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Session2
Session2

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

Former School/College

Former School of Arts and Social Sciences

Unit aim

Introduces students to a number of contemporary written texts. Major issues and themes are identified and a number of critical methods are exploited. Particular attention is paid to those issues and themes which can be seen as having special relevance to postcolonial societies. There is an emphasis on Australian writing.

Unit content

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Postcolonial Writing 
Week 3: Zadie Smith's White Teeth
Week 4: Space and Place 
Week 5: Kim Scott's That Deadman Dance
Week 6: Ghosts, Monsters, and Bodies 
Week 8: Toni Morrison's Beloved
Week 9: Intertextuality 
Week 10: Peter Carey's My Life as a Fake
Week 11: Gender and Sexuality 
Week 12: Michael Cunningham's The Hours 
Week 13: Review 

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 identify and discuss some of the major issues and themes in contemporary writing Intellectual rigour Creativity Ethical practice
2 demonstrate familiarity with some of the major innovations in writing styles and genres Intellectual rigour Creativity Ethical practice
3 identify issues and themes of particular relevance to postcolonial societies Intellectual rigour Creativity Ethical practice
4 recognise the value of different critical/theoretical approaches (for example, feminist, postcolonial and poststructuralist) in analysing contemporary writing Intellectual rigour Creativity Ethical practice
5 demonstrate essay writing forms and practices. Intellectual rigour Creativity Ethical practice

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. identify and discuss some of the major issues and themes in contemporary writing
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA3: Ethical practice
  2. demonstrate familiarity with some of the major innovations in writing styles and genres
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA3: Ethical practice
  3. identify issues and themes of particular relevance to postcolonial societies
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA3: Ethical practice
  4. recognise the value of different critical/theoretical approaches (for example, feminist, postcolonial and poststructuralist) in analysing contemporary writing
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA3: Ethical practice
  5. demonstrate essay writing forms and practices.
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA3: Ethical practice

Prescribed texts

  • Ashcroft, B, Griffiths, G & Tiffin, H , 1989, The empire writes back, Routledge, London; New York..
  • Carey, P, 2004, My life as a fake, Vintage, Milsons Point.
  • Cunningham, M, 2003, The hours, Fourth Estate, London.
  • Garner, H, 2004, Joe Cinque’s consolation, Picador, Sydney.
  • Morrison, T, 1987, Beloved, Picador, London.
  • Scott, K , 2010, That deadman dance, Pan Macmillan.
  • Smith, Z, 2001, White teeth, Penguin, Middlesex.
  • Zable, A , 2002, The fig tree, Text, Melbourne.
Prescribed texts may change in future study periods.