Essay Instructions: BA Fashion Managament Year 1 Cultural and Historical Studies
ASSESSMENT AND PROJECT BRIEF
“Fashion provides one of the most ready means through which individuals can make expressive visual statements about their identities”. Bennett, A.( 2005). Culture and Everyday Life. London: Sage. p. 96.
- Discuss this statement with reference to individual examples.( include images related to the subject ) Taking into consideration the statement above and relate to fashion consumption and lifestyle.
Your essay (2000 words) must be presented in academic format, with bibliography and references.( HARVARD REFERENCING.)
IT SHOULD NOT BE OVER 20% ON TURNITIN.
Your answer should include:
• Reference to key themes, debates and concepts covered in the unit
• Referenced quotations (using Harvard referencing) from at least four academic texts to support your argument
• A critical analysis of examples relevant to your degree subject
• The conventions of academic writing
Upon successful completion of this unit you will be able to demonstrate:
1. an awareness of Cultural and Historical Studies as an academic discipline and its relationship with debates concerning fashion and beauty (subject knowledge);
2. an engagement with, and understanding of, relevant academic literature (research) ;
3. critical and analytical skills (analysis);
4. the ability to communicate effectively in an academic style (communication and presentation).
READING LIST:
?Bennett, A. (2005) ‘Fashion’, in, Culture and Everyday Life London: Sage.
Short, accessible discussion of the relationship between fashion and social identity, invaluable reading for the essay.
?Church - Gibson, P. (2006) ‘Analysing Fashion’, in, T. Jackson, D. Shaw (eds). The Fashion Handbook London: Routledge.
Very short, very readable introduction to the themes covered in this unit.
?Dant, T. (1999) ‘Wearing it out: Written clothing and Material clothing’, in, T. Dant, 1999, Material Culture in the Social World Buckingham: University Press.
Useful discussion of many of the key ideas that underpin this unit.
Edwards, T. (2011) Fashion in Focus: Concepts, Practices and Politics. London: Routledge.
Very useful introduction to understanding fashion, introduces many of the key issues that are central to this unit
English, B. (2007) A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th Century Oxford: Berg.
Self explanatory title, very good at situating specific designers and trends in their broader cultural context
Entwistle, J. (2000) The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress and Modern Social Theory Cambridge: Polity.
Hugely useful overview of many of the issues covered in this unit. Do not be put off by chapter one which is far more complex than those that follow.
Kaiser, S. B. (2012) Fashion and Cultural Studies. Oxford: Berg.
Very useful introduction to understanding Cultural Studies approaches to fashion, introduces many of the key issues that are central to this unit ??" well worth buying.
Further reading
Baldwin, E. et al (1999) Introducing Cultural Studies London: Prentice Hall.
Useful and relatively accessible introduction to the main themes of cultural studies, does not focus on fashion but offers a valuable overview of many of the key ideas used to study and understand fashion within a cultural studies approach.
Barker, C. (2000) Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice London: Sage.
Like Baldwin above a useful and relatively accessible introduction to the main themes of cultural studies, does not focus on fashion but offers a valuable overview of many of the key ideas used to study and understand fashion within a cultural studies approach.
Barnard, M. (2007) Fashion Theory: A Reader London: Routledge.
Invaluable and exhaustive collection of readings covering a range of themes considered on this unit, not always introductory, but with very clear section introductions.
Breward, C. (1998) ‘Cultures, Identities, Histories. Fashioning a Cultural Approach to Dress’. in Fashion Theory 2 (4).
Sophisticated (and short) introduction to Cultural Studies approaches to studying fashion
Breward, C. (2003) Fashion Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Useful introduction to understanding fashion, introduces many of the key issues that are central to this unit.
Craik, J. (2009) Fashion: The Key Concepts Oxford: Berg.
Very readable textbook that covers many of the issues explored in this unit at an introductory level.
Finkelstein, J. (1996) After a Fashion Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
Short, lucid and accessible introduction to many key approaches to understanding fashion.
READING LIST ABOUT CONSUMPTION:
- Bocock, R. (1992) Consumption and Lifestyles, in R. Bocock and K. Thompson Social and Cultural Forms of Modernity Cambridge: Polity.
Very useful general discussion of approaches to understanding consumption.
- Miles, S. (1998) ‘Consuming fashion’ in S. Miles Consumerism as a Way of Life London: Sage.
Useful short overview of some of the key approaches to fashion consumption.
