To introduce students to a range of cultural artefacts from the Weimar Republic. Students are enabled to situate the texts and films in historical context, paying particular attention to two major developments in the twentieth century: the growth of the modern metropolis (especially Berlin) and changing concepts of gender - masculinity and femininity - in the wake of the First World War;

To introduce students to concepts of literary and film analysis as well as critical theory relevant to the themes of the texts (the city, class and gender identity);

To develop students' critical writing skills in two different tasks - commentaries and an essay.

(LO1) Students will demonstrate an awareness of the cultural output and historical and political context of Weimar Republic-era Germany, with particular focus on the theme of the city and on notions of class and gender.

(LO2) Students will further develop critical and analytical skills enabling them to situate texts and concepts in their historical context.

(LO3) Students will be able to evaluate a range of textual and critical evidence, to assess their relative merits and to construct in verbal and written form clearly reasoned arguments on the basis of such evidence.

(LO4) Through close readings of selected primary material, students will develop their awareness of language and literary strategies, and an awareness of historical film techniques and the form of critical film analysis.

(S1) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Media analysis

(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills)

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S4) Global citizenship - Cultural awareness

(S5) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Listening skills

(S6) Global citizenship - foreign language skills

(S7) Research skills - independent analysis

The majority of teaching will be delivered face-to-face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.

Lecture:
The module is delivered through lectures and seminars. The introductory classes for the course, and on each new area, take the form of tutor-led lectures which provide details of the historical context and guidance on critical approaches to the films/texts.

Seminar:
Seminars are a mix of student presentations and group discussion, based upon contextual, thematic and stylistic analyses of the set texts / films. Students will be expected to make substantial oral contributions to the seminars.

Students are also expected to prepare for, or follow-up to, classes through viewing and reading a range of sources.

Topics covered during the module may include:

Introduction to the history of the Weimar Republic;

Introduction to Weimar Berlin and concepts of the city;

Arriving in the metropolis;

Crime and community;

Becoming modern: gender and consumption.