| Unit name | Period Unit: 1900 - Present |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL30136 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. April Gallwey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important
This unit will explore the literature and history of the twentieth century. It will consider the shifting literary turns of the period, such as modernism, post-modernism and postcolonialism, to examine how literature provides ways to understand the social and political currents of the time. The unit will have a particular focus on developments in British society, from the disruptions of war to the creation, and dismantling, of the welfare state. Students will also consider how social divisions and expressions of social unity and transition are represented in, and informed by, the literary works of the period.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Period units facilitate your ongoing and detailed appreciation of the chronology and historical development of literature in English. You will gain knowledge of and insight into literary forms, from poetry and prose to critical essays and drama. You will develop your practice of academic skills in close analysis and argument, encounter key critical concepts, and enhance your confidence as a researcher. Period units will enable you to understand the importance of historical contexts from the medieval period to the present day, while developing your sense of literary studies as a discipline.
An overview of content
This unit focusses on the profound changes that took place in the twentieth century alongside the seismic literary developments of the period. Historically the unit focuses on the two world wars, changes in class structure and gender relations, the development and decline of the welfare state and the significance of multiculturism and racism within Britain. Students will read poetry of the First World War, modernist authors, as well as literature on working class lives, feminism, postmodernism and postcolonialism, to consider, for example, how sociological conditions of inequality and movements for socialism, feminism and anti-racism are presented through the differing prisms of modernism, realism and postmodernism across the period.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
On completion of this unit students will have knowledge of some of the defining authors, texts and literary movements of the twentieth century and an understanding of how literature has responded to and informed historical change. Students will understand how these historical shifts in relation to class, gender and ethnicity have engaged with literature and the role literature can play in movements for social change.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
This unit is normally taught through a series of 3-hour seminars. Seminars use a range of teaching methods including lectures, group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to attend all timetabled teaching, engage with the reading, and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation. Students will be offered the opportunity to build towards the final assessment. Informal formative activities may include presentations, essay planning, and feedback on shorter written exercises or written drafts.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,500 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-3].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL30136).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
