Admission requirements
This course is available for students of the Honours College Humanities Lab.
Students in the first year of their bachelor's programme who achieve good academic results and are very motivated, may apply for a place in Humanities Lab.
Description
This introductory module explores a variety of questions concerning human beings, drawing on different theoretical approaches in the humanities — the study of human cultural practices and their products. These approaches include philosophy, history, literature studies, linguistics, art and cultural studies, while also incorporating insights from disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, and biology.
Four lectures challenge students to reflect on the aim and nature of humanities, especially in relation to natural science, and on three core concepts of the humanities: history, belief, and imagination. Students work in small teams on a project of their own design, in which they produce a 10-minute documentary movie on the place of the humanities in today’s society.
Course objectives
Familiarize students with different theoretical approaches to cultural phenomena, both inside and outside the Humanities.
Introduce students to key problems in different fields of the Humanities, including questions about possible effects of globalization and digitalization.
Explore the relationship (both historically and conceptually) between the Humanities and other disciplines, including natural sciences.
Present students with a number of tools (case studies, thought-experiments, new concepts etc.) for critical thinking.
Train students in applying insights from the Humanities to topical problems in science and society.
Students acquire and/or train the following transferable skills:
- Analysing
- Project-based working
- Digital skills
- Collaboration
- Presentation
- Societal awareness
- Independent learning
- Resilience
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Attendance and active participation (10%)
Trial assignment (team): 10%
Movie presentation (team): 60 %
Reflection report (individual): 20%
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average
Resit
If the final grade is insufficient, a resit will be offered in the form of a written paper.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
A syllabus with required and optional readings will be made available through Brightspace.
Registration
Students participating in this module will be enrolled in MyStudymap by the Education Administration Office of Humanities Lab. Students can register for the Humanities Lab modules about two to three weeks before the start of the module through an online form provided by Umail. On this form students indicate the modules in order of their preference. The coordinators assign students to a module based on their preference and bachelor’s programme, in order to create a diverse group of students and equal amount of students per module Usually students get assigned to the module of their first or second choice.
General information about MyStudymap is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
This course is part of the Humanities Lab programme, visit the website for more information.
Visit the Honours Academy website for more information about the Honours College.