Bristol UWE - Module specification: CREATIVE CULTURES 2

MODULE SPECIFICATION


Code: UA1AD9-20-2		Title: Creative Cultures 2						Version: 4
Level: 2	UWE credit rating: 20						ECTS credit rating: 10
Module type: Project
Owning Faculty: FCA				Field: Visual Culture		Field Leader: A Partington
Faculty Committee Approval: Chairs action Q & S Committee						Date: Sept 2010

Valid from: September 2010					Discontinued from:
Contributes towards:			FdA Creative Practices
Pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Excluded combinations:

Learning outcomes:

Upon completion of this module students will have demonstrated:

Knowledge and Understanding

i) familiarity with a range of contemporary cultural, historical and/or industrial contexts;

ii) awareness of the historical emergence of postmodernism in relation to art, media and design;

iii) an understanding of the relationship between the creative industries and contemporary debates about art, media and design practices (specific to each student’s experience);

iv) knowledge of the differences between various models of critical analysis;

Intellectual skills

v) an engagement with analysis and critical evaluation of the student’s chosen topic;

vi) the development of an argument / discussion;

Subject/Practical Skills

vii) an ability to locate experience within contemporary cultural, historical and/or industrial contexts;

viii) an ability to develop some critical distance from which to identify key questions/ideas;

ix) an ability to identify an appropriate topic and develop an essay question in consultation with their tutor;

x) familiarity with primary and/or secondary research methods, which may include interviewing and use of the Internet;

Transferable Skills

xi) time-management and self-motivation;

xii) application of the conventions of academic writing.

xiii) an ability to communicate information and articulate an argument to an audience in a professional presentation format;

Syllabus outline:

Lectures introduce students to a wide range of theoretical models/ideas that have currency in contemporary debates about art, media and design practices, by addressing topics such as:

1. Textuality and Intertextuality: explaining differences between competing theories of visual meaning and modes of analysis

2. Spaces of Consumption: from Vegas to the Virtual – introducing the concept of ‘hyperreality’

3. Exploring New Media and Interactive Digital Environments

4. Postmodernist Theory and Practice; examining concepts such as ‘the end of the avant-garde’

5. Cross-cultural Influences in a Postcolonial World

6. Power, Gender and Body Politics in Visual Culture

7. Spectacle and Sensation in Visual Culture; exploring issues of taste and identity

8. Postmodern Identities: parody and pastiche in creative practices

9. Concepts of Creativity in Commercial Environments

10. Globalisation and Cross-cultural Consumption

Seminars encourage students to explore the position of their own practices (and those of others) in relation to these debates, and to think about ways of contextualising their practice. Students either negotiate their own essay question in consultation with their tutor or choose from a list of options.

Students on work experience can choose to write a critical analysis of a product of their host company in the context of contemporary cultural developments, using one of the following areas of study as a starting point:

● questions of identity

● cultural industries

● current practices in art, media and design

● postmodernism and contemporary culture

Teaching and learning methods:

Students are taught through a combination of lectures, discussions, and student-led seminars to enable students to relate issues and debates to their own area of practice. They also attend group tutorials to discuss how to relate the essay questions to individual interests and practices, and an individual tutorial to discuss the student’s proposal. The module handout provides all the information they need about the assignment, timetable, advice on essay writing, referencing, bibliographies and so on.

Reading Strategy

A reading pack includes preparatory texts (also available online), and the handout includes a reading list for each of the areas of study (above).

Further reading will depend upon the nature of the student’s chosen topic and will be discussed during tutorials.

Research skills will be updated through library and study support workshops.

Assessment criteria

The work requirement for this module is an essay-proposal (300 words), an essay (2,000 words) and an assessed presentation describing the research process and an overview of the argument developed through the written assignment (supported by audio-visual resources as appropriate). Students may use any appropriate format to present their work, but are not being assessed on their proficiency in the use of presentation technologies. Presentation notes should be submitted to the tutor at the end of the presentation. Students will be assessed according to their fulfilment of the learning outcomes in respect of the following criteria:

Criteria	Relates to learning outcomes	Source of evidence
i) clarity of objectives, understanding and addressing the question;	i), ii), iii), vii), ix) xiii)	Proposal Essay (2,000 words), Presentation and notes
ii) structure and coherence of discussion and /or argument;	i), ii), iii), vi) xiii)	Proposal Essay (2,000 words), Presentation and notes
iii) critical evaluation and/or analysis;	iv), v), viii) xiii)	Essay (2,000 words), Presentation and notes
iv) research (breadth, depth, relevance, use of);	ix), x), xi) xiii)	Proposal Essay (2,000 words), Presentation and notes
v) writing and presentation (articulation, accuracy, referencing, bibliography).	ix), xii) xiii)	Proposal Essay (2,000 words), Presentation and notes

Indicative sources:

Questions of Identity

Ashcroft, Bill et al	Key Concepts in Post-colonial Studies	Routledge, 1998
Bauman, Z.	Globalization	Polity, 1998
Barnett, P	‘Rugs R Us (and Them): the Oriental Carpet as Sign and Text’,	Third Text, spring 1995
Chambers, Ian	Migrancy, Culture and Identity	Routledge, 1994
Epstein, J.	Youth Culture: identity in a postmodern world	Blackwell, 1998
Gauntlett, D.	Media, Gender and Identity	Routledge, 2002
Giddens, A	Modernity and Identity	Polity, 1991
Hall, S	Questions of Cultural Identity	Sage, 1996
Hollows, J.	Feminism, Femininity and Popular Culture	Manchester University Press, 2000
Howes, D.	Cross-cultural Consumption	Routledge, 1996
Jones, A.	The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader	Routledge, 2003
Kwon, M	One Place After Another: Site-Specific Art and Locational Identity	London: MIT, 2002
Mercer, Kobena	Welcome to the Jungle	Routledge, 1994
Rutherford, J (ed)	Identity, Community, Culture, Difference	Lawrence and Wishart, 1990
Sarup, M	Identity, Culture and the Postmodern World	Edinburg University Press, 1996
Skeggs, B	Formations of Class and Gender	Sage, 1997
Tomlinson, A. (ed)	Consumption, Identity and Style	Routledge, 1990
Urry, J	The Tourist Gaze	Sage, 2002
Woodward, K.	Understanding Identity	Arnold, 2002

Cultural Industries

Bohdanowicz, J. & Clamp, L.	Fashion Marketing	London: Routledge, 1994
Brown, S.	Postmodern Marketing Two: Telling Tales,	International Thomson Business Press, 1998
Clarke, D. et al. ed	The Consumption Reader	Routledge, 2003
Edwards, T.	Contradictions of Consumption: Concepts, Practices and Politics in the Consumer Society	Open University Press, 2000
Hartley, J. ed.	Creative Industries	Oxford: Blackwell, 2005
McRobbie, A.	In the Culture Society: Art, Fashion and Popular Music,	Routledge, 1999
Mason, J.	The Value of Creativity: the Origins and Emergence of a Modern Belief	Ashgate, 2003
Nava et al. eds.	Buy This Book: Studies in Advertising and Consumption,	Routledge, 1997
Negus, K. & Pickering, M.	Creativity, Communication and Cultural Value,	London: Sage, 2004
Nixon, S.	Advertising Cultures,	London: Sage, 2003
Palmer, A.	Old Clothes, New Looks: Second-Hand Fashion	Berg, 2005
Phizacklea, A.	Unpacking the Fashion Industry	London: Routledge, 1990
Taylor, L.	The Fashion Business	Oxford: Berg, 2000
Tomlinson, A. ed.	Consumption, Identity and Style: Marketing, Meanings, and the Packaging of Pleasure,	Routledge, 1990
Yiannis, G. & Lang, T.	The Unmanageable Consumer: Contemporary Consumption and its Fragmentation	Sage, 1995

Current Practices in Art, Media and Design

Cahoone, L

From Modernism to Postmodernism

Blackwell, 1996

Bierut, M. ed.	Looking Closer: Critical Writings on Graphic Design,	Allworth Press, 1994 – there are three anthologies in this series, all of which may be useful
Bolter, J. & Grusin, R	Remediation: Understanding New Media, chapter 8	MIT Press, 1999
Danto, A	After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History,	Princeton University Press, 1997
Danto,	The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: a Philosophy of Art,	Harvard University Press, 1981
Jencks, C.	What is Post-modernism?	Academy Editions, 1996
Foster, Hal	The Return of the Real	Massachusets Institute of Technology, 1996
McRobbie, A	Zoot Suits and Second-Hand Dresses: an Anthology of Fashion and Music,	Macmillan, 1989
Poynor, Rick	No more rules: graphic design and postmodernism	Laurence King, 2003
Scharf, Aaron	Art and Photography	Allen Lane, 1968
Taylor, B.	The Art of Today	Weidenfeld, 1995
Webster, Frank	The New Photography	Calder, 1980
Williams, Val	Look at me : Fashion and Photography	British Council, 1998

Postmodernism and Contemporary Culture

Connor, S	Postmodernist Culture	Blackwell, 1997
Docker, J	Postmodernism and Popular Culture	Cambridge University Press, 1994
Marris P. & Thornham, S	Media Studies Reader	Edinburgh University Press, 1999
Mirzoeff,	Visual Culture Reader	Routledge, 1998
Ward, G	Teach Yourself Postmodernism	Hodder Headline, 1997
Collins, J.	Uncommon Cultures: Popular Culture and Postmodernism,	Routledge, 1989
Featherstone, M	‘City Cultures and Postmodern Lifestyles’ in Consumer Culture and Postmodernism	Sage, 1991
Huyssen, A	‘Monuments and Holocaust Memory in a Media Age’ in Twilight Memories	Routledge, 1995
Landow, G	‘Hypertext as Rhizome’ in Hypertext 2.0	John Hopkins University Press, 1997
Myers, K	‘Towards a Feminist Erotica’ , in Robinson, H. (ed) Visibly Female	Camden Press, 1987
McRobbie, A	Postmodernism and Popular Culture	Routledge, 1994

Assessment:

Weighting between components A and B (standard modules at levels 0-3 only) A: B:

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Proposal (300 words) and essay (2,000 words) 75%

2. Presentation 25%

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is/is not required)

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Proposal (300 words) and essay (2,000 words) 75%

2. Presentation 25%

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes ~~is/~~is not required.

Specification confirmed by ………………………………………Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)

Assessment: Profile of student achievement in relation to stated learning outcomes:



Creative Cultures 2 – UA1AD9-20-2
*Assessment Criteria:* *Students will be assessed according to their fulfillment of the learning outcomes in respect of the following criteria:*	Threshold standard *(UG Level)*
i) clarity of objectives, understanding and addressing the question;	An appropriate essay question has been selected and addressed using relevant material. The relationship between the topic and the student’s experience of an exchange visit or work placement is made clear.
ii) structure and coherence of discussion and /or argument;	Ideas are organised into a coherent discussion. The essay has a defined focus and is logical in structure. The work demonstrates an ability to comment on information and ideas to form a developing argument.
iii) critical evaluation and/or analysis;	The essay maintains a balance between experience and analysis. The level to which the student can reflect critically upon their exchange visit or work placement is competent and the work demonstrates an attempt to relate their experience to contemporary cultural developments.
iv) research (breadth, depth, relevance, use of);	Relevant research material has been selected using library and/or online resources and used to reflect upon the experience of an exchange visit or work placement.
v) writing and presentation (articulation, accuracy, referencing, bibliography).	The essay is written and presented clearly. The writing is of a standard that enables ideas to be communicated effectively. Bibliographic details and references are accurate and follow accepted academic convention.



Levels of Achievement
80% and above -	the student has produced a substantial body of work demonstrating a very high level of critical and creative independence in the research, analysis, recording and presentation of contextual material. The student has made an outstanding contribution to the knowledge and understanding of their peers through their active participation in seminars. The work exceptionally exceeds the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
70% - 79% -	the student has produced a substantial body of work demonstrating a high level of innovation, critical and creative independence in the research, analysis, recording and presentation of contextual material. The student has made a considerable contribution to the knowledge and understanding of their peers through their active participation in seminars. The work exceeds the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
60% - 69% -	the student has produced a substantial body of work demonstrating innovation, critical and creative independence in the research, analysis, recording and presentation of contextual material. The student has made a considerable contribution to the knowledge and understanding of their peers through their active participation in seminars. The work meets the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
50% - 59% -	the student has produced a body of work demonstrating critical independence and creativity in the research, analysis, recording and presentation of contextual material. The student has made a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of their peers through their participation in seminars. The work meets the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria;
40% - 49% -	the student has produced a body of work demonstrating engagement with the programme of study. The student is competent in the researching, recording and organization of contextual material. The student has participated in seminar groups and contributed to the knowledge and understanding of the peer group. The work substantially meets the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
30% - 39%	the body of work is incomplete and demonstrates a lack of engagement with aspects of the programme of study. As a result the student lacks confidence in the researching, recording and organization of contextual material. Contribution to seminar groups has been erratic. The work substantially fails to meet the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
20% - 29% -	the body of work is substantially incomplete and demonstrates very poor engagement with the programme of study. The student has not acquired the core skills introduced in the module and has made an inadequate contribution to seminar groups. The work fails to meet the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
0% - 19% -	very little evidence of engagement with the module. No evidence of progression. The work fails to meet the threshold profile in respect of all five criteria.
* for the purpose of assessment the level of achievement is measured against the overarching profile given through the five threshold statements.