That there are no lectures should indicate the nature of the course. The module leader will not spend time dictating in order for you to take notes; ideally he will be only a little more than a chairman. The focus is explicitly on seminars, and the dynamics of seminars should be clear to you by now. On this course we will be taking the seminar rubric - as you understand it as far as it will reasonably go. You are encouraged to contradict the module leader as well as each other. You are encouraged to think as widely and as mercurially as possible. That this course is an ongoing and partly experimental exercise should be reflected in your own attitudes to what you may hitherto have regarded as 'proper' in a group setting.

In addition to the above, seminars in general, and the seminars for this course in particular, are intended to help you acquire and develop transferable skills. The wider working world awaits, and to enter it with some facility in oral presentation, teamwork, planning and organising, and interpersonal communication will be greatly to your advantage.

The experimental nature of the course extends to the format of the seminars. There will be no single structure, and it is desirable that they be the product of agreement between course leader and students. You are encouraged to speak to the module leader if there is anything with which you are dissatisfied, or which you think should be covered in more detail. The only rule is that they last 50 minutes, are held weekly, and that seminar sheets with questions and reading material are issued for a topic a week in advance.

As a basic rubric, it is expected that there will be a combination of individual and group work, and that all of you will produce one piece of written work each week on the basis of your reading. Having been assigned something to read (usually a book or articles or documents) which I will provide, you (either individually or in groups) will present your assessment to the group. Twice in during the course you will speak to the group with your ideas. Aim to speak for no longer than five minutes. The more provocative the presentation the better.

The golden rule of seminars remains. The more thorough your preparation, the more you will get out of the meeting. Giving papers is designed to ensure that you prepare thoroughly, and benefit from your preparation. An informal atmosphere will be strictly enforced.