6 ECTS credits
150 h study time
Offer 2 with catalog number 1020938AER for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
This course shows the diverse ways available to approach a literary text: 1) text-centred approaches, 2) context-centred approaches, r3° eader-oriented approaches. In 1) Russian formalism, Czech structuralism, French structuralism, Narratology and semiotics, Postructuralism, In 2) Sociology of literature (Lukacs and Goldmann); Frankfurter Schule, 7) Contemporary theories: Cultural Studies, a.o. 3) The reader and the text (included phenomenology and hermeneutics). With each approach we first focus on the original context and the general theory. Then an essay is read, in which the theory is concretely applied to a literary text. The course is designed as a general, introductory course, but also explicitly strives for depth. During classes not only literary but also philosophical and art-historical examples will be given. The fundamental questions of literary theory reach beyond the boundaries of the literary text.
The texts, extracts and video clips used are made available to the students.
Additional Reading is encouraged: a bibliography is provided.
- Students are familiar with the main literary theories of the twentieth century.
- Students can explain why it is impossible to analyze a (literary) text without theory. Even people who believe that they are 'simply reading what it says', start from a theory.
- Students can critically discuss and illustrate the various academic approaches to texts. They can make
clear that a literary scholar must be conscious of certain theoretical assumptions. Otherwise they will thwart the text they are reading.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Oral exam with written preparation. Student blind pick three questions. They choose two of the three questions (the third goes back in the stack).
Student must be able to compare and explain approaches in literary theory.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Adult Education: Profile Social Studies (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Adult Education: Profile Cultural Studies (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Adult Education: Initial track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Political Science and Sociology: - afstudeerrichting sociologie, minor samenleving en cultuur (only offered in Dutch)