CLS3000 - Introduction to critical theory
6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate Faculty of Arts
Leader(s): Alison Ross
Offered
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Synopsis
This unit is designed to introduce students to some of those key contemporary ideas about cultural, literary and philosophical issues which are now generally brought together under the heading 'critical theory.' It aims to present an overview of leading figures within twentieth-century critical theory including Theodor Adorno, Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida, Michael Foucault and Julia Kristeva. The unit will also encourage students to discuss the issues that these thinkers raise. Each class will focus in detail on a specific essay by one of the authors mentioned.
Assessment
Two essays (2250 words each): 100%, the second of which will be written under examination conditions
Contact hours
2.5 hours (1 x 1 hour lecture and 1 x 1.5 hour seminar) per week
Prerequisites
A first year sequence in English or Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies