| Unit name | Comparative Literature: What is it and how can we practise it? |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL10016 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Tomlinson |
| 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 |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is a comprehensive introduction to the discipline and methods of comparative literature. It introduces some of the key concepts and practical issues via literary works of major significance from the classical age to the present day, using one or more such works (in a variety of genres) as practical examples in each teaching session. In its modern understanding comparative literature is a wide-ranging discipline that explores the ways in which literature (both canonical and popular) interacts with its contexts, literary, historical, philosophical, intermedial and others.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This is the foundational unit for the degree programmes in Comparative Literatures and Cultures, and it is the first one that new students will take. It is also mandatory for students on the Single Honours language programmes we offer, providing you with an important introduction to cross-cultural and comparative analysis. All works and background material will be available in English, so a knowledge of a classical or modern foreign language is not necessary for this unit. However, students with foreign language skills will be encouraged to read in the original languages where appropriate and be given opportunities to deploy these skills in their assessed work.
An overview of content
The precise topics chosen for lectures and seminars will vary year on year, depending on staff availability and specialisms, but the unit will normally cover the following areas of study: the relationship between national literatures and comparative/world literature; transcultural perspectives (postcolonial, global Anglophone, hemispheric studies); gender and literature (comparative literature and women’s writing / queer studies, etc.); influence; intertextuality; and translation and transmediality (film / illustration / music / adaptation).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will be able to understand a body of knowledge that is complex, sophisticated, and of lasting significance in world culture. Engaging with literary texts and their intellectual, historical, and cultural contexts as a basis for your own analysis and development, you will develop skills of synthesis, analysis, and independent study. You will in turn access broad and insightful perspectives on how literary study is of its nature almost always comparative and interdisciplinary.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Group presentation, 10 minutes (30%) [ILOs 1-3 and 6]
Essay, 2,000 words (70%) [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 form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic 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. MODL10016).
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.
