| Unit name | African American Literature |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20111 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Forbes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit surveys African American literature from the eighteenth century to the present day. We will explore questions like: Who “counts” as an African American writer? What are the intersections of gender, class and race in African American Literature? When did the African American literary tradition begin, and where is it today? How has the African American literature helped shape core American ideals such as freedom, equality, and citizenship?
African American literature encompasses all genres and modes, and reaches out to history, music, visual art, law and many other areas. Therefore students will learn how to: read, understand, discuss and write about African American poems, songs, personal narratives, essays, short stories, speeches, journalism and novels in relation to their political, social and economic contexts. Class time will combine lecture and discussion with frequent partner and small group assignments. In-class writing will help students sharpen and develop tools for literary and critical analysis.
Students will be given the opportunity to submit a draft or outline of their final essay of up to 1,500 words and to receive feedback on this.
By the end of the course students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a good knowledge of the set texts, and be able to situate them within the African American literary tradition.
2. Demonstrate a good understanding of the relationship between Af Am literature and US literature, as well as key historical contexts.
3. Demonstrate an ability to compare and relate features of the set texts.
4. Construct a detailed argument in the appropriate register of English, which balances academic and professional evidence in support, and which is presented it in an appropriate academic form.
5. Adopt a critical approach in order to produce, to a deadline, a written/oral argument.
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.
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. ENGL20111).
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.
