University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 15

ECTS credits : 7

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 2

Availability restrictions: Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable: To be arranged.

The module will involve close reading and research into cultural materials published for children from the 1800s to the present day. Publications for children are shaped by the pedagogical and political concerns of adults; as such, they are an excellent introduction to the cultural policies of different regimes. We will study the institutions and actors that produced and disseminated texts for children: unions, publishers, schools, censorship offices, libraries, the church, and the Internet, while also evaluating their success in implementing policy. Students will have the opportunity to research and present texts that accord with their own interests, and to compare Russophone texts for children with works from other language cultures.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Permission of the Russian Honours Adviser

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1.5 hour seminar x 11 weeks

Scheduled learning hours: 16

Guided independent study hours: 135

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%


Re-assessment: Coursework = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr E Finer
Module teaching staff: Dr E Finer
Module coordinator email ef50@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

• display an in-depth knowledge of Russophone children’s literature
• understand individual works in their historical, cultural and literary context
• analyse texts in terms of their content and authors' stylistic choices
• discuss issues relating to pedagogy, cultural policy and political context
• evaluate the extent to which policy is implemented in different contexts
• conduct independent research with texts of your choice