2022 Summer Session Course Descriptions – Graduate

ENGL 530A-951 - Frankenstein's Ancestry and Offspring - Bo Earle

Studies in the Romantic Period
Term 2
TR, 1000 AM - 100 PM

Mary Shelley’s classic novel about the technological engineering of a person has itself engendered radically new ways of conceiving and propagating personhood. Critical discourses like posthumanism, methodologies like media studies, and practices like virtual reality, social media, video games and viral communication are anticipated by this self-consciously prophetic work whose historical relevance seems uncannily only to increase over time.  We will use the novel as a springboard to consider an array of texts from prehistory to the present, across domains including theory, fiction, poetry and film. We will also use Frankenstein’s farflung pedigree and progeny to re-focus Romanticism and the treatment of procreative technology in other Romantic period writing.  Besides recent posthumanist and media theory, we will focus on variations of the myth of Prometheus and story of Adam and Eve in horror and sci-fi literature and film.  In the spirit of the novel, this seminar is an experiment, exploring an eclectic selection of texts to see what sparks are generated, and students are encouraged to suggest additions.

ENGL 546A-921 - Racial Capitalism and Asian Migration (or, Theorizing Race and Capital in British Columbia) - Chris Lee

Studies in Commonwealth/Post-colonial Literatures
Term 1
MW, 1000 AM - 100 PM

In recent years, scholarshi on racial capitalism has shown how racialization precedes, and remains fundamental to, the production and accumulation of value under capitalism. This approach highlights the ongoing centrality of racial violence while questioning narratives of social progress as well as identity-based approaches to racial justice. The relationship between racial capitalism and the racialization of Asian migrant communities remains a rich area for exploration and research and in this sense, racial capitalism offers a potentially powerful framework for understanding the relationship between race, capital, and power in places such as British Columbia that have been formed through global migrations that take place under colonial and imperial regimes. Accordingly, this course has three goals: (1) survey key concepts and arguments in studies of racial capitalism; (2) contextualize these arguments in relationship to histories and experiences of Asian migration, particularly in the West Coast of North America; (3) connect our readings and discussions to local Asian Canadian cultural production, historical memorials, and community organizations.  Theoretical readings may include texts by Karl Marx, Cedric Robinson, David Harvey, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Glen Coulthard, Lisa Lowe, Harry Harootunian, erin Ninh, Nikhil Pal Singh, Radhika Mongia and others.
As much as possible, this intense summer seminar will try to introduce and connect students to local cultural production and community organizations. As a result, I am hoping  planning to spend a significant portion of class time away from UBC campus and students should be aware this course will include regular travel within the Greater Vancouver area. All that said, the uncertainties caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means that these plans are still tentative and will not be confirmed until later this Spring. I will contact students then with more details about how this course will be organized, as well as a more detailed reading and assignment schedule. Students interested in this course are welcome to contact me ahead of time with any questions or concerns.