General provisions

The course is included in the Master's Programme in English.

Entry requirements

120 credits. English A1, B1 and C1, or 90 credits in a language subject or in literary studies.

Learning outcomes

Upon completing the course students will be able to

• identify and discuss the themes, concerns, and formal strategies of American literature from 1945 to the 1980s, and situate this literature within its socio-historical and cultural contexts;
• show a secure knowledge of some of the major theoretical and critical arguments regarding this literature;
• demonstrate skills in conducting independent research in literary studies
• gather, process and synthesise relevant critical material and scholarship;
• show proficiency in their use of critical material in writing;
• show a good ability to participate, orally and in writing, in a discussion of literature and scholarship in fluent, accurate, formal English.

Content

This course explores U.S. literary culture from the end of the Second World War to 1980. Through selected readings of both canonical and lesser-known texts, it offers theoretical perspectives on the rise and decline of postmodernism, and the emergence of the literary neo-avant-gardes. It examines how writers reflected on and responded to major social and political shifts, such as the Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, and the counterculture of the 1960s. Committed to interdisciplinary thinking, the course examines literature in relation to broader cultural movements, including the rise of Abstract Expressionism in art, the evolution of jazz and rock in music, and Hollywood and avant-garde film. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, we consider how new methodologies, periodizations, and thematics have redefined the study of postwar literature alongside developments in other artistic fields.

Instruction

Group sessions. Instruction, class discussions, and examinations are in English. All teaching materials are in English.

Assessment

Assessment takes the form of a final exam in the form of an essay at the end of the course. The final essay may be replaced by, or supplemented with, alternative assessment elements, such as shorter essays assigned during the course, journals, or portfolios. Grades are fail, pass, or pass with distinction.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Students who fail a regular examination will be offered a make-up examination within a reasonable period of time after the regular examination.

Students who fail an examination twice have the right to apply to the head of the department for permission to change examiners.

Other regulations

If the curriculum or the course literature for a course module is changed, students have the right to be examined on the original curriculum and course literature on three occasions during the following three terms. After these three opportunities, the right normally expires. No other limitations apply regarding the number of examination opportunities.

Transitional provisions

Please contact the student counsellor for transitional regulations in connection with changes in the curriculum.