Reading Comparatively
| Module title | Reading Comparatively |
|---|---|
| Module code | SML1004 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Katie Brown (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
In this module, you will put comparative literature into practice. Over the course of the module, we study three core themes - gender and sexuality, the environment, and migration – through a selection of extracts from texts from around the world. You will develop intercultural understanding and appreciation of the factors that shape the similarities and differences in cultural expressions over time and across borders. You will practice close reading and develop ‘translation literacy’, an understanding of the factors that shape the production and circulation of translated texts.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to:
- View responses to key societal issues through literature across multiple cultural contexts
- Emphasise intercultural understanding
- Develop your core skills of close reading, comparative analysis and essay writing as a foundation to a degree in Comparative Literatures and Cultures
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Compare texts from different cultural contexts, applying at least one relevant theory
- 2. Recognise the factors that shape the production and circulation of texts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Adopt a critical approach to the select texts and produce to a deadline a cogent written argument.
- 4. Apply basic close reading skills
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Conduct independent study, including preparing material for seminars and assessments
- 6. Demonstrate basic intercultural understanding
Syllabus plan
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 134 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 1 | Introductory lecture |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour seminars, practicing close reading and group discussion |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 1.5 | Revision and conclusions |
| Guided independent study | 134 | Preparation for seminars; reading of primary and secondary material; preparation of formative assignment; preparation of summative assessment. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commentary | 500 words | 1, 3-5 | Written, and oral on request |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 2500 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (2500 words) | Essay (2500 words) (100%) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Deniz Bayrakdar and Robert Burgoyne eds. Refugees and Migrants in Contemporary Film, Art and Media (Cambridge University Press, 2022)
Theo D'haen, David Damrosch, and Djelal Kadir eds. The Routledge Companion to World Literature (Routledge, 2013)
Jasmina Lukic, Sibelan Forrester and Borbála Faragó eds. Times of Mobility: Transnational Literature and Gender in Translation (Central European University Press, 2020)
Russell King, John Connell and Paul White eds. Writing Across Worlds: Literature and Migration (Routledge, 1995)
John Parham and Louise Westling eds. A Global History of Literature and the Environment (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
A bibliography will be provided on the ELE page.
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
A selection of extracts from primary sources will be provided.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 14/11/2023 |
| Last revision date | 14/02/2025 |
