Modern North American Literature
Code: 100237 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500245 English Studies | OT | 3 | 0 |
| 2500245 English Studies | OT | 4 | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Laura Gimeno Pahissa
- Email:
- Laura.Gimeno@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
- The first requirement is to enjoy reading literary works, and to bear in mind everything that has been previously learned in other courses such as History and Culture of the US, 19th century American Literature and Modern American Literature.
-It is highly advisable to have successfully completed our first and second year subjects.
-Students are expected to have at least a C2 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment).
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course offers an introduction to contemporary literature published in the United States in the last 25 years. The course will be based on the reading and discussion of several prose and poetry books by mainstream writers as well as by small press authors. In an attempt to show the vast, rich culture of the United States, the interdisciplinary nature of the material to be studied will be highlighted (literature, painting, music, "Digital Humanities," memoirs, correspondence, etc.) Students must buy a copy of the three prose books that will be discussed in class (see "continguts" section) and a number of poems (given to them via virtual campus, etc).
Competences
- English Studies
- Critically assessing the scientific, literary and cultural production in the English language.
- Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
- Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
- Generate innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activities.
- Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
- Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
- Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
- Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Utilising new technologies in order to capture and organise information in English and other languages, and applying it to the personal continued training and to the problem-solving in the professional or research activity.
- Working in an autonomous and responsible way in a professional or research environment in English or other languages, in order to accomplish the previously set objectives.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing and interpreting in an advanced level secondary texts about the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Apply the acquired knowledge to the generation of innovative and competitive research on a basic level.
- Apply the knowledge and competences acquired in the professional and academic activities related to literature, history and culture.
- Applying appropriate secondary academic sources to text comments and argumentative essays about contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Applying the acquired methodologies of work planning to work in an environment in the English language.
- Applying the acquired scientific and work planning methodologies to the research in English.
- Applying the information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc. to the work and/or research environments.
- Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
- Comparing and relating in an advanced level various topics and texts of the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Comparing in an advanced level the methodologies of literary criticism applied to contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Demonstrate a master of the specific methods of individual academic work that prepare the student for a postgraduate specialised education in the same or a different field of study.
- Demonstrating a sound knowledge about the topics related to the study of literature and culture.
- Describing in detail and in an academic way the nature and main traits of the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Distinguishing the main ideas from the secondary ones and summarising the contents of primary and secondary texts about contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Drawing up academic essays of medium length, using secondary academic sources in relation to the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
- Explaining in detail and in an academic way the diachronic and synchronic evolution of the topics and texts of the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Issue rating pertinent criticism supported in understanding the relevant information on issues related to the literature and culture of social, scientific or ethical concern.
- Localising secondary academic sources in the library or on the Internet related to the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Locating and organising relevant information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc.
- Mastering the advanced knowledge and scientific methodologies related to linguistics, literature, history and culture that prepare the student for a postgraduate specialised education in the same or a different field of study.
- Produce new professional initiatives.
- Students must reflect on and give their opinion about primary texts of the contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
- Summarising the content of academic primary and secondary sources about contemporary English literature (United Kingdom, United States, and other territories).
Content
Methodology
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theory, reading and debates | 50 | 2 | 5, 2 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Writing texts, in-class assessed activities | 25 | 1 | 9, 11, 14, 18, 8, 23 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and studying | 50 | 2 | 6, 7, 22, 20 |
Assessment
1. Exams (2) = 80% (2 x 40%).
The first exam will take place by mid November and the second one just before the Christmas holidays.
2. Class participation = 20% (in-class debates and forums).
3. PLEASE NOTE:
-All the subjects in this degree follow continuous assessment.
-Handing in one single exercise (one of the exams) excludes the possibility of obtaining a "No Avaluable" at the end of the semester.
-The student’s command of English will be taken into account when marking all exercises and for the final mark.
-Re-assessment conditions:
Re-assessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis test, for which the following conditions are applicable:
-The student must previously have submitted a minimum of two-thirds of the course-assessment items.
-The student must previously have obtained an average overall grade equal to or higher than 3.5.
-The student must previously have passed 40% of the subject’s assessment requirements.
-The maximum grade than can be obtained through re-assessment is 5.
-The following activities are not eligible for reassessment: forums and class participation
Students can't attend the reàssessment to improve their marks. If the student can't attend the exam because s/he is sick, they will have to agree on an alternative date with the teacher.
-Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded: On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
-In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
-In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 20% | 10 | 0.4 | 5, 2, 7, 10, 14, 22, 23, 24 |
| Written exercises | 40% | 7.5 | 0.3 | 1, 5, 6, 2, 3, 7, 4, 10, 9, 12, 21, 11, 13, 14, 18, 17, 16, 8, 22, 19, 20, 15, 23, 24 |
| Written exercises | 40% | 7.5 | 0.3 | 1, 5, 6, 2, 3, 7, 4, 10, 9, 12, 21, 11, 13, 14, 18, 17, 16, 8, 22, 19, 20, 15, 23, 24 |
Bibliography
Compulsory readings:
Secondary bibliography (general bibliography):
Bercovitch, Sacvan (ed.). Reconstructing American Literary History. Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1986
Bigsby, Cristopher (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007
Roemer, K. M. The Cambridge Companion to Native American Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Sollors, W. A New Literary History of America. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009
Tawil, Ezra (ed). The Cambridge Companion to Slavery in American Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Whitfield, Stephen J. (ed). A Companion to 20th-century America. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
NOTE: More specific bibliography will be provided during the semester.
Software
Not applicable.