Studying Classical Scholarship
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CLAR2007 | Classics and Archaeology | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- CLAR2007
- School
- Classics and Archaeology
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
A partner module to CLAR2006 (Extended Source Study), which focuses on primary source material, this module focuses on the history and development of scholarship on ancient Greece and Rome and on specific scholarly theories, approaches and methods. The module is assessed principally by a 4,500-5,000 word essay based on one of a number of worksheets ('Scholarship Case Studies'), which explore the place and significance of a particular work of modern scholarship in academic approaches to a given topic in ancient art, history or literature. Studying this work in its socio-political context and the merits and limitations of its scholarly approach will develop your skills of research and analysis, as preparation for your 3rd-year dissertation. The worksheets will change each year depending on the staff involved. They may cover themes such as Race; Gender; Sexuality; Slavery; approaches such as Marxist, Fascist or liberal democratic interpretations of the Ancient World; topics such as Athenian democracy, Sparta, or the decline of Rome; or analytical methods such as Commentaries, Translation, Comparison or Anthropological Paradigms. For your worksheet, you will be provided with a topic for investigation, a starter bibliography and tips on how to approach the question. A number of seminars and consultation sessions will be held in order to help you approach and develop your study. At one of the seminars you will give an assessed oral presentation on an aspect of the worksheet.
Target Students
Available to all Undergraduate level 2 students in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, in Liberal Arts and exchange students. Students who wish to take a Classics dissertation in Year 3 must take CLAR2007 Studying Classical Scholarship as pre-requisite, including if they are studying an ancient language pathway.
Classes
- One 2-hour seminar each week for 4 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 4 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 85% Coursework 1: One 4,500-5,000-word essay chosen from a range of topics.
- 15% Presentation 1: 10-minute oral presentation
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to prepare students for third year dissertation work by asking them to produce a substantial piece of written work exploring in detail the issues raised by modern theorists or practictioners - whether that is a theory, a key issue, a key process or method of analysis.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should have:
1. A greater awareness of the problems, issues and methods for using modern theories about the ancient world.
2. Detailed knowledge of a specific topic in the study of the ancient world.
3. Improved their skills in analysing evidence.
4. Improved their ability to work independently with evidence while giving due weight to the arguments of others.
5. Enhanced their capacity to understand complex ideas and relate them to specific problems or questions, construct a coherent argument substantiated by relevant evidence, and communicate effectively in writing.
6. Further develop their intellectual autonomy.
7. Improved their skills of organising and managing working time, including scheduling tasks and meeting deadlines.
8. Taken responsibility for their own learning, reflected upon and assessed their own progress, strengths and weaknesses.