Information Package
baskent.edu.tr

Program of American Culture and Literature (English)

ACL377

LITERATURE AND THE CITY

Course Code
ACL377
Semester
-
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
4
Course TypeElective Course
Course LevelBachelor's Degree
Year of Study-
Semester-
ECTS4
Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. Survey the contributing factors to the historical development of cities.
  2. Analyze literary texts about American cities from a spatial perspective.
  3. Establish links between the literary representations of the American cities with a broader cultural framework.
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme Components
Course DescriptionThis course aims to illustrate the foundation, development, and transformation of the American city through its literary representations. It highlights the relationship between urban and rural environments and literary texts, with a focus on particular theories about the city and its literature. At the end of the course, the students will be able to analyze the city not only as the setting of a literary text, but also as a signifying element of a broader cultural discussion.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction to the Course and Overview of the Syllabus: Introductory Lecture on Space, Place, Cities in History, Cities in Literature, City and Ethnicities
2nd Week Reading Cities and Spaces in Fiction: Introduction of Some Key Concepts & Study of Example Texts
3rd Week Black American Spaces Introduction and example readings. Rudolph Fisher "City of Refuge"
4th Week Rudolph Fisher "City of Refuge"
5th Week Ramadan Feast Eve
6th Week Rudolph Fisher "Common Meter? Langston Hughes "The Blues I'm Playing"
7th Week James Baldwin "Sonny's Blues"
8th Week Midterm Exam
9th Week Native American Spaces Introduction
10th Week National Sovereignity and Children's Day
11th Week Sherman Alexie "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona", N.Scott Momaday "The Way to Rainey Mountain"
12th Week Hispanic American Spaces Introduction and example readings. ,Helena Maria Viramontes "Cariboo Cafe"
13th Week Sandra Cisneros Selected Chapters from House on Mango Street
14th Week Juan Felipe Herrera "Borderbus", Alberto Rios "The Iguana Killer"
15th Week Sacrifice Feast
16th Week Wrap-Up
Recommended or Required ReadingBridge, Gary and Sophie Watson, editors. The Blackwell City Reader, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
Clay, Grady. Close-Up: How to Read the American City, U of Chicago P, 1980.
Jaye, Michael C. and Ann Chalmers Watts, editors. Literature and the American Urban Experience: Essays on the City and Literature, Manchester UP, 1973.
Tally Jr., Robert Tally, editor. Geocritical Explorations: Space, Place, and Mapping in Literary and Cultural Studies, Macmillan, 2011.
Tally Jr., Robert Tally, editor. Spatial Literary Studies: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Space, Geography, and the Imagination, Routledge, 2021.
Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Mid-term 1 40
Quiz 2 20
Presentation of Article 1 15
Total(%) 75
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 75
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 25
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam 1 2 2
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work 14 3 42
Preparation for Final exam 1 10 10
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam 1 10 10
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 2 2
Homework 1 6 6
Article Presentation 1 6 6
Total Work Load120
Total Work Load / 30 (h)4
ECTS Credit of the Course4
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

LO1 LO2 LO3
K1 X X X
K2 X X X
K3 X X
K4 X X X
K5 X X
K6 X X X
K7 X
K8 X X X
K9 X X X
K10 X X X
K11
K12 X X X
K13
K14 X X X