THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Religious Studies

Undergraduate Course: Religion in Modern Britain (REST08018)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe aim of the course is to introduce students to a range of religious formations as they tackle particular 'issues' arising from modernity in British contexts. This course will provide a 'zoom in' portrayal, in one specific (and local) modern state, which will help to focus and fine-tune representations raised in Global Religions A and B courses. It should also form an attractive outside course.
Course description This course will provide an introductory overview of the contemporary landscape of religion and society in modern Britain, combining contextualised analyses of religious formations with specific case studies. The approach will be largely socio-cultural and ethnographical, underpinned by a modern (i.e. post-war) historical orientation. The treatment of religion/s will be aspectual, focusing on how practitioners/communities deal with 'change' and 'issues', thus emphasising the embeddedness of religious groups in local culture and wider society.
The aim of the course is to introduce students to a range of religious formations as they tackle particular 'issues' arising from modernity in British contexts. Local/Scottish examples and case studies will be used where appropriate, including the possibility of one or two local site visits, but global relationships and the effects of diaspora will also be traced.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Outline the main aspects of the religious history of Britain.
  2. Make historical connections amongst the religions and relate these to contemporary situations.
  3. Identify themes that emerge from the study of the traditions considered in lectures and tutorials.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills - Outline the main aspects of the religious history of Britain;
- Evaluate and critique the work of scholars who have studied religions, both in the contemporary period and in the history of the discipline;
- Formulate questions emerging from the study of religions and structure an argument to express resolutions to the questions critically and analytically.
- Read and interpret a range of different sources for the study of religions within their historical, social and theoretical contexts and be able to differentiate primary from secondary sources.
- Formulate, investigate and discuss questions informed by Religious Studies methodologies (these include anthropology, cognitive studies, cultural history, ethnography, post-colonial studies and sociology);
- Engage and draw on an understanding of religious traditions and cultures to inform the approach taken when dealing with views different from one¿s own;
- Analyse and explain how cultural assumptions impact on the interpretation of religions;
- Express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing and in electronic media;
- Develop oral presentation and participation skills during seminars and group-work, and in written form through essays.
- Collaborate efficiently and productively with others in the process of learning and presenting conclusions - this includes those with a range of backgrounds and knowledge bases about religion, such as fellow-students, tutors and supervisors;
- Organise their own learning, manage workload and work to a timetable;
- Effectively plan, and possess the confidence to undertake and to present scholarly work that demonstrates an understanding of the aims, methods and theoretical considerations relevant to Religious Studies; and
- Work independently on the creation of essays using the standards current in the academic field of Religious Studies.
Additional Class Delivery Information 3 lectures and a weekly tutorial
KeywordsReligion,Britain,Scotland,history
Contacts
Course organiserDr Steven Sutcliffe
Tel: (0131 6)50 8947
Email: S.Sutcliffe@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Jamie Smith
Tel: (0131 6)50 8913
Email: Jamie.L.Smith@ed.ac.uk
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