Module ARA3049 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA3049: Media, Culture and Politics in the Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The module is designed to cover a broad range of topics including the history and development of the Arab press, the role played by radio and television in the national building process, the relationship between cinema and literature, the rise of satellite television and the Al-Jazeera phenomenon and the advent of digital media. Media will be analysed in relation to the rise of specific genres (soap operas, reality shows, auto fictional blogs, YouTube comedies) and specific historical moments which shook the region (e.g. the coup of 1952 in Egypt, the Iranian revolution of 1979, the Arab Spring).
By employing media research drawn from interdisciplinary sources, the course examines a range of cultural, theoretical and comparative research undertaken in the field. The purpose of the module is to engage students in critical thinking and analyses beyond the academic environment, understand global phenomena and work with others in shared projects.
The class format (mini-lectures, class discussions, presentations, group work, screenings and interactions with guest speakers) combined to the interdisciplinary nature of the module and the variety of materials (books, articles, think tank publications, documentaries, films, social media outlets, news outlets) aim to widen your understanding of the region and equip you with new tools of analysis which can support you as academics, independent researchers and practitioners.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate factual and theoretical understanding of important media issues and trends in the Middle East 2. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the role media plays in Middle Eastern culture and politics |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Employ and analyse a growing and diverse body of literature and scholarship and a variety of approaches to studying Arab media 4. Demonstrate how to link theory to practice and apply concepts learnt in a global perspective |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Conduct critical and thorough analyses of the subject topics in written work and oral presentation 6. Demonstrate high degree of autonomy and effective collaboration when conducting research 7. Demonstrate high quality of research, evaluation and synthesis from a wide range of sources |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual presentation (depending on the size of the class) | 15 minutes | 1-7 | Verbal feedback |
| In-class discussion of themes covered in the previous lectures and of documents or short documentaries; in-class pro and cons debates | 20 minutes | 1-5 | Verbal feedback |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-5, 7 | Written feedback |
| Essay 2 | 60 | 3,000 words | 1-5, 7 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-5, 7 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay 2 | Essay (3,000 words) | 1-5, 7 | August/September reassessment period |
