| Unit name | Black British Literature |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20041 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Josie Gill |
| 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?
What is ‘Black British Writing’? Is this a useful or valid way to categorise the work of black writers? Why would we study this topic as a special subject unit, when there is no unit called ‘White British Writing’?
In this unit, we will explore such questions as we study the writing of black Britons from 1948 to the present day. We will examine how writers have addressed their designation as ‘Black British’, as well as topics including immigration, feminism, political blackness, race riots, identity and ancestry, mental health, multiculturalism, the post-racial and the legacies of Empire. We will explore how black British writing has challenged conceptions of Britishness; consider the reception of this body of work by the literary establishment; and examine the aesthetic and linguistic strategies that black writers have developed to resist racist stereotypes.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Specialisation units challenge and empower you to engage with specific elements of advanced literary study. Specialisation units include taught options, which are closely informed by the world-leading research of individual academic staff, as well as final-year dissertation units that will enable you to pursue your own research or creative interests. Specialisation units cultivate ambition and independent learning, and showcase the department’s wide-ranging and varied expertise.
An Overview of Content
We will consider novels, poetry, autobiography and essays from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, alongside contextual information from film clips, news items and music. We will explore themes, issues and movements such as black feminism, the Caribbean artists movement, the Black Atlantic, life writing and memory, performance and resistance.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
On completion of the unit, students will have an increased understanding of what is at stake when a piece of writing is designated as ‘Black British Literature’. Students will have a greater awareness of how such categorisations work in literary studies, publishing and beyond, and how this categorisation both reflects and informs wider cultural understandings of race and blackness.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of black British writing as a field, as well as of the major critical approaches to it.
2. Articulate and evaluate links between black British writing across historical periods and genres.
3. Express a critical understanding of the political, social and cultural contexts in which this body of writing was produced.
4. Speak, argue, write and evaluate with more confidence through the study and discussion of the primary texts and critical literature.
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will be given the opportunity to submit an outline of your final essay and receive formative feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Essay, 3,000 words (100%) [ILOs 1-4].
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. ENGL20041).
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.
