Module description
This broadly chronological module aims to give students a detailed understanding of black and Asian British writing in its historical, political and cultural contexts. This module examines a range of works by black and Asian writers published in Britain. It explores how black and Asian writers shape and reflect a changing Britain and how race, gender, class, migration and generation intersect and impact on changing notions of British identity. We will consider how these writers have shaped shifting notions of 'Britishness' and engaged with a range of pressing contemporary issues including racism, anti-racism, multiculturalism, gender politics, terror, asylum-seekers, Islamophobia and debates on free-speech.
It begins with an introduction to early settlers, travellers and reformers from the eighteenth century, but primarily looks at the changes wrought by the demise of empire and post-war immigration. Particular attention has been given to contemporary texts to enable students to situate their study of black and Asian literary texts in relation to current debates about race, ethnicity and religion. It mainly focuses on fiction, but also examines experimental poetry, essays and film.
Students of this module will gain a detailed understanding of the richness and diversity of black and Asian writing in Britain, their unique social, historical and political contexts, and the issues they raise in relation to theoretical developments in post-colonialism, postcolonial feminism, multiculturalism and anti-racism. In addition to the core reading they will engage with the work of Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Gayatri Spivak and Tariq Modood among others.
Assessment details
1 x 4000 word essay (100%)
Educational aims & objectives
- It aims to introduce third year students to a diverse range of black and Asian authors and examine them in relation to relevant contemporary theory especially postcolonial and feminist perspectives and critical race theory.
- It aims to explore how a selection of black and Asian writers have shaped shifting notions of ‘Britishness’ and engaged with a range of issues including racism, anti-racism, multiculturalism, gender politics and the debates on free-speech.
Through these aims, to create for third year students a more nuanced sense of the political connotations of literary study, and a more detailed approach to historical and cultural research and to enable them to deploy appropriate theoretical frames for reading non-canonical genres and marginalised communities.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 6 module and in particular will be able to:
- deploy skills of literary analysis and foster an interdisciplinary approach to these black and Asian literary texts in relation to postcolonial and feminist theory, students will gain an understanding of how black and Asian writers have shaped and responded to some of the key issues of our times; and how race, gender, class, migration and generation intersect and impact on changing notions of British identity.
Teaching pattern
One 2-hour seminar, weekly