British Art and Culture after 1945 - MA Seminar 1 3301-KBS1KOC
The seminar, during which students discuss themes related to British art and culture after 1945 to the present, is divided into two parts – the theoretical and the practical one. The theoretical part is devoted to the discussion of social transformations in Britain after 1945 (the first semester); the practical component constitutes an introduction to the critical discourse analysis (the second semester) as one of the potential tools of the cultural studies researcher. In the first meeting, the participants become acquainted with the methodology of cultural studies research, as well as attempt to specify their research interests. The subsequent meetings in the first semester are devoted to the discussion of national, ethnic, and gender identities in the British society. On the basis of selected secondary sources, students attempt to prepare their own critical analyses of diverse texts of culture (films, the press, the visual arts) in relation to the debate on identity. Also in the first semester, students prepare annotated bibliography and write their MA proposal. During the second semester, students further develop the skills of critically analysing materials and write the main chapter of their MA thesis.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes applicable to students beginning their studies in the academic year 2025/26
Knowledge
The graduate has in-depth familiarity with:
K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in the disciplines of literary studies and culture and region studies, in accordance with their chosen specialization (and educational path), specifically in the field of contemporary art and visual culture in the United Kingdom.
K_W02 – in an advanced manner, the principles of designing cultural studies research, particularly the rules for selecting methods and tools in formulating research problems and testing hypotheses within the field of British visual culture after 1945.
K_W05 – the economic, legal, ethical, and other conditions influencing the development of entrepreneurship in the context of a career path related to the field of study.
Abilities
The graduate is able to:
K_U01 – apply the advanced terminology, theories and research methods of culture and religion studies to solve complex and original research problems in accordance with his/her chosen specialization (and educational path), specifically in the field of contemporary art and visual culture in the United Kingdom.
K_U02 – apply advanced principles of designing cultural studies research, and in particular are able to:
select appropriate sources, methods, and tools;
critically analyse and synthesise the current state of research in the discipline;
interpret and present the results obtained using advanced information and communication technologies.
K_U03 – use appropriate structures, vocabulary, and language conventions suited to the communicative situation (e.g. participating in a public debate, delivering an academic presentation, etc.) in spoken and written English at a minimum of C2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
K_U04 – apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law
K_U05 – apply knowledge of economic, legal, and ethical conditions, as well as other aspects of professional activity related to their field of study.
K_U07 – use modern technologies in the process of acquiring knowledge and communicate using various channels and communication techniques.
K_U09 – design their own development path and guide others in this area.
Social competences
The graduate is ready to:
K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required.
Depending on the specific course; methods regarded as most suitable for verifying learning
outcomes will be determined in the course syllabus: W, U, K.
Learning outcomes applicable to students in the years 2022-2024
Knowledge
Students know and understand:
K_W04 in-depth principles of designing cultural studies, in particular the use of methods and tools in formulating research problems in the field of British visual arts and culture p 1945;
K_W05 at an advanced level of grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, pragmatics of the English language;
K_W06 economic, legal and ethical and other conditions for various types of professional activity related to the field of study.
Skills
Students can:
K_U01 use the terminology and conceptual apparatus in the field of cultural studies, in particular the history and theory of fashion;
K_U02 to use the methodology of cultural studies on British visual culture within the English philology, respecting the standards of scientific ethics and copyright law;
K_U03 to use the acquired knowledge to describe and solve the problem and to carry out a research project on topics in the field of science about culture and religion, in particular in the field of British art and visual culture after 1945;
K_U04 use the acquired knowledge to describe and solve problems and perform tasks related to the discipline of culture and religion sciences;
K_U06 independently search for information in various sources and evaluate their suitability for research work on the subject of the master's seminar related to British visual art and culture after 1945;
K_U07 use modern technologies in the process of acquiring knowledge and communicate (e.g. with lecturers, tutors, mentors, etc. and with participants in classes and projects) using various communication channels and techniques;
K_U11 design your own development path.
Social competence
Students are ready to:
K_K02 lifelong learning and personal development, using the skills to select subjects and projects corresponding to the interests of a given person
Language education at the B2 + level.
Assessment criteria
1. MA proposal (65 % of the grade)
2. Annotated bibliography (20 % of the grade)
3. Presentation and participation (15 % of the grade)
Bibliography
Abbot, Mary. Family Affairs. A history of the family in the 20th England. London: Routledge, 2003.
Bailey, David A., Ian Baucom and Sonia Boyce. Shades of Black. Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005.
Baker, Houston A., Jr.,Manthia Diawara and Ruth H. Lindeborg, eds. Black British Cultural Studies. A Reader. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Bortolaia Silva, Elizabeth, ed. Good Enough Mothering? Feminist perspectives on lone motherhood. London: Routledge, 1996.
Clark, David. Marriage, Domestic Life and Social Change, London: Routledge, 1991.
Fairclough, Norman. Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge, 2003.
Fairclough, Norman. Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007.
Fairclough, Norman. New Labour? New Language? London: Routledge, 2000.
Foster, Alicia. Tate Women Artists. London: Tate Publishing, 2004.
Fowler, Rodger. Language in the News: Discourse and Ideology in the Press. London: Routledge, 1991.
Gilroy, Paul. There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack. London: Routledge, 2002.
Harrison, Charles, Paul Wood, eds. Art in Theory 1900-2000. An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
Hill, John. Ken Loach. The Politics of Film and Television. London: British Film Institute, 2011.
Knauer, Krzysztof and Simon Murray, eds. Britishness and Cultural Studies, Continuity and Change in Narrating the Nation. Katowice: Humanistyka i Poznanie, 2000.
Lewis, Jane. Women in Britain since 1945, Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.
Mirzoeff, Nicholas, ed. The Visual Culture Reader. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Monaco, James, ed. How to Read a Film. Movies Media and Beyond. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Morley, David, and Kevin Robins. British Cultural Studies, Geography, Nationality and Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Murphy, Robert, ed. British Cinema of the 90s. London: British Film Institute, 2011.
O'Sullivan, Sean. Mike Leigh. Chicago: University of Illinois, 2011.
Paul, Kathleen. Whitewashing Britain. Race and Citizenship in the Postwar Era. New York: Cornell University Press, 1997.
Paxman, Jeremy. The English. A Portrait of a People. London: Penguin Books, 1999.
Peppiatt, Michael, Francis Bacon. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Reid, Ivan. Class in Britain, Polity Press, London, 1998.
Roberts, Ken. Class in Modern Britain, Palgrave, London, 2001
Sandbrook, Dominic. White Heat. London: Abacus, 2006.
Spalding, Frances. British Art since 1900. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2002.
The Turner Prize and British Art. London: Tate Publishing, 2007.
Turner, Graeme. British Cultural Studies. London: Routledge, 1996.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: