Ameryka popularna: Literatura, film i kultura popularna - Sem. mgr 1

seminaria magisterskie

w sali

The seminar is devoted to the concept of popular literature and popular culture and to discussing tools that can be used to analyze such texts.

The goal of the seminar is to acquaint students with theoretical approaches used in the study of popular literary and cultural phenomena, such as bestsellers and blockbusters, to make students familiar with different approaches to popular culture, with the grounding of the distinction between popular and high culture, with the multiple factors determining the popularity of literary and cinematic works, beginning in the 19th century (e.g. condition of the publishing market, gender and race as determining factors) and until the present day (including digital distribution channels).

Students will become acquainted with the following theories: the Frankfurt School (Horkheimer, Adorno), with selected ideas of Pierre Bourdieu, cultural materialism (Ohmann, Farr), feminist approaches (Tompkins, Berlant, Fetterley), queer approaches (Halberstam), posthumanist approaches (Haraway, Wolfe) and with some concepts from the digital humanities.

The selection of theoretical texts may be modified to better reflect students’ individual interests and research projects of the students.

Bruce Burgett & Glenn Hendler, Keywords for American Cultural Studies

Phillip Deloria, American Studies: A User’s Guide

Neil Campbell & Alasdair Kean, American Cultural Studies: An Introduction fo American Culture

John Storey, Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction

Railford Guins & Omayra Zaragoza Cruz, Popular Culture: A Reader

Knowledge: the graduate will be able to

K_W04 Characterize on an advanced level the principles of research design in literary and culture studies with special focus on the application of methods and tools in formulating research problems

K_W05 identify the notions and principles pertinent to intellectual property and copyright

K_W06 Characterise economic, legal and other factors relevant for various kinds of professional activities related to the study programme

Abilities: the graduate is able to

K_U01 Apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to the discipline (linguistics, literary studies, culture and religion studies)

K_U02 Apply advanced research methodology within literary and culture studies and English studies, respecting ethical norms and copyright law

K_U03 Apply knowledge obtained during the course of studies to account for and solve a problem, thereby completing a research task related to the discipline literary studies and/or culture and religion studies

K_U04 Analyze linguistic, literary and cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis in the context of societal, historical and economic factors on an advanced level

K_U06 Find information in various sources and critically assess its usefulness for research related to the topic of the MA project

K_U07 Use modern technology in the process of learning and communicating with academic teachers, colleagues, representatives of various institutions and fellow participants in classes and projects, applying various channels and techniques of communication

K_U11 Design one’s own development

Social competences: the graduate is ready to

K_K02 Apply knowledge and skills obtained during the course of studies to undertake lifelong learning, as well as personal and professional development.

- progress on students’ MA theses

Semester 1: students must present an outline of their theses

Semester 2: students must submit a draft of Chapter 1

Semester 3: Students must submit a draft of Chapter 2

Semester 4: Students must submit the completed thesis.

Three absences are allowed per semester.