Entry requirements

General entry requirements + English 6 and Civics 1b or Civics 1a1 +1a2.

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

The course can normally be included as a part of a general degree at basic level.

Course contents

In this course the students learn about the role of speculative aesthetics in circumscribing the catastrophe; the narrative scenarios of events and tensions (causes and effects), the characterization of the subjects and agents involved (heroes, victims, bystanders, active and passive ones; human and non-human), the description of the social response (institutions, means, readiness, processes, resilience); the style of drawings and plans included. Participants can use the media they are familiar with (drawing, photo, fiction, film, or a combination of them) to work with arts based course assignments.

Students learn some of the most prominent philosophical and critical framings of catastrophes, and practice how to analyse the subjects, agents, objects, and actions of catastrophes using multimodal forms of aesthetics.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary framings of catastrophes
2. Demonstrate skills in conceptualizing and communicating future scenarios using visual/audiovisual media and writing
3. Analyze the narrative and aesthetic forms in catastrophe scenarios
4. Analyze catastrophes using multimodal forms of aesthetics

Learning activities

The course consists of lectures, seminars, collaborative workshops, and independent study of course literature.

Assessment

Student are examined through two examinations:

1. A portfolio of catastrophe analysis course work (HP 12; LO 1, 2, 3)
2. A group presentation of selected course work (HP 3; LO 2, 3, 4)

Course literature

• Angus, Ian. Facing the Anthropocene: Fossil Capitalism and the Crisis of the Earth System. New York Monthly Review Press, 2016. Print.
• Davies, Jeremy. Birth of the Anthropocene. Oakland, California: Univ of California Press, 2018. Print.
• Gil, Isabel Capeloa and Wulf, Christoph. Hazardous Future: Disaster, Representation and the Assessment of Risk. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
• Keane, Stephen. Disaster Movies: The Cinema of Catastrophe. London: Wallflower, 2006. Print.
• Kingsolver, Barbara. Flight Behaviour: A Novel. London: Faber and Faber, 2013. Print.
• Reilly, Meg L. We Are Unprepared: A Novel. Don Mills, Ontario: MIRA, 2016. Print.

Supplementary articles, literature and film will be provided.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students. (HF 1:14)

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

Additional information

This is the English version of a Swedish syllabus.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.