Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - ENGL 361 D200

Diaspora Literatures in English (4)

Class Number: 8016

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Tue, Thu, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    30 units or two 200-division English courses. Students in the Global Asia Program Minor may enroll with permission of the instructor.

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:

ENGL361: Diaspora Literatures in English

Africa and the Making of the Contemporary World

This course explores how Africa – demographically the world’s “youngest” continent of 54 countries and over a billion people – has been defined by the global imagination for centuries, but also how it has always generated its own forms of knowledge that have profoundly shaped the world as we know it. Together we will read critical theory on race, gender, cosmopolitanism, and diaspora in our encounters with 21st century literature, film, photography and popular culture that emanates from, or reflects on, the continent. We will work through these diverse readings to complicate ideas of African subjectivity, knowledge, and history. From 16th century Morocco to the tech-utopia of Wakanda, from the Black flaneur of Teju Cole’s New York to the queer gaze of Zanele Muholi’s camera, we’ll consider how “Africa” provides a lens for engaging the most pressing questions of today, and revolutionary blueprints for the future.

Grading

  • Participation 15%
  • Blog Posts 30%
  • Midterm Essay 25%
  • Final Essay 30%

NOTES:

Please note that students are responsible for purchasing the books (no specific edition is required) online or at a local bookstore.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Laila Lalami – The Moor’s Account

Teju Cole – Open City

Zanele Muholi – Difficult Love

John Trengrove – Inxeba

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi – Kintu

Nnedi Okorafor – Binti (Book One)

Ryan Coogler – Black Panther


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html