Programme And Module Handbook
 
Programme Specification


Date Specification Approved 26/09/2014
College College Arts and Law
School History and Cultures
Department African Studies & Anthropology
Partner College and School History
Collaborative Organisation and Form of Collaboration
Qualification and Programme Title B.A. Anthropology and History Full-time
Programme Code 5159
Delivery Location Campus
Language of Study English
Length of Programme 3 Year(s)
Accreditations This programme has no outside accreditations
Aims of the Programme To provide students with a rich and diverse learning experience. Foster students’ personal development so that they can demonstrate independence, initiative, self-management and the capacity for life-long learning. Train a pool of graduates who have detailed knowledge of specific societies and cultures and are able to compare human behaviour around the world. Train a pool of graduates who are able to bring relevant anthropological theory and methodology to bear upon complex situations and issues, and to demonstrate sensitivity to the needs and views of the people being studied. Render students employable by training them in the transferable skills that are associated with all arts, humanities and social science degree programmes, including: identification of areas of enquiry and relevant sources of information; referencing, evaluation, synthesis and analysis of information in the light of relevant methodological and theoretical frameworks; clear and coherent communication in person and on paper. will represent, on one hand a core resource pool of intellectually trained individuals capable of acting as bridges of understanding and conduits of knowledge with other groups, and on the other, a body of highly skilled and multi/inter-disciplinary trained potential employees, already familiar with a wide range of skills and multi tasking abilities necessary to the work force in the 21st century. A half degree in anthropology will provide a joint honours link among historical studies, humanities and social sciences, with the jobs and skills market geared to appreciate broad multi and interdisciplinary training and a high level of competence in key transferable skills. History:

The History side of the programme provides students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of historical events and processes – and of the enduring legacies of the past – across a range of topics that span a diverse range of chronologies (from the Bronze Age to the present day) and geographies and scales (from the West Midlands to Africa, Asia, and the Americas). In so doing, the programme develops a range of analytical and organisational skills, independent and critical thinking, and the ability to synthesise and communication information and ideas. These attributes will be developed through three interlocked strands of the curriculum:

• Studying History through which students will develop a specialist knowledge of particular historical topics that span a range of periods (from the ancient world to the present day), of geographies (from the local to the global), and themes;
• Understanding History through which students will develop an understanding of the theoretical and methodological development of the discipline and its place in contemporary culture and society;
• and Doing History through which students will undertake original historical research both as an individual and as part of a team.

The programme also attunes students to contemporary challenges within and beyond the discipline – globalisation; sustainability; inequalities – to the importance of thinking critically about heritage, conservation, and the place of the past in public life. As such diversity is the heart of the curriculum. The programme recovers and reintegrates the voices of those previously marginalised by virtue of race, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, or excluded by virtue of dominant narratives of the past and enables and encourages students to explore the histories and cultures of different peoples, societies, and cultures from around the world. The programme challenges students to engage with communities in the city, the region, and beyond.

The programme facilitates the development of a wide and diverse range of transferable skills – in research, in analysis, in evaluation and synthesis, in organisation, and in communication – and thus prepares students both for further study and for a wide range of career
Programme Outcomes
Students are expected to have Knowledge and Understanding of: Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods: and assessed using the following methods:
History:
A broad body of historical information characterised by geographical range. thematic breadth and chronological depth.
The range of sources available to historians – including, but not limited to, textual primary evidence – and an awareness of both their value and their limitations.
The historiographical development of core debates in and beyond the discipline, history, and an appreciation of the reasons for continued controversies;
The conceptual, theoretical, and ideological influences on historical events and processes, and on their interpretation.
The enduring legacies of the past and the relevance of historical knowledge and understanding to the interpretation of contemporary events.
Year Abroad only:
Demonstrate the ability to study relevant topics at an international institution and appreciate the difference between study in the UK and overseas.
The history of the discipline of Anthropology and the emergence of sub-fields
The importance of empirical fieldwork as the primary method of gathering data and as a basis for the generation of anthropological theory and the comparative study of human societies
The nature and extent of human diversity and commonality, and the different explanations that have been offered for this diversity
The ethical issues entailed in the study of social worlds and the representation of others, and the potential applications and misapplications of Anthropology
1-5: Attendance at and contributions to lectures, seminars, and tutorials, alongside independent study and engagement with digital resources and exercises. 6: Year Abroad (as delivered by the host institution).
1. Lectures, seminars, independent reading and individual/group project work in subject-specific modules; research for the final-year independent study / dissertation modules
2. Lectures, seminars and independent reading in modules which deal specifically with ethnography and which require students to conduct an ethnographic project
3. Lectures, seminars, independent reading and individual/group project work in subject-specific modules; research for the final-year independent study / dissertation modules
4. Ethnographic project work and research for the final-year independent study / dissertation
History
1-5: The completion of written formative and summative coursework (i.e. essays, assignments, source analyses, book or article reviews, portfolio assessment, take-home papers, and – for BA only – Dissertations) of varying lengths.

6: Year Abroad Module (assessment as required by host institution).
Essays, timed exams, book reviews, project proposals and reports, independent study / dissertation
Students are expected to have attained the following Skills and other Attributes: Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods: and assessed using the following methods:
History:
The ability to evaluate, analyse, synthesise, and interpret a wide range of primary and secondary historical material, and to demonstrate an appropriate awareness of the historical contexts in which these materials were produced
The ability to understand relevant methods and concepts from historical studies and from other related disciplines – including, but not limited to, anthropology, archaeology, economics, political science, and sociology – and to apply these in conjunction with historical evidence.
The ability to communicate ideas and arguments effectively both in writing – across a range of different forms and styles – and orally, displaying appropriate intellectual flexibility and disciplined imagination
The ability to identify, assess and make use of different theoretical approaches within the discipline of Anthropology, including those which recognise and analyse social change and relations of power
The ability to identify an issue or area of enquiry; to question cultural assumptions about this issue; and to search for, select and evaluate relevant sources of information
The ability to interpret, synthesise, critically interrogate a range of primary and secondary sources, generated within and outside the area under study, and to reference these appropriately in their academic writing
To communicate their findings and their analysis clearly and coherently, both in written and oral formats
To work with a significant amount of independence, including self-direction, initiative and time-management
To listen effectively, work with others, and respond constructively to feedback
History
1-3: Attendance at and contributions to lectures, seminars, and tutorials, alongside independent study and engagement with digital resources and exercises.


1. Lectures, seminars and independent reading throughout the degree programme; ethnographic project work; discussion with independent study / dissertation supervisor and feedback on drafts
2. Group presentations which require students work collaboratively to identify an area of enquiry and relevant sources of information; individual independent study / dissertations which require students to identify an area of enquiry and relevant sources of information, with support from a supervisor
3. Seminar discussions, workshops, and group activities during lecture sessions; feedback on drafts of independent studies / dissertations; feedback on essays and project reports
4. Seminar discussions, workshops, and group activities during lecture sessions; feedback on drafts of independent studies / dissertations; feedback on essays and project reports
5. Independent reading in all modules; individual and/or group research in modules in each year of the degree programme; feedback on drafts of independent studies / dissertations; feedback on essays and project reports
6. Group research for presentations, student-led workshops which support independent study / dissertation projects, feedback on drafts and discussion with independent study / dissertation supervisor
History

1-3: The completion of written formative and summative coursework (i.e. essays, assignments, source analyses, book or article reviews, portfolio assessment, take-home papers) of varying lengths. Participation in oral presentations of varying length and format, delivered either as an individual or as part of a group.
Group presentations, project reports, essays, timed exams, book reviews, independent study / dissertation