2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

GERM1145 Exploring German-Speaking Cultures, Histories and Societies for Beginners

20 creditsClass Size: 25

Module manager: Dr. Stephan Petzold
Email: s.petzold@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is mutually exclusive with

GERM1090

Approaching German Literature

Module replaces

GERM1085

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module will introduce you to the culture, history, politics and society of the German-speaking world. You will gain an insight into significant developments in German-speaking cultures and societies through exploring selected issues, primarily from the 20th and 21st centuries. You will also encounter a wide range of ideas, themes and approaches that have shaped the study of German-speaking cultures past and present. Furthermore, you will develop key study skills such as gathering information, explaining and discussing it and using it to develop and present your own ideas.

Objectives

This module aims to:

1. introduce you to key approaches, themes and developments in German Studies

2. encourage you to conceive of German Studies as an inter-disciplinary field of studies that includes literature, popular culture, history, politics and society

3. engage you with scholarship and to develop a good general understanding of key principles in academic research

4. encourage you to reflect on a number of important ideas in German Studies such as nation, culture, politics, power, identity in a historical and transcultural context

5. develop your skills to engage with and analyse scholarship and analyse and discuss a wide range of primary materials, such as film, literature, media, political rhetoric, historical sources.

6. develop the ability to craft you own arguments and use evidence to support them.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:

1. demonstrate knowledge of key developments in 20th and 21st-century German-speaking history, culture and society

2. understand key approaches, concepts and themes in German Studies

3. present complex ideas

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:

4. Information searching: the ability to interpret and present other people's ideas and synthesise these ideas to support opinion, argument and theories

5. Critical thinking: the ability to weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas.

6. Academic writing: the ability to write in a clear, concise, focused and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.

7. Presentation skills: the ability to deliver effective and engaging oral and visual presentations to a variety of audiences

8. Teamwork/collaboration: the ability to build positive relationships with other people which then enables successful projects or other collaborations.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	12	1.00	12.00
Seminar	16	1.00	16.00
Private study hours			172.00
Total Contact hours			28.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will have opportunity to receive feedback on the following work - non-assessed scholarship analysis exercise (in semester 1), non-assessed source analysis/commentary (in semester 1), non-assessed group project proposal (in semester 2)

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Report	Individual research report: 2500 words	80.00
Group Project	Group project presentation: 15 minutes	20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 12/04/2024

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