Module description
This compulsory Culture & Society Foundation module will introduce you to the key debates and perspectives on the contemporary issues that you will be expected to be familiar with when you start your undergraduate degree in a Humanities or Social Science subject.
You’ll sharpen your critical and analytical thinking skills, particularly through the use of theory, in order to prepare you to succeed in a UK university environment.
Throughout this Culture & Society Foundation module, you’ll be encouraged to think through different theoretical frameworks and identify areas where these may differ from your ideas, and the ideas of other students.
You’ll cover concepts that often prove contentious both in the UK and worldwide. The topics covered during the 2024-25 academic year are outlined below. To ensure the module remains up-to-date, this list may be revised in future academic years.
- multiculturalism
- nationalism
- race
- gender
- sexuality
- imperialism
- ethics and the law
- religion
- Marxism
- liberalism
- conservatism
You’ll be introduced to the expectations of undergraduate study in terms of autonomous study, group work, the use of technology and expected behaviours. You will be encouraged to evaluate your own performance and helped to reflect on feedback to identify areas where you can work to improve. This will prepare you for further academic study at King's.
Assessment details
You’ll be assessed for this Culture & Society Foundation module through coursework (80%) and exam (20%).
Educational aims & objectives
This Culture & Society Foundation module will:
- provide you with an overview of key areas of knowledge that underlie teaching and learning in the UK in your discipline
- supplement your argumentation with analytical frameworks appropriate to a wide variety of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences
- help you reflect on the foundations of and new developments in Western cultural and societal norms, and to make you aware of and sensitive to such norms
- further your ability to think systematically and analytically in such a way as to enhance your future success in a British academic environment and to enrich your ability to think about key debates in contemporary society that impact on and/or are impacted by your discipline
- increase your ability, with appropriate support, to take responsibility for your own learning.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Culture & Society Foundation module, you’ll be able to demonstrate the intellectual, transferable and practicable skills appropriate to this level of module. In particular, you’ll be able to demonstrate:
- Develop a range of analytical and critical thinking skills relating to the target UG programmes and apply these to common debates in contemporary society.
- Demonstrate both the ability to work autonomously and in a team, fostering a comprehensive understanding of diverse topics within the disciplines of social sciences and the humanities.
- Construct well-informed perspectives by synthesising information from core texts and lectures.