| Unit name | Literatures of Decolonisation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL30147 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Crowley |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is a Modern & Contemporary set-choice. Set-choice units respond to and refine the work established on previous core units, whilst providing a fresh opportunity to develop your interests on a thematic and textual level. The Modern & Contemporary options engage with elements of the period from c.1900-present, but with a focus on concepts rather than straightforward chronologies. You will have the opportunity to hone your insight into key developments in the field, engage with different theoretical perspectives, and expand your understanding of different kinds of text. The units are taught by teams of academic staff, facilitating dialogue and collaboration between interests. Students can look forward to an ambitious and engaging unit, that encapsulates many of the possibilities of working at finalist level.
How does this into fit into your programme of study?
The Modern & Contemporary set-choice units are offered in the final year of the English programmes. It is standard practice for single honours students to take one of the choices offered in this category. Joint honours students may take a unit from this category, and / or focus on the Romantic & Victorian set choices in TB1, and / or the Transhistorical set choices in TB2. The units are also available to students on Liberal Arts programmes, and may in some cases also be available to taught postgraduates (MA English, MA Medieval Studies, MA Black Humanities).
An overview of content:
This unit will examine the ways in which literary writing has intervened in - and been appropriated by - contesting forms of national(ist) discourse in a global context and the impact this has had on the study of English literature as a discipline. It examines the role of literature in decolonization by focusing specifically on the aesthetic function of literary writing and how artistic forms contribute to, develop from and contest socio-political discourses over the long twentieth century. Students will consider what it means to ‘decolonise’ literary studies through an examination of theories of global and/or world literature, transnationalism, whiteness, Englishness and Britishness. In so doing, the unit de-centres received notions of English Literature and encourages students to consider the alternative narratives which have shaped literary history, as well as to engage in a comprehensive reflection of what it means to study English at university.
How will you be different:
On completion of this unit student will have had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of materials spanning geographically from the Caribbean to the South Asian continent, and multiple genres, from poetry to political manifesto, and from novel to documentary film. Students will be able to ask critical questions about the foundations of literary study, and the relationship of empire to the creation of intellectual disciplines. Students will also use critical literary skills gained in their previous three years of study to think in interdisciplinary ways across a variety of media in order to explore how literature is able to ask questions of cultural and political formations.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1 x group project (25%) [ILOs 1-6]
1 x 2000 word essay (75%) [ILOs 1-5]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL30147).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
