Comparative Cultural Studies
ECTS credits: 6
Weekly workload: 2 hours lecture+ 2 hours seminar
Assessment: exam
Type of exam: written
Abstract
This course offers students the opportunity to integrate the study of literature, cultural theory and intercultural transfer. Drawing on different perspectives in the world literature debate and introducing different ways of reading and interpreting the ideological agendas of cultural texts, the course examines how linguistic, social and cultural changes relate to cultural production, transmission and reception within the context of global modernity. The receiving university can offer students a number of courses similar in spirit and content to this one and corresponding to module Culture and Civilisation. This course is taken in Germany the third semester.
Course content
This module provides an introduction to recent debates in comparative and world literature and to key theoretical approaches to textual analysis in modern literary and cultural studies. We read a selection of texts that offer a range of perspectives on disputed issues (e.g. on value and meaning; patriarchal and colonial bases of western culture; ideology and power; cultural production and consumption; literary form and the canon; the nature and function of criticism). Students examine the claims of those perspectives and evaluate the usefulness of their insights for their critical analysis and understanding of cultural phenomena.
Teaching and assessment
The equal number of lectures and seminars guarantees the balanced approach to the course – theory is followed by a sufficient number of practical tasks during seminars. The individual assignment is another opportunity for the students for creative work on key issues of the course. Final assessment is based on the semester exam (80%) and the individual assignment together with active participation during lectures and seminars contributes 20% to the final ECTS grade.
