UNIT GUIDE 2016/17

SOCI10009 Introduction to the Sociology of Culture Teaching Block: 1

Weeks: 1 - 12

Dr Jo Haynes C/4 Level: (0117) 928 8499 20 Credit points: [email protected] None Prerequisites: Room 2.05, 11 Priory Road N/A Curriculum area: Tuesday 2-3pm and Friday 12-1pm (Scheduled office hours do not run during reading weeks, though you can still contact tutors for advice by email and to arrange individual appointments) Timetabled classes: Unit Owner: Phone: Email: Office: Unit Owner Office Hours:

Lectures:

Tuesdays 9-10am in Lecture Room 8, Arts Complex, 21 Woodland Road AND Tuesdays 1-2pm in Lecture Room 8, Arts Complex, 21 Woodland Road You are also expected to attend ONE seminar each week. Your online personal timetable will inform you to which group you have been allocated. Seminar groups are fixed: you are not allowed to change seminar groups without permission from the office. Weeks 6, 12, 18 and 24 are Reading Weeks; there is NO regular teaching in these weeks. In addition to timetabled sessions there is a requirement for private study, reading, revision and assessments. Reading the required readings in advance of each seminar is the minimum expectation. The University Guidelines state that one credit point is broadly equivalent to 10 hours of total student input. Learning Outcomes By the end of the unit, students should be able to: o Show an understanding of the socially constructed nature of culture o Evaluate different sociological approaches to culture o Critically discuss the relationship between cultural production and consumption o Apply sociological insights to contemporary issues in culture Requirements for passing the unit:  Satisfactory attendance at seminars  Completion of all formative work to an acceptable standard  Attainment of a composite mark of all summative work to a passing standard (40 or above)

Details of coursework and deadlines Assessment:

Word count:

Weighting: Deadline:

Formative: Essay

1,200 words

0%

Summative: Essay

2,000 words

100%

   

7th

9.30am on November 2016 9.30am on 13th January 2017

Day:

Week:

Monday

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January Assessment Period Summative essay questions will be made available on the individual Blackboard unit sites under ‘assignments’. Instructions for the submission of coursework can be found in Appendix A Assessment in the school is subject to strict penalties regarding late submission, plagiarism and maximum word count. A summary of key regulations is in Appendix B. Marking criteria can be found in Appendix C. 1

Friday

Seminar Preparation Lists of readings are given under each week including essential readings. It is expected that, as a minimum, you will have read the set 2 or 3 essential readings in advance of the seminar each week and prepared brief notes. You will be expected to answer questions about the set reading each week, engage in small group discussions or undertake workshop style tasks in seminars. Therefore, you should come prepared to present an argument concerning each seminar reading. You may need briefly to summarise the main features of the content in order to engage with other students. The further reading section offers suggestions for supplementary reading and should be used in preparation for the essay. To help you with this, I would recommend that in addition to the required key readings, you try and read something else from the further reading list each week to give you a head start on your essay preparation and a better understanding of each of the topics as we proceed through the unit. If you have trouble finding the texts, use your initiative – do a keyword search in the library to find alternatives, or look for electronic journal articles. Extra readings are available on Blackboard through the e-reserves folder. Statement of unit aims     

To explore the importance of culture in modern society To compare different theoretical approaches to the study of culture To discuss how power relations affect cultural representation To provide students with knowledge of a range of contemporary cultural issues To encourage critical engagement with media

Other: Make sure you check your Bristol email account regularly throughout the course as important information will be communicated to you. Any emails sent to your Bristol address are assumed to have been read. If you wish for emails to be forwarded to an alternative address then please go to https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en

UNIT DESCRIPTION Culture is a crucial aspect of contemporary life and has become an increasingly important area of sociological study. This unit will critically explore some of the key ways that culture has been explained and its significance for contemporary social and political life. The unit draws on debates in sociology, as well as cultural studies, to consider why it is important to study culture. It considers a number of theoretical approaches to the meaning and construction of culture, popular and mass culture, representation and postmodernism, and will explore substantive topics such as digitisation, social media and music, cultural authenticity, racial stereotyping in film & comedy. By engaging with contemporary cultural issues this unit will introduce the key aspects and dynamics of culture and the relationship between culture and other forms of social power.

LECTURES Week 1: Defining Culture Week 2: Modernity, Civilisation & Mass Culture Week 3: Sub-cultures Week 4: Postmodernism Week 5: Cultural Taste Week 6: Reading Week Week 7: Representation and Stereotypes Week 8: Commodification, Consumption and Identities Week 9: Local Culture: Music, Space and Place Week 10: Global Culture: Popular Music and Authenticity Week 11: Digital Culture and Popular Music Week 12: Reading Week

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LECTURE/SEMINAR SCHEDULE Please note that topic description covers both weekly lectures. Readings marked by ** indicate accessible overview of key debates from quality textbooks. I recommend that you read these if you are finding primary sources tricky. Readings marked by *** refers to further reading that I have made available in e-reserve for you. Week 1: Defining Culture What is culture? What do we mean when we talk about ‘culture’? How has the concept been approached historically and how is it understood in contemporary society? This week we begin our sociological investigation into culture by exploring important historical contributions to the definition of culture and how culture became significant within the discipline of sociology. Essential Reading: Jenks, C. (2005) ‘Chapter 1: Origins of the concept of ‘culture’ in the philosophy and the literary tradition’ in Culture London: Routledge, pp. 6- 12. (e-reserve) Smith, P. and Riley, A. (2008) ‘Chapter 1: Culture in Classical Social Theory’ in Cultural Theory: An Introduction, pp. 621. (e-reserve) Further Reading Bennett, A. (2005) ‘The Cultural Turn’ in Culture and Everyday Life London: Sage Publications. ***Chaney, D. (2011) ‘Starting to Write a History of the Present Day: Culture and Sociology’ in Back, L., Bennett, A., Edles, L.D., Gibson, M., Inglis, D., Jacobs, R. and Woodward, I. (eds) Cultural Sociology: An Introduction, pp.3- 18. (ereserve) Eagleton. T. (2000) The Idea of Culture Oxford: Blackwell Books. Nash. K. (2001) ‘The Cultural Turn in Social Theory: Towards a Theory of Cultural Politics’ Sociology 35 (1): 77- 92. Storey, J. (2001/2009/2012). ‘Chapter 1: What is Popular Culture?’ in Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, Parson Education Limited: Essex, pp. 1-16. Williams, R. (1981) Culture London: Fontana. Week 2: Modernity, Civilisation & Mass Culture This week we explore three main traditions of thinking about culture established through modernity. First, we look at the influential ‘culture and civilisation’ tradition of critical thought based on the work of Matthew Arnold and F. R. Leavis. Following this, we focus closely on the Marxist tradition of critical thinking about culture through the highly influential work of Theodor Adorno & Max Horkheimer and in particular their idea of the ‘culture industry’. And finally, we review Raymond Williams’ contribution understood as ‘culture is ordinary’. Essential Reading Adorno, T. and Horkheimer, M. (1997) ‘The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception’ in Dialectic of Enlightenment pp.120- 140. (e-reserve) Arnold, M (2006 [1869]) excerpts from Chapter 1 Culture and Anarchy and Other Writings Cambridge University Press, pp. 32 – 45. (e-reserve) Leavis, F. R. (1930) excerpt from Mass Civilisation and Minority Culture Cambridge: Minority Press. (9 pages available from here: https://is.cuni.cz/studium/predmety/index.php?do=download&did=41298&kod=JJM117 Williams, R. (2002) ‘Chapter 1: Culture is Ordinary’ in A. Gray and J. McGuigan (eds) Studying Culture: an Introductory Reader London and New York: Edward Arnold. (e-reserve) 3

Further Reading Adorno, T. (1941) ‘On Popular Music’ Studies in Philosophy and Science, no. 9. Adorno, T. (1991) ‘Culture Industry Reconsidered’ in Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture London: Routledge. (available as electronic book from UoB) Benjamin, W. (1936). The Work of Art in the Mechanical Age of Reproduction, available at: http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm Bennett, A. (2005) ‘The Mass Culture Debate’ in Culture and Everyday Life London: Sage Publications. (e-reserve) Johnson, L. (1979) The Cultural Critics from Matthew Arnold to Raymond Williams London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Gendron, B. (1986) ‘Theodore Adorno Meets The Cadillacs’ in T. Modleski (ed.) Studies in Entertainment: Critical approaches to Mass Culture University of Wisconsin, pp. 18- 36. ***Leavis, F. R. & Thompson, D. (1933) excerpt from Culture and Environment London: Chatto & Windus, pp. 1-5. (ereserve) McDonald, D. (1957) ‘A Theory of Mass Culture’ in B. Rosenberg and D. White (eds) Mass Culture Glencoe: Free Press. Nelson, C. & Grossberg, L. (eds) (1988) Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture Basingstoke: Macmillan (Introduction). **Storey, J. (2012) ‘The Culture and Civilization tradition’ in Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (fifth edition) Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd, pp. 17- 36. (available as electronic book) **Storey, J. (2012) ‘Chapter 4: Marxisms’ Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (fifth edition) Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd, pp. 62- 70. (available as electronic book) **Strinati, D. (2004) An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture (second edition) London: Routledge (Chapters 1 & 2). (available as electronic book) Swingewood, A. (1977) ‘Chapter 1: The Theory of Mass Society’ from The Myth of Mass Culture Macmillan. Williams, R. (1958) Culture and Society, 1780- 1950 London: Chatto & Windus. (esp. Introduction and Part III) Williams, R. (2005). ‘Culture and Masses’, in R. Guins and O. Cruz. (eds.) Popular Culture: A Reader London: Sage. Week 3: Subcultures This week focuses on key concepts of subcultural theory and debate and examines critiques surrounding the notion of the 'subcultural'. Youth subcultures became a focus of sociological debate and theorising in the latter half of the twentieth century and were often associated with the moral panics they created within society and related theories of delinquency and deviance. Subcultures however are significant sites for the negotiation of styles and fashions and often involve the appropriation and subversion of existing everyday items. This week we will explore contemporary post-subcultural forms of culture and identity and as subcultures often coalesce around a particular music genre we will examine the vital role music plays in forming social identities and a sense of belonging. NB: There will be one hour lecture only this week. We will be examining the documentary The Filth and the Fury: a Sex Pistols Film (dir. Julian Temple; 2007) which provides a rich, critical perspective on one of the most iconic ‘subcultures’ to date – punks. Essential reading Bennett, A. (1999). ‘Subcultures or Neo‐Tribes? Rethinking the Relationship between Youth, Style and Musical Taste’ Sociology 33(3): 599‐617. (UoB electronic journal) Hebdige, D. (1979) Subculture: the Meaning of Style London, Routledge, Chapter Seven. (e-reserve) 4

McRobbie, A. (1990) ‘Settling Accounts with Subcultures: A Feminist Critique’ in Frith, S. and Goodwin, A. (eds) On Record: Rock, Pop & The Written Word London: Routledge, pp. 66-80. (UoB electronic book) Further reading ***Bennett, A. & Kahn-Harris, K. (eds.) (2004) After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture London: Palgrave Macmillan. Introduction, pp. 1-18. (e-reserve) Brake, M. (2004) Comparative Youth Culture. The Sociology of Youth Cultures and Youth Subcultures in America, Britain and Canada London: Routledge. Chaney, D. (2004) ‘Fragmented Culture and Subcultures’ in Bennett, A. & Kahn-Harris, K. (eds.) After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture London: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 36-48. Clarke, G. (1990) ’Defending ski jumpers: a critique of theories of youth and subcultures’ in S. Frith and A. Goodwin (eds) On Record: Rock, Pop and the Written Word London: Routledge, pp. 81-96. Cohen, P. (1972) ‘Subcultural Conflict and Working Class Community’ in Gray, A. and McGuigan, J. (1993) (eds.) Studying Culture: An Introductory Reader London: Arnold, pp.95-103. Colosi, R. (2010) ‘A return to the Chicago school? From the “subculture” of taxi dancers to the contemporary lap dancer’ Journal of Youth Studies 13 (1): 1‐16. Dedman, T. (2011) ‘Agency in UK hip-hop and grime youth subcultures – peripherals and purists’ Journal of Youth Studies 14 (5): 507 -22. ***Hall, S. & Jefferson, T. (eds) (1976) Resistance through Rituals: Youth subcultures in postwar Britain London: HarperCollins, pp. 9-52. (e-reserve) Hebdige, D. (2012). ‘Contemporizing 'Subculture': 30 Years to Life’ European Journal of Cultural Studies, 15 (3): 399– 424. (UoB electronic journal) Hesmondhalgh, D. (2005) ‘Subcultures, Scenes or Tribes? None of the Above’ Journal of Youth Studies 8 (1): 21-40. (UoB electronic journal) Hodgkinson P (2002) Goth: Identity, Style and subculture Oxford: Berg. (Chapter 2: Reworking subculture) Hodkinson, P. (2011) Media, Culture and Society: an Introduction, Sage Publications. Chapter 12. Kruse, H. (1993) ‘Subcultural Identity in Alternative Music Culture’ Popular Music 12 (1): 33-42. ***Jenks, C. (2005) Subculture: The Fragmentation of the Social London: Sage, pp. 129-147. (e-reserve) Martin, P.J. (2004) ‘Culture, Subculture and Social Organization’ in Bennett, A. & Kahn-Harris, K. (eds.) After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 21-35. Muggleton, D. And Weinzierl, R. (eds) (2003) The Post-Subcultures Reader Oxford: Berg. Stahl, G. (2003) ‘Tastefully Renovating Subcultural Theory: Making Space for a New Model’ in Muggleton, D. and Weinzierl, R. (eds) (2003) The Post-Subcultures Reader Oxford: Berg, pp.27-40. ***Thornton, S. (1995) ‘Chapter 1: The Distinctions of Cultures without Distinction’ in Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital Cambridge: Polity Press, Introduction. (e-reserve) ***Thornton, S. (2006) ‘Understanding Hipness: Subcultural Capital as feminist tool’ in A. Bennett, B. Shank and J. Toynbee (eds) The Popular Music Studies Reader London: Routledge, pp. 99- 105. (e-reserve) Thornton, S. and Gelder, K. (eds) (1996) The Subcultures Reader London: Routledge.

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Week 4: Postmodernism Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard and Frederic Jameson’s ideas constitute important contributions to postmodern perspectives on contemporary culture. Postmodern approaches to culture focus on issues of meaning and representation and the changes to our perception and understanding of social reality with the onset of ‘cultural spectacles’ in the media. This week we will explore the ideas of Baudrillard, Jameson and Debord and what they have to say about the social implications of technologically mediated cultural forms and processes. Essential Reading Baudrillard, J. (1988) ‘Chapter 7: Simulacra and Simulations’ in M. Poster (ed.) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings Polity Press, pp. 169- 187. (e-reserve) Debord, G. (1995) ‘Chapter 1’ The Society of the Spectacle Zone Books, pp. 11-24. (e-reserve) Also available from here: [http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm] Jameson, F. (1984) ‘Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism’ New Left Review 146: 53- 92. (UoB electronic journal) Further Reading **Bennett, A. (2005) ‘Postmodernism’ in Culture and Everyday Life London: Sage Publications. (e-reserve) Boyne, R. & Rattansi, A. (eds) (1990) Postmodernism and Society Basingstoke: Macmillan (Chapters 1, 5 & 8). Connor, S. (1997) Postmodernist Culture: An Introduction to Theories of the Contemporary 2nd Edition Oxford: Blackwell. Crary, J. (1999) Suspensions of Perception: Attention, Spectacle, and Modern Culture Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Goodwin, A. (1991) ‘Popular music and postmodern theory’ Cultural Studies 5 (2): 174-188. Jameson, F. (1990) Signatures of the Visible London: Routledge. Jameson, F. (1991) Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism London: Verso (Introduction & Chapter 1). Jenks, C. (1993) Culture London: Routledge. (Chapter 7) Lyotard, F. (1984) The Postmodern Condition Manchester University Press. McGuigan, J. (2006) Modernity and Postmodern Culture (second edition) Maidenhead: Open University Press. Sarup, M. (1996) Identity, Culture and the Postmodern World Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Smart, B. (1993) Postmodernity London: Routledge (Chapters 2 & 5). **Storey, J. (2012) ‘Chapter 12: Postmodernism’ in Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (5th edition) Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. (available as electronic book) **Strinati. D. (2004) ‘Chapter 6: Postmodernism, contemporary popular culture and recent theoretical developments’ from An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture (second edition) Routledge. (available as electronic book) Swingewood, A. (2000) A Short History of Sociological Thought 3rd edition Basingstoke: Macmillan (Chapter 10).

Week 5: Cultural Taste Aesthetic judgements and cultural tastes are believed to be deeply subjective reflections of class and educational background according to Pierre Bourdieu. Are these ideas still relevant today? Some argue that the socially advantaged in society – traditionally assumed to consume high-brow culture (i.e. ‘cultural snobs’) – should instead be viewed as ‘cultural omnivores’. In other words, the socially advantaged are now less averse to consuming middle-brow or popular culture in addition to high-brow culture. In this session, we will explore the continued relevance of Pierre Bourdieu’s 6

assertions about cultural judgements of value and taste and how his ideas have been empirically engaged in recent times. In particular, we will explore the theoretical and empirical contribution of Tony Bennett, Mike Savage et al at and the idea of the cultural omnivore. Essential Reading Atkinson, W. (2011) ‘The Context and Genesis of Musical Tastes: Omnivorousness Debunked, Bourdieu Buttressed’ Poetics 39 (3): 169 – 186. (UoB electronic journal) Peterson, R. A. (1992) ‘Understanding Audience Segmentation: From Elite and Mass to Omnivore and Univore’ Poetics 21: 243- 58. (UoB electronic journal) Further Reading Bennett, T. et al (2009) Culture, Class, Distinction London: Routledge. Bennett, T., Savage, M., Silva, E., Warde, A., Gayo-Cal, M. and D. Wright (2005) ‘Cultural Capital and the Cultural Field in Contemporary Britain’ CRESC Working Paper Series Working Paper No. 3. Bourdieu, P. (1986) ‘Forms of Capital’ from J. E. Richardson (ed.) Handbook of Theory of Research for the Sociology of Education Greenword Press, pp. 241- 58. [Available from: http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/bourdieu-forms-capital.htm Bourdieu, P. (1980) ‘The Production of Belief: Contribution to an Economy of Symbolic Goods’ Media, Culture & Society 2 (3): 261- 293. Bourdieu, P. (1990) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste London: Routledge (Chapter 5). Bourdieu, P. (1990) ‘Social Space and Symbolic Power’ in In Other Words: Essays Towards a Reflexive Sociology Cambridge Polity. Bourdieu, P. (1993) The Field of Cultural Production: Essays on Art and Literature Cambridge: Polity Press. Bourdieu, P. (1993) Sociology in Question London: Sage Publications (Chapter 14: The Metamorphosis of Taste). Calhoun, C., Li Puma, E. & Postone, M. (eds) (1993) Bourdieu: Critical Perspectives Cambridge: Polity Press. (Chapters 1 and 10). Chan, T. W. and Goldthorpe, J. H. (2007) ‘Social Stratification and Cultural Consumption: Music in England’ European Sociological Review 23 (1): 1- 19. Fowler, B. (1997) Pierre Bourdieu and Cultural Theory: Critical Investigations London: Sage. Fowler, B. (ed.) (2000) Reading Bourdieu on Society and Culture Oxford: Blackwell. Glevarec, H. and Pinet, M. (2012) ‘Tablatures of Musical Tastes in Contemporary France: Distinction without Intolerance’ Cultural Trends 21 (1):67– 88. Jenkins, R. (1992) ‘Culture, Status and Distinction’ from Pierre Bourdieu London: Routledge. Jenks, C. (1993) Culture (Chapter 6) London: Routledge Harkar, R., Mahar, C. & Wilkes, C. (eds) (1990) An Introduction to the Work of Pierre Bourdieu: The Practice of Theory London: Macmillan (Chapters 4 and 6). Peterson, R. A. (1996) ‘Changing High-Brow Taste: From Snob to Omnivore’ American Sociological Review 61 (5): 900909. Savage, M. (2006) ‘The Musical Field’ Cultural Trends 15 (2/3): 159- 74. Savage, M. and Gayo-Cal, M. (2009) ‘Against the omnivore: assemblages of contemporary musical taste in the United Kingdom’ CRESC Working Paper Series Working Paper No. 72. 7

Warde, A., Wright, D. & Gayo-Cal, M. (2007) ‘Understanding Cultural Omnivorousness: Or, the Myth of the Cultural Omnivore’ Cultural Sociology 1 (2): 143 -64.

Week 6: READING WEEK

Week 7: Representation and Stereotypes Representation is one of the key processes that is critical to understanding the production of culture. Some argue that the process of representation within cultural texts (television shows, films, etc.) plays a significant role in the development of our ideas about the social world and the people in it. How do cultural texts produce meaning? Why do stereotypical cultural representations persist within popular culture and what role do they play in social relations? This week we explore the theory of representation and stereotyping by focusing on race, gender and sexuality within contemporary television drama and film. Essential Reading Brooker, W. (2001) ‘Readings of Racism: interpretation, stereotyping and the Phantom Menace’ Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 15 (1): 15- 32. (UoB electronic journal) Dyer, R. (1993) The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations London: Routledge (Chapter 3). (e-reserve) Hall, S. (2013 [1997]) ‘Chapter 1: The work of representation’, in S. Hall (ed.) Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, pp. 1- 13. (e-reserve) Further Reading Bhabha, H. (1983) ‘The “Other” Question’ Screen 24 (6). Download from here: http://courses.washington.edu/com597j/pdfs/bhabha_the%20other%20question.pdf Dyer, R. (1993) The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations London: Routledge (Chapter 13). Fanon, F. (1986) [1952] ‘The Fact of Blackness’ in Black Skin White Masks London: Pluto Press. Fraley, T. (2009) ‘A man’s gotta have a code: Identity, Racial Codes and HBO’s The Wire’ DarkMatter: In the Ruins of Imperial Culture. Available to download from: http://www.darkmatter101.org/site/2009/05/29/a-mans-gotta-have-a-code-identity-racial-codes-and-hbos-the-wire/ Gilman, S. (1985) Difference and Pathology Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Gilroy, P. (2002) ‘Ali G and the Oscars’ Open Democracy http://www.opendemocracy.net/node/459/pdf ***Hall, S. (1992) ‘New Ethnicities’ in J. Donald and A. Rattansi (eds) ‘Race’, Culture & Difference London: Sage, pp. 252259. (e-reserve) ***Hall, S. (1996) ‘What is this ‘black’ in black popular culture? In D. Morley and K. Chen (eds) Stuart Hall: Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies London: Routledge, pp. 465- 475. (e-reserve) hooks, b. (1992) Black Looks: race and representation Boston: South End Press (Chapters 2 and 11). Hunt, D. (2002) ‘Raced Ways of Seeing’ in L. Spillman (ed.) Cultural Sociology Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 120-9. Kelly, L. W. (2009) ‘Casting The Wire: Complicating Notions of Performance, Authenticity and Otherness’ DarkMatter: In the Ruins of Imperial Culture http://www.darkmatter101.org/site/2009/05/29/casting-the-wire-complicating-notions-ofperformance-authenticity-and-otherness/ McNeil, D. (2009) ‘White Negroes and The Wire’ DarkMatter: In the Ruins of Imperial Culture http://www.darkmatter101.org/site/2009/05/29/white-negroes-and-the-wire/ 8

Mercer, K. (ed.) (1994) ‘Reading Racial Fetishism’ in Welcome to the Jungle London: Routledge. ***Pickering, M. (2001) ‘The Concept of the Stereotype’ in Stereotyping: The Politics of Representation (e-reserve) ***Ross, K. (1996) ‘Chapter 2: Black Fights Back Part I: Black Film-making and Strategies of Opposition in Britain’ in Black and White Media: Black Images in Popular Culture Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 33- 55. (e-reserve) Week 8: Commodification, Consumption and Identities This week we will focus on the social significance of the primary production of culture as a commodity for consumption. We will examine the relationship between the commodification and consumption of culture and how practices of consumption are key to understanding identities. We will develop these ideas within the contemporary context by bringing the figure of the ‘hipster’ into focus. The term ‘hipster’ is often used as a term of derision to describe people that display a particular kind of style and taste, but we will take a more critical and sociological look at what constitutes hipsterism and therefore what mode of consumption or lifestyle choice the term captures within the contemporary context. Essential Readings Featherstone, M. (1991) ‘Chapter 2: Theories of Consumer Culture’ in Consumer Culture and Postmodernism London: Sage, pp. 13-27. (e-reserve) Schiermer, B. (2014) ‘Late-modern hipsters: New tendencies in popular culture’ Acta Sociologica 57 (2): 167- 181. (UoB electronic journal) Further Reading Baudrillard, J. ‘Consumer Society’ in Poster, M. (ed) (2001) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings Cambridge: Polity Press. pp. 32- 59. Available from here: http://www.humanities.uci.edu/mposter/books/Baudrillard,%20Jean%20%20Selected%20Writings_ok.pdf Bocock, R. (1994) ‘The Emergence of the Consumer Society’ in The Polity Reader in Cultural Theory Cambridge: Polity. Bennett, A. (2005) Culture and Everyday Life. London: Sage Publications, pp. 60-65. Buckingham, D. (2011) The Material Child: Growing Up in Consumer Culture. Cambridge: Polity. Chan, T. W. (ed.) (2010) Social Status and Cultural Consumption. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Daunton, M. And Hilton, M. (2001) The Politics of Consumption: material culture and citizenship in Europe and America. Oxford: Berg. Edwards, T. (2000) Contradictions of Consumption: concepts, practices, and politics in consumer society. Buckingham: Open University Press. Ewen, S. (2001) Captains of Consciousness: advertising and the social roots of consumer culture. New York: Basic Books. Featherstone, M. (1990) ‘Perspectives on Consumer Culture’, Sociology 24 (1): 5-22. (UoB electronic journal) Fine, B. (2002) The World of Consumption: the material and cultural revisited London: Routledge. Frank, T. (1998) The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism University of Chicago Press. [NB: not in UoB libraries] Frank. T. and Weiland, M. (eds) (1997) Commodify your Dissent: Salvos from the Baffler W.W. Norton & Company. Heath, J. (2001), ‘The Structure of Hip Consumerism’ Philosophy & Social Criticism 27 (6): 1–17. (esp. 12- 17) Heath, J. and Potter, A. ‘(2006) Chapter 7: From Status Seeking to Coolhunting’ in The Rebel Sell: How the Counterculture became Consumer Culture Capstone. Jameson, J. (1993) ‘Postmodernism and Consumer Society’ in Gray, A. and McGuigan, J. (1993) (eds.) Studying Culture: An Introductory Reader London: Arnold. 9

Leiss, W. (1983) ‘The Icons of the Marketplace’ Theory, Culture & Society 1 (3): 10- 21. Lunt, P. And Livingstone, S. (1992) Mass consumption and personal identity: everyday economic experience. Buckingham: The Open University Press. ***Lury, C. (1996) ‘Chapter 2: Material Culture and Consumer Culture’ from Consumer Culture Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 10- 51. (e-reserve) McGuigan, J. (2009) Cool Capitalism London: Pluto Press. Morris, M. (2005) ‘Interpretability and social power, or, why postmodern advertising works’ Media, Culture and Society 27, pp. 697- 718. Miller, D. (2012) Consumption and its Consequences. Cambridge: Polity. Paterson, M. (2006) Consumption and Everyday Life. London: Routledge. Trentmann, F. (ed.) (2006) The Making of the Consumer: knowledge, power and identity in the modern world. Oxford: Berg. Week 9: Local Culture: Popular Music and the City Local developments of specific musical genres and styles are often regarded as socially and culturally significant. Emerging in the early 1990s, the ‘Bristol sound’ was presented as not simply a sound but demonstrative of two deeply significant constitutive facets. It illustrated a musical and creative sensibility and on the other denoted the social and cultural characteristics of the city that, taken together, conveyed Bristol as an exemplar of urban, multicultural, and cosmopolitan sophistication. Even if this narrative constitutes a coherent account of the emergence of a local music scene, its portrait of Bristol as a pluralist multicultural ‘success story’ is open to debate. This week we take a look at to what extent aspects of ‘the local’ have any ongoing relevance for understanding cultural practices and cultural identities. We will do this by turning the spotlight on representations of Bristol as a site of popular music production. Essential Reading Connell, J. and Gibson, C. (2003) ‘Sounds and Scenes: A Place for Music? In Soundtracks: Popular Music, Identity and Place London: Routledge, pp. 90- 116. (e-reserve) Henning, M. and Hyder, R. (2015) ‘Chapter 7: Locating the Bristol Sound: archiving the music as everyday life’ in S. Cohen et al (eds) Sites of Popular Music Heritage London: Routledge. (UoB electronic book) Further Reading Bennett, A. (2000) Popular Music and Youth Culture: Music, Identity and Place London: Macmillan. Cohen, S. (2007) ‘Chapter 1: Music and the City: Cultural Diversity in a Global Cosmopolis’ in Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 9-40. Cohen, S. (1991) Rock Culture in Liverpool: Popular Music in the Making Oxford: Clarendon Press. Dresser, M. and Fleming, P. (2007) Bristol: Ethnic Minorities and the City 1000- 2001 London: Phillimore and Co. Ltd. Finnegan, R. (1989) The Hidden Musicians: Music-making in an English Town Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ***Hyder, R. (2014) ‘Chapter 5: Black Music and Cultural Exchange in Bristol’ in J. Stratton and N. Zuberi (eds) Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945 Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 85- 99. (e-reserve) Johnson, P. (1996) Straight Outa Bristol: Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky and the Roots of Trip Hop London: Hodder and Stoughton. MacKinnon, N. (1993) The British Folk Scene: Musical Performance and Social Identity Buckingham: Open University Press. 10

Mitchell, T. (1996) Popular Music and Local Identity: Rock, Pop and Rap in Europe and Oceania London: Leicester University Press. ***Webb, P. (2004) ‘Interrogating the production of sound and place: the Bristol phenomenon, from Lunatic Fringe to worldwide Massive’ in S. Whiteley, A. Bennett and S. Hawkins (eds) Music, Space and Place: Popular Music and Cultural Identity Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 66- 85. (e-reserve) Week 10: Global Culture: Popular Music and Authenticity This week we will explore global culture by focusing on world music and hip hop as music forms that exemplify different features of the transnational formation, production and consumption of culture. The first lecture examines the rise of hip-hop culture which emerged from deprived urban areas of the US during the 1970s and has since become a global music culture. The emergence of hip-hop from largely black and Hispanic, working class inner-city communities will be discussed in relation to discourses of authenticity as a way to frame the genre’s success. It will also explore the subsequent tensions that arose in the wake of the genre’s global popularity. The second lecture looks at authenticity by contextualising this within the growth and emergence of world music as a commercial music culture since the 1980s, including its latest manifestation as Afrobeats. The lecture will frame world music first as reflective of the progressive political and cultural significance of global networks of communication and thus highlighting its cosmopolitan and syncretic potential and second within critical discourses that emphasise its exploitative and fetishising capacity. Notions of the ‘exotic’ and the authentic will also be examined in order to assess the appeal of world music in the contemporary west. Essential Reading Barrett, J. (1996) ‘World Music, Nation and Postcolonialism’ Cultural Studies 10 (2): 237–247. (e-reserve) Rose, T. (1994) ‘A style nobody can deal with: politics, style and the post-industrial in hip-hop from Ross, A. and Rose, T. (eds) Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Culture London: Routledge, pp. 71- 88. (e-reserve) Swedenburg, T. (1992) ‘Homies in the Hood: Rap’s Commodification of Insubordination’ New Formations 18: 53 66. (UoB electronic journal) Further Reading Appadurai, A. (1990) ‘Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy’ Theory, Culture & Society, 7: 295310. Bennett, A. (1999) ‘Hip hop am Main: the localization of rap music and hip hop culture’ Media, Culture and Society 21 (1): 77-91. Biddle, I. and Knights, V. (2007) ‘Introduction: National Popular Musics: Betwixt and Beyond the Local and Global’ in I. Biddle and V. Knights (eds) Music, National Identity and the Politics of Belonging: Between the Global and the Local Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, pp. 1- 15 Born, G. and Hesmondhalgh (2000) ‘Introduction: On Difference, Representation and Appropriation in Music’ in G. Born & D. Hesmondhalgh (eds) Western Music and Its Others: Difference, Representation and Appropriation in Music Berkeley: University of California Press. Brooks, S. and Conroy, T. (2011) ‘Hip-hop Culture in a Global Context: Interdisciplinary and Cross- Categorical Investigation’ American Behavioral Scientist 55 (1) 3- 8. Burke, P. (2009) Cultural Hybridity Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Byrne, D. (1999) ‘I Hate World Music’ The New York Times October 3, 1999. Canclini, N. G. (1995) Hybrid Cultures: Strategies for Entering and Leaving Modernity Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Connell, J. And Gibson, C. (2004) ‘World Music: deterritorializing place and identity’ Progress in Human Geography 28 (3): 342- 361. 11

Erlmann, V. (1996) ‘The Aesthetics of the Global Imagination: Reflections on World Music in the 1990s’, Public Culture 8: 467–87. ***Frith, S. (2000) ‘The Discourse of World Music’ in G. Born and D. Hesmondhalgh (eds) Western Music and its Others: Difference, Representation and Appropriation in Music Berkeley, CA and London, UK: University of California Press, pp. 305- 322. (e-reserve) Garofalo, R. (1994) ‘Culture versus commerce: the marketing of black popular music’ Public Culture 7 (1): 275- 287. Garofalo, R. (1993) ‘Whose world, what beat: the transnational music industry, identity and cultural imperialism’ World of Music 35 (2): 16- 32. Gilroy, P. (1991) ‘Sounds Authentic: Black Music, Ethnicity, and the Challenge of a "Changing" Same’ Black Music Research Journal 11 (2): 111-136. (UoB electronic journal) ***Gilroy, P. (1993) The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness, pp. 72 - 87 London: Verso Books. (e-reserve) ***Haynes, J. (2013) ‘Music Affinity’ from Music, Difference and the Residue of Race New York: Routledge. (e-reserve) Haynes, J. (2010) ‘In the Blood: The Racializing Tones of Music Categorization’ Cultural Sociology 4 (1): 81-100. Haynes, J. (2005) ‘World Music and the Search for Difference’ Ethnicities (3): 365- 385. Herson, B. (2011) ‘A Historical Analysis of Hip-Hop’s Influence in Dakar from 1984-2000’ American Behavioral Scientist 55 (1): 24- 35. (UoB electronic journal) ***Inglis, D. & Robertson, R. (2005) ‘“World Music” and the Globalisation of Sound’ in D. Inglis and J. Hughson (eds) The Sociology of Art: Ways of Seeing Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. (e-reserve) Lipsitz, G. (1994) ‘Chapter 2: Diasporic Noise: History, Hip Hop and the Post-Colonial Politics of Sound’ from Dangerous Crossroads: Popular Music, Postmodernism and the Poetics of Place London: Verso Books, pp. 23- 48. https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/0105/Lipsitz.%252520Diasporic%252520Noise%252520History%25252C%252520Hip%252520Hop%25252C%252520and%252520the%252520Postcolonial%252520politics%252520of%252520Sound..pdf Robertson, R. (1992) Globalisation: Social Theory and Global Culture London: Sage. Rose, T. (1994) Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America Wesleyan University Press. Taylor, T. D. (1997) Global Pop: World Music, World Markets London: Routledge. Williams, J. (2013) Rhymin' and stealin': musical borrowing in hip-hop Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. Week 11: Digital Culture and Popular Music In our final week of teaching, we will be exploring sociological perspectives of the transformations of social and cultural life that are linked to digitisation and the internet. To do so, we will look at the significant changes that have occurred in the production, distribution and consumption of music and whether there are new ways of thinking about the role and meaning of music in people’s lives, as well as the changing relationships between producers and consumers (audience/fans) of music. Essential Reading Goodwin, A. (1990) ‘Sample and hold: pop music in the digital age of reproduction’ in S. Frith and A. Goodwin (eds) On record: rock, pop and the written word London: Routledge, pp. 258-273. (UoB electronic book) Prior, N. (2010) ‘The Rise of the New Amateurs: Popular Music, Digital Technology and the Fate of Cultural Production', in J. R. Hall, L. Grindstaff and M. Lo (eds) Handbook of Cultural Sociology Routledge. Available from here: 12

http://www.academia.edu/354591/The_Rise_of_the_New_Amateurs_Popular_Music_Digital_Technology_and_the_ Fate_of_Cultural_Production Sexton, J. (2009) ‘Digital Music: Consumption, Distribution and Production’ in Creeber, G. and Martin, R. (eds) Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media Open University Press. (UoB electronic book available) Further Reading Avdeef, M. (2012) ‘Technological Engagement and Musical Eclecticism: An Examination of Contemporary Listening Practices’, Participations, 9(2), http://www.participations.org/Volume%209/Issue%202/contents.htm Banks, J., and Deuze, M. (2009) ‘Co-creative Labour’ International Journal of Cultural Studies 12 (5): 419- 431. Bartmanski, D. and Woodward, I. (2013) The vinyl: The analogue medium in the age of digital reproduction. Journal of Consumer Culture. iFirst. http://joc.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/05/30/1469540513488403.abstract Beer, D. (2008) ‘The iconic interface and the veneer of simplicity: mp3 players and the reconfiguration of music collecting and reproduction practices in the digital age’ Information, Communication & Society 11(1): 71- 88. Baym, N. K. (2012) “Fans or Friends?: Seeing Social Media Audiences as Musicians Do” Participations 9 (2): 286–316. (UoB electronic journal) Beer, D. (2008) ‘Making friends with Jarvis Cocker: Music Culture in the Context of Web 2.0’ Cultural Sociology 2, pp. 222-241. Bockstedt, J. (et al.) (2006) ‘The Move to Artist-Led On-Line Music Distribution: A Theory-Based Assessment and Prospects for Structural Changes in the Digital Music Market’ International Journal of Electronic Commerce 10 (3) (1): 738. Bull M (2007) Sound Moves. iPod Culture and Urban Experience. London: Routledge. Choi, H., and Burnes, B. (2013) ‘The Internet and Value Co-creation: The Case of the Popular Music Industry’ Prometheus 31 (1): 35–53. Edmond, M. (2014) ‘Here We Go Again: Music Videos after YouTube’ Television & New Media 15(4) 305- 320. Frith S (1986) ‘Art versus technology: The strange case of popular music’ Media Culture & Society 8(3): 263–80. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2009) ‘The digitalisation of music’ in Pratt, A. C. and Jeffcut, P. (eds) Creativity and Innovation in the Cultural Economy New York: Routledge, pp. 57–73. OR available from here: CRESC Working Paper No. 30 CRESC Open University. http://www.cresc.ac.uk/medialibrary/workingpapers/wp30.pdf Hughes, J., and Lang, K. R. (2003 ‘If I Had a Song: The Culture of Digital Community Networks and Its Impact on the Music Industry’ International Journal on Media Management 5 (3): 180- 189. IFPI (2013) ‘FPI Digital Music Report 2013 Engine of a Digital World’ IFPI http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/DMR2013.pdf. Jones, S, (2002) ‘Music that moves, music that moves: Popular music, distribution and network technologies’ Cultural Studies 16(2): 213–232. Leyshon, A., Webb, P. et al. (2005) ‘On the reproduction of the musical economy after the Internet’ Media Culture & Society 27(2): 177-209. Lingel, J. and Naaman, M. (2011) ‘You should have been there, man: Live music, DIY content and online communities’ New Media & Society 14(2) 332–349. McCourt, T. and P. Burkart (2003). ‘When creators, corporations and consumers collide: Napster and the development of on-line music distribution’ Media Culture & Society 25: 333-350. Magaudda, P. (2011) ‘When materiality ‘bites back’: Digital music consumption practices in the age of dematerialization’ Journal of Consumer Culture 11(1) 15–36 13

Marshall. L. (2015) ‘‘Let's keep music special. F—Spotify’: on-demand streaming and the controversy over artist royalties’ Creative Industries 8 (2): 177- 189. Morris, J.W. (2012) ‘Making music behave: Metadata and the digital music commodity’ New Media & Society, 14(5) 850–866. Potts, L. (2012) Amanda Palmer and the #LOFNOTC: How online fan participation is rewriting music labels. Participations, 9(2), pp.360-382. http://www.participations.org/Volume%209/Issue%202/20%20Potts.pdf Rodman, G.B. and Vanderdonckt, C. (2006) ‘Music for nothing or, I want my mp3: The regulation and recirculation of affect’ Cultural Studies 20(2–3): 245–61. Sandywell, B. and Beer, D. (2005) ‘Stylistic Morphing: Notes on the Digitisation of Contemporary Music Culture’ Convergence 11(4): 106–121. Schradie, J. (2011) ‘The digital production gap: The digital divide and Web 2.0 collide’ Poetics 39: 145- 168. Serazio, M. (2008) ‘The Apolitical Irony of Generation Mash-Up: A Cultural Case Study in Popular Music’ Popular Music and Society 31 (1): 79- 94. Sterne, J. (2012) MP3. The Meaning of a Format. Durham: Duke University Press [electronic version] Sterne, J. (2006) ‘The mp3 as cultural artefact’ New Media & Society 18(5): 825–842. Wikström, P. (2010) The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud. Cambridge, MA: Polity. Week 12: READING WEEK

Appendix A Instructions on how to submit essays electronically

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Log in to Blackboard and select the Blackboard course for the unit you are submitting work for. If you cannot see it, please e-mail [email protected] with your username and ask to be added. Click on the "Submit Work Here" option at the top on the left hand menu and then find the correct assessment from the list. Select ‘view/complete’ for the appropriate piece of work. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have selected both the correct unit and the correct piece of work. The screen will display ‘single file upload’ and your name. Enter your name (for FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS ONLY) or candidate number (for SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS ONLY) as a submission title, and then select the file that you wish to upload by clicking the ‘browse’ button. Click on the ‘upload’ button at the bottom. You will then be shown the essay to be submitted. Check that you have selected the correct essay and click the ‘Submit’ button. This step must be completed or the submission is not complete. You will be informed of a successful submission. A digital receipt is displayed on screen and a copy sent to your email address for your records.

Important notes  You are only allowed to submit one file to Blackboard (single file upload), so ensure that all parts of your work – references, bibliography etc. – are included in one single document and that you upload the correct version. You will not be able to change the file once you have uploaded.  Blackboard will accept a variety of file formats, but the School can only accept work submitted in .rtf (Rich Text Format) or .doc/.docx (Word Document) format. If you use another word processing package, please ensure you save in a compatible format.

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 

By submitting your essay, you are confirming that you have read the regulations on plagiarism and confirm that the submission is not plagiarised. You also confirm that the word count stated on the essay is an accurate statement of essay length. If Blackboard is not working email your assessment to [email protected] with the unit code and title in the subject line.

How to confirm that your essay has been submitted  You will have received a digital receipt by email and If you click on the assessment again (steps 1-4), you will see the title and submission date of the essay you have submitted. If you click on submit, you will not be able to submit again. This table also displays the date of submission. If you click on the title of the essay, it will open in a new window and you can also see what time the essay was submitted.

Appendix B Summary of Relevant School Regulations (Further information is in the year handbook) Attendance at classes SPAIS takes attendance and participation in classes very seriously. Seminars form an essential part of your learning and you need to make sure you arrive on time, have done the required reading and participate fully. Attendance at all seminars is monitored, with absence only condoned in cases of illness or for other exceptional reasons. If you are unable to attend a seminar you must inform your seminar tutor, as well as email [email protected]. You should also provide evidence to explain your absence, such as a selfcertification and/or medical note, counselling letter or other official document. If you are unable to provide evidence then please still email [email protected] to explain why you are unable to attend. If you are ill or are experiencing some other kind of difficulty which is preventing you from attending seminars for a prolonged period, please inform your personal tutor, the Undergraduate Office or the Student Administration Manager. Requirements for credit points In order to be awarded credit points for the unit, you must achieve:  Satisfactory attendance in classes, or satisfactory completion of catch up work in lieu of poor attendance  Satisfactory formative assessment  An overall mark of 40 or above in the summative assessment/s. In some circumstances, a mark of 35 or above can be awarded credit points.

Presentation of written work Coursework must be word-processed. As a guide, use a clear, easy-to-read font such as Arial or Times New Roman, in at least 11pt. You may double–space or single–space your essays as you prefer. Your tutor will let you know if they have a preference. All pages should be numbered. Ensure that the essay title appears on the first page. All pages should include headers containing the following information:

Formative work Name: e.g. Joe Bloggs Unit e.g. SOCI10004 Seminar Tutor e.g. Dr J. Haynes Word Count .e.g. 1500 words

Summative work **Candidate Number**: e.g. 12345 Unit: e.g. SOCI10004 Seminar Tutor: e.g. Dr J. Haynes Word Count: e.g. 3000 words

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Candidate numbers are required on summative work in order to ensure that marking is anonymous. Note that your candidate number is not the same as your student number. Assessment Length Each piece of coursework must not exceed the stipulated maximum length for the assignment (the ‘word count’) listed in the unit guide. Summative work that exceeds the maximum length will be subject to penalties. The word count is absolute (there is no 10% leeway, as commonly rumoured). Five marks will be deducted for every 100 words or part thereof over the word limit. Thus, an essay that is 1 word over the word limit will be penalised 5 marks; an essay that is 101 words over the word limit will be penalised 10 marks, and so on. The word count includes all text, numbers, footnotes/endnotes, Harvard referencing in the body of the text and direct quotes. It excludes, the title, candidate number, bibliography, and appendices. However, appendices should only be used for reproducing documents, not additional text written by you. Referencing and Plagiarism Where sources are used they must be cited using the Harvard referencing system. Inadequate referencing is likely to result in penalties being imposed. See the Study Skills Guide for advice on referencing and how poor referencing/plagiarism are processed. Unless otherwise stated, essays must contain a bibliography. Extensions Extensions to coursework deadlines will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. If you want to request an extension, complete an extension request form (available at Blackboard/SPAIS_UG Administration/forms to download and School policies) and submit the form with your evidence (e.g. self-certification, medical certificate, death certificate, or hospital letter) to Catherine Foster in the Undergraduate Office. Extension requests cannot be submitted by email, and will not be considered if there is no supporting evidence. If you are waiting for evidence then you can submit the form and state that it has been requested. All extension requests should be submitted at least 72 hours prior to the assessment deadline. If the circumstance occurs after this point, then please either telephone or see the Student Administration Manager in person. In their absence you can contact Catherine Foster in the UG Office, again in person or by telephone. Extensions can only be granted by the Student Administration Manager. They cannot be granted by unit convenors or seminar tutors. You will receive an email to confirm whether your extension request has been granted.

Submitting Essays

Formative essays

Summative essays

Unless otherwise stated, all formative essay submissions must be submitted electronically via Blackboard

All summative essay submissions must be submitted electronically via Blackboard.

Electronic copies enable an efficient system of receipting, providing the student and the School with a record of exactly when an essay was submitted. It also enables the School to systematically check the length of submitted essays and to safeguard against plagiarism. Late Submissions Penalties are imposed for work submitted late without an approved extension. Any kind of computer/electronic failure is not accepted as a valid reason for an extension, so make sure you back up your work on another computer, memory stick or in the cloud (e.g. Google Drive or Dropbox). Also ensure that the clock on your computer is correct. 16

The following schema of marks deduction for late/non-submission is applied to both formative work and summative work:

Up to 24 hours late, or part thereof For each additional 24 hours late, or part thereof Assessment submitted over one week late   

Penalty of 10 marks A further 5 marks deduction for each 24 hours, or part thereof Treated as a non-submission: fail and mark of zero recorded. This will be noted on your transcript.

The 24 hour period runs from the deadline for submission, and includes Saturdays, Sundays, bank holidays and university closure days. If an essay submitted less than one week late fails solely due to the imposition of a late penalty, then the mark will be capped at 40. If a fail due to non-submission is recorded, you will have the opportunity to submit the essay as a second attempt for a capped mark of 40 in order to receive credit points for the unit.

Marks and Feedback In addition to an overall mark, students will receive written feedback on their assessed work. The process of marking and providing detailed feedback is a labour-intensive one, with most 2-3000 word essays taking at least half an hour to assess and comment upon. Summative work also needs to be checked for plagiarism and length and moderated by a second member of staff to ensure marking is fair and consistent. For these reasons, the University regulations are that feedback will be returned to students within three weeks of the submission deadline. If work is submitted late, then it may not be possible to return feedback within the three week period. Fails and Resits If you fail the unit overall, you will normally be required to resubmit or resit. In units where there are two pieces of summative assessment, you will normally only have to re-sit/resubmit the highestweighted piece of assessment. Exam resits only take place once a year, in late August/early September. If you have to re-sit an exam then you will need to be available during this period. If you are not available to take a resit examination, then you will be required to take a supplementary year in order to retake the unit.

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Appendix C Level 4 Marking and Assessment Criteria (First Year) 1st (70+)

o o o o o

2:1 (60–69)

o o o o o

2:2 (50–59)

o o o o o

3rd (40–49)

o o o o

Marginal Fail

o

(35–39)

o o o o

Outright Fail

o

(0–34)

o o o o

Excellent knowledge and understanding of the subject, as well as a recognition of alternative perspectives and viewpoints Uses an argument that is logically structured and supported by evidence Engages with the material critically and demonstrates some capacity for intellectual initiative/ independent thought Incorporates one or two sources from beyond the reading list High quality organisation and style of presentation (including referencing) with few grammatical or spelling errors and attention to writing style Good knowledge and understanding of subject and some recognition of other viewpoints and perspectives Evidence of an argument that is logically structured, but it may not be consistently developed Some evidence of critical thinking in places Some attempt to go beyond or criticise the ‘essential reading’ Presentation showing promise: effective writing style but some grammatical and spelling errors; referencing and bibliographic formatting satisfactory on the whole Reasonable knowledge and understanding of subject and an ability to answer the question, but there may be some gaps A tendency to assert/state opinion rather than argue on the basis of reason and evidence; structure may not be entirely clear or logical Some attempt at analysis but a tendency to be descriptive rather than critical. Little attempt to go beyond or criticise the ‘essential reading’ for the unit; displaying limited capacity to discern between relevant and non-relevant material Satisfactory presentation: writing style conveys meaning but is sometimes clumsy; some significant grammatical and spelling errors; inconsistent referencing but generally accurate bibliography Shows some knowledge and understanding of the subject and some awareness of key theoretical/ methodological issues but misses the point of the question Demonstrates little/no ability to construct an argument and an underdeveloped or chaotic structure with only minimal attempt to use evidence Limited, uncritical and generally confused account of a narrow range of sources Poorly presented: writing style unclear with significant grammatical and spelling errors; limited attempt at providing references (e.g. only referencing direct quotations) and containing bibliographic omissions Shows limited understanding and knowledge of the subject and omits significant parts of the question Little or no argument and incoherent or illogical structure; evidence used inappropriately or incorrectly Inadequate use of analytical skills and tendency to assert opinion rather than engage in critique Some evidence of reading but little comprehension Inadequate presentation e.g. not always easy to follow; frequent grammatical and spelling errors; some attempt to provide references but inconsistent and containing bibliographic omissions Very limited, and seriously flawed, knowledge and understanding ; little understanding of the question or fails to address the question entirely No attempt to construct an argument and incoherent or illogical structure No evidence of analytical skill Uncritical and generally confused account of a very narrow range of sources. Very poor presentation: poor writing style; significant errors in spelling and grammar with limited or no attempt at providing references and containing bibliographic omissions.

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