Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres
Term 1
Distance Education
This section of ENGL 470 is offered through Distance Education.
English 470 provides a study of Canadian literature in a historical context with a focus on the intersections and departures between European and Indigenous traditions of literature and orature.
At the heart of this course is an examination of the power of stories, and in particular the stories we tell ourselves about being in Canada. We will examine story telling in literature and the stories we tell about literature; we will look at “whose stories” we listen to, and whose stories we cannot seem to hear – and why not? Edward Chamberlin urges us that, “now, it is more important than ever to attend to what others are saying in their stories and myths – and what we are saying about ourselves.” Students will read a range of literary texts and academic articles. Students will be encouraged to develop independent critical responses to the texts as well as active participation in online discussions.
The objectives of this course are to strengthen your critical and literary skills and to enrich your understanding of the complex historical and contemporary relationships between literature and storytelling. This includes an understanding of the historical relations between nation building, canonization and colonization. This course requires that students have a willingness to develop a critical awareness and sensitivity to the tensions created by racism in Canada in the past and the present.
The course is designed for senior students and requires analytical skills and written assignments as befits a 400-level course, as well as consistent engagement and the ability to work with an online community of fellow students.
–Erika Paterson
The description for this course can be found here.
