Media and film studies
Culture and the Everyday
Module code: V3003
Level 4
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework
Explore 'doing culture' in everyday life.
If the 'everyday' refers to the mundane, the unremarkable – to the forms of life routinely taken for granted – it is also through the practices of everyday life that we experience who we are, how our lives are invested with meanings, and how we engage with change.
In the modern world (especially in the developed north), it's difficult to think about cultures of everyday life without also considering the media and its contribution to the structuring of daily life, its varied use in daily life, and its discursive construction and engagement with aspects of everyday life. We introduce you to critical approaches to everyday life, including those engaging with media, before concentrating on a series of case studies.
Topics are likely to be organised around 'embodiment' and 'mobility' and could include getting dressed, meal times, time for love, driving and shopping. We provide historical and cross-cultural material and encourage study of other cultures. You'll also have the opportunity to reflect on your own experiences.
Module learning outcomes
- Identify key scholars writing on culture and the everyday and summarise their core concepts and differences from each other.
- Demonstrate the ability to research and interpret everyday life (their own and others) through detailed observation, and collection of media and other materials.
- Apply the ideas learnt to the analysis of particular aspects of everyday life and reflect on the process of learning over the term.
- Show evidence of planned collaborative work and ability to develop a line of argument in a presentation.