FEMINIST LITERARY THEORY ANC CRITICISM / ARGUMENTATION AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

Winter 2023/2024

A DUAL SYLABUS FOR MANDATORY COURSES Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism and Argumentation and Academic Discourse

Tereza Jiroutová Kynčlová, Ph.D., tereza.jiroutovakynclova@fhs.cuni.cz

OFFICE HOURS: Room 2.40, Monday 8:30-10, 13-14 pm; During Distance Learning Blocs (October 6-8; November 3-5; November 24-26; December 15-17): Friday 15:30-16:30, Sunday 12:30-14 OR online via MST upon email request at tereza.jiruotovakynclova@fhs.cuni.cz. Please, do let me know via email that you are interested in meeting for a consultation of an issue or a topic and we will agree on a date and time for a meeting either in person or online.

FAIR ACADEMIC CONDUCT:

Plagiarism: Failure to acknowledge and properly reference sources of any kind used in assignments, papers and/or presentations is a breach to academic integrity and ethics. At all times, avoid plagiarism of any sort as it is a disciplinary offence and – upon the Faculty of Humanities Disciplinary Committee ruling – may result in termination of study. Presenting some else’s work or ideas as your own and failure to provide credits, acknowledgement, and references to all relevant sources falls under the definition of plagiarism. Should you experience uncertainty about correct ways of quoting and referencing, consult any citation manual and feel free to contact me anytime for advice. I am ready to help you. Also, be advised that the necessity to reference other people’s work and ideas applies equally to published texts (journals, books, articles, newspapers etc.) as well as unpublished texts (lectures, presentations, seminars, student papers, diploma theses etc.). Further, other forms of conveying information besides text are also subject to crediting and referencing, such as video material, audio material, computer code, photographs, graphs, illustrations, sheet music, web sites etc.

Language: Aspiring to create a learning environment in which people of all identities are encouraged to contribute their perspectives to academic discourse, this course (and the Gender Studies Program in general) enforces language, which is gender-inclusive, non-sexist, non-racist and culturally sensitive. That means using words that affirm and respect how people describe, express, and experience their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, religion and other aspects of their identity. It’s important to think through the implications of our arguments and formulations, especially in this class, which is discussion-only. All of us are responsible for maintaining an environment that is respectful toward others.

STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS: If you have learning disabilities or you are struggling with the recent (post)pandemic-related situation and need more time to think, write and work, feel free to let me know anytime and we will find a way to make you feel comfortable while taking the course and meeting its requirements. Thank you.

AIMS: The aim of the course is to familiarize students with feminist views on literary theory, means of feminist literary criticism, language as a means of representation, and relevant examples of feminist literary schools. The course will sensitize students to gender as an analytical tool of literary analysis and teach them how to dissect literary texts employing gender and feminist theories. While the course Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism is aimed at explication of theoretical frameworks of literature and its reception, Argumentation and Academic Discourse focuses on practical application of learned and discussed theories and concepts in textual analyses. To those ends, short impromptu textual materials and media representation will be brought to class and distributed in print version. These texts will be chosen to correspond with current developments pertaining to gender equality and social justice as reflected in textual cultural representations. Both courses are taught jointly and are envisioned to be conducted in a form of a seminar, i.e. students are expected to engage in active discussions of text read prior to coming to class.

READING MATERIALS: All required/mandatory readings are uploaded in the SIS. In addition, there are other readings of interest that may be helpful for students in taking both this and other courses and when they embark on writing their final paper(s) and/or complete assignments. Impromptu materials may be brought to class for topical discussion and analysis. Enjoy exploring! Unless stated otherwise below, all readings are mandatory and their knowledge is essential for a successful completion of the course. Thank you.

REQUIREMENTS:

Please note, you must complete ALL written assignments to be awarded grades for BOTH courses. Active participation in discussions is encouraged and affects final grade. In the SIS you receive a “credit” (marked Z, as in “započteno”) for Argumentation and Academic Discourse. Besides Z, you will be given a grade (Excellent, Very Good, Good) which will be combined with your grades for 1) Abstract of your final paper and 2) your Final Paper. This will appear in the SIS as a grade for Feminist Literary Criticism and Theory in the form of a number (1 Excellent, 2 Very Good, 3 Good).

Written exam/test: (“Z”, credit, weight 30% of final grade) Exam pertains to concepts discussed in mandatory readings; should you fail, you will be able to retake the exam as many as 2 more times as stipulated in The Higher Education Act; The exam will be scheduled during examination period (January, February).

Abstract of your final paper: (weight 10%) (max 250 words), due date: December 4, 2023

Final essay: (weight 40%) (1800 words, excluding bibliography) /should you fail, you will be able to resubmit your final paper as many as 2 more times as stipulated in The Higher Education Act/, due date: January 15, 2024

Active participation in class discussions: (weight 20%) Students are expected to share their views on the reading materials that they have studied and read prior to coming to class.

Requirements and suggestions on writing the final essay: The final essay is to present a thorough gender-sensitive analysis of a chosen short story, fairy tale or a newspaper article. The essay should be 1800 words in length INCLUDING references, but EXCLUDING bibliography. When writing your final paper, follow the structure of academic text: Introduction, theoretical background, analysis (avoid descriptive approach), conclusion, bibliography. Theory employed and analysis conveyed need to form an integral whole. Their mutual interconnectivity is vital. Theoretical concepts/texts used in the theoretical part of the essay need to be connected with relevant outcomes of the presented analysis. The minimum requirements for bibliography are as follows: besides the source text, use AT LEAST 8 academic sources from academic databases, monographs, journals and/or books. Please note that Wikipedia will not be recognized as an academic source. Avoid plagiarism, make sure your referencing is competent. You are responsible for proofreading and editing your essay so that it complies with grammatical rules of correct English. Failure to adhere to correct English may result in a lower grade. Please follow the academic style of writing and make sure your language corresponds with academic discourse.

What questions can you ask when employing gender-sensitive literary analysis?

Note: The following questions are recommended guidelines ONLY. They serve to trigger your thoughts about the analyzed text. As such, they DO NOT represent the required or obligatory structure of the final essay. Not all texts may correlate with the provided list of questions, neither may they relate to all of them.

1. Discuss the construction of gender. Is gender a given in the analyzed text? Is it essentialist, dichotomous, fixed, internally homogenous, or is it otherwise?

2. Discuss the construction of sexuality, sexual identity, and sexual relations. Do representations of sexuality comply with heteronormative imperatives? If not, how do these representation subvert the notion of compulsory heteronormativity?

3. Discuss the representations of femininity and masculinity in literary characters.

4. Discuss the modes in which power is manifested, subverted, resisted, reproduced. What forms of control does it exemplify?

5. Discuss gender relations generally and individually. What do the relations within given groups look like and why? What are the consequences of such relations?

6. Discuss the construction of the plot and the narration of the story from a gender-sensitive perspective. Who does the speaking? Who is silent? What consequences does it have for the plot and possible interpretations of the story?

REQUIRED READINGS:

All mandatory readings/sources are available through the SIS.

INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS:

Oct 2 / Course format and contents introduction.

Student and teacher introduction. Reflecting on self-positionality within the realm of literary studies and gender studies. A gender-informed analysis of a short story (to