Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ANTM100: The Animal Mirror: Representations of Animality

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

The module aims

 1. to provide students with a detailed and theoretically grounded insight into a wide variety of animal representations in literature, in the arts and in other ‘media’ forms;

2. to enable students to engage critically with the ways such representations relate to, and can inform wider philosophical discussions of contemporary import (such as the environmental crisis and global sustainability);

3. to develop students’ abilities to apply appropriate theoretical models to  representations of animals and the ‘nonhuman’. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate a detailed and coherent knowledge of a range of theoretical approaches to the representations of 'animals' and the 'nonhuman' in literature, the arts, and other 'media' or 'cultural' forms;
2. critically evaluate and theoretically analyse the relationships between the representations of animals and the consumption of animal representations; e.g. author / reader, artist / viewer, advertiser / consumer;
3. display an understanding of the ways in which contemporary representations of animals might inform wider theoretical/philosophical debates such as global environmental crisis;
Discipline-Specific Skills4. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the importance of 'animals' and 'animality' in the creation of anthropological ideas about self and others;
5. show a clear and detailed understanding of the historical development of theoretical approaches to the representations of animals within the social sciences;
6. demonstrate a reflexive awareness of the socio-cultural influences which lead to particular representations and interpretations of animals within the social sciences;
7. critically scrutinise dominant representations in light of recent theoretical developments in the social sciences;
8. synthesise visual imagery and written text in a coherent and critically analytical manner;
Personal and Key Skills9. engage in independent research and analysis;
10. communicate complex ideas to a diverse audience; and
11. present information utilising a variety of different media, including visual media.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The structure and thematic content will include some or all of the following:

 

  • The representation of animals in ‘culture’ and the media
  • The representation of animals in literature (including an overview of how to approach working with texts)
  • Animals and Colonialism
  • Representing self and other
  • The animal aesthetic: Animals in Art/Animals as Art
  • Anthropomorphism
  • The post-modern animal and post-humanism
  • Hybrids
  • Exhibiting animals 

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
201300

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities 1010 x 1 hour podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities 1010 x 1 hour discussion/seminar participations on the VLE discussion forums (Including formative assessments)
Guided Independent Study 45Weekly preparatory reading for lectures and seminars
Guided Independent Study 30Preparation for formative assessments
Guided Independent Study 50 Research and writing of summative assessments
Guided Independent Study 5Attendance at an exhibition

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).