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74308-01 - Research seminar: Theory Now! (4 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ridvan Askin (ridvan.askin@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In this course, we will scrutinize some of the most intriguing recent developments in the theoretical humanities, ranging from accelerationism to speculative realism, from Afro-pessimism to the feminist new materialisms, from posthuman thought to ecotheory. We will read a selection of texts all of which were published in, roughly, the last fifteen years and discuss some of the more fine-grained debates within and across these fields. We will engage with the work of scholars such as, among others, Stacy Alaimo, Karen Barad, Jane Bennett, Rosi Braidotti, Claire Colebrook, Donna Haraway, Bruno Latour, Quentin Meillassoux, Timothy Morton, Michel Serres, Christina Sharpe, and Bernard Stiegler. The exact contents and shape of the course will be decided on conjointly in the first meeting. Students are encouraged to make their own suggestions for suitable texts according to their own interests. While prior expertise in theory is not a prerequisite, a willingness to engage with abstract and sometimes difficult texts is expected. |
| Learning objectives | Students who take this course will become acquainted with and conversant in the terminology and conceptual landscape established by recent discussions concerning today’s most pressing issues such as increasing global connectivity and digitization, globalized finance capitalism, increased resource scarcity in a neo-colonial world, anti-Black racism, pending ecological catastrophe, and the role and significance of the human vis-à-vis the nonhuman world. Students will be closely guided in developing their skills in the close reading of theoretical texts. They will also learn how to integrate theory into their own research. |
| Bibliography | All texts will be made available on ADAM. The weekly reading load will be about 20-40 pages. |
| Comments | The exact contents of the course will be decided on conjointly in the first meeting – be prepared to make 1-2 suggestions for texts you would like to read and discuss. Suggested texts should not be longer than 40 pages (e.g., an article or a chapter). Make sure your selected text(s) is (are) primarily theoretical, not critical. As a rule of thumb, a theoretical text establishes, develops, and/or explains concepts or combines them in new ways. Criticism makes use of concepts and theoretical frameworks to discuss something else (e.g., literary works, films, political events, social movements, etc.). |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is for MA students. |
| Course application | To register for this course, please email Ridvan Askin at ridvan.askin@unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 18.02.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 25.02.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 04.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 11.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Tuesday 18.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 25.03.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 01.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 08.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 15.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 22.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 29.04.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 06.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 13.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 20.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 27.05.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Kulturtechnische Dimensionen (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturtheorie (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance; active participation (doing ALL the readings and contributing to in-class discussions); 2-3 short entries for the course’s theory blog on ADAM |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |