Intercultural Literature Studies: Literature and Politics in Contemporary Africa

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

• explain and critically reflect on political, cultural and ethical issues significant to contemporary African societies as reflected in literature from parts of Africa where European languages or Arabic is spoken
• problematise conceptions of Africa and the concept of African-ness
• from theoretical and critical perspectives discuss the complexity in the formation and development of national and cultural identities in African societies
• argue clearly and convincingly for their own analyses of literary depictions of African societies, and present and evaluate the analyses of others that are similar
• discuss, orally and in writing, key questions regarding literary depictions of African societies.

The course examines key issues regarding politics in contemporary Africa, where politics is understood to be the assumptions and principles concerning power and status within a society. These key issues are studied through the reading and study of a selection of fictional works written in English or translated into English from other European languages or Arabic.Froming the basis of the study of the fiction are ethical, cultural and political questions that have motivated African writers. The course gives students tools for the analysis of the ideological construction of these texts and evaluates their relevance for an understanding of modern African societies. Themes explored include the formation of national, cultural and gender-based identities, the perception of Africa in the West and of the West in Africa, the implications of not writing in a native African language, and the global literary market and the conditions affecting production and consumption of African literature.

• Active participation in seminars
• Written assignments

The grading scale used for the final course grade is A–F.

Grades are reported as follows:

• Literature and Politics in Contemporary Africa - 7.5 Credits | A–F

This course overlaps previous course codes AJP26Z  and AJP25Y, and the course African Studies: Literature and Politics in Contemporary Africa, 7 cr.