1392.22 - Ecocriticism (BA)


Course number
1392.22
Title
Ecocriticism (BA)
ECTS
10
Prerequisites
Students are required to have completed the mandatory core component of the BA degree in Faroese. Students may also seek to enrol on the course as an individual course; however, other prerequisites will apply (please refer to programme description in force).
Purpose
The purpose of the course is to provide the students with knowledge of influential theories within the field of ecocriticism and give them the ability to use them analytically working with literary texts. Furthermore to make the students capable of assessing ecocriticism as a theory of literature and ready to discuss it within the field of literary research as well as in a political context.
Content
Ecocriticism is a relatively new theoretical concept in literary studies. In short, ecocriticism means to examine how relations between human beings and the physical environment/the surroundings/nature are presented in literary texts and in texts in general. It is possible to see ecocriticism as a result of two contemporary challenges: 1) environmental crisis and climate change, 2) a technological development that has made the concepts “nature” and “natural” difficult to work with. In the course, the students will read theories representing different approaches to ecocriticism, both from the so-called “First Wave” and the “Second Wave”, and they will learn how to apply these theories when working with to literary texts.
Learning and teaching approaches
Short lectures, student presentations and class discussions. The course is class-based sessions and will involve group-work with focused time-limited assignments.
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete the course are able to: • Read theoretical texts on ecocriticism analytically and critically • Explain ecocritical theories and concepts • Use theoretical concepts from ecocriticism in their analytical work with different kinds of texts • Apply ecocritical theories and concepts to literary texts, including poetry • Discuss ecocriticism in a societal/political context
Assessment method
Oral examination, 30 min. The students will have one to three days preparing the answer to an assigned topic.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
A complete bibliography will be delivered at the beginning of the course, including – among others – these texts: Hiltner, Ken (ed.): Ecocriticism. The Essential Reader (2015) Klein, Naomi: This Changes Everything. Capitalism vs. The Climate (2014), pp. 1-28 Serres, Michel: Naturpagten (1992/1990), pp. 9-48 Morton, Timothy: Ecology without Nature. Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics (2007), pp. 1-28, 140-205 Larsen, Peter Stein: Det økokritiske. In Lyriske linjer (2018), pp. 55-83 Magnason, Andri Snær: Um tímann og vatnið – donsk týðing: Tiden og vandet (2019/2020) Christensen, Inger: Sommerfugledalen (1991 Jógvansdóttir, Anna Malan: Korallbruni (2018) Frostenson, Katarina: Úr Flodtid (2011) og Sånger och formler (2015) Nielsen, Jóanes: “Brent myrkur”. In Tey eru, sum taka mánalýsi í álvara (2007).
Contact
Bergur Djurhuus Hansen