Latin American literature and critical theory against the crises of the 21st century 3305-LLTK-SEM-MGR

The course is designed to enable students to carry out an innovative research project in Latin American literature and literary theory/comparative studies. The basic theoretical context will be critical theory as developed in the 21st century, that is, traditional theory expanded to include ecocritical, posthumanist and decolonial themes. We will focus not only on texts by English-speaking/international scholars, but also on theories from Spanish and Latin American cultural backgrounds. In addition, we will take into account the contributions of Polish researchers to the development of the discipline.
For the final editing of the master's thesis, we will practice and extend the competencies acquired at the undergraduate level for conducting research and writing academic papers, such as:
- selection of a topic and its appropriate presentation;
- constructing a (hypo)research thesis and establishing the purpose of the study;
- selection of methodology;
- “state of the art”: library and Internet searches; review and critical analysis and ways to use sources;
- dissertation structure, creation of footnotes and bibliographies, appendices, etc...;
- Academic style and language used in scientific papers;
- formulation of conclusions.

Special emphasis is placed on the ability to conduct in-depth text analysis. Accordingly, knowledge gained in previous years of study in classes such as Introduction to Literary Studies and Latin American Literature (I-IV) is activated during the course (knowledge of the material covered in the syllabuses of these subjects is assumed).

A key component of the seminar is in-depth interpretive exercises aimed at developing students' critical-analytical skills, both in reading literary and scholarly texts and in editing academic texts.

The formula of the classes assumes, in the first part of the semester, critical reading of theoretical sources, and then presenting excerpts of one's own work during the seminar and discussing them with the instructor and other members of the group. Participants learn to create and receive constructive feedback. Both those presenting the paper/fragment of work on a given day and the other participants in the discussion will be evaluated.

Both the presenters of the day's paper/article will be evaluated, as well as other participants in the discussion, who will be required to demonstrate their ability to form critical judgments and opinions about individual presentations and to ask questions of the speaker/presenter.

Seminar participants will also be encouraged to actively participate in conferences and workshops organized within the framework of their research topic of interest, and to develop (excerpts from) their papers as scientific articles.

Type of course

Master's seminars

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

This master's seminar is aimed at those who would like to carry out a research project on contemporary Latin American literature. It is assumed that participants: - have a bachelor's degree in the Spanish section of ISIiI or other bachelor's degree program with Spanish as the language of instruction and/or are fluent in Spanish (min. C1); - have a basic knowledge of literary research methodology; - are familiar with English and Polish to the extent that they can read critical texts; - have the ability to prepare written work in Spanish that meets the requirements of academic discourse, using basic literary theoretical approaches and a variety of reliable sources. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Course coordinators

Zofia Grzesiak

Learning outcomes

The student will achieve the following
- KNOWLEDGE:
K_W01, K_W05 advanced methodological specificity and terminology of literary theory and Latin American Liteature, and will be able to develop it creatively and apply it in professional activity, especially in constructing their MA thesis;
K_W02 connections of literary theory and Latin American Liteature with contemporary philosophy (eg. posthumanism, postnormal times) and social and cultural studies (eg. decoloniality);
K_W03 basic concepts and principles in the field of intellectual property and copyright protection and will understand the need to manage intellectual property resources in the process of writing their MA thesis;
K_W04, K_W06 current tendencies in Latin American literature and its cultural context, including the many crises of the XXI century, as well as advanced knowledge about its connection to current research trends, research centers and schools, and activism;
- ABILITIES:
K_U01 use acquired research skills of critical analysis of Latin American Literature, synthetize various ideas and views, select methods and develop research tools, present results, and propose original solutions to complex problems in creating an innovative research project (MA thesis);
K_U02 independently acquire knowledge in the field of Latin American Literature, literary theory and comparative studies;
K_U03 use acquired skills in understanding and creating oral presentations and written texts using professional terminology of literary theory;
K_U06 communicate using various channels, communication techniques with peers (during seminars) and specialists in Latin American Literature by participating in conference and events where they may present their research.
- SOCIAL COMPETENCES:
K_K01 cooperating within a group in research, analysis and interpretation, as well as evaluation tasks;
K_K02 resolving dilemmas related to future profession by focusing on an independently chosen research problem and developing it in a lenghty paper;
K_K03 critically assessing their own knowledge and skills in writing an MA thesis, as well as assessing their peers’ progress, all the while developing an understanding for the need of continuous improvement and development;
K_K04 active participation in the culture of Latin America, especially the field of literary studies, by conducting research and reaching out to writers and specialists in order to construct a broad bibliography for their MA thesis.

Assessment criteria

The final grade will depend on:

- the timely submission (by the deadline agreed with the instructor) of the following pieces of work,
- presentation of papers during class,
- regular performance of scheduled tasks,
- attendance in class (2 unexcused absences are possible; absence from at least half of the classes will result in failing the course),
- preparation of assigned readings and active participation in discussions.

After the first semester, the participants should determine the topic of the work, prepare a preliminary plan and a partial bibliography.

After the second semester, female and male students should have a full bibliography and a detailed plan of the work with a brief summary of the content / the first version of the introduction). Failure to meet these conditions means the inability to continue the seminar in the following year.

At the end of the third semester (the first semester of the second year), participants should prepare at least one chapter of the thesis and present excerpts from the analyses (a minimum of 10 A4 typed pages) made during the research.

At the end of the fourth semester (second semester of the second year), the students should present the final version of the thesis.

Practical placement

Bibliography

The literature will be individually selected according to the chosen topics of the work.
Basic items for all seminar participants:

MANUALS:
Bal, Mieke, "Teoría de la narrativa (Una introducción a la narratología)", Madrid 1990.
Burzyńśka, Anna, M.P. Markowski, "Teorie literatury XX wieku. Podręcznik", Kraków 2009.
Culler, Jonathan, "Breve introducción a la teoría literaria", Barcelona 2000.
Eco, Umberto, "Seis paseos por los bosques narrativos", Barcelona 1996.
Genette, Gérard, "Figuras III", Barcelona 1989.
Genette, Gérard, "Palimpsestos", Madrid1989.
Guillén, Claudio (1985), "Entre lo uno y lo diverso: introducción a la literatura comparada: (ayer y hoy)", Barcelona, Tusquets, 2005.
Hühn, Peter et al. (eds.): the living handbook of narratology. Hamburg: Hamburg University. http://www.lhn.uni-hamburg.de/.
Hutcheon, Linda "La política de la parodia posmoderna", Criterios, La Habana, edición especial de homenaje a Bajtín, 1993, pp. 187-203.
Nayar, Pramod K. "Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: From Structuralism to Ecocriticism", Pearson Education India 2010.
Selden, Raman et.al, "La teoría literaria contemporánea", Barcelona 2010.
Tyson, Lois "Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide", London-New York 2014.
Valles Calatrava, José R. "Teoría de la narrativa (Una perspectiva sistemática)", Iberoamericana Vervuert, 2008.

THEORY:
Bakke, Monika, „Bio-transfiguracje. Sztuka i estetyka posthumanizmu”, Wydawnictwo UAM, 2015.
Braidotti, Rosi, “El conocimiento posthumano”, Gedisa, 2019.
Brumal. Revista de Investigación sobre lo fantástico, VOL. 10 NÚM. 1 (2022) NÚMERO ESPECIAL: LO FANTÁSTICO ANDINO (SIGLOS XX Y XXI) Y MANIFESTACIONES DEL MONSTRUO FANTÁSTICO EN LA FICCIÓN CONTEMPORÁNEA, https://revistes.uab.cat/brumal/issue/view/20.
Fiedorczuk, Julia, “Cyborg w ogrodzie. Wprowadzenie do ekokrytyki”, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Katedra, 2015.
Foucault, Michel, “Las palabras y las cosas”, Siglo XXI, 1968.
Gajewska, Agnieszka (red.), “Teorie wywrotowe. Antologia przekładów”, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 2012.
Gallego Cuiñas, Ana, "Feminismo y literatura (argentina) mundial: Selva Almada, Mariana Enríquez y Samanta Schweblin", en: Literatura latinoamericana mundial: dispositivos y disidencias / coord. por Gustavo Guerrero, Jorge J. Locane, Benjamín Oltra y Martín de los Santos, Gesine Müller, 2020, págs. 71-96.
Gallego Cuiñas, Ana (ed.). “Novísimas: las narrativas latinoamericanas y españolas del siglo XXI”, Iberoamericana Vervuert, 2021, https://doi.org/10.31819/9783968690872.
Giorgi, Gabriel "Formas comunes. Animalidad, cultura, biopolítica", Eterna cadencia, 2014.
Heffes, Gisela "Introducción. Para una ecocrítica latinoamericana: entre la postulación de un ecocentrismo crítico y la crítica a un antropocentrismo hegemónico", Revista de Crítica Literaria Latinoamericana, no. 79 (2014), pp. 11-34.
Jauregi, Carlos. "Canibalia. Canibalismo, calibanismo, antropofagia cultural y consumo en América Latina", Casa de las Américas, 2005.
Mignolo, Walter D. "El pensamiento decolonial: desprendimiento y apertura. Un manifiesto", en: El giro decolonial: reflexiones para una diversidad epistémica más allá del capitalismo global, Santiago Castro-Gómez y Ramón Grosfoguel (comp.), Bogotá: Siglo del Hombre Editores, 2007.
Quijano, Aníbal. “Coloniality and modernity/rationality”, en: Mignolo, Walter; Escobar, Arturo (eds.). Globalization and the decolonial option. Routledge, 2010. p. 22-32.
Revista Iberoamericana, vol. 89 (282-283), numer specjalny: "Escritoras latinoamericanas del siglo XXI", 2023.
Roas, David "Tras los límites de lo real. Una definición de lo fantástico", Páginas de Espuma, 2011.
Royo Hernández, Simón, "Pasajes al posthumanismo: historia y escritura", Madrid 2012.
Sardar, Ziauddin. “Welcome to postnormal times”. Futures, v. 42, n. 5, p. 435-444, jun. 2010. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2009.11.028.
Suvin, Darko, “On the Poetics of the Science Fiction Genre”, College English, Vol. 34, No. 3, 1972, pp. 372-382.
Weinstock, Jeffrey A. (ed.), "The Monster Theory Reader", University of Minnesota Press, 2020.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3305-LLTK-SEM-MGR in USOSweb