Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	LI Colonial/Postcolonial
School	Eng, Drama, & Creative Studies
Department	English Literature
Module Code	09 39968
Module Lead	Dave Gunning
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Colonial/Postcolonial will explore a range of cultural artefacts (which might include novels, plays, poems, films, and essays) from the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, in relation both to the history of colonization and decolonization and to the writings of significant activists and theorists. Contending that colonialism involved both the conquest of territories and the conquest of truth, this module will invite you to consider how colonial thinking on topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, power, history, and the environment has persisted, and been challenged, in the postcolonial world. It asks how the long epoch of European colonization not only shaped the world map, but defined ways of imagining the world and what it means to be human. For each theme a selection of key theoretical or critical texts will also be assigned, in order to expose students to ideas and arguments that are fundamental to the field.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the context of texts emerging from experiences of imperialism, colonialism and postcolonialism. Demonstrate critical understanding of key themes in postcolonial theory and literary criticism. Close read a range of texts, and show awareness of how formal properties generate meaning. Effectively compare texts dealing with different colonial and/or postcolonial locations and/or periods.
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 750-word commentary on theoretical writings. (20%) 2750-word comparative essay. (80%) Reassessment: Failed component only 750-word commentary on theoretical writings. (20%) 2750-word comparative essay. (80%)
Other
Reading List