Universität Wien

143147 PS Introductory Seminar: African Literatures (2020W)

Continuous assessment of course work

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: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Das Proseminar ist als Präsenzveranstaltung geplant. Bei Notwendigkeit und Bedarf werden Einheiten auch als Videokonferenzen auf Collaborate abgehalten. Die erste Einheit am 7. Oktober findet vor Ort am Institut für Afrikawissenschaften statt. Der weitere Modus wird dort geklärt.

  • Wednesday 07.10. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 14.10. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 21.10. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 28.10. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 04.11. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 11.11. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 18.11. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 25.11. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 02.12. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 09.12. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 16.12. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 13.01. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 20.01. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12
  • Wednesday 27.01. 15:00 - 17:00 Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 3 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-12

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

In his book "Urban Obsessions, Urban Fears", J. R. Kurtz describes urbanization and the development of modern fiction in East Africa as parallel processes, city and novel as products of the same social and economic phenomena. Over the last 20 years, contemporary African urbanity has increasingly expressed itself literarily in short, flexible and experimental forms. This process has been facilitated by funding initiatives such as the Caine Prize for African Writing, as well as the creation of new literary magazines, digital literary platforms and digital journals

This proseminar takes a look at the city as a space, as it is created in and by the writing of authors in Africa and the diaspora, or, in Kurtz's words, at the relationship between the city as a "constructed environment" and literature as a "creative environment". The focus is on East Africa, especially Nairobi. Based on representations and counter-representations of Nairobi in short stories and short texts, we will examine in this proseminar the meanings and imaginations of urbanity in historical change.

Aims: Understanding interactions between literary and social changes; teaching basic academic techniques in the field of African Studies (topic identification, topic formulation, topic delimitation; literature research; citation, bibliography) and their practical application in the context of a proseminar paper.

Assessment and permitted materials

Course requirements:
1) Reading and discussing literary texts and relevant research literature (oral)
2) Elaboration of a concept for a proseminar paper of 2-3 pages including literature research and its presentation in one unit.
3) Written reflection at the end of the semester on the knowledge gained (with guiding questions, 1-2 pages)
4) Writing a proseminar paper on a topic of your choice of about 10 pages (deadline: 15 March 2021).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Course assessment:
1) Reading and discussion of literary texts and research literature: 20%.
2) Development of a concept: 15 %
3) Written reflection on knowledge gain: 15 percent %
4) Proseminar paper: 50 %
All four requirements must be met in order to complete the proseminar positively.
Regular participation is required, a maximum of three excused absences will be tolerated.
The primary texts as well as the research literature are mostly in English, therefore a good knowledge of English is required.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Examination topics

No additional exam, requirements see above

Reading list

Will be communicated at the beginning of the semester

Association in the course directory

PAL 1, PAL 2

Last modified: Tu 06.10.2020 14:51