Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title Conceptualising Cultural Encounters
Module Code LC540A
School SALIS
Online Module Resources

Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Veronica Crosbie
Semester 2: Agnes Maillot
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 10
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
Description
This module constitutes a core module for the MA in Intercultural Studies.This module is an introduction to the philosophical issues of values and dialogue raised by intercultural contact and relations. It also introduces students to different national experiences of immigration, multiculturalism and pluralism. Sessions are a combination of lecture and seminar. Students are expected to engage with the literature through significant reading.

Learning Outcomes
1. Approach critically uses of the notion of 'culture' in contemporary discourse
2. Situate interculturalism historically within recent developments in the history of ideas
3. Defend a point of view in contemporary debates concerning cultural relativism and moral universalism
4. Describe the aims and feasibility of philosophical dialogue between cultures
5. Identify the main features which make up multiculturalist policies
6. Compare different national approaches to multiculturalism



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Seminars24Sessions combine lecture and seminar mode
Library100Reading and research
Independent learning126Thinking, comparing, preparing assessments
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Defining 'culture'.
Boundedness, plurality, autonomy. Critiques of culturalism.

Interculturalism and the history of ideas.
What is it about the present historical moment which has brought about the emergence of interculturalism?Where does interculturalism fit in the history of ideas and ideologies?.

Relativism and universalism.
Is a universalist approach to human rights still possible? How do we evaluate the competing claims of human rights and cultural recognition?.

intercultural philosophy.
Can cultural traditions speak to each other, and how?.

Multiculltural theory.
History of multiculturalism as a policy area. Key areas of policy debate.

National experiences of multiculturalism.
Case studies on Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, US/Canada, UK..

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
PresentationStudents are allocated key texts within intercultural studies, for oral presentation to the class20%n/a
EssayIndividual essay presenting a case study on moral dilemmas and value conflict in an intercultural situation40%Sem 2 End
Group presentationStudents present the experience of multiculturalism in a chosen country40%n/a
Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List
  • Thorsten Botz-Borstein and Jurgen Hengelbrock: 2006, Re-ethnicizing the Minds? Cultural revival in Contemporary Thought, Amsterdam and New York, 2006, Rodopi, Amsterdam and New York,
  • Seyla Benhabib: 2002, The Claims of Culture. Equality and Diversity in the Global Era, Princeton: Princeton UP, Princeton UP, Princeton,
  • Fred Dallmayr: 2002, Dialogue Among Civilizations. Some Exemplary Voices,, Palgrave, New York and Basingstoke,
  • Stuart Hall, David Held and Tony McGrew (eds.): 1992, Modernity and its Futures, Stuart Hall,The question of cultural identity', Polity, Cambridge,
  • Tariq Ramadan: 2002, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, OUP, Oxford and New York,
  • Gavan Titley: 2004, Resituating Culture, Council of Europe, Strasbourg,
  • Bhikhu Parekh: 2006, Rethinking Multiculturalism, 2nd, Palgrave Macmillan,, Basingstoke and New York,
  • T Modood, A. Triandafyllidou and R. Zapata-Barrero: 2006, Multiculturalism, Muslims and Citizenship: A European Approach, Routledge, London and New York,
  • F. Heckmann and D. Schnapper: 2003, The Integration of Immigrants in European Societies National Differences and Trends of Convergence, Lucius and Lucius, Stuttgart,
Other Resources
None
Array
Programme or List of Programmes
GDISGraduate Dip in Intercultural Studies
Timetable this semester: Timetable for LC540A
Date of Last Revision21-JUL-11
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