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Media, Memory, History (P3072)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

This module examines the relationship between history, memory and media.

Its starting points are:

• the media are historical artifacts, forged and developed in historical contexts that they also influence
• access to history is mediated through various technical and cultural systems e.g. television, print, and networked and mobile media
• media systems capture, store, and re-disseminate material that may be returned to us as collective or individual memories for instance through family photographs, or through the annual collective commemoration of official memorial days. The relationship between history and memory is thus bound up with how media systems become embedded cultures
• new media produce new kinds of artificial memory and thus may intervene in new ways in the making of history.

The module will address some of the questions arising around media, history and memory through sessions including:

• explorations of prosthetic memory
• war memories and memorials
• the history of the invention of the media
• memory damage and the politics of omission
• family histories and migration patterns as photographic record
• race and mediated memory
• questions of the convergence of the archive and the network which mean media records of events are simultaneously stored and represented.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 117 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.