'Black Girl Magic': Contemporary Feminisms - ENGL3440

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Module delivery information

Location Term Level1 Credits (ECTS)2 Current Convenor3 2024 to 2025
Canterbury
Spring Term 4 15 (7.5) Claire Hurley checkmark-circle

Overview

The hashtag #BlackGirlMagic first appeared in 2013 as a response to the erasure of the contributions of black and minority ethnic women on the world stage. This module will focus on the literary, theoretical and cultural contributions of women of colour to the Feminist movement, taking an intersectional and inclusive approach. Engaging with Feminist thought from the Second-Wave to the present moment, the module steers a course through a range of literary, political and philosophical texts and encourages students to develop their own critical understanding of gender and equalities issues. Students are invited to explore the intersections of Feminism in relation to race, sexuality, class and disability. Utilising a Black Feminist theoretical framework, this module takes an inclusive approach to gender identity, including work by trans and non-binary thinkers.
Alongside literary and theoretical texts, the curriculum will include a diverse array of cultural and political Feminist materials, including blogs, videos, music and forms of activism. The Feminist issues examined on this module will be wide ranging, from domestic labour to reproductive rights, sexual violence to mental health. Students will also have the opportunity to explore their own forms of Feminist practice through writing academic blogs and alternative assessment methods.

Details

Contact hours

Contact Hours: 22
Private Study Hours: 128
Total Study Hours: 150

Method of assessment

Main assessment methods:
Academic Blog (2,500 words) 50%
In class presentation activity 30%
Seminar participation 20%

Reassessment methods:
Alternative assessment: 100% Coursework (2,000 words).

Indicative reading

The University is committed to ensuring that core reading materials are in accessible electronic format in line with the Kent Inclusive Practices.
The most up to date reading list for each module can be found on the university's reading list pages: https://kent.rl.talis.com/index.html

See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)

Learning outcomes

The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:

1 Demonstrate good knowledge of Feminist theory and texts from the 20th and 21st centuries.
2 Understand how the concerns of the primary reading relate to, or are informed by, broader political, historical, cultural and artistic debates and contexts.
3 Develop an ability to interact with, and respond to, a range of wider cultural forms of Feminist cultural/ activist practice.
4 Conduct their own research to support their studies, and develop an understanding of different forms of writing in response to feminist concerns, including academic blogs and alternative assessments.
5 Generate and develop critical ideas that interact with current debates on Feminism.

The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:

1 Utilize close analysis skills and apply them to a wide-range of texts in order to develop comparisons between them.
2 Present an argument using a variety of methods, and use peer responses to refine their ideas.
3 Display an ability to devise individual research, including the ability to use secondary texts (which may be theoretical) from appropriate sources.
4 Reflect upon their own critical practices, and how these engage with wider current debates.
5 Use textual analysis and critical argument, and an effective command of written English, together with an appropriate range of vocabulary.

Notes

  1. Credit level 4. Certificate level module usually taken in the first stage of an undergraduate degree.
  2. ECTS credits are recognised throughout the EU and allow you to transfer credit easily from one university to another.
  3. The named convenor is the convenor for the current academic session.
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