UNIVERSITY OF KENT
MODULE SPECIFICATION
SECTION 1: MODULE SPECIFICATIONS
1.
Title of the module
Anthropology of Creative Expression (SE809)
2.
School which will be responsible for management of the module
School of Anthropology and Conservation
3.
Start date of the module
Spring 2015
4.
The number of students expected to take the module
12-15
5.
Modules to be withdrawn on the introduction of this proposed module and consultation
with other relevant Schools and Faculties regarding the withdrawal
N/A
6.
Level of the module (e.g. Certificate [C], Intermediate [I], Honours [H] or Postgraduate
[M])
Postgraduate (M) (FHEQ level: 7)
7.
The number of credits which the module represents
20 Credits (10 ECTS)
8.
Which term(s) the module is to be taught in (or other teaching pattern)
Spring
9.
Prerequisite and co-requisite modules
SE801 (Theory and Ethnography in Social Anthropology I).
10. The programme(s) of study to which the module contributes
MA and Diploma programmes in Social Anthropology, Visual Anthropology,
Environmental Anthropology, and the Anthropology of Ethnicity, Nationalism and
Identity
11. The intended subject specific learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to
programme learning outcomes
The learning outcomes below are linked to those of the programme in Social
Anthropology. On successful completion of this module, students should:
11.1
be systematically and critically aware of current problems and key
trends in anthropological literature on creativity and creative
expression (e.g. humanist and post-humanist approaches to creativity
and material culture; anthropology and art; the ethnographic turn in art
practice; the relationship between anthropological and literary
representation; the affective turn in social theory; the impact of new
technologies on creative practice)
11.2
have acquired a critical understanding of the historical development of
the anthropological literature on creativity and creative expression
applicable to their own scholarship and research
11.3
have cultivated an in-depth understanding of the historical depth and
cultural diversity of creative practices and modes of creative
expression, in both Western and non-Western societies, and a practical
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understanding of how anthropologists, past and present, have
approached their study, both theoretically and methodologically
11.4
be able to situate and analyse from an anthropological perspective the
topics of creativity, creative expression and the arts in relation to
relevant social, political, economic, and historical contexts; and to
develop critical awareness of the strengths and limitations of this
approach compared to other disciplinary perspectives on creativity
11.5
be knowledgeable about the originality and key theoretical
contributions of anthropologists working on creativity, art and literature
to the wider discipline of social anthropology
11.6
understand the impact of key works in the anthropology of creativity on
anthropological modes of representation; and have developed a critical
understanding of the practical relevance of their training to the use of
anthropological methods and representational techniques
12. The intended generic learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to
programme learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should gain:
12.1
Critical thinking appropriate to the postgraduate level
12.2
Ability to use (and combine effectively) written, oral and visual modes
of communication
12.3
Reading, comprehension and assimilation of texts written for a
professional audience
12.4
Presentation skills: clarity, professionalism, relevance of
material
12.5
Ability to work effectively within a small group
13. A synopsis of the curriculum
This module critically surveys anthropological approaches to creativity and
creative expression—selected from research on creativity itself, and on the
anthropology of art and literature (both oral and written)—and lays the foundations
for students to undertake their own innovations in anthropological form. The
notion of ‘creativity’ is often tied to a Western humanist model of subjectivity. In
this module, we rethink creativity from a ‘post-humanist’ standpoint informed by
new anthropological research, and interdisciplinary work on novelty, affect, desire,
materiality, and material agency. We explore three fields of creative practice as
they relate to contemporary anthropology. 1) We review classic approaches to the
anthropology of art, in both non-Western and Western contexts. We assess recent
breakthroughs which challenge the borders between artistic and ethnographic
discourse, exploring how the ethnographic encounter can be rethought via
dialogue with contemporary artists. 2) We review the anthropology of literature,
and assess both pioneering forms of literary expression in the work of
anthropologists, and the output of anthropological practitioners of literary fiction
and poetry. 3) We examine how anthropology itself can be conceptualised as the
creative expression of an encounter with others, lived experience, and the
unknown, and explore the implications for anthropological modes of
representation (including public anthropology). Students have the option to
develop a creative project during the module that builds on this training, and can
submit both academic and practice-led creative anthropological research as their
assessment.
14. Indicative Reading List
Archetti, E. (ed) 1993. Exploring the Written: Anthropology and the Multiplicity of
Writing. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press.
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Benson, P. 1993.(ed) Anthropology and Literature. Chicago: University of Illinois
Press.
De Angelis, R. (ed) 2002. Between Anthropology and Literature. London:
Routledge.
Gell, A. 1998. Art and Agency: An Anthropological Theory. Oxford: Clarendon
Press.
Hallam, E. and T. Ingold. (eds) 2008. Creativity and Cultural Improvision. Oxford:
Berg.
Marcus, G. And F. Myers. (eds) 1996. The Traffic in Culture: Refiguring Art and
Anthropology. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Morphy, H. and M. Perkins. 2005. The Anthropology of Art: A Reader. Oxford:
Wiley-Blackwell.
Narayan, K. 2012. Alive in the Writing: Crafting Ethnography in the Company of
Chekhov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Schneider, A and C. Wright. 2010. Between Art and Anthropology: Contemporary
Ethnographic Practice. Oxford: Berg.
Schneider, A and C. Wright. 2013. Anthropology and Art Practice. London:
Bloomsbury.
Schwab, G. 2012. Imaginary Ethnographies: Literature, Culture, and Subjectivity.
New York: Columbia University Press.
Stewart, K. 2007. Ordinary Affects. Durham: Duke University Press.
Svasek, M. 2007. Anthropology, Art and Cultural Production. London: Pluto Press.
15. Learning and Teaching Methods, including the nature and number of contact hours and
the total study hours which will be expected of students, and how these relate to
achievement of the intended learning outcomes
The teaching structure of the module is 12 x 1-hour lectures + 12 x 1.5-hour
seminars + 1x2 hour workshop = 32 contact hours per student. This will provide
students with the opportunity to explore the module content in both intellectual
and practice-led contexts, and they will have the option to develop this further in
project work. Contact-based learning will be supplemented by resources collected
on a Moodle site for the module.
For each hour in lecture, seminar or tutorial, students will be expected to devote 4
hours of independent study or use of online module resources. They will be
expected to spend 16 hours on the short essay, and 24 hours on the final project.
In all, 200 hours’ study and writing will therefore be devoted to the module,
including the 32 teaching contact hours. The module thus combines structured
lectures, semi-structured seminars, and ample scope for individual exploration of
the module’s subject matter, in both intellectual and practical contexts. This will
ensure that the learning outcomes are achieved through a combination of
individual student initiative, and learning material delivered by the convenor.
Table of subject and generic learning outcomes supported by these methods:
Teaching & Learning Method
Subject Learning Outcomes
Generic Learning Outcomes
Lectures
11.1, 11.2, 11.3
12.1, 12.3, 12.5
Seminars
11.4, 11.5, 11.6
12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6
Workshop
11.5
12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5
Online resources (Moodle)
11.1, 11.2, 11.5
12.5, 12.6
Independent study
11.1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.6
12.1, 12.2, 12.5, 12.7
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Coursework (Short Essay, Final
Project)
11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.6
12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.5, 12.6
16. Assessment methods and how these relate to testing achievement of the intended
learning outcomes
The module is assessed by 100% coursework. Seminar participation comprises
10% of the coursework mark; a short essay (1,500 words) comprises 30% of the
coursework mark; and a final project comprises the remaining 60% of the
coursework mark. For the short essay, students may work on a topic of relevance
to the final project. For the final project, students can choose to submit either: 1) a
3,000 word essay drawing on library-based research developed during the module;
or 2) a 1,500 word essay accompanied by a literary ethnographic text, visual
anthropological text, or a combination of the two. In the case of option 2, students
will be expected to develop this hybrid work via practice-led, creative
anthropological research generated by seminar exercises and the workshop, and
under the guidance of the module convenor.
Table of subject and generic learning outcomes supported by these methods:
Assessment Method
Subject Learning Outcomes
Generic Learning Outcomes
Seminar Participation
11.4, 11.5
12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.6
Short Essay
11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5
12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.5
Final Project
11.1, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
12.2, 12.3, 12.5, 12.7
17. Implications for learning resources, including staff, library, IT and space
The only additional resources needed will be the provision of up-to date material
on the region in the form of selected new books and visual materials (videos
and/or dvds), for which sufficient funds are available from the School library
budget. New books as required are purchased from the School library budget, and
the provision of current periodicals to which the library subscribes is sufficient for
needs.
18. The School recognises and has embedded the expectations of current disability
equality legislation, and supports students with a declared disability or special
educational need in its teaching. Within this module we will make reasonable
adjustments wherever necessary, including additional or substitute materials,
teaching modes or assessment methods for students who have declared and
discussed their learning support needs. Arrangements for students with declared
disabilities will be made on an individual basis, in consultation with the
University’s disability/dyslexia support service, and specialist support will be
provided where needed.
19. Campus where module will be delivered1
Canterbury
If the module is part of a programme in a Partner College or Validated Institution,
please complete the following:
20. Partner College/Validated Institution
21. University School (for cognate programmes) or Faculty (for non-cognate programmes)
responsible for the programme
1
Required for information purposes only. Changes of campus will not require re-approval of the
module specification.
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UNIVERSITY OF KENT
SECTION 2: MODULE IS PART OF A PROGRAMME OF STUDY IN A UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL
Statement by the School Director of Graduate Studies (as appropriate): "I confirm I have
been consulted on the above module proposal and have given advice on the correct
procedures and required content of module proposals"
Date 8 November 2013
Statement by the Head of School: "I confirm that the School has approved the introduction
of the module and, where the module is proposed by School staff, will be responsible for its
resourcing"
Head of School
Date
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