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| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | With recent events such as the 'Arab Spring' and the revolution in Iran in the back of our minds, this seminar on American literary and cultural history takes us from the first anti-British grumblings in the American colonies of the 1760s over classic revolutionary documents such as Thomas Paine's "Commmon Sense" (1776) and the Declaration of Independence to post-revolutionary texts that take positions on domestic popular movements such as Shays' Rebellion (1787) and the Whiskey Rebellion (1791-94) as well as the international upheavals of the French Revolution and its descent into la terreur. We will chart the various meanings of 'revolution' in a wide variety of literary and cultural texts to assess the kinds of cultural work these texts perform. Our approach will be both historical and literary-historical. |
| Learning objectives | Students gain in-depth knowledge about revolutionary and anti-revolutionary discourses in a foundational moment in American literary and cultural history. |
| Bibliography | By way of preparing for the course, you need to purchase one book and read it either before the semester begins or in the first few weeks of the term. It can be purchased at the Labyrinth bookstore: John Ferling's "A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic" (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003). Richard D. Brown's "Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791: Documents and Essays" (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000); Before the term begins, you need to have read Ferling's one-volume history of the American Revolution. Additional texts are made available on ADAM. |
| Comments | Note that this seminar relates to Philipp Schweighauser's lecture course "American Literature Survey I/IV: Beginnings to Early Republic" (26014). However, attendance of the lecture is not a prerequisite for this seminar. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is open only to MA students. |
| Course application | Please register on services.unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 22.02.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 01.03.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Wednesday 08.03.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 15.03.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 22.03.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 29.03.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 05.04.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 12.04.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 19.04.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 26.04.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 03.05.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 10.05.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 17.05.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 24.05.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Wednesday 31.05.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | 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: Literaturgeschichte (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 and active participation |
| 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 |