FOI_24-295 Content warnings in BA Hons Literature and History
Date of response: 12 November 2024
We have now considered your request of 19 October 2024 for the following information:
Please note that I am only interested in information which relates to each of the following modules on the course BA Hons Literature and History. Please note that I am only interested in information which relates to the academic year 2024/2025.
The modules are…
Ghosts, Haunting and Spectrality.
Masters, Marvels and Creative Medieval Heritage.
The Art of Murder
Witchcraft, Magic and Belief in Early Modern Europe.
Nervous Narratives
Please note that the definition of trigger warnings and or content warnings and or content notes and or guidance notes in the questions below should extend to the following kinds of advice and or warning and or note and or guidance. It should be guidance and or warning (s) and or advice and or note (s) designed to...
(i)...Protect and prewarn students who may be at risk of suffering stress and or discomfort and or anxiety and or emotional upset and or trauma and or distress when they are confronted with and or asked to study/explore stories and or plots and or ideas and or issues and or topics and or characters and or episodes and or images and or artworks and or films and or writings which may in some way reflect their own personal experiences and or other real life experiences.
and or
(ii)...Warn students that the content of courses and or the content of specific teaching materials /texts includes references to and or depictions of sex and or violence.
and or
(iii)…Warn students that the content of the course and or the content of specific teaching/texts includes references to and or depictions of particular myths; references to and or depictions of mythological creatures; references to and or depictions of religions including but not limited to Christianity; references to and or depictions of religious figures; references to and or depictions of horror; references to and or depictions of ghosts; references to and or depictions of the supernatural; references to and or depictions of black magic.
and or
(iv)...Warn students that the content of the courses and or specific teaching materials/texts includes attitudes about and or references to race and or gender and or sexuality and or class and or income and or poverty and or wealth and or social background and or crime and or law and order which might now be considered old fashioned and or unacceptable and or discriminatory and or upsetting and or insulting and or racist and or sexist and or homophobic and or transphobic.
and or
(v).... Warns students that the contents of the courses and or specific teaching materials/texts includes attitudes about and or references to and or descriptions of animal cruelty and or hunting and or the behaviour of wildlife and or environmental collapse and or climate change and or global warming.
and or
(vi).... Warns students that the contents of the course and or the content of specific teaching materials/texts includes attitudes about and or references to and or depictions of murder and or violent crime and or crime and or imprisonment.
(vii)…Warn students that the contents of the course and or the content of specific teaching materials/texts includes attitudes about and or references to conquest, and or Imperialism and or colonialism and or slavery and or imprisonment and or torture and or war, and or terrorism.
and
(viii)...Warns students that the contents of the course and or specific teaching materials/texts includes references to and or descriptions of birth and or death and or dying and or disability and or ageing and or abortion and or illness and or rape.
Please note that the reference to teaching materials and texts both above and in the questions below should include any novel and or play and or poem and or work of cinema and or TV drama and or any short story and or literary anthology and or comic. It should also mean any film or TV or live stage adaptation of any novel and or poem and or stage play. It should also include any academic studies of particular novels and or poems and or stage plays and or literary anthologies and or adaptations.
Please note that I am interested in information applying to all warnings and or notes including those that are delivered verbally.
Please redact the names and personal details of any students, teaching staff, University employees and researchers from the documents and information provided.
Question 1...Do any of the aforementioned modules have a general trigger warning and or content warning and or guidance note and or guidance note which covers the entire module and the teaching materials on that module.
Our response:
No.
Question 2...If the answer to the above question is yes can you please provide the following details.
• In the case of each module which does use the kind of warning /note identified above can you identify the module.
• In the case of each module can you provide a copy of and or the wording of the warning.
• In the case of module can you provide a list of texts and teaching materials covered by that warning.
• In the case of each text and teaching material can you provide the full title.
• Where relevant can you identify the relevant author/playwright/poet.
• In the case of each module and each warning/note can you state when it was introduced and why.
• In the case of each module and each warning can you state how it is communicated to the student (s). For instance, is it communicated in writing and or verbally.
Our response:
Not applicable, please see our response to question 1.
Question 3...Do any of the aforementioned modules have trigger warnings and or content warnings and or guidance notes and or content notes which apply to specific texts and or teaching materials. Please see the definition of teaching materials and texts above.
Our response:
Yes.
Question 4...If the answer to question three is yes can you provide the following information.
• In the case of each module which does apply warnings of the kind identified in question three can you identify the module.
• In the case of each module can you provide a copy of and or the wording of the specific trigger warning and or content warning and or content note (s) and or content guidance.
• In the case of each module and each warning can you provide the title of the teaching material it relates to.
• Where relevant can you also identify the relevant thinker and or philosopher and or novelist and or playwright and or poet and or thinker and or author and or film maker.
• In the case of each warning and note can you state when it was introduced and why.
• In the case of each warning and note can you state how is it communicated to students. For instance, is it communicated verbally or in writing.
Our response:
Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-295 Appendix A.
Information not held - s.1(1)(a), Freedom of Information Act
On this occasion it is not possible to provide all of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for when the content warning was introduced for the module Nervous Narratives.