Irish Cultural Studies

Typ: Vorlesung
SWS: 2
Credit Points: 3
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Kursbeschreibung / -kommentar

This course is designed to familiarise students with the major topics and discourses in the field of Irish Cultural Studies, i. e. to provide a survey of key aspects of the Irish experience in its historical and contemporary settings.
One the one hand, we will examine a number of cultural texts/cultural products which have eminated from the island of Ireland over the last 100 years or so, and contextualise them in their respective social, political and economic circumstances.
In a second and parallel step, we will gain insights into the growing theoretical discourses surrounding these cultural texts/cultural products as reflections of their relevance for issues such as Irish cultural identity, Irish political and cultural independence from Britain, issues of Irish ethnicity, class and gender, discussions of issues such as "authenticity" etc.
Literatur
The following two essays are recommended as introductory reading:
Graham, Colin. "'...maybe that's just Blarney': Irish Culture and the Persistence of Authenticity", in: Graham, Colin/Richard Kirkland (eds). Ireland and Cultural Theory. The Mechanics of Authenticity. London: Macmillan, 1999, 7-28.
Smyth, Gerry. "Decolonization and Criticism: Towards a Theory of Irish Critical Discourse", in: Graham, Colin/Richard Kirkland (eds). Ireland and Cultural Theory. The Mechanics of Authenticity. London: Macmillan, 1999, 29-49.
(Ireland and Cultural Theory is generally a very recommendable book, as is: Lloyd, David. Anomalous States. Irish Writing and the Post-colonial Moment. Duke, 1993.)
Other relevant essays and longer texts will be introduced at the beginning of the course.
Leistungsnachweis
Depending on your course of study, the following is required to gain Credit Points in this course:
2 or 3 CP...regular and active participation AND written exam (30 min.) at the end of the course
5 or 6 CP...regular and active participation AND written exam (60 min.) at the end of the course
7 CP...regular and active participation AND written exam (90 min.) at the end of the course