POSTCOLONIAL SOCIETY AND CULTURES

The course is part of the Core educational activities [B] of the literature and culture and of the international politics curricula of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Language, Civilisation and the Science of Language.

Students will be introduced to the main themes, concepts, and debates in contemporary postcolonial studies, with particular reference to literature and its connections to environmental and climate issues. They will acquire a foundational knowledge of postcolonial criticism and its specialized terminology, and will learn to apply key concepts and perspectives to literary and other cultural texts.

The course will encourage the development of independent thinking and critical judgment, as well as the improvement of communication skills in relation to the issues at stake, particularly the cultural construction of hope. Its overall aim is to enable students to approach literary texts and other cultural and social phenomena from a postcolonial perspective in an increasingly autonomous manner.

Advanced proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing in English

What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us? Debating the Postcolonial

In a famous scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, a secret anticolonial meeting turns into an unwitting celebration of Roman imperialism and, inevitably, an ironic commentary on British imperial history. Several decades later, societies across the globe continue to debate, from different geopolitical perspectives, the impact of Western colonialism on the contemporary world. The term postcolonial, far from being a merely chronological label, is a critical concept that helps us understand how colonialism persists in shaping the present.
This course examines competing concepts and perspectives on the colonial, the postcolonial, and the decolonial, considering their uses, potential abuses, and ideological appropriations. It begins with an overview of the emergence and development of these frameworks, alongside key thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Albert Memmi, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Wangari Maathai, and Walter Mignolo.
We will explore how these concepts have been contested, appropriated, and criticized—variously described as anti-Western or, paradoxically, too Western. Rather than reinforcing simplistic divisions between “good” and “bad,” the course aims to use these debates to make sense of the complexity of the contemporary world.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the intersections between colonial history and its ongoing consequences, including the climate crisis, as well as on the narratives of hope that emerge from these entanglements. Postcolonial poetry and storytelling will accompany us throughout the course, complicating—and occasionally softening—the density of theoretical discourse.

Essays by Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Albert Memmi, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Wangari Maathai, Gurminder K Bhambra, Walter Mignolo and others (available on Moodle).

Other optional readings will be available on Moodle.

The written exam (in English) lasts two hours and consists of ten questions requiring concise answers. Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the texts discussed in class, with emphasis on key concepts and debates rather than factual details.

written

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

The minimum grade is 18, the maximum grade is 30 cum laude. The grades will be assigned as follows:
A. band 18-22: sufficient content knowledge; limited ability to discuss independently, limited knowledge of theoretical tools, limited knowledge of the cultural-historical contexts and debates.
B. band 23-26: decent content knowledge; decent ability for independent discussion, decent knowledge of theoretical tools, decent knowledge of the historical-cultural contexts and debates.
C. band 27-30: good content knowledge; good ability for independent discussion; good knowledge of theoretical tools; good knowledge of the cultural-historical contexts and debates.
D. Cum Laude: awarded in case the content knowledge, independent discussion skills and knowledge of the theoretical tools, historical-cultural context and debates are excellent.

Lectures. Class discussions. The Moodle e-learning platform will be used for communication with the students and to distribute teaching materials (slides; parts of the bibliography).

Students can (and are encouraged to) view the written exam by asking for an appointment.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development