Research: Theories and Methods

This course addresses some of the key theoretical and methodological issues active in the discipline of History of Art. It aims to familarise postgraduate students with some of the formative influences on the development of art history as a discipline, and with critical issues in historical and current debates about the parameters, nature and scope of art history, and to help students engage with these theories and methods in their own research. Lectures are given by staff from across the History of Art department and cover a range of period specialisms, art practices, and approaches to the writing of art's histories in the present. Each lecture devoted to a different theoretical topic, enabling students to examine the methodological underpinnings of research into visual culture. Topics covered may include formalism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, feminism, post-structuralism, and queer theory. Students are encouraged to reflect critically on the process of research and on the articulation of their own academic writing. The theoretical focus of the course aims to help students develop the necessary methodological awareness and theoretical sophistication to support the writing of their assessed essays and dissertations. Credit Level: 11 Year taken: Postgraduate