Lehre Wintersemester 2015/16

Dr. Anna-Katharina Wöbse

Blockseminar

Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December 2015: 10am – 4pm
Senatssaal, Mönchebergstr. 3
L3 Modul 8, MA Eur. Gesch. Modul 5, BA NF Modul 3, BA HF Modul 6, L2 Modul 6, MA Eng. and Am. Stud. Modul 3+6, MA Eng. And Am. Cult. Bus. Stud. Modul 3+6+9, LA GYM Modul 12

Animals have played a crucial role in film as an artistic medium, from the literal use of animal products in film stock to the capturing of animal movement as a driver of stop-motion, wide-screen and CGI film technology. The wish to picture animals’ lives, whether naturalistically or playfully, brings about filmic genres such as wildlife film and animation. By analysing a range of key films, the module will consider these and other major aspects of animals in film such as: the historical development of animal presence in film; animals’ role in different film genres, from art-house documentary to horror; the range of literal and symbolic ways animals appear in film; animals in the film star-system; animal lives and the ethics of film-making; adaptation and the different challenges of filmic and literary representation of animals.
The seminar provides insight into the range of work and disciplinary approaches represented within the field of human-animal studies. It complements our course offerings in human-animal studies at the University of Kassel and allows students to further extend their study of human-animal relations from a disciplinary perspective that is not usually represented at Kassel University. Moreover, it gives students the opportunity to work closely with an internationally recognised human-animal studies scholar and to evaluate the benefits and possibilities for a potential research stay at the University of Sheffield.
There will be a 2-hours preparatory meeting prior to Dr. McKay’s visit during which we will discuss readings for the seminar. Based on the seminar with Dr. McKay, Students will choose a movie and independently develop an entry for the online archive Zooscope. The results will be circulated among the participants of the course and we will together discuss the different works and reflect on the research process in a final meeting at the end of the semester. One additional credit point can be claimed for language competence.

Films:

• Howard Hawkes, Bringing Up Baby (1938)
• John Huston, The Misfits (1961)
• Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man (2005)
• Brad Bird, Ratatouille (2007

Assessment:
active participation in the seminar, preparation of an entry for the online movie archive Zooscope, compulsory meetings with lecturer as required for preparing the entry, final presentation and discussion of entries

The course includes an independent research component, which requires participants to regularly consult with the lecturer in person on their progress in individual meetings. These meetings are compulsory.

Literature:

• Jonathan Burt (2002), Animals in Film, London: Reaktion

Dr. Anna-Katharina Wöbse

Seminar

Mittwoch: 10–12 Uhr
Kurt-Wolters 3 - Raum 1120
L2 Modul 1, BA HF Modul 1, BA NF Modul 1, L3 Modul 1
Beginn: 21. Oktober 2015

Das Propädeutikum dient zur Einführung in das historisch wissenschaftliche Arbeiten in der Neueren und Neusten Geschichte mit einem zusätzlichen Schwerpunkt auf der Tiergeschichtsschreibung. Zunächst wird in einige grundsätzliche Begriffe und Konzepte der Geschichtstheorie und –wissenschaft eingeführt, sowie ein Überblick über verschiedene geschichtswissenschaftliche Forschungsansätze gegeben. Der Hauptteil des Seminars widmet sich dann einerseits Fragen und Techniken des kritischen wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens – etwa dem Verfassen von Hausarbeiten und der Ausarbeitung von Referaten, aber auch dem Umgang mit dem Internet. Andererseits werden die verschiedenen Quellengattungen und –sammlungen vorgestellt, auf die Historiker_innen in ihrer Arbeit zurückgreifen, sowie die Methoden, mit denen diese kritisch in den Geschichtswissenschaften erschlossen werden. Den Abschluß des Seminars bildet ein knapper Überblick über neuere Tendenzen in den Geschichtswissenschaften.

Literatur

• Gunilla Budde u.a. (Hg.), Geschichte. Studium – Wissenschaft – Beruf, Berlin 2008
• Barbara Wolbring, Neuere Geschichte Studieren, Konstanz 2006
• Stefan Jordan, Einführung in das Geschichtsstudium, Stuttgart 2008