Learning outcome

The students will have acquired:

• Knowledge of traditional arts and their cultural context, and theory and methodology relevant to their individual projects
• The skill to orient themselves in the field, to work in a practical way, and to problematize, contextualize and clarify performative practices
• General competence in analyzing and evaluating cultural expressions

Course Description

The subject material of the Master’s degree programme falls into two components: the joint theoretical component; and the individual practical-theoretical part, consisting of the Master’s degree project and preliminary project.

The joint theoretical component covers 3 topics:

• Art theory and traditional arts
• Tradition, culture and identity
• Fundamental topics and documentation

The topics will to some extent overlap and influence each other.

Art theory and traditional arts: Students will be able to discuss the concept of art and gain an overview of key issues in aesthetic research. Particular emphasis will be placed on traditional arts as a separate cultural form in a larger context.

Traditions, culture and identity: Students will be able to discuss identity-formation processes in relation to tradition and traditional arts in different cultural contexts. A particular theme is communication and dissemination of traditional arts and changes in relation to new media, globalization and other cultural conditions. Other important fields are class issues and nationalism, including questions concerning how Norwegian identity became associated with folk culture and rural Norway.

Fundamental topics and documentation: Students will be introduced to fundamental topics related to knowledge theory, with particular focus on the relationship between verbal and other types of knowledge. Students will also be given an introduction to practices in the collection and documentation of traditional material.

Students will also gain an overview of the scientific theory within the field of arts and cultural subjects and become familiar with important concepts and questions associated with this. Emphasis will be placed on methodological problems which will prepare students for work on their preliminary and Master’s degree projects, where a combination of theoretical and practical aspects will be emphasised.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course includes lectures and seminars with both regular teachers and guest lecturers. Teaching and assessment in the joint theoretical component will primarily be offered in the autumn semester. The teaching sessions are usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Some of the teaching sessions each semester will be run as seminars which will comprise practical workshops. Assignments and further information will be given out during the course of the year.

Assessment Methods

The joint theoretical component of the Master’s degree programme comprises 30 ECTS.

Students must submit two assignments, one in the middle and one at the end of the first semester. The first must be evaluated as “passed” before students may continue to the next assignment. This assignment will be given a grade on the scale A-F, where grades A-E represent passing grades, and F represents a failing grade. The grade for the final assignment counts for 25% of the final grade for the entire Master’s degree programme.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean