Program Overview

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Animals Matter: Transforming Perspectives through Human-Animal Studies

Course Description

This course covers various aspects of the dynamic and expanding interdisciplinary field of human-animal studies, sometimes known as critical animal studies, to which students are given a general introduction.

The course thus introduces students to the field with special emphasis on how it is approached from a number of different disciplines, including philosophy, literary studies, art history, history, geography, and anthropology. The course highlights how these disciplines work together to study and critically analyse human relations to nonhuman animals.

The course deals with its topic in practice by discussing relevant examples of human representations of, thinking about, uses of, and interaction with nonhuman animals, both historically and today. Students are also introduced to the terminology and different theoretical approaches within human-animal studies, and their application to practical examples.

Course Details

• ECTS: 10
• Forms of instruction: Lecture
• Form of examination: Take-home assignment (Assign)
• Language of instruction: English
• Level: Bachelor
• Location: Aarhus

Description of Qualifications

Purpose

The purpose of the internationalisation electives is to provide students with the opportunity to use a foreign language in an academic setting, and to work with an academic theme within the humanities. The purpose is also to teach the students to operate in a cross-disciplinary teaching context, thereby gaining a cross-disciplinary perspective on their own subject area. The course contributes to the international dimension of the degree programme and improves the students’ understanding of the academic profile of their degree programme in relation to the humanities as a whole.

Academic Objectives

In the evaluation of the student’s performance, emphasis is placed on the extent to which the student is able to:

• Knowledge: Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the study of the field of human-animal studies, its theoretical approaches, and its terminology. Apply the key theoretical and methodological approaches of the course. Critically reflect on their own oral and/or written products (and those produced by others) in relation to the academic and theoretical discussions of the course.
• Skills: Select and analyse specific case(s) and example(s) based on appropriately chosen theoretical approach(es). Discuss the theme of the course in the foreign language in an academic context.
• Competences: Reflect on and discuss topics within human-animal studies in a systematic, independent, and critical way. Participate constructively in learning collaboration in a foreign language across educational and/or cultural backgrounds. Gain perspective on and compare the academic profile of the degree programme in relation to the subject areas of the humanities.

Teaching

• Forms of instruction: Lecture and classroom instruction
• Course coordinator: Sune Borkfelt, Institut for Kommunikation og Kultur - Engelsk

Comments on the Form of Instruction

This course will involve classroom teaching, guest lectures, shorter written assignments, exercises, and seminars, where we analyse specific examples. In addition, the course will include a couple of excursions to explore various kinds of representations and trace animal presences in cultural spheres.

Towards the end of the course, we will increasingly focus on the students' own examination projects and analytical examples. As a part of the course, the student produces a number of assignments. The number of assignments, their form (individual and/or group-based, written, oral, product, reflection, peer feedback, set question or student’s choice of question, etc.), their length, and the deadlines for submission are announced in writing in Brightspace and orally by the teacher at the beginning of the semester. The assignments can provide the basis for different forms of feedback and further development related to the teaching, but there is not a continuous evaluation of the individual assignments. All or a selection of these assignments can provide the basis for the student’s exam.

Examination

• Form of examination: Take-home assignment (Assign)
• Form of co-examination: Internal co-examination
• Assessment: 7-point grading scale
• Permitted exam aids: Not specified

Comments

Ordinary Examination

The exam consists of a portfolio that contains 3-8 assignments. The number of assignments in the portfolio, their form (individual and/or group-based, written, oral, product, reflection, peer feedback, set question or student’s choice of question, etc.), and their length is announced in writing in Brightspace and orally by the teacher at the beginning of the semester.

The portfolio can be completed individually or, if specified by the teacher, in groups of up to 6 students.

It must be possible to assess the student individually and therefore it is important that, for portfolios prepared in groups, it is clearly stated which sections the individual students are responsible for and which sections the group is responsible for.

The complete portfolio must be submitted for assessment in WISEflow before the deadline set in the examination plan.

The total maximum lengths are:

• For 1 student: 12 standard pages.
• For 2 students: 18 standard pages.
• For 3 students: 24 standard pages.
• For 4 students: 30 standard pages.
• For 5 students: 36 standard pages.
• For 6 students: 42 standard pages.

Products can be included in the portfolio and can, depending on the length and the teacher’s approval, form a number of standard pages of the portfolio’s total length. The title page, the table of contents, the list of references, and appendices are not included in the number of standard pages.

Re-examination

The re-examination consists of a portfolio that contains 3-8 assignments of the same type and number as in the ordinary exam. The number of assignments in the portfolio, their form (individual and/or group-based, written, oral, product, reflection, peer feedback, set question or student’s choice of question, etc.), and their length is announced in writing in Brightspace at the end of the teaching period at the latest.

The portfolio can be completed individually or, if specified by the teacher, in groups of up to 6 students.

It must be possible to assess the student individually and therefore it is important that, for portfolios prepared in groups, it is clearly stated which sections the individual students are responsible for and which sections the group is responsible for.

The complete portfolio must be submitted for assessment in the Digital Exam system before the deadline set in the examination plan.

The total maximum lengths are:

• For 1 student: 12 standard pages.
• For 2 students: 18 standard pages.
• For 3 students: 24 standard pages.
• For 4 students: 30 standard pages.
• For 5 students: 36 standard pages.
• For 6 students: 42 standard pages.

Products can be included in the portfolio and can, depending on the length and the teacher’s approval, form a number of standard pages of the portfolio’s total length. The title page, the table of contents, the list of references, and appendices are not included in the number of standard pages.

Additional Information

• Type of course: Summer University
• Primary programme: Bachelor's Degree Programme in English
• Related programmes: Bachelor's Degree Programme in German Language, Literature and Culture, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Information Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in the Study of Religion, Bachelor's Degree Programme in History of Ideas, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Aesthetics and Culture, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Anthropology, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Latin, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Spanish and Spanish American Language, Literature and Culture, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Scandinavian Language and Literature, Bachelor's Degree Programme in French Language, Literature and Culture, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Comparative Literature, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Media Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Linguistics, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Greek Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Arab and Islamic Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Brazilian Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Art History, Bachelor's Degree Programme in History, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Digital Design - IT, Aesthetics and Interaction, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Classical Philology, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Dramaturgy, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Philosophy, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Musicology, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Archaeology, Bachelor's Degree Programme in India and South Asia Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Japan Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in International Business Communication in English, Bachelor's Degree Programme in International Business Communication in German, Bachelor's Degree Programme in International Business Communication in Spanish, Bachelor's Degree Programme in International Business Communication in French, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Classical Philology, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Russian Studies, Bachelor's Degree Programme in Classical Archaeology
• Department: School of Communication and Culture
• Faculty: Arts
• Location: Aarhus
• Maximum number of participants: Maximum 30 participants. 10 seats are reserved for international exchange students from AU partner universities.
• Selection criteria: If there are more eligible applicants than available seats, they will be distributed according to the overall selection criteria and then the following selection criteria:
  • Randomized draw.