Introduction to Contemporary Science Fiction
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| MLAC2183 | Modern Languages and Cultures | 2 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- MLAC2183
- School
- Modern Languages and Cultures
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
From the turn of the last century with Jules Vernes, to more contemporary authors (Vonarburg) this module will analyse why it is that this literary genre is often considered as a subculture.
From the discoveries of new worlds to the confrontation with new technologies we will see how this genre expresses the anguishes and hopes specific to our time. As such we will see how science fiction is dealing with political issues where questions of power, ecology and science, among others, are central.
By calling into question the boundaries between cultures, times, genres and species, science fiction deals with philosophical questions linked to the ways our identities are build, sometime destroyed or reformulated within the margins of a future postindustrial world
Target Students
Available to SH and JH UG students taking French as part of their plan, including post-beginners taking MLAC2145. Available to Liberal Arts and subsidiary students who have taken MLAC1150.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture per week for 11 weeks
The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies operates an attendance policy. The details of this policy can be found in the student handbook on Workspace and in module handbooks.
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: 1 x 2000 word essay
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To analyse why it is that this literary genre is often considered as a subculture and how the genre expresses the anguishes and hopes specific to our time - including political issues where questions of power, ecology and science among others are central - and to call into question the boundaries between cultures, times, genres and species. Objectives- By the end of the module, the students should have acquired a sound knowledge of the most significant texts of SF since the beginning of the 20th century.- They should also have been introduced to the sociological analysis of social and cultural change.- They should, finally, be able to synthesise their historical and sociological knowledge of the period into a critical awareness of the possible.Learning Outcomes
1.•Knowledge and understanding.
A student completing this module will have been given the opportunity to develop detailed knowledge and a critical understanding of the following aeas:
•Understand the literary genre of Science Fiction.
•Different aspects of French and Francophone literatures (A4)
•Use the principles of literary and textual analysis. (A5)
2.•Intellectual skills.
A student completing this module will have been given the opportunity to learn how to:
•Read and acquire interpretative skills appropriate to an understanding of the Science Fiction genre.
•Make critical use of primary and secondary source of material, both written and audio-visual. (B2)
•Engage in independent study and research. (B3)
•Develop arguments in discussion and in writing in both French and English. (B8)
3.•Professional Skills:
•A student completing this course will have been given the opportunity to learn how to:
•Understand, process and express complex ideas in both English and French. (C3)
•Read and elaborate a critical evaluation of sophisticated texts in French. (C4)
•Work independently on primary and secondary source materials. (C5)
•Present work in conformity with academic conventions. (C6)
4.•Transferable skills:
A student completing this course will have been given the opportunity to develop the following skills:
•Gathering, processing and critically evaluating material from a variety of sources, written, oral or audio-visual. (D2)
•Working productively independently. (D3)
•Working and solving problems productively as part of a team (oral presentation). (D5)
•Working productively under pressure. (D6)
•Effective use of IT as a means of communication, presentation and learning. (D8)
•General personal skills: Self-reliance, self-confidence. (D10)