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| Semester | spring semester 2019 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Christiane Schlote (christiane.schlote@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Escape, exile and migration belong to some of mankind's oldest experiences and are, in fact, considered as "the 'normal' state of affairs" (Essed, Frerks & Schrijvers) in the field of migration studies. As such, it is hardly surprising that from Virgil's epic poem "The Aeneid" to more recent 'refugee fiction' such as Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" (2003) and Dave Eggers's "What is the What" (2006), figures of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have emerged as some of literature's most important characters. In this seminar, we will discuss literary and dramatic representations of refugeehood, migration and displacement and their inscription of different refuge(e) spaces. Drawing on the (field)work of anthropologists, sociologists and urban geographers, we will explore the constructed nature of concepts such as 'border', 'dis/location', 'home' and 'refuge(e)' and further examine the commodification of refugees in political and cultural discourses. |
| Learning objectives | Students will be acquainted with key concepts in migration and refugee studies and the politics of representation in 'refugee fiction and drama'. |
| Bibliography | Students should acquire the following texts: Chris Cleave, "The Other Hand" (2008; published as "Little Bee" in Canada and the US) and Sunjeev Sahota, "The Year of the Runaways" (2015). Copies of Cleave and Sahota will be available at the 'Labyrinth' bookstore, Nadelberg 17, Basel. Theoretical and additional primary texts will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is for BA students on the advanced level who have completed ALL three introductory modules (including the proseminar papers). |
| Course application | Please register by sending an email to christiane.schlote(at)unibas.ch by 4 February 2019. 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: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Fields: Media and Imagination (Master's degree program: African Studies) |
| 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 |