ML1061: Culture, Political Protest & Dissent in the 1960s

School French
Department Code MLANG
Module Code ML1061
External Subject Code 101159
Number of Credits 15
Level L6
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Andrew Dowling
Semester Spring Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

This is a School-wide undergraduate module which provides the opportunity to explore and study the basic elements and theoretical framework of various cultural and political aspects of the 1960s in a wider global context. This was a time of considerable political upheaval around the world with civil rights activism and anti-war protest in the US, the cultural revolution in China, and worker and student protests against aspects of economic and social modernisation and consumerism in countries as diverse as Japan and France. The legacy of the 1960s  is still with us today, and many of the debates raised at the time are still pertinent today; the nature of the State and its relationship to capitalism, the nature and functioning of capitalist liberal democracy, social and gender equality etc, The module will focus on the cultural ‘break’ represented by the ‘long sixties’ [the late 1950s to the mid- 1970s], of which May 68 is not only a description of ‘iconic’ French events, but also a shorthand and metaphor for ‘the Global Revolutions of 1968’.  Over the semester, students will engage with a wide range of concepts, theories and approaches and look at materials from a range of contexts. Covering France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain/Hispanic countries, and other societies, the teaching and learning in the module will highlight national specificities while enabling comparisons to be drawn about the major paradigm shifts in the late 1960s in protest politics and culture around the world.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  1. Evaluate critically the political and cultural events in the post-1945 world
  2. Transfer and apply methods of textual and visual analysis to the materials studied
  3. Employ critical approaches to the key concepts associated with the development of politics and culture and employ critical approaches to these concepts
  4. Defend, both orally and in writing, a theoretically reflected position on the topics and materials studied
  5. Build a coherent, evidence-based argument drawing on relevant secondary literature​

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a range of interactive teaching sessions supplemented by online teaching and learning activities and materials – and may include, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance.  

Skills that will be practised and developed

Academic: intellectually-advanced skills centred on the ability to build a convincing argument, using a variety of sources relevant to the themes and topics of the module content. These will include close reading and research skills.

Subject-specific: ability to read and assess, and to engage critically with historical, political and cultural texts. Ability to understand how economic development, politics and culture interact.

Generic: transferable skills of information gathering; critical thinking; evaluation of materials; high-level oral argumentation skills; intercultural awareness; time management; high-level written communication and word-processing/visual presentation skills.

How the module will be assessed

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Mapping of Assessments to Intended Learning Outcomes

Essay: assesses LOs 1 - 5

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:

In the event of failure, students will be permitted to submit an essay (100%) during the August resit examination period, for a maximum mark of 40%. 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Essay N/A

Syllabus content

Introduction: the Post War World

  • Challenges of the 60s
  • The Cuban Revolution
  • May 68 in France
  • Culture and Protest in Italy
  • Protest in Germany
  • Nationalist revolts in the 1960s
  • Visual Culture in the 1960s               
  • Modernisation and Protest in Japan
  • Essay workshop
  • Overview/comparison
  • Revision

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