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| Semester | fall semester 2016 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Christiane Schlote (christiane.schlote@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In the film "Sammy and Rosie get Laid" (1987), Sammy, a Londoner of Pakistani descent, declares: "We love our city and we belong to it. Neither of us are English, we're Londoners you see." Like other so-called global cities, London is not only characterised by the size of its immigrant population but also by its great heterogeneity and it has been marked by profound economic, cultural and social transformations throughout the past decades. In this seminar, we will trace London's 'biography' from its designations as the 'heart of the British empire' to transnational metropolis. Drawing on theories from the field of urban studies and applying concepts such as 'vernacular cosmopolitanism', we will examine how postcolonial writers, playwrights, filmmakers and artists address urban experiences in London, how they portray gendered and racialised spaces and how they engage with the relationship between urban space and identity. |
| Learning objectives | Students will be familiarised with the theoretical background of and the critical tools for reading literary and cultural representations of urban experiences and literary forms such as 'the London novel', in particular. |
| Bibliography | Students should acquire the following texts: Hanif Kureishi, "The Buddha of Suburbia", Sam Selvon, "The Lonely Londoners", Meera Syal, "Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee". Theoretical and additional primary texts will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | Old BA curriculum (2005): This course may only be taken after successful completion of the first-year module "Learning about Literature". New BA curriculum (2013): It is strongly recommended that this course is taken only after the successful completion of the "Introduction I + II: Literary Studies" proseminars. |
| Course application | Please register by sending an email to christiane.schlote(at)unibas.ch by 12 September 2016. Places are limited to 25. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Refining Skills in Literature and Culture (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular and active participation, reading assignments, oral presentation |
| 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 |