ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë

Decolonisation: Writing, Literature, Politics (Q3309)

30 credits, Level 6

Spring teaching

From the outset of the twenty-first century, many have suggested that postcolonial studies are, if not exactly dead, in a state of terminal decline. This module takes such conceptual obituaries as its starting point. This allows us to consider how and why literature and more critical interventions from what has been called the Global South interrogates some of the founding tenets of contemporary theory. 

We look at a range of writers, visual artists and performers across an eclectic array of genres, spanning poetry, drama, the short story, film, music, social media and the novel. These may include Leslie Marmon Silko, Binyavanga Wainaina, Valeria Luiselli, Achille Mbembe and Michael Ondaatje, amongst others. We will explore how they are remapping the preoccupations of seminal thinkers such as Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, Homi Bhabha and James Clifford. 

As its title also indicates, the module is centrally concerned with ongoing pedagogical debates surrounding various decolonising ‘gestures’ and/or ‘agendas.’ By engaging more carefully with cultural and theoretical production from the Global South, rather than merely on it, we consider how these preoccupations are inflected differently in specific educational and institutional contexts.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 44 hours of contact time and about 256 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.