EL30UT: ART AND ATROCITY: REPRESENTATIONS OF VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA (2022-2023)

Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19

Course Overview

How is the artist to respond when the virtual becomes the real and when words cannot carry the weight of trauma? How can an author avoid the accusations of voyeuristic prurience or crass opportunism when he or she attempts to re-present events of public violence? This multi-disciplinary course examines work from a wide range of modes, including fiction, poetry, film and graphic art, and looks at the difficulties of inscribing trauma and the ethics and praxis of remembrance. Key events covered include the Holocaust, the Sabra and Shatila massacre, 9-11, the Gulf War and the conflict in the Balkans.

Course Details

Study Type	Undergraduate	Level	3
Term	First Term	Credit Points	30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Professor Shane A. Alcobia murphy

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4
Any Undergraduate Programme
English (EL)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

How is the artist to respond when the virtual becomes the real and when words cannot carry the weight of trauma? How can an author avoid the accusations of voyeuristic prurience or crass opportunism when he or she attempts to re-present events of public violence? This multi-disciplinary course examines work from a wide range of modes, including fiction, poetry, film and graphic art, and looks at the difficulties of inscribing trauma and the ethics and praxis of remembrance. Texts will include Spiegelman's Maus, Moore's V for Vendetta, and Folman's Waltz with Bashir. The key events covered on this course are the Holocaust, the Indonesian genocide, the Sabra and Shatila massacre, 9-11, the Gulf War and the conflict in the Balkans.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

3000 words essay (55%)

2500 words essay (35%)

Participation (10%)

Alternative Resit Arrangements for students taking course in Academic Year 2020/21

1 x Resit Essay (3,500 words)

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Factual	Remember	ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.