AJ3302 Contemporary American Literature and Society

Faculty of Education
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Dita Hochmanová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable of Seminar Groups
AJ3302/KombiPred01: Fri 24. 2. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Fri 10. 3. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Fri 24. 3. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Fri 14. 4. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Fri 28. 4. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Fri 12. 5. 14:00–14:50 učebna 10, Z. Janík
AJ3302/KombiPred02: No timetable has been entered into IS. Z. Janík
AJ3302/KombiSem01: Fri 24. 2. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, Fri 10. 3. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, Fri 24. 3. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, Fri 14. 4. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, Fri 28. 4. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, Fri 12. 5. 12:00–13:50 učebna 10, D. Hochmanová
AJ3302/KombiSem02: No timetable has been entered into IS. D. Hochmanová
AJ3302/PrezPred01: Mon 15:00–15:50 učebna 54, Z. Janík
AJ3302/Prez01: Tue 13:00–14:50 učebna 60, D. Hochmanová
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course introduces students to major trends, authors and works of contemporary American literature by focusing on themes relevant for current times and provides connections to current political, cultural and social events. The central theme is the issue of identity - national, transnational, gender, social, racial, ethnic and multiethnic.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to
identify cultural values and interpret their significance
describe postmodernism, discuss its causes and origins
identify and analyze postmodern features in literary texts
explain how minority writers (women, ethnic, racial and sexual minorities) have used postmodern narrative techniques to define their identities
Syllabus
  • 1. Cultural, social and literary themes of contemporary USA
  • 2. Theories of poststructuralism as a tool to interpret contemporary culture
  • 3. Postmodern Identity (Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Kurt Vonnegut)
  • 4. Revisiting History (E. L. Doctorow, Toni Morrison)
  • 5. New ideas, new genres (graphic novel, cyberpunk)
  • 6. Critique of literary canon and critique of poststructuralism (Adrienne Rich, Gloria Anzaldua, Barbara Christian)
  • 7. Identity and Race (Alice Walker, Amiri Baraka, Lucille Clifton)
  • 8. Identity and Ethnicity I (Sandra Cisneros, Amy Tan) 9. Identity and Ethnicity II (Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie)
  • 10. Identity and Gender (Ursula LeGuin, Adrienne Rich, Olga Broumas)
  • 11. Queer Identity (Leslie Feinberg, Olga Broumas)
  • 12. Transnational Identity (R. Jarrar, Iva Pekarkova)
Literature
    recommended literature
  • STOBAUGH, James P. American literature : cultural influences of early to contemporary voices. Green Forest: Master Books, 2012, 542 s. ISBN 9780890516713. info
  • GRAY, Richard J. A brief history of American literature. 1st pub. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, x, 410. ISBN 9781405192309. info
    not specified
  • American literature and culture in an age of cold wara critical reassessment. Edited by Steven Belletto - Daniel Grausam. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2012, 240 p. ISBN 9781609381448. info
  • GRAY, Richard J. After the fall : American literature since 9/11. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, x, 224. ISBN 9780470657928. info
  • A companion to African American literature. Edited by Gene Andrew Jarrett. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, xiii, 467. ISBN 9781405188623. info
  • Asian American literature. Edited by Bella Adams. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008, xxvi, 220. ISBN 9780748622726. info
  • The Norton anthology of American literature. Edited by Nina Baym. 6th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003, s. 1953-31. ISBN 0393979016. info
Teaching methods
discussion-based seminars
group work
Assessment methods
1) Response papers and other tasks, focusing on one text from the assigned reading
2) final credit test
3) presentation of an argument
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2023/AJ3302