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140137 VO Language and Literature in their Social Contexts (2018W)
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
Details
Language: English
Examination dates
- Thursday 31.01.2019
- Monday 24.06.2019 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Thursday 11.10. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 08.11. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 15.11. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 22.11. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 29.11. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 06.12. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Monday 10.12. 18:00 - 22:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 13.12. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 10.01. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 17.01. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 24.01. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
- Thursday 31.01. 13:00 - 15:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 4 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-10
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
Active participation during all class sessions will be the key. The course will be assessed as follows:
Attendance and active participation in class and online discussions, debates, and exercises: 20%
Mid-term quiz: 30%
Final quiz / project: 50%
Attendance and active participation in class and online discussions, debates, and exercises: 20%
Mid-term quiz: 30%
Final quiz / project: 50%
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Some Study Questions
1. What are the most distinctive images that come to mind when you hear the term “Africa”?
2. What in your opinion is the definition of the term “African Studies”?
3. How would you explain to someone not taking this course why it is important for people in Austria/Europe and other parts of the world to study Africa?With reference to themes and style of writing, include language use, in China Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or any of his other works, outline in what ways a work of literature can help you understand some important sociocultural aspects of the society in which the work is set. Provide particular instances with illustrations from different scenes in the work.With reference to themes and style of writing, include language use, in Mariama Ba’s Une Si Longue Lettre or any of her other works, outline in what ways a work of literature can help you understand some important sociocultural aspects of the society in which the work is set. Provide particular instances with illustrations from different scenes in the work.What are in your view the main advantages (or disadvantages) of a socio-cultural approach to literature? Outline in what ways an understanding of West Africa society helps understand the works of China Achebe and Mariama Ba. Illustrate with specific themes and scenes in these works.
1. What are the most distinctive images that come to mind when you hear the term “Africa”?
2. What in your opinion is the definition of the term “African Studies”?
3. How would you explain to someone not taking this course why it is important for people in Austria/Europe and other parts of the world to study Africa?With reference to themes and style of writing, include language use, in China Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or any of his other works, outline in what ways a work of literature can help you understand some important sociocultural aspects of the society in which the work is set. Provide particular instances with illustrations from different scenes in the work.With reference to themes and style of writing, include language use, in Mariama Ba’s Une Si Longue Lettre or any of her other works, outline in what ways a work of literature can help you understand some important sociocultural aspects of the society in which the work is set. Provide particular instances with illustrations from different scenes in the work.What are in your view the main advantages (or disadvantages) of a socio-cultural approach to literature? Outline in what ways an understanding of West Africa society helps understand the works of China Achebe and Mariama Ba. Illustrate with specific themes and scenes in these works.
Examination topics
Reading list
1. Things Fall Apart and other works of Chinua Achebe
2. So Long a Letter and other works of Mariama Ba
3. The River and the Source and other works of Margaret Ogola
4. A selection of articles and papers on Nigerian, Senegalese and Kenyan language, society and culture (to be distributed at lectures)
Sociolinguistic profile of Nigeria:
http://www.africaworldpressbooks.com/servlet/Detail?no=194
Sociolinguistic profile of Senegal:
https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/9671/SLS1999v29.1-11Ngom.pdf?sequence=2
Sociolinguistic profile of Kenya:
http://www.lingref.com/cpp/acal/40/paper2577.pdf
2. So Long a Letter and other works of Mariama Ba
3. The River and the Source and other works of Margaret Ogola
4. A selection of articles and papers on Nigerian, Senegalese and Kenyan language, society and culture (to be distributed at lectures)
Sociolinguistic profile of Nigeria:
http://www.africaworldpressbooks.com/servlet/Detail?no=194
Sociolinguistic profile of Senegal:
https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/9671/SLS1999v29.1-11Ngom.pdf?sequence=2
Sociolinguistic profile of Kenya:
http://www.lingref.com/cpp/acal/40/paper2577.pdf
Association in the course directory
ÜAL 1, ÜAL 2, EC-148, EC-647
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:34
Language and Literature in their Social Contexts (lecture; 2 hours/week) BA, second year, segment "African Literature" ("overview African literature")
Course Description: This course begins with an analysis of Africa's geographical, socio-political, and socio-cultural 'map' towards an understanding of its contemporary linguistic and literary heritage. It then builds on that with a close study, with particular reference to language use, of three main bodies of African literatures: the works of Chinua Achebe, particularly 'Things Fall Apart', the works of Mariama Ba, particularly 'Une Si Longue Lettre' (So Long a Letter) and the works of Margaret Ogola, particularly The River and the Source. Course participants will have the opportunity to analyse, discuss, debate, and theorize how a region's socio-political and socio-cultural contexts impinge on its linguistic and literary repertoires, and vice versa.
Lectures, guest appearances, discussions, debatesLEARNING OBJECTIVES
To provide a broad, interdisciplinary introduction to Africa, with particular reference to language and literature
To provide a broad perspective on how pre-1960s sociopolitical issues shaped literary writings
To provide learners with the tools to critically and intelligibly talk about how post-1960s literary writings espoused social problems and their solutionsLecture Schedule
Oct 11: Course introduction
Oct 18: Languages, peoples and cultures
Oct 25: Nigeria: a sociolinguistic and socio-cultural profile
Nov 1: no class (All Saints Day)
Nov 8: Senegal: a sociolinguistic and socio-cultural profile
Nov 15: Kenya: a sociolinguistic and socio-cultural profile
Nov 22: Things Fall Apart I
Nov 29: Things Fall Apart II
Dec 6: So Long a Letter I
Dec 13: So Long a Letter II
Dec 20 & 27, Jan 3: no class (Christmas)
Jan 10: The River and the Source I
Jan 17: The River and the Source II
Jan 24: Comparisons with other parts of Africa and other parts of the world
Jan 31: AssessmentsFormat of Class Meetings:
Class interaction will be in the form of lectures, tutorials, student presentations, computer-based electronic communications, and demonstrations of fundamental African issues through photos and film, and possibly fieldtrips to the African communities in Vienna.