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Revised postgraduate programme specification 2012/13 School of Oriental and African Studies The following information forms the programme specification at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. It gives definitive information relating to a programme of study and is written for a public audience, particularly prospective and current students. It is also used for other purposes such as initial programme approval, and is therefore produced at the start of the programme development process. Once approved, it forms the base-line information for all statements relating to the programme and is updated as approved amendments are made. CORE INFORMATION Programme title MA Cultural Studies Final award MA Intermediate awards N/A Mode of attendance Full time (1 year) or part time (2 or 3

years) UCAS code N/A Professional body accreditation N/A Date specification created/updated 28/03/2011/December 2012 WHY CHOOSE THIS PROGRAMME? Why study at SOAS? SOAS is unique as the only higher

education institution in the UK specialising in the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The School also has the largest concentration of specialist faculty concerned with the study of these areas at any university in the world. SOAS is consistently ranked among the top higher education institutions in the UK and the world and it also offers a friendly, vibrant environment for students in a diverse and close-knit community. Click here for more information.

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What is special about this programme? The MA Cultural Studies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East is a pioneering programme that aims at de-westernising the field of cultural studies by focusing on Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures and societies. The programme benefits from the unique interdisciplinary courses on Asia, Africa and the Middle East offered by SOAS Faculties, with diverse approaches that include anthropology, sociology, religion, gender, media, film studies, history, art and archaeology, music and literatures and cultures. The programme is unique in allowing an Asian, African and Middle Eastern language acquisition path. Full-time students will be allowed to enrol for four courses during term one (part-time students two or three), if one of the courses is a language acquisition course. At the end of term one, they will have to withdraw from one course leaving three courses (pro rata for part-time students) and a dissertation.

Who would it suit? This programme is suitable for students with educational backgrounds in sociology, philosophy, history, religion, literature, languages, media, cultural studies, politics, etc. It will benefit anyone wishing to pursue a research degree (MPhil/PhD) and offers students training for a career in teaching and research in academia. It also provides a solid basis for anyone wishing to pursue a career in publishing, media or journalism.

Programme structure The programme consists of taught courses to the value of 3 units and a dissertation of 10,000 words. Students take a core course and two other options selected from a list of available courses. To allow for the language acquisition path, full-time students will be permitted to enrol for four units during term one (part-time students two or three), if one of the courses is a language acquisition unit. At the end of term one, they will have to withdraw from a course, leaving courses to the value of three units (pro rata for part-time students) and a 10,000 dissertation.

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Assessment summary Students are assessed using a combination of methods that include long essays, unseen written examinations, coursework and a dissertation. Each course has its own methods of assessment which are made available to the students on the course webpages.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS SOAS has general minimum entrance requirements for registration for a postgraduate taught degree and these can be viewed at http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/ PROGRAMME AIMS What will this programme give the student an opportunity to achieve?

• To obtain a thorough grounding in the theories on Cultural Studies and their use, application and adaptation in the cross-cultural contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

• To learn about the cultures and societies of the regions of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

• To develop a critical approach to Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultural productions.

• To train students to develop good research, analytical and interpretative skills to undertake their own research project.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES What will the student learn? Knowledge Students learn:

• How to analyse and interpret cultural practices critically. • How to apply a variety of critical theories to Asian, African and Middle

Eastern cultural productions including film, media, literature, art, etc. • How to explore a research topic and locate materials, use research sources

(particularly research library catalogues and electronic databases) and other relevant traditional sources.

• How to develop a critical approach to Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures in which students question the tenets of Western-derived theories and their applicability to non-Western contexts, and through a variety of approaches gain an understanding of the social and political role and function of and role of culture in Asian, African and Middle Eastern societies.

• The specificity of cultural paradigms of a region or regions of Asia/Africa and the Middle East.

• A thorough grounding in the theories and methodologies of Cultural Studies Intellectual (thinking) skills

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• Students are introduced to a number of theoretical approaches to cultural productions such as literature, film and media.

• Students are taught the importance of how theories raise questions about cultural products.

• Having successfully completed the programme, students will be able to: o analyse cultural products in a systematic and creative way from a

variety of perspectives o research the data necessary for making cultural analytical judgements o evaluate and apply independent research methods o demonstrate originality in dealing with cultural studies issues o successfully conduct an advanced independent research project o formulate and test interpretations o understand cultural studies practice and critically examine the social

and political contexts of cultural production. • Students will become aware of and think through problems involved when

applying a mainly ‘Western’ body of literary theory to Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures.

Subject-based practical skills

• Communicate effectively and analytically in writing on subjects related to cultural studies theories and their application in the contexts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East

• Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources. • Listen and discuss critically ideas introduced during seminars. • Practice research techniques in a variety of specialized research libraries and

institutes. • Gain knowledge of Asian or African cultures

Transferable skills

• Write good essays and dissertations. • Structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing. • Question the assumptions or theories and methodologies. • Study a variety of written and digital materials, in libraries and research

institutes of a kind they will not have used as undergraduates. • Present assessed and non – assessed material orally.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR GAINING AN AWARD Structure, duration and requirements for gaining an award SOAS has standard requirements relating to the structure and duration of taught postgraduate programmes and for the award and classification of these programmes. Details can be found at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/file60379.pdf Programme structure diagram

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Students taking the course part-time over 2 years tend to take 2 units in their first year and the remaining unit and the dissertation in their second year. Students taking the course part-time over 3 years tend to take one course unit per year. Below is a structure diagram for this programme. Level Year of

study Course code Course title Cred

it Status Notes

7 Year 1 15PCSC001 Cultural Studies Theories and the Study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East

45 Core

7 n/a n/a Optional course(s) from the lists below

45 Option no more than 1 unit from Group B or C

7 n/a n/a Optional course(s) from the lists below

45 Option no more than 1 unit from Group B or C

7 n/a 15PCSC999 Dissertation in Cultural Studies

45 Core

The following is the full list of courses currently approved for the MA Cultural Studies.

Group A (From the Faculty of Languages and Cultures)

• Travelling Africa: Writing the Cape to Cairo - 15PAFC139 (1 Unit) - Full Year

• Japanese Traditional Drama (Masters) - 15PEAH013 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Modern Japanese Literature (Masters) - 15PEAH012 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Modern Chinese Literature in Translation - 15PCHC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Modern Chinese Film and Theatre (MA) - 15PCHH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Modern Film from Taiwan and the Chinese Diaspora - 15PCHH002 (0.5 Unit)

- Term 1 • Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation - 15PCHC004 (1 Unit) - Full

Year • Literatures in African languages - 15PAFC124 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Literatures of South Asia - 15PSAC284 (1 Unit) - Full Year • The Politics of Culture in Contemporary South Asia - 15PSAC314 (1 Unit) -

Full Year • Modern Arabic Literature and the West - 15PNMC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Film and Society in the Middle East - 15PNMC230 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not

Running 2012/2013 • Post-crisis Thai Cinema (1997-2007) - 15PSEH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not

Running 2012/2013 • (Post) Colonialism and Otherness in South East Asia on Screen - 15PSEH010

(0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Genders and Sexualities in South East Asian Film - 15PSEH011 (0.5 Unit) -

Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013 • Aspects of African film and video 1 - 15PAFH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Aspects of African film and video 2 - 15PAFH007 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not

Running 2012/2013

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• Japanese Television since 1953 - 15PJKC006 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Indian Cinema: Its History and Social Context - 15PSAH001 (0.5 Unit) -

Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013 • Indian Cinema: Key Issues - 15PSAH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running

2012/2013 • Research Methods In Translation Studies - 15PLIH046 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Group A (From the Faculty of Arts and Humanities)

Department of Anthropology and Sociology

• Culture and Society of China - 15PANC089 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Culture and Society of East Africa - 15PANC084 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Culture and Society of Japan - 15PANC086 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Culture and Society of South Asia - 15PANC087 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Culture and Society of South East Asia - 15PANC088 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Culture and Society of the Near & Middle East - 15PANC097 (1 Unit) - Full

Year • African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World - 15PANH010 (0.5 Unit) -

Term 1 • African and Asian Cultures in Britain - 15PANH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Centre for Media and Film Studies

• The Transnational News Environment: Production, Representation and Use - 15PMSH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

• Transnational Communities and Diasporic Media:Networking, Connectivity, Identity - 15PMSH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

• Rethinking Audiences - 15PMSH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Japanese Transnational Cinema: From Kurosawa to Asia Extreme and Studio

Ghibli - 15PMSH017 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Japanese Post-War Film Genres and the Avant-Garde - 15PMSH001 (0.5 Unit)

- Term 2 • Mediated Culture in the Middle East: Politics and Communications -

15PMSH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • International Political Communication - 15PMSH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Studies in Global Media and Post-National Communication - 15PMSH007

(0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Department of Music

• Atlantic Africa: (P)Layers of Mediation in African Popular Music (PG) - 15PMUC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year

• Popular Music and Politics in Israel - 15PMUH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Pop and Politics in East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Gender and Music (MMus) - 15PMUH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running

2012/2013

Department of the Study of Religions

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• Critical Theory and the Study of Religions - 15PSRC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Myth and Mythmaking - 15PSRC164 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13 • Muslim Britain: Perspectives and Realities - 15PSRC158 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Department of History

• Histories of Ethnicity and Conflict in South East Asia I - Making States and Building Nations - 15PHIH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

• Histories of Ethnicity and Conflict in South East Asia II - Non-National Perspectives - 15PHIH012 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

• Social and Cultural Transformations in Southern Africa Since 1945 - 15PHIH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

• The End of Empire in the Middle East & the Balkans - 15PHIC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year

• Japanese Modernity I - 15PHIH013 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 • Japanese Modernity II - 15PHIH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 • Knowledge and Power in Early Modern China - 15PHIH024 (0.5 Unit) - Term

2 • Nationhood and Competing Identities in Modern China - 15PHIH022 (0.5

Unit) - Term 1

Department of Art and Archaeology

• Diaspora Contexts and Visual Culture - 15PARH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013

• Representing Conflict: A Cross-Cultural and Inter Disciplinary Approach - 15PARH039 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

• Islam and the West: Artistic and Cultural Contacts - 15PARH034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013

• Painting and Visual Culture in China - 15PARC043 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Group B

One African or Asian PG Language unit or one Language-based MA Literature/Film/Media unit may be included as one of the options. See the relevant language department website for course lists.

Group C

One theory unit may be included as an option.

• Gender theory and the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East - 15PGNC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year

• Postcolonial Theory and Practice - 15PCSC003 (1 Unit) - Full Year • Theory and techniques of Comparative Literature - 15PCSC002 (1 Unit) - Full

Year

The availability of optional/elective courses may vary in a given academic session due to factors such as staff absence and student numbers. For an up to date list of

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courses running in a given academic session please refer to the degree structures as listed on the SOAS website for the degree programmes taught by each Department.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT What methods will be used to achieve the learning outcomes? Knowledge

• Acquisition of critical and analytical skills of cultural studies theories and methodologies through lectures, seminars, tutorials and oral presentations.

• Students are required to attend all classes, study extensively on their own and prepare assessed and non-assessed work regularly.

• The core course ‘Cultural Studies Theories and the Study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East” introduces the developments of Cultural Studies Theories over the last thirty years to students in the first term and trains them in how these may be applied critically to Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures.

• Acquisition of the cultural paradigms of a region or regions of Asia, Africa and the Middle East by taking two courses from a region or regions of Asia, Africa, or the Middle East and by taking a language course. Students will be expected to analyse cultural products in the context of one or more of the theories introduced and question their effectiveness.

• Acquisition of the theories and methodologies of cultural studies through attending the core course “Cultural Studies Theories and the Study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East”.

• Assessment: through unseen examinations, long essays, course work and a dissertation.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

• Acquisition of analytical and critical skills is fostered in all courses offered in the Programme, in that all courses will introduce information that will need to be assessed critically and will demonstrate that how conflicting interpretations arise from different approaches to the same texts.

• Students will learn successfully how to conduct an advanced research project through supervision.

• Evaluation of theory and its applications is acquired through lectures, seminars and the writing of essays on topics relating to theory and Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultural practices.

• Assessment: through unseen examinations, course work, long essays and a dissertation.

Subject-based practical skills

• Acquisition of critical and analytical writing through the practice of researching and writing of long essays and dissertations.

• Research work in the library in preparation for essays, course work and dissertation

• seminar and tutorial preparation, discussion and presentation of ideas • Acquisition of knowledge of Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures and

societies through the selected area courses on these topics • Assessment: by unseen examination, dissertation, and long essays

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Transferable skills

• Acquisition of writing skills through the writing of long essays and dissertations.

• Through research work in the library in preparation for essays, course work and dissertation.

• Through seminar preparation, discussion and presentation of ideas. • Through the setting of clear deadlines for the submission of written work, and

through guidance when writing essays and thesis • Assessment: by unseen examination, dissertation, and long essays

REFERENCE POINTS What has been the basis for the design of this programme?

• School learning and teaching strategy • Staff research • QAA framework for higher education qualifications

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ENHANCEMENT SOAS has internal procedures to assure the quality of provsion to be offered to students and to enhance the quality in the light of experience following delivery, taking into account the input of external experts and students. The procedures are set out in the School’s Quality Assurance Handbook and can be viewed at http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/qualityassurance/quality-assurance-handbook/. SOAS is also subject to periodic external review from bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and relevant professional and statutory regulatory bodies. The procedures described in the Quality Assurance Handbook are in place to provide a high quality student experience for those choosing to study at SOAS, and student input and evaluation of their experiences is greatly valued. Students make an input to the ongoing development of their programmes, and the environment in which they operate, in a number of ways, including:

• formal student evaluation as part of the annual programme review; • student representation on School committees at various levels (through the

Students’ Union) where many relevant issues are discussed. FURTHER INFORMATION

• SOAS Vision and Strategy Statement; • Postgraduate Handbook; • Quality Assurance Handbook;

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• UCAS website; • QAA website; • website of the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS):

http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/ • website of the programme: http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/degrees/macomplit/.