Teaching Ethnography as Modern Languages Method: Legacies and Future Practices for Global Citizens

Most modern languages degrees in the UK include a Residence Abroad component, the key aims of which are to help students acquire a greater understanding of a new language and culture and to develop research skills. While the acquisition of linguistic competences has been well documented, cultural learning on the year abroad is less well researched. This article is based on an innovative pedagogic project carried out at the University of Southampton, in which students were provided with training in ethnographic methods and digital skills prior to their year abroad. This training was designed to foreground the process of cultural encounter and learning that students go through in order to carry out their individual Year Abroad Research Projects (YARPs). The paper will present results based on our analysis of the ‘raw data’ collected by students for their individual ethnographic YARPs, as well as individual interviews, focus group discussions, and the students’ reflective blog posts. It also draws on evidence from a semester long module entitled ‘Learning about Culture: Introduction to Ethnography’. We will highlight the main areas of successful cultural learning, and the places in which students come up against obstacles in their ethnographic encounters

Islamic Studies provision in the UK

This report presents an analysis of data on the provision of teaching in Islamic Studies at UK Higher Education Institutions. It is based on data collected for 1,101 modules in Islamic Studies and related disciplines identified at 110 of 161 institutions investigated.The main findings of this report are:a. Islamic Studies teaching is concentrated in a small number of pre-92 institutions, but limited provision can be found at most institutions surveyed.b. Although a large amount of teaching takes place within a core of disciplines and departments traditionally associated with Islamic Studies, provision also takes place in a wide range of disciplines and departments.c. Most Islamic Studies teaching takes place at level 2 and above. In terms of numbers of modules, the greatest provision is at Masters level.d. A relatively small proportion of the modules identified contribute to named degrees in Islamic Studies.e. Although a large number of modules are devoted entirely to Islamic Studies topics, Islamic Studies is also taught in many modules for which Islam is not the primary focus

Unveiling the Orient, Unmasking Orientalism: Sophia Poole\u27s The Englishwoman in Egypt

The third of four issues, this volume covers accounts of Western travelers in Egypt during the 19th and 20th century.https://fount.aucegypt.edu/faculty_book_chapters/2015/thumbnail.jp