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79374-01 - Research seminar: American Utopias (4 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Michael David O'Krent (m.okrent@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Utopia might be everywhere, or nowhere; it might be something we can make, or something we can only dream of; it might be salvation, or it might be stultifying. No matter what we think, literature has always been a primary avenue for expressing utopian longings and contesting the very notion of utopia. This course focuses on three main questions: 1) What is utopia? 2) What is the difference between the utopian genre specifically and utopian literature writ large? And 3) How has utopian writing in and about the United States of America reflected, shaped, and challenged political imaginaries? With this framework, we will explore the historical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of utopianism as they have been reflected in the United States. We will consider the United States as both a site of utopian thinking and as a utopian project itself, and we will explore the connections between utopia, progress, and democracy. This course will take a contrapuntal approach to utopian thought. In one strand, we will focus on depth by reading three key works of utopian literature closely to understand how their authors build out their own notions of utopia and its political significance in their own time. At the same time, shorter complementary readings will provide a dimension of breadth by showing how a wider variety of authors and thinkers have approached questions related to utopia. Our discussion will place a particular focus upon how thinking about utopia changes over time in order to set the stage for a conversation at the end of the semester about the significance of utopian thought today. |
| Learning objectives | Specific objectives: After taking this course, you should be able to - Grasp the overall landscape of utopian thought and literature in the US American context - Identify how utopianism in philosophy affects utopian literature, and vice versa - Distinguish between literary texts that hold utopian ideas and utopia as a genre - Describe how utopian thinking in the United States has changed since the late 19th century General objectives: These specific objectives contribute to the following skills - Understanding how a text’s historical context influences its approach to key ideas - Understanding how cultural ideas change over time - Making use of multiple perspectives in order to understand unfamiliar material |
| Bibliography | Students are requested read the following three novels: • Edward Bellamy, "Looking Backward" (available on Project Gutenberg) • Joanna Russ, "The Female Man" • Samuel R. Delany, "Triton" Please read "Looking Backward" before our first class meeting, and please purchase copies of "The Female Man" and "Triton". Additional short readings to accompany our discussions will be available on ADAM, including excerpts from Thomas More, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Fredric Jameson, Alexis de Toqueville, and Michel Foucault. |
| Comments | Please note that electronic devices will not be permitted in the classroom except in case of disability accommodations. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is open only to MA students and PhD candidates. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 17.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 24.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 01.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 08.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 15.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 22.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 29.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 05.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 12.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 19.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 26.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 03.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 10.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 17.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) 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 | Weekly reflections (25%): Every week, students will be asked to write a brief paragraph responding to the week’s readings and submit it at the beginning of class. These are graded for completion only, as long as they meet the criteria laid out in the syllabus. Response papers (40%): During the semester, students will be asked to expand two of their weekly reflections into 2-page response papers that advocate for a specific point of view. These response papers will be graded for clarity of the argument, appropriateness of supporting evidence, and quality of analysis. Active participation (35%): Students are expected to participate in seminar discussions on a regular basis. Discussions will be structured to provide ample opportunities to participate in many different ways. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Missing more than one meeting of the seminar will result in no credit being awarded. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |