2021/22 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2435 The Popular Caribbean: A History

20 creditsClass Size: 29

Module manager: Kimberley Thomas
Email: K.E.Thomas@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module takes as its point of departure popular contemporary representations of the Caribbean and entrenched associations such as reggae, calypso, jerk, and pristine beaches. The module interrogates these popular representations by tracing the history of cultural expression in the Caribbean during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students will gain a cultural understanding of the region's history by examining topics such as religion and carnival. Particular attention will be paid to developing a comparative perspective on Caribbean islands. Students will be encouraged to engage with existing historiographical debates and to analyse textual, visual and oral evidence.

Objectives

On the successful completion of this module, students should:
- Have an understanding of Caribbean cultural expression
- Be able to critically engage with popular representations of Caribbean culture
- Be able to express their ideas and arguments effectively in group discussions
- Have further developed their research and writing skills
- Have gained further experience of working with a range of visual and written sources

Learning outcomes
On the successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Identify and articulate key developments that shaped Caribbean cultural expression in the nineteenth and twentieth century;
- Analyse the relationship between cultural and political developments in the Caribbean;
- Analyse key developments within historical representations of the region;
- Critically discuss theories of cultural and political development in the Caribbean

Syllabus

This module may include topics such as travelling representations of the Caribbean, island religions and spirituality, carnival traditions, and sporting histories.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	9	1.00	9.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students will complete set reading, undertake self-directed study around the topic, and will research and prepare material for the assessed coursework and end of module examination.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress will be monitored via individual contributions to class discussions, a verbal presentation worth 10% of the overall module mark and an assessed essay worth 40% of the overall module mark.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 × 3,000-word essay (60%) {Deadline Monday of exam week 1}	60.00
Assignment	An individual choice between a poster presentation (10 mins), a 2,000-word critical review or a 3 × 500 word blog (40%) {Reviews and blog posts to be submitted by semester week 8. The timing of poster presentations will depend on how many students choose this form of assessment}	40.00
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: 14/02/2022

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