Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Study of primarily 20th- and 21st-century literatures and cultures by diasporic or racialized authors, oftentimes highlighting longstanding legacies of migration, racialization, social justice, and aesthetic innovation. Focus may include Asian, Black, Caribbean, or South Asian literatures and expressive arts. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught.

COURSE DETAILS:

Negotiating Returns in Caribbean Diasporas

This course considers the rich and complex terrain of return migration, cultural identity, and diasporic belonging, focusing on how Caribbean diasporas negotiate the idea of "return"—whether it be a physical return to a homeland or a symbolic reconnection with cultural roots. The Caribbean, shaped by histories of colonialism, migration, and mixed cultural influences, presents unique dynamics regarding the concepts of home, belonging, and identity. Through creative writing and critical readings, students will explore these dynamics, analyzing the experience of return within the broader context of post-colonialism, diaspora, transnationalism, and identity formation.

Central to this exploration are four key texts: A State of Independence by Caryl Phillips (Kittian/British), My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid (Antiguan/American), The Return by Dany Laferrière (Haitian/Canadian), and Broughtupsey by Christina Cooke (Jamaican/Canadian/American). These works offer diverse perspectives on the challenges individuals face navigating the tensions between Caribbean and diasporic identities, illustrating the emotional, cultural, and political complexities of return migration.

Through these texts, students will critically analyze how the notion of "return" is constructed and experienced by characters and authors alike. The course will also explore broader themes, such as the lingering impacts of colonialism, the role of race and ethnicity in shaping identity, gender dynamics in diasporic communities, and the ongoing negotiations between modernity and tradition in Caribbean societies through critical readings by Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Kezia Page, Rinaldo Walcott, among others. 

Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to draw connections between the literary and cultural representations of return and their understandings of identity, migration, and belonging. The course is designed to engage students in both personal and scholarly reflection, fostering a deep and nuanced understanding of how diasporic individuals negotiate their cultural roots and allegiances in an increasingly globalized world.

In addition to engaging with the core texts, students will have opportunities to explore their research interests through the I-Search paper, which invites personal and investigative inquiry into a topic related to the course themes.

Questions that will guide our exploration of these texts and ideas include: 

1. How do individuals and communities experience and negotiate the concept of "return"? What are the emotional, cultural, and political challenges associated with returning to a homeland?
2. How do diasporic individuals construct and perform their identities concerning their Caribbean heritage and the countries in which they reside?
3. How do the characters in the selected texts embody and navigate the tensions between Caribbean traditions and diasporic modernity?
4. How does the history of colonialism and the ongoing process of postcolonial independence shape the narratives of return in Caribbean literature?
5. How do migration and return shape gender roles, family structures, and personal relationships within Caribbean communities?
6. What does it mean to belong, and how is the experience of displacement represented in Caribbean diasporic literature?

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of this course, students will:

1. Understand the key themes of return migration, diasporic identity, and cultural hybridity within Caribbean literature and film.
2. Analyze and interpret complex literary texts within their historical, political, and cultural contexts.
3. Develop critical thinking skills through the examination of issues related to displacement, belonging, and national identity.
4. Conduct independent research and present findings in both oral and written formats.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: