Postmodern Debates (U02726)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-4-U01983

The postmodern is neither a contemporary fashion nor a unified movement. More than anything else, it is a space for debate. Whether they are for it or against it, so many of the different theories about meaning, identity and politics in today's world revolve around ideas of the postmodern that it has become a site of intense and often heated discussion across the cultural spectrum.

This course sets out to introduce some of the key perspectives and positions in the postmodern debate by encouraging students to read closely the work of contemporary critical theorists, and relate their arguments to case studies drawn from a range of contemporary literature (some of which students will be asked to provide themselves). It will thus treat the postmodern as a site for debates about literature, truth, politics, meaning and representation, and encourage students to think through some of the implications of postmodern thought in these areas. Its central aims are to raise the question of whether postmodernism might provide useful means of engaging critically with contemporary literature and give students the practical skills required to read and discuss the often-complex writing of the theorists working in this area so that they can form their own responses.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Passes in English or Scottish Literature 1 and English or Scottish or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt int he second year course. Passes in third year courses in the subject area amounting to at least 40 credits.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature

? Costs : Essential course texts

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Friday	09:00	10:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The course will develop the students' knowledge of the literature and the critical theory of the period in question, with specific regard to a number of major genres and intellectual issues, while also enhancing their ability to read critically and comparatively and to engage with an area of specialist research not otherwise available to students in Edinburgh. It supports the Learning Outcomes outlined in the Programme Specifications for MA Hons in English Literature. It also confirms to the benchmark criteria laid down for English.