123250 AR Literature Course - Literature 1/2 (MA) American/North American & Cultural Studies (2021W)

Content

This practical course investigates the intersections of art, in particular literature, and (environmental) activism in the US and worldwide. In a time of climate change and massive biodiversity loss, "artivists" are aiming to raise social, political, and environmental awareness with their art. To disseminate their message, artivists frequently employ different forms of digital media, such as videos or Instagram. A critical investigation of *activism will frame the discussion and focus on literature, advocacy, and activism.

By focusing on the role of narratives, including for example poems, to convey messages in contemporary activist art, the students will become familiar with a variety of genres and technologies that are currently being used for resistance purposes. The course work includes both an engagement with theoretical texts as well as historical and current examples of (digital) artivism from the US and around the world. A selection of contemporary and older texts, which includes narratives, images, and songs, allows for a holistic discussion of how these texts were used in resistance and activist movements in terms of communication, collaboration, and mobilization. Finally, students will have the possibility to put into practice what they have learned in a concluding practical section of this course.

The goal of this course is to help students to become more critical and informed participants of civil society, be more conscious of the advantages and disadvantages of *digitalactivism, and gain an understanding of historical and contemporary artivist practices.