This is a repository of all of the assignments which I produced as the coursework for my degree course at Birmingham. They are reproduced here in the hope that they may be of some help to others researching the same subject areas. The final mark awarded is included alongside the title of each assignment.
Year 5 (Level 3) (2004/5)
- Aural analyses of orchestral extracts and German lieder, and an aural dictation under test conditions (90%)
Essentials of Applied Psychology
- THE CATHEDRALS OF THE ENGLISH ESTABLISHED CHURCH AND THEIR CORPORATIONS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: A study of the state of the cathedrals of the English Established Church in the nineteenth century, and the effect of Parliamentary inquiries upon them and their corporate bodies with particular reference to Lichfield Cathedral.
Year 4 (Level 2) (2003/4)
Museums, Tourism, and Heritage Culture
- In what sense could museums and/or art galleries be said to be ritual spaces? Refer to at least two examples of specific institutions. (67%)
- "The cult of the country house exemplifies the dangers of the whole heritage phenomenon which, in focussing attention on the 'surface' appearances of the past, works against 'depth' of historical understanding." (Emma Barker, 'Heritage and the Country House' in Contemporary Cultures of Display, Yale University Press, p206). Discuss the statement with reference to at least two 'country houses' in Britain. (70%)
Romanticism to Modernism - English Literature 1830 - 1930
- Provide a close textual analysis of Frankenstein (chapter 18, lines 199-256) by Mary Shelley (73%)
- The country is always regarded as a better place than the city in literature of this period. Do you agree? Answer with reference to two or more relevant texts. (65%)
- Should we regard Modernism as an optimistic or pessimistic movement? Answer with reference to two or more relevant texts. (74%)
- Provide a close textual analysis of The Man of Feeling (chapter 14) by Henry Mackenzie paying close attention to its language, imagery, and thematic content. (68%)
- 'He laid his left hand on his heart - the sword dropped from his right - he burst into tears' (Mackenzie, The Man of Feeling). Is it reasonable to dismiss sentimental fiction as being unrealistic? Answer with reference to one of more relevant texts. (64%)
- Manet and Degas both depicted will-known women Impressionists. What kinds of images did they produce and what do these suggest about women's place in the Impressionist group and their broader social and artistic roles? (65%)
- Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe presents a dominant female character. Attempt a detailed analysis of this painting in order to explain how the figures appears so powerful. (65%)
Presentation and Dissertation Skills (Level 3)
Year 3 (Level 2) (2002/3)
Europe and the Dictators 1900 - 1990
- Provide an analysis of source material. A selection of articles about Glasgow was used. (68%)
- Analyse the transition from Leninism to Stalinsim in the USSR 1917 - 1930 (68%)
- Provide an evaluation of source material: The acceptance of the Peace of Brest-Litovsk. (73%)
Industry and Revolution in 18th Century England
- Beginning with a discussion of Galileo's key experiment, describe the emergence of (strict) causality. You will need to develop the idea of predicting the motion of an object by considering the forces acting upon it. Briefly indicate how this (strictly) causal picture differs from both Greek ideas about motion, and modern knowledge of the movement of elementary particles, such as electrons. (68%)
- 'Utopias are more concerned with escapism than effecting social change.' Discuss. (70%)
- Summary of contributions to online discussion relating to America's new Utopias. (Pass)
Year 2 (Level 1) (2001/2)
England in the Nineteenth Century
- What impact did urbanisation have on people's lives in nineteenth century England? (A-)
- Show how any two of the relationships portrayed in Middlemarch illustrate the balance of power between men and women. (A)
- To what extent was the practice of art in nineteenth century England shaped by patriarchal ideology? (B+)
- 'Man to command, and woman to obey', according to the father in Tennyson's The Princess (1847). Drawing on your reading of Middlemarch and your study of the history and art of the nineteenth centry, discuss whether this present an adequate picture of gender roles within Victorian society (with consideration to work, religion, domestic life, and class). (A-)
Foundations of Modern Europe (1648 - 1792)
Year 1 (Level 1) (2000/1)
Introduction to Information Technology
Perspectives of Human Psychology
- Discuss the sources of cultural bias in psychological theory and research, and how they have (or have not) been addressed. (B+)
- Discuss ethical guidelines for psychologists and illustrate with research examples. (B+)
- Critically consider the contribution that the information processing approach has made to psychological knowledge. (A)
Introduction to Social Sciences
- What are the purposed of ethnic monitoring? Give examples of its use. Outline the difficulties in implementing ethnic monitoring, including those that arise in accurately classifying an individual's 'race'. (B)
- Minority parties in Britain call for electoral reform whereas the two major parties tend to favour retaining the existing system. Do you consider that the strengths of proportional representation outweigh the advantages of simple majority voting? (C)
- The economic organisation of a Prisoner of War camp to be answered in conjuction with Radford's account of life in a PoW camp. (A)
- What evidence is there that the UK secondary education system is inadequately addressed to the needs of particular groups of children? Give illustrations of this. Using the concepts introduced in your course also consider both:
1. What political channels exist for different groups of people to influence the provision of education and how effective are they?
2. Explain the economic principles behind the system of Local Management of Schools outlined in DES Circular 7/88 on the implementation of this aspect of the Education Reform Act 1988. What effect did these changes have on the quality of secondary education. (A)