CLS3035 - Intellectuals and power: a history of institutions

Leader: Axel Fliethmann

Offered

Not offered in 2007

Synopsis

The subject looks at the history of academic culture from
the perspective of current problems in the academic world. These problems envisage

1. the power play among various disciplines about giving the right description of the
2. the influence of media use in research presentation and how the materiality of

communication influences the outcome; c) the question of autonomy as seen from the academic perspective;

the question of self-perception of academics and their 'ethics'; e) the question of globalisation. These questions will be explored through history by reading classical texts from academics on academic culture.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this subject students will have gained a basic knowledge of the social, political and theoretical conditions of the history of academic/intellectual culture. They will be able to apply critical categories in an analysis of any culture-related text and will have developed a more complex understanding of the university. Eventually students will have developed a critical understanding of how disciplines and paradigms in the academic world come up, develop or disappear. In addition, students will have better analytical skills and a theoretically more reflexive understanding of the history of intellectual concepts and how these have been influenced by non-academic powers. This understanding will be crucial for the study of literary texts as well as for scholarly texts.

Assessment

Exam (1 hour): 20%
Class Presentation (1000 words): 20%
Essay (2500 words): 60%

Contact hours

2.5 hours (1 x 2.5 hour seminar) per week

Prohibitions

CLS2035