Identity, Violence and Transgression (L4103A)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

How do we understand ourselves? How closely is our sense of self related to other people? What happens to a person's self-conception when their sense of self is systematically attacked and undermined?

How do people respond to experiences of trauma and personal loss and what kind of psychological strategies of survival do people rely on in order to continue living a meaningful life?

The module considers:

  • the main social psychological theories of the self and self-awareness
  • the darker side of the self, specifically addressed in the work of Erich Fromm and David Riesman
  • a range of influential social theorists 
  • a diverse range of contemporary perspectives on the formation and maintenance of self-identity in contemporary society.
  • why some individuals deliberately choose to engage in behaviour that transgresses everyday boundaries
  • how people respond when their sense of identity is systematically attacked and undermined.

Identity, Crisis and Transgression draws on a wide range of up-to-date research and introduces you to a variety of theoretical perspectives.

This module assumes no prior knowledge of the literature and will be of relevance to anyone interested in studying the nature of identity in modern society.

Teaching

50%: Lecture
50%: Seminar

Assessment

100%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The 5X社区视频 may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.