Advice
This is a seminar-based module. What you get from it will be directly
proportional to how much you put in. You will be asked to sign up
to two seminar/essay topics that will become the focus of your work in
the module.
However, the best work produced by students will address general
theoretical themes and make connections to other topics. Each topic has
assigned readings that all students are expected to read and be in a
position to discuss in class. Some of these will be in assigned
texts, and others downloadable from Web-CT or from electronic journals.
The contents of your seminar should be shaped both by the essay
question and by the broader content of the topic. You should try
to provide an introduction to it, and then move on to the essay
question attached. You should prepare a presentation of no
more than 40 minutes. If more than one student is assigned to a
topic, you should coordinate to share the presentation and presentation
time on an equal basis. This will work best if you each prepare
material that covers the whole topic, and meet beforehand to divide up
the presentation to minimise repetition and overlaps.
The rest of the seminar will be spent in discussion and debate. You may
choose, if you like, to present over a longer period and invite
discussion, questions, or reflections at various points during your
presentation. While your delivery of the seminar is formative, and not
therefore assessed, a successful seminar will put you in a good
position to write a high-quality essay by generating comment and
discussion at a higher-level than one that is less well prepared.
To ensure coverage of all the topics, or at least as many as possible,
you are asked to choose three topics in each section of the module, and
rank them in order of preference. Those making choices early will
get their first choices, those delaying may find themselves assigned
their second or third choice. Please indicate your preferences to
me by email as soon as you are able after the end of the first class.
I am happy to give advice and assistance at any stage in the process,
prior to the seminar, and after it before the final write-up. As
it's important that the seminars are successful, prior consultation
with me beforehand is highly recommended. As for the final wrtite-up, I
will not read full drafts, but am happy to discuss a one-page outline
of the structure of your essay and give feedback on the basis of an
oral discussion of its main arguments and/or findings.