Undergraduate Course: Body in Literature (ENLI10110)

Course Outline
School	School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate)	Availability	Available to all students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	The aim of this course is to introduce some of the most influential ways in which literary writing has depicted and explored the human body, and to explore such ideas as identity, gender, desire, sex, violence, beauty and monstrosity. The human body has been depicted in a wide variety of different ways across a range of cultural and historical locations. It has been described, variously, as a biological entity, clothing for the soul, a site of cultural production, a psychosexual construct and a material encumbrance. Each of these different approaches brings with it a range of anthropological, political, theological and psychological discourses that explore and construct identities and subject positions. The body is at once a locus of invention and self-expression, and also an object of domination and control. In contemporary culture it is also located at the heart of debates about race, gender and sexuality This course will consider the ways in which the human body has been a central object of discussion in literature from the Renaissance onwards. It will encourage students to explore the politics of bodily representation, in terms of both how the body has been depicted and how it has become a trope employed to figure wider social and philosophical ideas. They will also be asked to think about how the way the body is figured differs between genres of writing and across different historical periods.
Course description	This course will allow students to explore the variety of ways in which literature has presented the human body by asking them to read and analyse a range of texts published from the early-modern period to the end of the twentieth century. These literary texts will be read in the light of critical and theoretical arguments drawn from a range of sources that present varied perspectives on embodiment. The ability to read literary and theoretical writing independently and with precision and confidence that students have gained from their prior study of English Literature will be essential for the successful completion of this course. On the basis of students' preparatory reading of literary texts and other writing drawn from a range of disciplines, seminars will be used to discuss the literary, philosophical, theological, psychological, social, cultural and political implications of different manners of writing about embodiment. In order to fully prepare for these seminar discussions, students will be required to meet in advance in smaller 'autonomous learning groups' to produce material which will be presented to the class in a variety of forms (written reports posted to the course vle, informal contributions to class discussion, or more formal verbal presentations during the seminar). Active preparation for and participation in class discussion is required, and will be assessed as a part of the student's overall performance on the course. The structure of reading and analysis on the course is broadly comparative: students will be asked to explore the similarities and differences between the set texts, and examine the various types of analysis made possible by the critical and theoretical modes of reading to which they are introduced. The guided examination of the similarities and differences between the range of texts and approaches studied will help students to develop the analytical skills and knowledge that will be assessed in their essays.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	Students MUST have passed: ( English Literature 1 (ENLI08001) OR Scottish Literature 1 (ENLI08016)) AND ( English Literature 2 (ENLI08003) OR Scottish Literature 2 (ENLI08004))	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	Students admitted to the intercalated BMedSci (UTBMELITER1F) are also eligible to take this course.
Additional Costs	Essential course texts

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	A MINIMUM of 4 college/university level literature courses at grade B or above (should include no more than one introductory level literature course). Related courses such as cross disciplinary, "Freshman Seminars", civilisation or creative writing classes are not considered for admission to this course. Applicants should also note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. In making admissions decisions preference will be given to students who achieve above the minimum requirement with the typical visiting student admitted to this course having four or more literature classes at grade A. as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course
High Demand Course?	Yes

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)		Quota: 27
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Other Study Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 166 )
Additional Information (Learning and Teaching)	one hour per week Autonomous Learning Group
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 10 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	1 essay of 2,500 words (30%); 1 practical assessment (10%); 1 examination essay of 3,000 words (60%) Visiting Student Variant Assessment 1 essay of 2,500 words (30%); 1 practical assessment (10%); 1 examination essay of 3,000 words (60%)
Feedback	Not entered
No Exam Information

Academic year 2017/18, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)		Quota: 6
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Other Study Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 166 )
Additional Information (Learning and Teaching)	one hour per week Autonomous Learning Group
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 10 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	1 essay of 2,500 words (30%); 1 practical assessment (10%); 1 examination essay of 3,000 words (60%) Visiting Student Variant Assessment 1 essay of 2,500 words (30%); 1 practical assessment (10%); 1 examination essay of 3,000 words (60%)
Feedback	Not entered
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Construct original, clear and coherent arguments about literature�s depictions of embodiment, identity and culture; Analyse literary texts using recognised literary critical methodologies to substantiate and illustrate those arguments; Extrapolate, evaluate and assess ideas from a range of non-literary sources in order to bring them to bear on their analyses of the body in literature; Evaluate the ways in which conceptions of the body and ideas associated with embodiment have changed and/or remained constant from the early-modern period to the present; Orally present the results of research undertaken individually and as part of a small group, respond judiciously to such research undertaken by others, and critically evaluate the importance of such material for an understanding of the chief themes of the course.

Reading List
None

Additional Information
Course URL	http://www.ed.ac.uk/literatures-languages-cultures/english-literature/undergraduate/current/honours
Graduate Attributes and Skills	Not entered
Special Arrangements	Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature
Additional Class Delivery Information	Seminar: 2 hour(s) per week for 10 week(s); plus 1 hour per week attendance at Autonomous Learning Group - times to be arranged
Keywords	Not entered