus of literary, historical, and journalistic texts.
• The summative assessment is tailored to the skill set the students are expected to acquire: The first research essay is based on specific research questions and focuses on the critical analysis of primary and secondary materials. The second independent research project examines the ability to formulate independent research questions and to explore convincing answers based on the materials and theories covered in class. The students will also be invited to draw on further, independently researched materials. Both essays cultivate and evaluate critical, rigorous, knowledge-driven analysis and interpretation.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment during seminars builds on independent study by students working individually or in pairs. In the seminars, students are expected to give short oral presentations, based on a set of diversified questions (such as reflecting on theoretical challenges, analysing secondary materials, presenting primary work outside the syllabus etc.) and reading materials, and where appropriate accompanied by written handouts and/or PowerPoint presentations. Oral feedback and comments are provided regularly in the course of the seminar discussion.

■ 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