EU7397: Dissertation (Single Honours - in German)

School null
Department Code null
Module Code EU7397
External Subject Code R200
Number of Credits 40
Level L6
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Mr Heiko Feldner
Semester Double Semester
Academic Year 2013/4

Outline Description of Module

This module offers an opportunity for single honours students in the final year of their undergraduate degree to undertake an in-depth project. This involves writing a 8,000 – 10, 000 word study into a relevant aspect of German Studies in a broad sense, taken to include aspects of literature, history, politics and visual culture. The language of the dissertation is German. The exact topic of your project is to be agreed with your module tutor at the beginning of the academic year. Please bear in mind that writing the dissertation is a linguistic as well as an academic challenge: both dimensions are inextricably linked and will be assessed in equal measure. While this dual challenge provides a rewarding touchstone for your German degree, it requires a high level of self-directed study and initiative. The dissertation is a key component of a Single Honours German degree and is compulsory for all Single Honours students.


This course aims to:

·         Offer an integrated approach to teaching & learning which allows students to embark on the dual challenge of producing an academically substantial work in the target language of their degree.

·         Provide an opportunity for students in their final year to undertake an in-depth research project unavailable in year one and two.

·         Allow students to pursue a specific interest under professional supervision.

·         Enable students to identify and define a suitable research question.

·         Empower students to investigate a clearly defined topic critically using relevant resources.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

·         Write an effective dissertation based on critical research and thorough evaluation of relevant resources.

·         Produce a substantial piece of research in the target language of their degree.

·         Show an in-depth understanding of one pertinent topic of German history, politics, society, culture and literature from the 18th and 20th century.

·         Demonstrate a critical awareness of the plurality of perspectives on modern and contemporary German affairs, and to identify the advantages and shortcomings of different approaches.

·         Engage competently and critically in argument and discussion with regard to major debates which have dominated the chosen research field in the past.

·         Use appropriate registers when communicating knowledge and understanding of the material studied for the dissertation.

How the module will be delivered

The course is taught by means of one-to-one supervision and by feedback throughout the academic year.

There will be an introductory meeting for all students on this course in week one of the autumn semester. Students are expected to meet with their supervisor in week two to agree the exact topic of their dissertation, and to submit a 500 word project outline in week three. The outline should include a proper description of your chosen topic, the central questions you intend to pursue, a precise reading list, and a realistic timetable for your research until Christmas. The draft of the first substantial chapter is due on 24 January. Deadlines for further draft chapters will be agreed as appropriate. The draft version of the dissertation as a whole is to be completed by the 30 March so that there remains sufficient time for the essential revision that turns a useful draft into a quality dissertation. The deadline for the submission of the dissertation is 30 May 2014.

While 30 May might seem far away, the best way of approaching your dissertation is to write right from the beginning. Do not spend weeks just reading without ever putting anything down in writing. It is much easier to edit something than to write it from scratch. So write from the start.

You will receive continuous feedback throughout the academic year and formal feedback for your written work, such as your project outline and draft chapters. There will be regular one-to-one meetings to discuss your work. Please make use of lecturers’ office hours if you would like to see them in between meetings – they are reserved for you.

Skills that will be practised and developed

On completion of this module a typical student will be able to:

Personal transferable skills

·         Communicate complex ideas effectively in the target language of the degree

·         Use communications and information technologies for the retrieval and presentation of information

·         Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time-management

Generic intellectual skills

·         Gather, organize and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of sources

·         Develop a reasoned argument, synthesize relevant information and exercise critical judgement

·         Reflect on his or her own learning and make use of constructive feedback

·         Manage his or her own learning and research self-critically

The generic skills will be manifest in literature searches on the internet and CD ROM, compilation of bibliographies and effective presentation of written work.

How the module will be assessed

 

Type of assessment

%

Contribution

Title

Approx. date of Assessment

Formative

Dissertation outline

Submission in week 3 of the autumn semester.

Feedback within one week of submission.

Formative

Draft Chapters

Submission of first chapter on 24 January and all further chapters by 30 March 2014.

Summative

100%

Dissertation
Word length: 8,000 – 10,000 words, excl. bibliography.

Language: German

Equal marks are available for the linguistic quality (50%) and the quality of the content (50%).

Submission: 30 May 2014

 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Dissertation 100 Dissertation (Single Honours – In German) N/A

Syllabus content

This module offers an opportunity for highly motivated students in the final year of their undergraduate degree to undertake an in-depth project. This involves writing a 6,000 word study into a relevant aspect of German History, Society or Politics. The language of the dissertation is German. The exact topic of your project is to be agreed with your module tutor at the beginning of the academic year. Please bear in mind that writing the dissertation is a linguistic as well as an academic challenge: both dimensions are inextricably linked and will be assessed in equal measure. While this dual challenge provides a rewarding touchstone for your German degree, it requires a high level of self-directed study and initiative. It is expected that students taking this module will have a strong track-record in relevant modules from their previous years of study.

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

·         The roots of anti-Semitism in modern German history – Recommended for students with strong background knowledge in the history of National Socialism.

·         Forever in the shadow of Hitler? Examine the Goldhagen debate on Hitler’s Willing Executioners (1996-1997). – Especially for students with an interest in contemporary debates on Nazism.

·         An intellectual biography of historian and economist Jürgen Kuczynski (1904-1997) – Suitable for students with a strong background in 20th century German history.

·         Life and works of singer, song-writer and political activist Gerhard Gundermann (1955-1998) – This topic is recommendable for students of German & Music.

·         GDR and FRG: a comparison – Recommendable for students with a strong interest in post-War German society.

·         The German Enlightenment

·         German Romanticism

·         Expressionism

·         The relationship between literature and German history

·         Women’s writing in German

·         GDR culture

·         Culture of the Berlin Republic

·         Genre-based studies, such as documentary theatre, the postwar short story etc

·         The works of a single author

Essential Reading and Resource List

The dissertation is in many ways the capstone of your German degree. But writing one can be a daunting prospect. While there is no royal road to writing a dissertation, the books below offer invaluable insights into how best to approach the task:

·         Greetham, Bryan (2009), How to write your undergraduate dissertation, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [HF180 GRE]

·         Lipson, Charles (2005), How to write a BA thesis, Chicago: Chicago University Press. [LB2369.L4]

·         Fabb, Nigel, and Alan Durant (1993), How to write essays, dissertations and theses in literary studies, London and New York: Longman. [PE1479.C7.F2]

·         Hares, Rod, and Christa Clemmetsen (1998), Aufsatz 2000!: German language essay writing, London: Hodder & Stoughton. [438.2421 H]

Our library offers an excellent overview of How to Cite References (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/educationandtraining/guides/citingreferences/index.html).

You can use either the Harvard Style or OSCOLA.

Topic-specific reading will be discussed and recommended in meetings and via feedback.


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