AJ28087 Australian cultural studies

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Timetable
each odd Tuesday 15:50–17:25 G22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/15, only registered: 0/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course examines some of the intricacies of social, historical and cultural life in Australia, focusing on how Australian myths, identities and places have been constructed in order to provide a sense of a nation. It uses various concepts ranging from ethnicity and race, gender and sexuality, to representation of land and multiculturalism to analyze the ways in which multiple meanings of “Australianness” are played out. Primary materials include literary texts and films/documentaries, secondary materials are aimed to provide interdisciplinary background, including history, social sciences and literary and film theories. At the end of the coruse, students will: gain a better understanding of the formation of Australian culture; learn to implement critical vocabulary; improve their knowledge of various cultural representations.
Syllabus
  • Syllabus:
  • Week 1: Narrating a Nation: Introduction to course policies and assignments; Film: Australia, dir. Baz Luhrman (2008)
  • Week 2: A Postcolonial Nation?: Settler Belonging; Novel: Andrew McGahan, The White Earth (2004)
  • Week 3: A Maturing Nation?: Memories of Anzacs; Films: Gallipoli (1981); Anzacs miniseries (1985)
  • Week 4: An Environmental Nation?: A Sense of Place and Landscape; Novel: Tim Winton, Dirt Music (2001)
  • Week 5: A Gendered Nation?: Australian Masculinities, Femininities and Queerness; Films: Crocodile Dundee (1986), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Alexandra’s Project (2003)
  • Week 6: A Nation of Immigration?: White Australia Policy; Novel: Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap (2008); documentary Immigrant Nation (Ep. 1, “White Australia Policy”)
Literature
    required literature
  • Andrew McGahan, The White Earth (2004); Tim Winton, Dirt Music (2001); Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap (2008)
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussions, student presentations
Assessment methods
class presentations, response papers, final essay
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2011, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2011/AJ28087