Universität Wien
Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.

140341 PS Contemporary Strategies of Survival in Africa (2016S)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration via UNIVIS
Moodle

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

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 08.03. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 15.03. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 05.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 12.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 19.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 26.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 03.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 10.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 24.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 31.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 07.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 14.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 21.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06
  • Tuesday 28.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 2 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-06

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Content: This course focuses attention on those socially disadvantaged and outcasted subjects in african societies, who daily put arts of survival on the day and whose survival mostly depends on a confrontation with 'a power', 'powers' or structural violences, that seek or sought (symbolic or real) to wipe them out. Such subjects or characters come in different varieties in numerous literary and non-literary texts of african writers.
Method: Introductury keynote speech to clarify and visualise the experiential and theoretical background of the concept 'contemporary strategies of survival in Africa'. Close reading of choosen literary texts and excerpts from diverse African Literatures, including oral textual forms. Make the manifestations of the socalled power and counter power visible and tangible from different perspectives, namely from the perspective of those who are presented or present themselves as powerless, as well as from the perspective of those who are presented or present themselves as powerful. Manifestations of the figures of power and counter power, the diverse range of their relationships as well as the aesthetic constitution of the texts are being diagnosed, questioned and scrutinised.
Goals: Acquisition of skills in literary and cultural analysis - Acquisition of skills in contrapuntal analysis - Expose a variety of forms and strategies of survival in African societies - Understand and grasp the diverse phenomena of power or counter-power and their dominant role in the construction of subjectivity in the African context - Fathom and design differentiated readings and understandings of African realities beyond dichtomous perspectives.

Assessment and permitted materials

Type of assessment Regular attendance, active participation in the course by reading the texts and participating in discussions, text presentation with handout, delivery of a written work in the launch of 33 000 characters at the end of the semester (without spaces). This text can also consider additional texts from the selected bibliography as well as aspects discussed during the course.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

- Acquisition of skills in literary and cultural analysis - Acquisition of skills in contrapuntal analysis - Expose a variety of forms and strategies of survival in African societies - Understand and grasp the diverse phenomena of power or counter-power and their dominant role in the construction of subjectivity in the African context - Fathom and design differentiated readings and understandings of African realities beyond dichotomous perspectives.

Examination topics

Introductury keynote speech to clarify and visualise the experiential and theoretical background of the concept 'contemporary strategies of survival in Africa'. Close reading of choosen literary texts and excerpts from diverse African Literatures, including oral textual forms. Make the manifestations of the socalled power and counter power visible and tangible from different perspectives, namely from the perspective of those who are presented or present themselves as powerless, as well as from the perspective of those who are presented or present themselves as powerful. Manifestations of the figures of power and counter power, the diverse range of their relationships as well as the aesthetic constitution of the texts are being diagnosed, questioned and scrutinised.

Reading list

Literature: Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow, (2006). (ger. translation) Herr der Krähen, (2013).
Calixthe Beyala, Wen die Sonne liebt, den tötet sie, 1989. (fr. original title, C' est le soleil qui m' a brûlée (1987).
A further reading list and extracts of selected theoretical introductory texts are made available at the beginning of the course.
Languages of the course: German and English. (French skills are also beneficial but not a must criterion.)

Association in the course directory

PAL 2

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:35