BA (Hons) Communication, Media and Culture (with Foundation Year)

Do you aim to be an excellent writer? Do you want to capture your readers’ attention, switch easily between genres, and write well for different audiences?

In this module, you’ll sharpen the tools you need for really good writing. You’ll learn the practical skills of authoring and editing needed to produce effective texts. Most importantly, you’ll put your skills into practice, creating a portfolio of written work in various genres, as well as editing other people’s writing.

In this module, you’ll gain the skills you need to become an independent learner and researcher. You’ll develop your ability in:

• identifying typical research practices
• interpreting the evidence produced by original research
• critically evaluating the arguments in which research is presented.

You’ll also develop the skills in argumentation that you’ll need to explain your understanding, and the ability to present your evaluation in writing.

In this module, you’ll learn three approaches to the study of communication - process, semiotic and cultural. You’ll study elements of human communication and how theoretical models of communication can be applied to the real world. You’ll consider such issues as:

• cultural differences in communication
• how meaning is created
• the role of the ‘self’ in communication
• how we learn to communicate.

You’ll work as part of a small group to answer quizzes, produce a handout, understand concepts relevant to the study of communication and make a presentation.

What do we mean when we talk about ‘culture’? How do human ideas, customs and behaviours become a way of life? In this module, we’ll investigate the key theories and concepts of culture. You’ll gain invaluable critical skills as you reflect on different aspects of culture. And you’ll explore the impact of modern culture on individuals and society today.

You’ll explore cultural artefacts and activities. And you’ll look at how culture relates to identity, power and representation.

This module is the foundation of the culture pathway through the Communication, Media and Culture programme. This will be fantastic preparation for many of your level 5 modules.

The mass media are of profound importance to all of us living in today's instantaneous, globally connected, advertising-saturated societies. But what are the media? And how do they affect us? In this module you’ll examine key concepts and concerns in the study of the media. Analysing a wide range of contemporary examples, you’ll explore the ways in which the media are used for communication, consumption and control. From Derren Brown to Fleabag, from The Times to The Matrix, you’ll employ a range of theories and probes to learn more about the impact and significance of the media.

How is political opinion, authority and democracy shaped and influenced? In this module, you’ll explore foundational issues in political philosophy through exploring the main political ideologies. You’ll start your journey with Liberalism as the default position in the West since the English, American and French Revolutions. Your focus then shifts to the ideologies that arose in response to Liberalism, including:

• Conservatism
• Communism
• Fascism
• Communitarianism
• Anarchism
• and Feminism.

You’ll also consider questions linked to the theory of knowledge, such as can any ideology be rationally justified?

On this module, you'll build your sense of a criminology community through collaborating and planning a criminology newsletter. This will help you take ownership of your criminology studies.

You'll build on the skills and knowledge you gained on Creating Criminology 1, where you will have interacted with guest speakers from careers and with recent alumni. You'll get to use alumni as interviewees for your Criminology newsletter. You'll also engage with discussions for your future after university, and where you can make a positive impact with your Criminology degree.

In this module, you’ll dive into art and artists through the century. You’ll explore the Camden Town Group of painters. You’ll examine the abstract sculptures of Barbara Hepworth. And you’ll analyse the collages of Pop artists like Peter Blake. You’ll scrutinise paintings, sculptures and films. You’ll discuss how British artists tried to create modern forms of expression. And you’ll investigate the ways they promoted their work, like:

• exhibitions
• manifestos
• books
• little magazines.

You’ll participate in on-site visits, where you’ll examine works of art firsthand. You’ll also attend exciting lectures and seminars where you’ll explore your ideas and enrich your understanding of modern British art.

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your French degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of French, you’ll develop strong skills in French speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in French, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between France and other countries.

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your Spanish degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of Spanish, you’ll develop strong skills in Spanish speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in Spanish, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between Spain and other countries.

You'll start an exploration of how educators can support and encourage curiosity and exploration in children, through the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).

You'll focus on understanding and developing teaching methods that can enhance childrens' learning. Incorporating STEAM concepts into each of these areas. You will have the chance to

• investigate
• observe
• and create opportunities for hands-on experiments and problem-based learning.

You'll also join discussions on the challenges and difficulties that may arise when implementing STEAM in different educational settings.

Explore the study and understanding of Culture and Society by looking at relevant Customs, Icons and Symbols with a particular emphasis on communicative practice of reading and written language in contexts.

How has humanity changed the environment — and how has the environment changed us?

You'll explore six centuries of environmental change through the history of sustainability, conservation and resource use, from the Columbian Exchange of the late fifteenth century to the Great Acceleration of the mid-twentieth. You'll examine how environmental change has been experienced and contested at local, national and global levels, and examine the political, economic, social and cultural forces shaping the consumption of energy, food and natural resources — while also considering what history can teach us about future policy solutions.

You'll also work with diverse historical sources, from demographic and institutional records to maps and plans, and develop practical digital history skills through designing your own digital map of environmental change.

Are you interested in exploring how digital technologies are shaping our everyday lives within commercial, educational, social and entertainment contexts? In this module, you’ll explore the impact changing digital cultures have on our institutions, communication practices and consumption habits. You’ll examine aspects of digital cultures through some of the objects and practices that you yourself engage with. You’ll be given opportunities to reflect on issues of identity, relationships, privacy, truth, and power through researching aspects of your own digital life and experiences.

What does it mean to know something? Is knowledge different from mere belief? And is knowledge actually possible?

In this module, you’ll get to know the great thinkers of the past, and explore what they say about knowledge. You’ll explore the minds of:

• Plato
• Descartes
• Hume
• Locke
• Berkeley.

You also focus on key debates about knowledge today. You’ll gain fantastic analytical skills as you consider:

• the meaning of perception
• if we can know something through hearsay
• if we can know the world beyond our minds
• if there can be a scientific account of knowledge.

How does the media police our morals as a society and define our ideas of acceptable behaviour? In this module, you will gain the critical skills to analyse popular representations of crime in the media. You’ll examine news reports and other forms of mass-media, and you’ll develop a knowledge of crime as a cultural construct.

This module aims:

• To equip a wide range of health and social care professionals with the in-depth knowledge and skills required for successful study to underpin future level 6 and level 7 Continuing Professional Development or programme study.
• To equip the students with up to date study skills, basic numerical and IT skills and analytic and critical thinking skills, required to analyse and evaluate data and evidence.
• To introduce students to a range of information technologies for self-directed learning and communication.

You'll investigate the role of digital media in young people's identity practices across a range of practices and platforms. You'll look at changing ways in which commercial, political and social identities are researched and understood online. This includes how selfhood is expressed and communicated, perceptions of private and public identity, and issues of engagement and exclusion by gender, age, class and geopolitics. You’ll also consider adult perceptions and representations of digital worlds and their youthful inhabitants, and how far these match youth experiences.

How can the skills in persuasive speaking (rhetorics) help us understand and solve cultural problems? In this module, you’ll gain invaluable speaking and writing skills for your future career. You’ll also understand key rhetorical practices and how they affect society. You’ll explore the rhetorical tools likely to produce social change. You’ll put these to use, crafting persuasive messages that are:

• clear
• attractive
• well-crafted
• ethical.

You’ll become a skilled writer and speaker, able to take into account your audience, message and genre as you craft persuasive language.

On this module you’ll look at the role of the audience in mass communication, and how understanding of this shapes approaches to research. You’ll examine conceptualisations of media audiences from early media panics to contemporary ideas about users and 'prod-users 'online. In workshops you’ll consider a range of approaches to audience research, from 'creative play' methods to ways of understanding the audience in the digital age. As you develop your understanding of theory and method in audience research, you’ll be able to apply this to your own research.

In this module, you’ll develop your skills in research methods so that you are ready to carry out small-scale research projects at university and in the world of work. You’ll design and use various data collection methods, such as questionnaires and interviews, and gain practical experience of data analysis techniques (both quantitative and qualitative). You’ll look at important methodological issues such as sampling, reliability, validity and ethics. You’ll also learn how to carry out a literature review, a key skill for undertaking a dissertation in your final year.

Designing a successful website requires specialist skills, knowledge and creativity. In this module, you’ll examine issues of design, layout, usability and accessibility, and find out how to create a site that’s both attractive and easy to navigate. You’ll be introduced to the fundamental practical elements of web design, including HTML and CSS, and create a site of your own design using established software. No previous experience of web design is needed.

How do individuals relate and interact with each other in organisations? Do we lose a sense of our identity within corporations, or find ourselves through a sense of belonging to an organisation with a strong culture? In this module, you’ll analyse the importance of communication and cultural practices within organisations from both an individual and company perspective. You will examine organisations from a multi-disciplinary perspective with a view to appreciating the challenges of the modern workplace. You will acquire interpretive tools through which you can understand the complex dynamics within the media, creative, and cultural industries in which you are likely to work in the future.

What makes a story newsworthy? How can we spot fake news? In this module, you’ll explore key issues including questions of balance and bias, the style and format of TV news and the global news environment, including CNN and Al-Jazeera. You’ll link theoretical issues to practice through the analysis of TV news items, before working in a team to write, film and edit your own news bulletin.

In this module, you’ll explore the relationship between language, culture and globalisation. You’ll gain key analytical skills as you observe how language operates in local and global contexts. You’ll look at language through a sociolinguistic approach - considering the relationship between language and society and how they affect each other. You’ll explore how English rose to become an international language, spoken in countries all over the world. You’ll explore a range of topics, including:

• language and gender
• language and politics
• language and standardisation
• globalisation discourses
• linguistic imperialism (when we impose our language on speakers of another language).

In this module, you’ll get to grips with intercultural identity (connections between cultures) and intracultural identity (connections between people of the same culture). You’ll gain core ethnographic knowledge for your degree, meaning you’ll gain a strong awareness of how to study people and their cultures. You’ll dig into the philosophical foundations of critical theory. You’ll also gain strong self-awareness, as you analyse your own cultural traditions and norms. You’ll explore the dimensions of your own identity, and develop sensitivity to seeing the world as others see it.

What does it mean to say ‘woman’? Are binary conceptions of gender unhelpful? This module challenges you to question your ‘common sense’ understanding of terms such as gender and sexuality, and to think about how such terms are used in contemporary culture. You’ll draw on insights from many disciplines, including:

• gender studies
• critical theory
• queer theory
• feminist criticism.

In this module, you undertake individual or group work on an appropriate topic. You’ll work on a clearly defined topic or undertake a work placement or project under supervision and with approval from the module leader. The independent study gives you the chance to reflect critically work-related learning project or explore connections between themes and questions you’ve encountered in other modules.

This module will enable you to access a work-related learning / placement opportunity in a relevant setting and where you’ll be able to apply your learned subject knowledge and/or developed skills and competencies, and this module will help you to progress and build your employability profile.

This module offers the opportunity to study abroad, experience a new culture, and apply your skills in different contexts to enhance your employability. It will help you develop self-management, cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal skills.

You’ll receive support to secure a place at a partner institution abroad, where you can choose modules related to your degree or explore new areas that complement your studies.

Studying at an international university will help you enhance your interpersonal skills through cross-cultural communication with students and tutors, allowing you to build lasting relationships. You'll also improve your study skills by focusing on your chosen areas of interest, gaining valuable international experience that will strengthen your CV.

This year abroad module lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of study, once you’ve completed all your level 5 studies. Your year abroad is not credit-bearing.

The Dissertation gives you the opportunity to become a specialist in an area of law that interests you most, carrying out an in-depth independent research project with the support of an expert academic supervisor.

You'll strengthen your legal research, critical analysis and written communication skills as you investigate a contemporary legal issue of your choice. Whether you're exploring hate crime, the impact of Brexit, sexual consent or another area aligned with your interests, you'll evaluate complex legal questions, develop well-reasoned arguments and communicate your findings effectively.

The Dissertation provides the opportunity to explore your chosen area of specialism in greater depth while preparing for postgraduate study or a wide range of professional careers.

This module is compulsory if studying one of the named pathways.

What does ‘identity’ mean in a market-driven society? To what extent do we live our lives through brands? And what happens to the values of not-for-profit organisations when they adopt branding techniques developed for businesses?

These are the types of questions you’ll encounter in this module, which looks at how organisations manage their public images. You’ll examine the practices that support brand image, including advertising, PR and sponsorship, discussing their practical effectiveness and their social implications. You’ll also look at how globalisation has affected branded communication, and at the impacts of developments such as e-commerce and social media. Through this module you’ll develop knowledge that’s relevant in the workplace, but also leads towards a critical understanding of one of the forces that shapes our lives.

In this module, you’ll learn about citizen journalism and civic engagement in online contexts. You’ll study the growth of participatory journalism and its changing relationship with the mainstream press. You’ll consider the role of citizen journalism in democratic processes and look at how it can encourage people to become more socially active and informed. As well as engaging with these questions, you’ll develop your skills in information-gathering, interviewing and writing as you work on your own, original piece of op-ed or investigative journalism in the form of a blog or podcast.

You'll analyse visual media like:

• film
• television
• digital media
• adverts
• pop videos

This will include cultural sites such as counter-culture, celebrity culture and consumer culture. You’ll investigate the creation of visual media text and how this contributes to their meaning. Taking in the wider cultures and contexts of production. Each week you'll approach a different theoretical area and/or genre such as hegemony, gender, or Reality TV. You'll combine theoretical and industrial perspectives, considering: media markets, audiences, genres and technologies.

You'll engage with a range of theories that attempt to explain how media texts can reproduce cultural assumptions. And ways in which visual, textual conventions make meaning. You'll gain an understanding of how media texts construct meaning from individual, cultural and institutional perspectives. You'll develop textual analysis approaches. You'll also understand aspects of the technologies of meaning production.

This module allows you to engage in depth with compelling current issues in Communication, Media and Culture studies. You’ll take part in student-led discussions and seminar sessions, and develop your portfolio for the research part of this course. You’ll prepare a seminar presentation, giving you the chance to hone your skills in reviewing and evaluating a set of readings and in communicating your findings.

We all like to think that we’re unique, with our own personality and identity, beliefs and ideas. But are we really all so different, or are we subject to a variety of cultural and social pressures that determine who we are?

Examining a range of objects and artefacts that you have chosen, you’ll consider new and challenging ways of thinking about your place in culture, and about how culture places itself in you. In this honours level module we’ll investigate how we’re all subject to culture.

What is the influence of social and cultural practices on our actions? In this module you will examine your relationship with several elements of culture, both as an individual and as a member of society. You will analyse how cultural factors influence values, identities, and the sense of self, including how these manifest in our daily lives and in our interactions with others. You will have the opportunity to explore many themes and theories. You will discuss topics like:

• gender
• race
• subculture
• disability
• religion
• surveillance
• ancient Greek practices of self-mastery.

You’ll examine the intersection of ethnicity, media representation and how media is produced, received and consumed - thinking critically about the notion of ethnicity and its many manifestations in the media. You’ll explore the long-standing association with othering practices across social, national, cultural and geographical contexts and how images of ethnicity in the media are characterised by a tendency to either marginalise and criminalise, or exoticize and romanticise ethnically-coded subjects. You'll draw from the insights of different disciplinary fields, including;

• ethnic and race studies
• media studies
• cultural studies
• critical theory.

Focussing on approaches and theories which explore both historical and contemporary understandings of ethnicity, providing you with the tools to analyse the different meanings and functions of ethnic identities in a variety of media contexts. You’ll also develop practical skills by engaging in creative audiovisual media production.