Cultural Heritage: Ethics, Trade and Globalisation investigates the political, ethical, social and economic questions clustering around cultural heritage objects. Responding to the resurgence of materialist philosophies and object oriented analyses, it examines how objects - primarily artworks and antiquities - function as actors in social ecologies, international relations and global trade.
Consideration is given to historical conditions such as colonialism and the imperial past, as well as to recent developments in liberal economic thought under the conditions of the global. The module asks: what is cultural heritage, how is it defined and by whom? How do objects acquire cultural, economic and social value and for whom, and what are the roles of nation states, international organisations and frameworks, art markets, museums and collectors in this process? How do heritage objects contribute to cultural contestation, for instance, by way of ownership, display or iconoclasm? What role do they play in the formation of identities and cultural belonging? What role do they play in regional and national revitalisation? How do they contribute to cultural diplomacy?
The module is delivered in one teaching block from September to December to enable an intensive engagement with the subject and leads to an assessment by presentation and essay.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Lectures and seminars will introduce case-studies of cultural heritage categories and their significance within musicological frameworks, the nexus of private collectors, international legal and ethical instruments, value systems and regional contexts in order to explore the relationship between objects and the formation of cultural identity and nationhood.
The module will include lectures by guest speakers from academic and professional backgrounds within the fields of cultural heritage and museology. There will be at least one study visit during the module. Individual and group tutorials will be used for work in progress and provide formative feedback on the essay and presentation preparation.
The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all. Students should check this site on a daily basis for module information, timetables, sign-ups, updates and additional information and teaching materials.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on Business and Management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lectures/visits/seminars/tutorials/ workshops | 33 |
| Guided independent study | 267 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Formative feedback on work produced and feed-forward on work in progress will be provided through tutorials, seminars and workshops and guide the student progress through the module.
Summative assessment is by practical examination in the form of an individual presentation of around 10 minutes with the submission of notes and a 3,000 word essay.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the historical development of concepts of cultural heritage and their economic and cultural significance in a global context. | Essay |
| 2) Display the ability to react to and engage with criticism in relation to ongoing research | Presentation |
| 3) Demonstrate a critical understanding of how case studies as instances of research practice in the cultural heritage sector can be utilised for their own study. | Essay |
| 4) Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on different ways of presenting and organising research into cultural heritage issues | Essay |
| 5) Demonstrate the analytical and research skills to pursue their own interests within the context of the taught programme, as well as demonstrating their independent learning skills in group sessions, presentations and the research project. | Essay and Presentation |
| 6) Demonstrate communication of the development of ideas and convey research-in-progress to an audience. | Presentation |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation (with submission of notes) 10mins | Practical Exam | 40% |
| Essay (3,000 words) | Coursework | 60% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
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