units

ATS4306

Faculty of Arts

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Monash University

Monash University Handbook 2011 Undergraduate - Unit

12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Arts
OfferedNot offered in 2011
Coordinator(s)Barbara Caine

Notes

Previously coded HSY4280

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the writing of biography as a literary form, including questions about the relationship between biography and fiction; the many new forms of life story developed through feminist and postcolonial theory and through work in memory and testimony; and the uses of life story in case studies in the social sciences. The unit will deal with biography as metaphor, the importance of cultural context in reading and writing biography, life stories and cultural context, ways of analysing the authorial presence and the use of psychoanalysis in biography and life writing.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit students will be expected to:

  1. Have a sophisticated understanding of the different forms of writing biographies and life stories and of the importance of particular genres within this field.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which new fields such as psychoanalysis, feminism and gender studies and postcolonialism have affected the writing of life stories and biography.
  3. Be acquainted with some of the recent debates about the relationship between fiction and biography.
  4. Have developed advanced skills in written and oral communication.
  5. Have developed skills in working as a group.
  6. Have developed skills in using new technology.

Assessment

Seminar presentation and paper (2,000 words): 20%
Group seminar presentation and paper (1000 words): 20%
Essay (5,000-6,000 words): 50%
General seminar performance: 10%

Contact hours

2 hours per week