MA in Postcolonial Culture & Global Policy

What you'll study Core modules Module title Credits. Postcolonial Theory Postcolonial Theory 30 credits From Ferguson to Gaza, from the local to the global, this module proposes that we are faced with the necessity to revisit the canonical texts of postcolonial theory in order to make sense of our contemporary world. The aim of the module is to introduce you to a selection of these founding texts, and to consider the manner in which the spectre of colonialism persists in our present, both in our material reality and as a ‘spectropoetics’ that haunts the unconscious. In this sense, you will read classic postcolonial texts of the twentieth century together with contemporary academic, activist and artistic interventions and countersignatures. Close, first-hand reading of texts is emphasised and you are required to probe the whole spectrum of postcolonial thinking—from literary theory, politics, psychoanalysis, diaspora studies, race and gender studies to philosophy, art, anthropology and history—and as such interrogate the production and circulation of knowledge from diverse positionalities. We seek to problematize the very notion of post-coloniality, understood not as a temporal marker but more as a style of thought—as a problem, a question and an option, an ‘epistemic and political project’. We begin the module from the present, with a questioning of the links and divergences between postcolonial theory and current decolonial thinking (in particular where this concerns struggles across today’s global south), in order to invest our readings of canonical postcolonial texts with a sense of urgency and to set out a disciplinary framework. Weekly topics are organised conceptually and across geographical and temporal boundaries through the themes such as the following, each of which re-inflects the next: objectivity; recognition; representation; ecology; relation; translation; ambivalence, appropriation; repair and reconciliation. 30 credits. Globalisation: Politics, Policy and Critique Globalisation: Politics, Policy and Critique 30 credits This module aims to provide students with the theoretical tools necessary for understanding postcolonial transformations in today’s Global South. The political imperative behind Postcolonial Studies – which emerged as an academic discipline in the 1980s – was metropolitan multiculturalism. Multiculturalism emerged as a key agenda of progressive politics – responding largely to mobilizations around race, diaspora and the politics of gender. Grounded in certain notions of representation, discourse and text, it enabled the theorist to mount an attack on the ethico-political enterprise of post-Enlightenment humanism on behalf of those who were excluded from its universalist schema. The module seeks to familiarise students with both analytical tools and activist models developed over the last few decades to comprehend, analyse and intervene in these transformations. Media, both old and new, are fast changing not just the way we perceive the world but also the way we experience our being-in-world and our interventions into the world. In view of this, elements of the module are concerned with studying the cultural aspects of globalization, including ‘the politics of aesthetics’, ‘sensible politics’ and the visual cultures of non-governmental activism. Globalization has also seen to a remapping of cultural and artistic fields, and the emergence of new cultural and commodity imaginaries. The globalization of art has resulted in the culture of spectacular biennales and new practices of curating. Museums and collections have become major tools for educating and disciplining populations. Drawing from the tools provided during the ‘Postcolonial Theory’ module, and supplementing these with the ‘thinking and doing’ that has arisen from the ‘decolonial turn’, the module approaches many of the weekly topics through the framework of ‘decoloniality’ and what Boaventura de Sousa Santos et al have named ‘epistemologies of the South’. In addition to this, a key component of the module is the new socio-political theory developed after the end of the Cold War, which aims to understand the decline of the nation-state and the enhanced power of supranational institutions such as the UN, the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO. This requires a critical examination of a range of agendas, namely: Global Civil Society and Governance, Human Rights, Non-Governmental Organisations, Sovereignty, New Social Movements, (Intellectual) Property Rights, Environmentalism, Biopiracy, the Commons, Social Capital, etc. The module seeks to ground these concepts in political/cultural theory rather than treating them as ad-hoc ideas. Students are encouraged to draw from the critical theory tradition of cultural theory and to question the normative claims of liberal theory in the age of neoliberal globalization. 30 credits. Policy Lab and Placement Policy Lab and Placement 30 credits The Policy Lab is understood to be a discussion and research forum for issues of global policy and development, with a view to identifying a set of aims and objectives, as well as concerns, issues and practical organisational needs, relevant to the placements (discussed below). Lab work provides the essential preparation and context for the placements and dossier projects, which evaluate the placements. A concern with policy and practice within organisations, seen from the perspective of postcolonial studies and geopolitics, is a core part of the module throughout the year. The Policy Lab entails a two-hour session one day each week in the Autumn and Spring terms, led by a dedicated Policy Lab tutor. Comprised of lectures and seminars, as well as presentations by guest speakers from within the broader field, these sessions allow for group discussion of conceptual, bureaucratic, political and economic issues arising from the placements. Further to this, the tutor will be available on a weekly basis for individual tutorials, and for instruction and support in relation to organisational matters for placements. Placement UK-based or overseas placements would usually be undertaken at the end of Spring term and would be with an organisation or group relevant to the concerns of the programme as a whole. The placement would prepare you for your dissertation work. The placement is not focused on the delivery of training per se, but on placing you in the context of work within NGOs, advocacy and activist groups, charities, national or international policy-making and developmental organisations, and groups with cultural activist and/or anti-racist/anti-imperialist concerns. You will be encouraged to bring postcolonial theory, geopolitics and a critical perspective on culture to bear upon your experience working with such organisations and in varied contexts. If you are already engaged in relevant institutional, organisational or activist based work in some way you will be able to use the opportunity of a placement to critically reflect upon and analyse your projects, organization and working context. Recent placements include: Friends of the Earth. Kaleidoscope Trust. Privacy International. Detention Action. Independent Workers of Great Britain. The Windrush Foundation. Black Cultural Archives. Palestine Film Festival. Trade Justice Movement. Rape Crisis UK. Open Democracy. 30 credits. MA in Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy Dissertation MA in Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy Dissertation 60 credits The dissertation is an opportunity to write an extended piece of work (10,000-12,000 words) on a topic of particular interest under the guidance of an allocated supervisor within the Centre for Cultural Studies. 60 credits. Option modules You take option modules to the value of 30 credits. Modules can be chosen from across Goldsmiths departments and centres. Option modules are subject to availability and approval by the module lecturer/convenor. There are a number of Sociology options, which are recommended for your programme. Other option modules, by department You may prefer to look through the full range of option modules available across Goldsmiths departments. Anthropology. Confucius Institute (Mandarin language). English and Comparative Literature. History. Media and Communications. Politics. Sociology. Please note that not all the modules listed may be open to you. Your final selection will depend upon spaces available and timetable compatibility. Assessment Essays and/or practical projects; dissertation. Download the programme specification for the 2018-19 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office. Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.