University of Stirling

From sparkly vampires to blockbuster monsters, gothic tropes appear to be all-pervasive in contemporary culture. As Catherine Spooner claims in CONTEMPORARY GOTHIC (2006), like "a malevolent virus, Gothic narratives have escaped the confines of literature and spread across disciplinary boundaries to infect all kinds of media, from fashion and advertising to the way contemporary events are constructed in mass culture." This course introduces students to Gothic’s literary expression in the British 19th century, before exploring the many ways in which this dark heritage continues to affect contemporary cultural production. Focusing on three key texts from the 19th century, FRANKENSTEIN (1818), THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1886), and DRACULA (1897), this course discusses their adaptation, appropriation, and influence on popular narratives such as those found in fiction, film, tv, fashion, and music video. 

Scotland’s landscape has inspired poets and writers for generations. From the hills covered in purple heather to the glorious light at sunrise, almost every vista is an invitation to the enthusiastic visual journalist. At the same time, the protection of a diverse and sustainable environment has pushed an appreciation of the landscape to the top of the educational agenda. This is a unique module that enables students to appreciate the environment, enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland while learning and developing their skills at landscape photography. Students l learn the practice of landscape photography, but also the theory and principles. Students are provided with all the equipment they need, such as cameras, lenses, and tripods, access to a state of the art editing suite and the support and guidance of top professionals to ensure they return home with valuable new skills and a portfolio to impress and remember.

With attention focused on the question of independence, recent debates concerning Scottish culture and identity gain a heightened political charge. Literature has not only reflected but actively shaped such debate. In the year the new Scottish Parliament was established (1998), Christopher Whyte argued that "in the absence of elected political authority, the task of representing the nation has been repeatedly devolved to its writers." But what influence have writers played in recent political change, and to what extent has Scottish culture escaped its own stereotypes? This course examines the literary and political currents shaping contemporary Scottish identity, introducing students to key 20th- and 21st century texts. Students encounter and explain a range of cultural debates concerning language, class, democracy, and nationhood, attending to the urgency as well as the complexity of recent Scottish writing.

This course provides students with an understanding of the origins, main features, and impact of the Jacobite movement, and places Scotland’s experience of Jacobitism within its wider British and European context. It seeks to deepen historical and transferable skills already acquired or to assist students coming to history as a discipline for the first time. Students look at the societal changes that occurred in Scotland in the 18th century, the Jacobite rebellions and the Enlightenment period, and learn how to collect, evaluate, and use sources to support a historical case and evaluate conflicting historical interpretations.

This course introduces students to the subject of Criminology through the lens of the Scottish Criminal Justice System. It begins with an overview of the Scottish Criminal Justice System before examining the major avenues by which the public obtain information about crime – as victims of crime and from the media and official statistics. The course examines the processes that have developed Scotland's definitions of crime and the broader social and political context in which this crime occurs.

This course explores the contemporary issues and debates which shape world politics today. It begins by introducing key elements in the study of International Politics, before moving on to look at the themes of power, conflict, and peace within International Relations. It covers the role and functions of institutions such as the United Nations and the role of states and other key actors in international politics. It explores the changing shape and character of conflict and explores this within the context of an arguably more fragmented and less cohesive international system. It also consider a wide range of issues such as the global environment, poverty, and underdevelopment. The course links concepts and theories with a number of contemporary case studies which consider patterns and trends in war and conflict, arguments for and against nuclear weapons, tensions around militarized humanitarian interventions and peacekeeping. 

This course examines gender and sexuality in a Scottish context. As binary understandings of gender and sexuality are increasingly shown to be outdated and outmoded, developments in our understanding of gender and sexuality are making headlines and becoming a regular part of our daily discourse in both our social and working lives. This course enables students to apply their knowledge of identity politics to a dynamic range of relevant texts. The texts examine the decline of traditional, industrialist, "hard man" masculinities in Scotland. Through an exploration of dynamic, contemporary and highly acclaimed texts, this course examines broken masculinities, resistant femininities, and resurgent Scottish LGBT+ fictions. A select range of relevant secondary sources accompany this exploration of primary literature, introducing students to iconic theorists, as well as relevant contemporary critics examining Scottish literature from a gendered perspective.

This course introduces students to key theoretical debates that have emerged in the study of Scotland’s relationship with the film and television industries. Important questions include: Who is responsible for constructing Scotland’s identity onscreen? How are Scotland and Scottishness depicted? Why do certain representations dominate over others? The course begins by exploring "Hollywood Scotland," concentrating on the commercial cinematic representation of Scotland and Scottishness found in Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART (1995). This is then contrasted with a more local construction of Scotland found in the long running television show TAGGART (ITV, 1983-2011). The class concludes by considering filmmaking in contemporary Scotland, first through contemplation of the importance of short films in the Scottish context, focusing in particular on the shorts and careers of Lynne Ramsay, Peter Mullan, and Morag McKinnon, and second through examination of the Scottish/Danish co-produced Advance Party initiative.

The course provides students with a thorough understanding of the phenomena of witchcraft belief and prosecution in Scotland between the 16th and 18th centuries. The course focuses mostly on social and cultural themes but an understanding of the political, economic, and religious context is important. Topics include the functions and meanings of witchcraft and magic, elite and popular beliefs, witches and community relations, witchcraft and gender, witchcraft and religion, witchcraft and the law, and the decline and survival of witchcraft beliefs.