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  3. Introduction to European Critical Theory

Introduction to European Critical Theory (EURO40001)

HonoursPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 2
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This subject provides an introduction to the central topics and problems raised in European Critical Theory in the period from 1945-present. It aims not merely to introduce the concepts, but to demonstrate how these concepts can be operationalised in methods of analysis. The topics to be considered will include, amongst others: the author, text/context/frame, formal methods and materialist/historical concerns, discourse, the reader, the subject. Critical paradigms and schools of thought explored include Marxism, Psychoanalysis, Deconstruction, Queer Theory, Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, French Feminism.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

  • Have learned how to read theoretical writing
  • Have learned how any particular theoretical orientation allows us to ask questions that we would not ask otherwise
  • Have learned that a theory is not merely a set of ideas, but a technical instrument for analysing language-based cultural objects such as literature
  • Have learned how to engage in such analyses and to evaluate their outcomes.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should:

  • Be able to apply certain methods of criticism on literary texts taken from a range of genres
  • Be able to elaborate their own research project, applying literary criticism to a work of their choice.

Last updated: 8 November 2024