ATS2732 - Writing the world, the other and the self - 2017

The unit introduces students to the study of international, or world, literatures, focusing in particular on the multiple ways in which literature can shape our understanding of self, others and the world at large. These issues will be explored through texts from a range of different national and cultural traditions and across time that focus on cross-cultural encounters, exchange, and dialogue, including European narratives on Asia, Africa and Latin America (Orientalism) and international perspectives on the west (Occidentalism).

Upon successful completion of the unit students should;

1. have acquired detailed knowledge of literature as a medium for shaping our sense of self, others and the world;
2. have developed a good grasp of key texts reflecting the intellectual debates on this topic;
3. have acquired an awareness of the key theories of Orientalism and Occidentalism;
4. be able to engage in informed discussion of the different texts and contexts studied in the unit;
5. be able to demonstrate a sense of their own personal and cultural reflexivity as they observe and interpret the theories, concepts and texts analysed in the unit;
6. To write clear, grammatically and syntactically appropriate, independent essays on topics provided or chosen for assessment.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr John Hawke

Literary studies

Global cultural literacies

Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units