Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3140: The Kurds: History and Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

The Historiography of the Kurds and Kurdistan

The Kurds between two empires (the Ottomans and the Safavids)

Kurds and Kurdistan in the first World War

Kurdish nationalism and the question of identity

Religious identities and politics in Kurdistan

The Kurdish national movement and the states (Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria)

Kurds, actors of Middle-Eastern Regional politics

The Diasporisation of the Kurdish People

The Kurdish political movement and transformation of gender roles

Kurdistan, war, and the global economy

War and the transformation of society in Kurdistan

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	22	Classroom hours (11 x 2 hours seminars)
Guided Independent study	55	Weekly Reading and class preparation 5 hours x 11
Guided Independent study	20	Reading and writing up of book review
Guided Independent study	25	Project (15 hours researching/coordinating; 10 hours writing/preparing presentation)
Guided Independent study	28	Essay (18 hours reading, 10 hours writing)

Online Resources

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

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
Class discussion and group or individual presentation	Weekly	1-3	Oral feedback
Project Proposal	800-1000 words	1-3; 7	Oral and Written 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
Academic Book Review	20	1000 words	1-3; 6-9	Written (and verbal by appointment with student)
Essay	50	2500 words	1-9	Written (and verbal by appointment with student)
Project	30	15 minutes class presentation; materials for submission (images/films/slides; or short essay TBD on individual basis with module convenor)	1-9	Written and verbal
	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
Project	Project, including short 1000-word reflective essay (to replace class presentation)	1-9	August/September reassessment period
Academic Book Review	Academic book review (1000 words)	1-3; 6-9	August/September reassessment period
Essay	Essay (2500 words)	1-9	August/September reassessment period