Contemporary Global Issues: Approaches in Social Science, History and Philosophy

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 3
• Convenor: to be confirmed
• Assessment: a portfolio of summary reflections on each session (150 words each) (10%), a 10-minute presentation (40%) and a 1500-word essay (50%)

In this Foundation Year module we introduce you to ways of understanding the contemporary global issues affecting the world, drawing on the disciplines of:

• applied linguistics
• archaeology
• classics
• geography
• history
• philosophy
• psychosocial studies
• social sciences.

By exploring global issues from different disciplinary perspectives, you should further understand the disciplinary approaches introduced in the Crossing Borders module and develop core academic skills in preparation for your degree study.

The module is organised into three learning units, each focusing on a contemporary global social issue:

• Being and identity
• Globalisation
• Responses to contemporary global issues

Based on lectures and selected texts from different disciplines, you will further explore perspectives and approaches that arise from the dialogue between two or more disciplines. You will also be introduced to academic reasoning and critical thinking, helping you to understand how academic arguments are constructed and how to develop your own arguments and use appropriate academic writing skills.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand and reflect critically on contemporary global issues
• differentiate different disciplinary approaches
• demonstrate basic skills on academic reasoning
• practise independent learning skills, particularly in relation to accessing further information and developing your knowledge of topics of interest.