module specification

SS5085 - Resistance, Creativity and Joy in the Capital (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Resistance, Creativity and Joy in the Capital
Module level Intermediate (05)
Credit rating for module 15
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Total study hours 150
 
45 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
85 hours Guided independent study
20 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Other 50%   Digital artifact.
Coursework 50%   1,500 word essay
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Monday Morning

Module summary

This module will explore the relationship between London and the people of Africa and the Caribbean, unpacking the socio-economic and political factors that shaped the lives and subcultures often ‘hidden’ within London.
In doing so, it seeks to develop an understanding of the complexities in the lives of those in and around the capital from the African and Caribbean diaspora, whilst also embracing the joys of Blackness that are often undocumented and under narrated which include topics such as music, resistance, migration, and LGBTQIA+ lives.


Students will:
1. Explore how Black British history is woven into the cultural, economic, political and social life of the Capital City.

2. Examine how social, historical and political factors have shaped the experiences of African and Caribbean people in London.

3. Begin constructing their decolonial and critical thinking skills

4. Explore the contemporary cultural production, creativity, resistance, and joy in first, second and third generation African and Caribbean lives in and around London.

Syllabus

The syllabus will explore key historical events that changed the political and social landscape of London. This will include the arrival of the first people of Africa and the Caribbean to London, including slavery and the ‘hidden history’ of the capital. (LO1-5)

More contemporary events will be covered, including African and Caribbean migration to the capital in the 20th Century, unpacking racial and social battles, such as Windrush, gentrification, housing, education and policing. (LO1-5)

Black activism in the 20th and 21st century will be explored, along with the creative cultures and modes of expression that were borne out of and created in response to life in the capital. (LO 1-5)

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

Teaching consists of a weekly one-hour lecture followed by a two-hour seminar. Lectures will involve a combination of taught lectures, videos and the use of first-hand documents and websites.

During the module seminars will combine a variety of methods including discussion based on pre-set questions, documents, trips and digital resources. Guest speakers may also be involved in seminar discussions or lecture presentations.

Blended Learning will be a key component of the module. Lecture notes and first-hand documents for use in class will be posted on-line, as will web links for academic and archival websites, as well as video links and library resources. Lectures will be delivered live, and recordings will be made available on-line.

Materials for use in-class will be posted at least one week in advance on-line to allow students to reflect on the subject and prepare. Questions for class discussion and assessment tasks will be available from the beginning of the module via the Weblearn site, which will include a list of resources students can use to answer the questions and study the subject in greater depth.

Throughout students will be encouraged to reflect on their learning, employability and skills training.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the ways in which African and Caribbean Londoners navigated the racial and socio-political context of historical and contemporary London.

2. To effectively communicate the ways in which African and Caribbean Londoners resisted racist oppression through activism, whilst demonstrating an awareness of the innovative, cultural creations borne out of these communities.

3. To analyse, multi-dimensional, complex narratives of inner-city London living, thinking beyond reductive racialised narratives.

4. To apply critical thinking skills within the framework of decolonisation, looking beyond a colonial lens in participating in and discovering non-traditional modes of learning and assessment.

5. Enhance the capacity to work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time-management, as well as co-operating with other students to achieve common goals.

Bibliography

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/F378B0E3-9577-C24B-8552-0C7E5F6B2C7E.html?lang=en-US&login=1

 

Audio and Visual:

• Babylon. (1980). [Film] National Film Trustee Company Ltd.
• Dave (2019). Psychodrama. [Streamed] Neighbourhood. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/album/4GrFuXwRmEBJec22p58fsD.
• Dave (2021). We’re All Alone in This Together. [Streamed] Neighbourhood. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/album/6HwzIlrCDq3WF9vMq8meqG.
• GRM Daily (2020). Kano Performs “Teardrops” | Rated Awards 2020. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onafw36BMIo.
• I May Destroy You, (2020). BBC.
• Small Axe. (2020). BBC.