Admission requirements
This course is only available for second year students in the BA International Studies.
The number of participants is limited to 25.
Description
The present and future of our past: critical approaches to heritage studies
In our late-modern world heritage is ubiquitous. It can be tangible (e.g. archeological artefacts, monuments) as well as intangible (e.g. oral traditions, lifestyles, languages). The way in which objects and practices from the past have survived is more than often the result of deliberate choices. ‘Heritage studies’ is an interdisciplinary academic field that takes a critical look at why, in what way and by whom heritage is identified, preserved and presented. This is a complex and dynamic process, involving legal, ethical, political and sociological factors and quite frequently conflicting interests are at stake. The issues related to heritage selection are all the more relevant today, considering the present volatile and changing political landscapes in many regions. Using various (current) international case studies, this course will explore the changes in heritage notions and concepts over the last decades and the many dilemmas that arise when dealing with the present and future of our past.
Additionally, the students will work through W.C. Booth, G.G. Colomb, J.W. Williams, The Craft of Research, third edition, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Course objectives
The elective courses for International Studies are designed to teach students how to deal with state-of-the-art literature and research questions. They are chosen to enhance the students’ learning experience by building on the interdisciplinary perspectives they have developed so far, and to introduce them to the art of academic research. They are characterised by an international or comparative approach.
Academic skills that are trained include:
Oral presentation skills:
1. to explain clear and substantiated research results;
2. to provide an answer to questions concerning (a subject) in the field covered by the course
a. in the form of a clear and well-structured oral presentation;
b. in agreement with the appropriate disciplinary criteria;
c. using up-to-date presentation techniques;
d. aimed at a specific audience;
3. to actively participate in a discussion following the presentation.
Collaboration skills:
1. to be socio-communicative in collaborative situations;
2. to provide and receive constructive criticism, and incorporate justified criticism by revising one’s own position;
3. adhere to agreed schedules and priorities.
Basic research skills, including heuristic skills:
1. to collect and select academic literature using traditional and digital methods and techniques;
2. to analyze and assess this literature with regard to quality and reliability;
3. to formulate on this basis a sound research question;
4. to design under supervision a research plan of limited scope, and implement it using the methods and techniques that are appropriate within the discipline involved;
5. to formulate a substantiated conclusion.
Written presentation skills:
1. to explain clear and substantiated research results;
2. to provide an answer to questions concerning (a subject) in the field covered by the course
a. in the form of a clear and well-structured written presentation;
b. in agreement with the appropriate disciplinary criteria;
c. using relevant illustration or multimedia techniques;
d. aimed at a specific audience.
Timetable
The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website.
Mode of instruction
Lecture, seminar style discussion and supervised research.
Course Load
Total course load for the course: 10 EC x 28 hours= 280 hours, broken down by:
Hours in class: 2 × 13 = 26 hours
Reading literature & preparing for class: ca. 104 hours.
Oral presentation and writing paper: ca. 150 hours
Assessment method
Oral presentation and participation in class: 25%
Final paper (ca. 4,000 -5,000 words): 75%
Note: The maximum possible grade to be obtained for re-submission of the final essay is a 6.0
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used. For tutorial groups: please enroll in blackboard after your enrolment in uSis
Students are requested to register on Blackboard for this course.
Reading list
To be announced on Blackboard
W.C. Booth, G.G. Colomb, J.W. Williams, The Craft of Research, third edition, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Dr. W.J.I. Waal, email w.j.i.waal@hum.leidenuniv.nl