Universität Wien

123046 PS PS Literary Studies (2023S)

Global Medical Humanities

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
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: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 06.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 20.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 27.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 17.04. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 24.04. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 08.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 15.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 22.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 05.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 12.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 19.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 26.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This Proseminar introduces students to core concepts in the Medical Humanities and Postcolonial Studies and considers the relationships between these two disciplines. It invites us to ask: what do we mean when we speak of 'global health'? And who is the 'we' who defines what it means to have ‘health’ anyway? How has imperialism, colonialism, and its continuities in the capitalist world system impacted understandings and experiences of health and illness? Crucially, how do writers in Indigenous and postcolonial locales (re)imagine wellbeing?

The course considers 'medical' in its broadest sense as we explore a selection of late-20th and 21st century Anglophone novels, poems, and drama dealing with representations of health, wellbeing, and illness. We will analyse texts from Africa, Indigenous Oceania, the Caribbean, Canada, Britain and diasporic literatures. Topics discussed will include (but are not limited to) mental health, race, self-care, gender, medicine and healing, environmental health, illness, intergenerational trauma, care, ageing, dementia, biocolonialism and biopiracy.
The course will also introduce students to the basics of academic methodology, including conducting close textual analysis, researching and refining a research topic, engaging with theory and criticism, structuring a research paper, and academic integrity.

Aims:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
-- recognise and identify core concepts in Medical Humanities and Postcolonial Studies, and discuss these concepts in relation to a range of Anglophone texts.
-- develop their capacity for independent and self-reflexive thought via analyses of health, wellbeing, and illness in various literatures.
-- practice core academic skills required for classroom participation, presentations, and writing essays.

Methods:
Students will learn via seminar preparation and discussion, oral presentations, research assignments, eLearning, independent research, close reading exercises, essay workshops, peer-to-peer learning, and short integrated lectures.

Assessment and permitted materials

The total percentage of each student’s final grade will be determined according to the following:

10% Active class participation
10% Oral presentation
20% Writing portfolio
60% Final term paper (c. 3500w)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students must submit and pass each of the assessment requirements above and attain 60% overall grade to pass the course. Assessments must meet the deadline set by the lecturer and any instance of plagiarism detected will automatically result in a failing grade for the assignment.

Grade scale in %:
1 (very good): 90-100
2 (good): 80-89
3 (satisfactory): 70-79
4 (pass): 60-69
5 (fail): 0-59
Attendance requirement: students cannot miss more than 2 sessions.

Examination topics

There will be no written exam. The oral and written assignments will require students to be familiar with (1) all readings covered in the course up to the assignment date; (2) additional materials as provided by the instructor; and (3) content covered and ideas presented during class discussions; as well as (4) conducting their own additional independent research.

Reading list

Texts for purchase are indicated with an (*) Other texts will be made available on Moodle and are subject to copyright restrictions.

Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions, 1988 (novel) *
Patricia Grace, Baby No-Eyes, 1998 (novel) *
Beryl Gilroy, Frangipani House, 1986 (novella)
Nalo Hopkinson, Brown Girl in the Ring, 1998 (novel)*
Selina Thompson, Salt, 2018 (drama)
Selected poetry by: Kayo Chingonyi (2021), Khadijah Ibrahiim (2022), Shagufta K Iqbal (2017), Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner (2017), Roger Robinson (2022)
Extracts from:
Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, 2019 (novel)

Secondary reading lists will be supplied on Moodle.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612; BEd 046 / 407
Code/Modul: BA10.1; BEd 08a.1, BEd 08b.2
Lehrinhalt: 12-3041

Last modified: Fr 10.03.2023 19:28