Last modified: 2 Days, 19 Hours ago
Germanic literature is famous for its fairy tales. From the brothers Grimm to contemporary re-imaginings of traditional tales, fairy tales have undergone continual revisions, reflecting changing social norms. We examine tales from the early 19th century to the present day, with attention to the gender roles that these tales reveal or perhaps challenge. As we learn more about changing perspectives on gender in European culture, we can reflect upon the challenges that we still face today.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 3 |
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| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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The brothers Grimm may have called their collection of fairy and folk tales the Kinder- und Hausmärchen [Children’s and Household Tales], but the violence and dubious morality of some of these tales may make us hesitate to recommend them for children today. Yet while some tales have dropped out of favour, other fairy tales are told and re-told, often adapted to suit different times and places. As such, fairy tales provide insight into the values and expectations of particular societies, sometimes in a drive to reassert or to challenge those values. In this course, we trace attitudes towards gender in tales from the early 19th century to the present day. The course will introduce students to the historical context surrounding oral traditions and early written collections of fairy tales, with focus on the brothers Grimm in the early 19th century. We will address the reasons for the Grimms’ repeated editing and re-writing of the tales. Focusing on gender and the portrayal of women and men, the course will address some problematic aspects of gender inscription in the tales. As a response to this, we will consider ways in which tales have been re-imagined in later periods, particularly through feminist perspectives. The course will address issues such as women’s subjection to violence, including domestic violence (e.g. in ‘Bluebeard’); the association between women and uncontrolled natural forces (e.g. in tales of mermaids or water nymphs); women as objects of a male gaze, as well as the glorification of passivity, and even beauty in death (e.g. in ‘Snow White’). During the course we will seek to understand the powerful hold that fairy tales have over our imaginations.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Choice of: Essay (2000 words max.) Podcast (8-10 mins +200 word outline) Poster (A5 + 1000 word commentary) |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will be able to analyse literary texts and demonstrate understanding of their cultural context, with particular attention to gender representations in the texts. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to conduct independent research and present critical or creative engagements with the topic and material in oral and written work. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to engage appropriately with other people’s ideas and arguments, both in class and in written and oral assignments. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Choice of: Essay (3,000 words) Fairy tale re-telling with academic commentary (3,000 words altogether) Media article (1,000 words) with academic commentary (2,000 words) Zine (6-10 pages) with academic commentary (2,000 words) Video (5-10 mins) with academic commentary (2,000 words) |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will be able to analyse literary texts and demonstrate understanding of their cultural context, with particular attention to gender representations in the texts. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to conduct independent research and present critical or creative engagements with the topic and material in oral and written work. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to engage appropriately with other people’s ideas and arguments, both in class and in written and oral assignments. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | 13 | Feedback Weeks | 15 | |
| Feedback |
Oral presentation (pair work) |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Choice of: Any of the previously passed elements can be carried forward if passed. Resubmission applies to any or all failed/non-submitted elements. The student is not required to submit in the same format as the original submission (e.g. if the original submission was an essay, the resit could be in the form of a podcast). |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
If original Oral Presentation (Pair Work) is failed, the resit will be an Annotated PowerPoint of around 6 slides. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Choice of: Any of the previously passed elements can be carried forward if passed. Resubmission applies to any or all failed/non-submitted elements. The student is not required to resubmit in the same format as the original submission (e.g. if a media article was originally submitted, the student may choose to submit in the format of an essay). |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will be able to analyse literary texts and demonstrate understanding of their cultural context, with particular attention to gender representations in the texts. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will be able to conduct independent research and present critical or creative engagements with the topic and material in oral and written work. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to engage appropriately with other people’s ideas and arguments, both in class and in written and oral assignments. |
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