ENG32820 Reading South Africa

Academic Year 2024/2025

This module explores the democratic transition of South Africa from a nineteenth-century settler colony to the ‘Rainbow Nation’ it is declared today by studying its dynamic literary cultures. Examining a range of genres and forms from the farm novel, the colonial adventure romance, spoken-word poetry, puppetry plays, post-transition writing, speculative fiction, and ‘Johannesburg Noir’; the module will study the literary representation and critique of events such as: the gold and diamond rush, Apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Marikana Massacre, the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, the Soweto Uprising, and contemporary decolonial protests such as the Rhodes Must Fall campaign. Key South African writers who may be studied in this module include: Koleka Putuma, Sol Plaatjie, J. M. Coetzee, Olive Schreiner, Lauren Beukes, William Kentridge, Jane Taylor, Zoë Wicomb, and K. Sello Duiker. Through this transhistorical study of South African literature, students will also be engaging with: ecocriticism, critical race studies, queer theory, postcolonial and decolonial studies.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
• A critical understanding of South African literature and the ways it reflects changing social, cultural, economic, and political
contexts
• A familiarity with a range of South African literary genres and forms
• An ability to apply a range of critical and theoretical perspectives, such as ecocriticism and decolonial theory, to South African
literary texts
• An increased understanding of the impact that settler colonialism, extractivist violence, and democratic transition had on the
formation of the national literary culture and foundation myths of South Africa
• An ability to write critically about a range of texts from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century

Indicative Module Content:

The module will study the literary representation and critique of events such as: the gold and diamond rush, Apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Marikana Massacre, the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, the Soweto Uprising, and contemporary decolonial protests such as the Rhodes Must Fall campaign.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Specified Learning Activities

78
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Total

200
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Interactive classroom-based learning.
Lecturer and student presentations.
Peer and group work.
Seminar discussions.
Close textual reading.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay Plan n/a Graded No

10
Participation in Learning Activities: In-class discussions n/a Graded No

10
Assignment(Including Essay): End of semester essay 2,500-3,000 words n/a Graded No

60
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-term close reading (20%): choice between a standard close reading 600-800 words or designing a poster in response to the close reading prompt with a 200-300 word explanation of the choices made n/a Graded No

20

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.