Comparative Seminar in African Literatures

Catalog description

Comparative topics presenting literary works of Africa, from the origins of literature in Africa to the present time. CMLIT 523 CMLIT 523 Comparative Seminar in African Literature (1-12)This course forms one of a series of three new-course proposals for seminars in comparative literature with a focus on various parts of the world. While existing seminars focus on comparative studies organized according to concepts such as literary theory, period, theme, or genre, through the proposed new seminars the Department of Comparative Literature seeks to provide visibility for the full complement of courses that reflect the department's global perspective. These proposals also respond to the College's policy to avoid repeated use of the 597 number for similar subject-matter. Thus we are proposing three separate comparative courses on Asian, African, and Inter-American literatures. All represent subject-matter previously taught as CMLIT 597 or other less clearly defined CMLIT numbers.Comparative study of African literatures is an increasingly important part of the curriculum of our Comparative Literature Department. It is a field of study identified as one of our specialties in our recent strategic plans. Joining existing graduate seminars in European literatures, this course and the other two new graduate courses now being proposed (on Asian and Inter-American literatures) will make visible the ways in which the departmental curriculum covers the diverse geographical areas relevant to comparative literary study.Our Department offers language instruction in Swahili and Arabic, has long taught 100-level and 400-level courses on African literature, has developed linkages with several African universities, and has attracted a steady stream of graduate students to work in African literature during the last two decades. Interest in the literatures of Africa is strong.Africa as a continent has produced thousands of writers and a highly diverse body of literature written in English, French, Arabic, Portuguese and over 50 African languages. It is also a rich source of literature recorded from oral traditions maintained in the more than 1,000 languages spoken on the continent. A comparative approach to the study of these literatures provides an appropriately internationalized context for understanding African literatures and for seeing them in the purview of world literature as a whole.In sum, we have long had separate numbers for our undergraduate African languages and literature courses and we have previously offered graduate courses on African literatures under general numbers. In addition to complying with College policy and not continuing to use 597 repeatedly, we wish to make this field more visible within our curriculum by giving it a course number of its own.