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ENG-20064 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 11 May 2024

ENG-20064 - Literature and Social Change
Coordinator: Rachel Adcock Tel: +44 1782 7 33144
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25


Aims
This module is designed to lead students to reflect on the value to be gained from reading and studying literature. It will explore the role of the humanities within society, and the ways in which literary texts engage with the wider world. It will teach students to think about the importance of language use and logical argument, and help them to recognise how language and argument can be misused. It will also help students to reflect on how the skills they have gained in their degree will be of benefit in a variety of professional contexts.

Intended Learning Outcomes

conceive and formulate arguments about how a degree in literary studies will aid in students' employability: 2
communicate the value of an education in literary studies to a wider public: 1,2
demonstrate a critical understanding of how both literature and literary study engage with political and social change and the construction of cultural identities: 1,2
recognise the importance of careful language use, and understand the ways in which language may be used for different purposes: 1,2
reflect on the qualities that make an effective argument, and be able to recognise also what makes an argument flawed: 2

Study hours

Active Learning 36 hours:
lectures (11 hours)
supervised workshops (11 hours)
small group classes (11 hours)
asynchronous online tasks (3 hours)
Independent Study 114 hours:
seminar preparation and private study (48 hours)
final essay/task research and writing (45 hours)
podcast preparation and recording (20 hours)
individual feedback/consultation (1 hour)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Short Paper weighted 40%
Podcast
Students will record and submit a short (6-7-minute) individual podcast on the role of literature/literary studies in the world. The podcast should be directed to a public audience: listeners who are interested and intelligent, but who may not know very much about the subject. Students will submit a transcript with references to external sources to enable effective tutor feedback but they will be assessed on the audio version alone.

2: Essay weighted 60%
Essay of 1,200 words focusing on a real-world task or issue
Students will submit an essay on a real-world issue or response to a real-world task of 1,200 words. Options will include: reflecting on how the skills developed during an English degree will benefit students in their chosen career path; designing an outreach session for sixth-form students on the topic of 'literature and social change'; writing a funding bid for an exhibition on the topic of 'literature and social change'; an essay critiquing the (mis)use of language and/or argument in contemporary newspapers, online media, or advertisements. Students will receive training in order to complete each of these tasks.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 11 May 2024