External summary

Ethnology is the discipline that studies the traditional and popular cultures of a community, region or nation. While related in some respects to both anthropology and cultural history, ethnology is now well established in its own right as an important contributor to the humanities and social sciences throughout Europe and beyond. Through close study of such cultural forms as folklore, music, song, oral narrative, custom and belief, this programme examines the development of cultural systems through time. The University of Edinburgh is the only institution in Scotland to offer an undergraduate degree in this discipline. The Scottish Ethnology programme aims to develop the analytic, critical, communication and creative skills of students by engaging with a broad range of cultural forms and ethnographic materials relating primarily, although by no means exclusively, to Scotland.

Specific areas which may appeal to graduates of this degree include heritage organisations, broadcasting and other media, publishing, arts development, tourism, local or national government, research, management or education. Having a knowledge of culture and the creative arts is relevant to employers both in a national context and overseas, given Scotland’s links to many countries across the world. The ability to undertake original research through cultural fieldwork, emphasised in several of the courses on this programme, is a key skill within many modern professions.

The University of Edinburgh has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its teaching and research and the resources for the study of Scotland at this institution and within the city at large are second to none. Students have access to the University’s libraries and computing facilities, to the internationally-renowned School of Scottish Studies Archives, and to a range of audio and visual recording and editing technologies, while the National Museums Scotland, National Library of Scotland and National Archives of Scotland are all close at hand.

The main aims of the programme are to:

• Develop students’ understanding of the historical and ongoing development of the discipline of ethnology in its international context.
• Engage students in theoretical debates relating to the key issues and concepts of ethnology.
• Encourage students to critically deconstruct and evaluate cultural forms and processes.
• Develop students’ investigative skills through the provision of training in archive- and field-based research techniques.

Educational aims of programme

This programme provides in-depth study of the discipline of ethnology, focusing specifically on Scotland but set within an international context. The central aims are to engage with the question of how to study the cultural development of a nation, and the role of tradition within the development of modern societies. The role of the past within the present serves as a backdrop to the specific study of key manifestations of cultural tradition, such as social organisation, folkloristics, custom, belief, orality, music and song. The approach is principally from an arts and humanities perspective, but drawing where appropriate on social science approaches and methodologies. Initially, the focus is upon the contemporary cultural landscape, leading to a diachronic investigation of the factors which came together to create this, thus providing historical depth.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

All students should acquire a knowledge and understanding of:

• The principal theoretical orientations and schools of thought within the discipline of ethnology.
• The principal folklore genres and classification systems.
• The concept of ethnography as process and product.
• The concept of tradition.
• The history, development and central theories of the core ethnological sub-themes of social organisation, oral narrative, material culture and custom and belief.
• Key issues relating to the performance, transmission and representation of culture.
• The theory and practice of ethnological investigative methods and techniques.
• The empirical base for the study of Scottish cultural tradition in its international context.

Teaching and Learning Methods and Strategies

Students’ knowledge and understanding of the above is facilitated through regular illustrated lectures, small-group tutorials and seminars, practical workshops (e.g. for fieldwork recording and oral presentation training), structured reading programmes and use of electronic resources (delivered through WebCT). Significant emphasis is placed on supervised use of the extensive audio and visual ethnographic holdings of the School of Scottish Studies Archives which form a central resource for the entire programme.

Assessment

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

By the end of the programme students should be able to

• research, develop and draw on a strong empirical knowledge base of Scottish culture and tradition, past and present, and in an international context;
• contribute positively and authoritatively to ongoing debates relating to the social and political context of cultural representation in Scotland and beyond and of the value of the traditional arts;
• demonstrate well-developed skills in the analysis and interpretation of a range of cultural materials and forms;
• appropriately and effectively use the principal national and international platforms for the dissemination of area studies research and thought;
• complete an original and self-initiated interdisciplinary investigation resulting in the production of a dissertation, drawing on an enhanced ability to plan, organise and produce extended subject-specific scholarly texts; and
• apply a range of investigative techniques and synthesise evidence gathered from a variety of source types relating to the study of both ethnology as a discipline and of Scotland as a nation

Teaching and Learning

Illustrated lectures, small group discussions, library and online learning materials and fieldtrips/site visits all combine to nurture a strong empirical knowledge of a variety of forms of Scottish cultural expression and of dissemination platforms for area studies’ research and thought. Care is taken in the design and delivery of all contributing courses to ensure students are exposed to wider international contexts and materials. Detailed individual feedback on all formative course work submissions enhances students’ ability to produce scholarly texts, while research and study skills in the core level 10 courses provide support for dissertation work.

Assessment

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

The programme is designed to facilitate the development of a range of skills which will prepare students for a wide variety of professions and employment. Chief among these are:

• a reflexive approach to learning and personal development;
• self reliance and personal responsibility;
• the ability to distinguish relevant from irrelevant considerations in argument; and
• the ability to construct clearly organised arguments, formulating logical and critical presentations of points and arguments.

Teaching and Learning

Regular submission of written work allows for the development of written communication skills, while the presentation of the Honours dissertation represents the culmination of this development process. Study skills taught in the compulsory level 8 courses include emphasis on time management, self reliance and personal responsibility. Oral communication skills are honed in tutorial discussions and presentations, while many of the level 10 courses require students to undertake a formal oral presentation. Presentation skills workshops are held for students in Year 3 and detailed advice and guidance documents are provided for each student. Listening skills are practised in second year level 8 courses. The group subject nature of the programme introduces students to a range of discipline-specific investigative techniques and a wide range of source types.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Scottish Ethnology graduates will be able to:

• structure and communicate ideas effectively in both oral and written form, using a variety of resources/media;
• participate constructively and efficiently in group discussions, assessing and responding effectively to the ideas of others; and
• exercise advanced listening and interview skills.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

All courses require written work, usually in the form of essays, and regular feedback is given to the learners in order to develop their understanding and power of expression.  Teamwork and leadership skills are acquired through active contributions to tutorials and seminars, both as group members and discussion leaders.  Time management is learned through the expectation to submit coursework by prescribed deadlines notified at the outset of each course.  Teamwork and assessment and response to the ideas of others are developed in classes, seminars and tutorials, which rely on discussion and interaction, as well as presentations by individuals and groups of students.   IT skills are developed through University-wide training courses and individual learning, and within the subject area instruction is provided on using pertinent electronic resources such as catalogues, e-books/journals and the rich audio/visual resources of the digitised archives of the School of Scottish Studies collections.

Assessment

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

Scottish Ethnology graduates will be able to:

• work autonomously, setting their own goals, self-motivating and organising their own learning;
• manage their time and priorities and work to both self-imposed and external deadlines;
• collaborate effectively and productively with others in the process of learning and presenting conclusions, exercising leadership skills as appropriate;
• confidently rely on their own intellectual capacities;
• exercise sensitivity to ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings.
• confidently engage with a range of groups and individuals through application of communication skills developed through fieldwork.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

The teaching and support ethos within this programme is to encourage students to develop self-confidence in their intellectual abilities and in their planning and organisation skills.  This is encouraged through formative feedback for all assessment forms, instruction in planning and delivery of oral presentations and in staged, developmental meetings with a supervisor in the case of dissertations. Exposure to, and close discussion of different examples of well-written academic articles and papers is a feature of most courses in order to foster appreciation of well-argued, clearly organised academic texts.

Assessment

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Scottish Ethnology students will develop:

• IT skills – the ability to use computers for word-processing, information storage, searching and retrieving information from the world wide web, and using presentational packages such as PowerPoint; and
• library skills – the ability to use libraries for the recovery of information, and related research skills, including the ability to discriminate between different sources of information, suggested readings, and so on.
• Archival skills – the ability to conduct original research using both physical and online archival collections

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Strategies for helping students acquire and develop these skills are integrated into teaching and learning at all levels of the programme. Interview and fieldwork skills are taught in small-group sessions in two of the compulsory level 8 courses (Conceptualising Scotland and Scotland and Orality) and are further enhanced in specific level 10 courses. Sessions are also held at level 8 in use of printed and online research resources, and two of the compulsory level 8 courses deal specifically with audio and visual sources.

Assessment

Programme structure and features

Full details of the degree programme and structure can be found at: http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials.  Optional courses in Years 3 and 4 are taught through seminars.

Progression Requirements: Students are normally expected to have gained 120 credits from each year of study. 

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Teaching and Learning strategies employed at the University of Edinburgh consist of a variety of different methods appropriate to the programme aims.  The graduate attributes listed above are met through a teaching and learning framework (detailed below) which is appropriate to the level and content of the course.

Teaching and Learning Activities

In Year 1

Lectures

Tutorials

In Year 2

Lectures

Tutorials

In Year 3

Lectures

Seminars

In Year 4

Seminars

Lectures

Dissertation

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment

Courses can be assessed by a diverse range of methods and often takes the form of formative work which provided the student with on-going feedback as well as summative assessment which is submitted for assessment.

In Year 1

Written Examinations

Coursework Essays

In Year 2

Written Examinations

Coursework Essays

In Year 3

Written Examinations

Coursework Essays

Oral Presentations

In Year 4

Written Examinations

Coursework Essays

Dissertation

Career opportunities

Graduates of Scottish Ethnology from the University of Edinburgh are highly valued. The course prepares you for a career in media and broadcasting or with museums and archives. Previous graduates have also gone on to work in government departments, heritage organisations, tourism or education. You can also pursue postgraduate study.

Other items

• all students are assigned a Personal Tutor on admission to the degree programme, who oversees the course of the student’s degree programme, offers advice on academic matters (including degree-progression) and should be the student’s first port of call for course-related worries or concerns
• student opinion is actively sought through participation in Staff-Student Liaison Committees, through the election of class- and tutorial-representatives, and by the wide circulation and review of detailed student questionnaires each semester. 
• LLC have a student support office, where students can go for advice on degree transfers, course changes, authorised interruption of studies, confirmation letters and general support. Information can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/current-students/undergraduate-support
• further information about Celtic and Scottish Studies can be found at http://www.celtscot.ed.ac.uk/