Overview
Explores how contemporary literature from Aotearoa, the US, and beyond engages with and in protest over important social and political issues, including racism, colonialism, environmental destruction, and gender violence.
ENGL222: Literature and Activism begins by posing two intertwined questions. Firstly, what role can literature and art play in changing the world? And secondly, is anything lost, as well as gained, in making art and literature a tool of social and political change? Building on papers like ENGL131: Controversial Classics, ENGL222 addresses not only the ethical and moral value of literature and art but also its power to precipitate social and political change. In ENGL222, you will consider literature and art that engages a wide range of issues from racism, sexism, and colonialism to environmental degradation and climate change. Through such examples, you will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the world-changing power of the word.
About this paper
| Paper title | Literature and Activism: The Art of Protest |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2025 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,040.70 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One 100-level ENGL paper (excluding ENGL 126) or 36 points
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the English and Linguistics Programme website
- Teaching staff
Convenor and Lecturer: Professor Jacob Edmond
- Textbooks
All readings will be made available electronically
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.- Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will be able to:
- Critically analyse the persuasive power of language, literature, and art.
- Investigate how literature and art are shaped by social forces.
- Assess the contributions of literature, art, and culture to social and political change.
- Theorize about the role of literature in negotiating social, cultural, and political difference.