Module description
This module will look at key social movements from the 20th and 21st century and the ways in which culture and cultural expression have been central to representing social causes, communicating concerns and engendering public support for social change. It will examine how technologies have changed the shape of cultural expression, often defining the texture and possibilities of activist practices. The module will explore a wide range of cultural practices and their relationship with activism including the visual arts, performing arts and music. It will draw from examples across time and geographic locations.
Assessment details
Assessment 1: 5 minute Narrated PowerPoint Presentation (30%)
Assessment 2: 2,000 word Essay (70%)
Educational aims & objectives
This module aims to:
- Develop students' understanding of the relationship between culture, activism, mediation and society;
- Introduce students to key issues, debates and histories at the intersection of culture and activism;
- Equip students with the tools to understand and evaluate the politics, representations and initiatives of activism in various cultural sectors and locations;
- Critically facilitate students' ability to apply key concepts from the module to conceptualising and critiquing real-world activist interventions.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
- Understand a wide range of histories as they pertain to the relationship between activism, culture, mediation and society;
- Recognise and be able to analyse current debates around culture and activism;
- Critically understand and evaluate how various forms of activist practices are represented in different cultural sectors;
- Apply key concepts of the module to the implementation, planning and critique of real-world activist interventions.
Teaching pattern
Ten one-hour lectures and ten one-hour seminars