Politics, Literature and Film

Year
0
Academic year
2019-2020
Code
01016329
Subject Area
Área Científica do Menor
Language of Instruction
English
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
Duration
SEMESTRIAL
ECTS Credits
6.0
Type
Elective
Level
1st Cycle Studies

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic notions of international politics. Good English skills. Knowledge of techniques and styles of academic writing.

Teaching Methods

Seminars are organized to encourage students’ active involvement in learning, fostering student-teacher and student-student debate. Following the historical and conceptual contextualisation of each textual and visual work, students are expected to actively participate. This involves carefully reading, watching and preparing oral and written comments to the literary texts and films in order to contribute to a productive class discussion and reflection.

Learning Outcomes

 

This course proposes to study international relations through the lens of literature and films. Exploring the intersection of politics with literature and film aims to enrich our intellectual discussions about both the macro concepts of international politics and the micro practices embodied in our societies.

More specifically, this course aims to:

- Understand the role works of fiction play in the reflection and constitution of international politics;

- Understand the relevance of the political and cultural contexts in which these works are created and received;

- Discuss how works of fiction engage with the effect of key political concepts – such as capitalism, democracy, freedom, equality, community, oppression, racism, etc. – on our everyday lives;

- Develop skills of critical analysis, synthesis and argument, as well as oral and written presentation.

 

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. The intersection between Politics, Literature and Film

2. Analysing textual and visual works: reflections on narrative and critique

3. Discussion of various fictional works (from different times and different societies) [chosen each academic year]

Head Lecturer(s)

Teresa Paula Almeida Cravo

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Periodic evaluation or final exam, as defined in the course syllabus: 100.0%

Bibliography

Agnew, John (1998), Geopolitics: Re-visioning World Politics. London: Routlege.

Barthes, Roland (1978), Image-Music-Text. New York: Hill and Wang.

Campbell, David (1998), Writing Security. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Carter, Sean; Dodds, Klaus (2014), International Politics and Film: Space, Vision, Power. New York: Wallflower Press Book.

Danchev, Alex (2009), On Art and War and Terror. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Downing, John (ed.) (1987), Film & Politics in the Third World. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Autonomedia, Inc.

Gregg, Robert (1998), International Relations on Film. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.

Hale, Kimberly (2016), The Politics of Perfection: Technology and Creation in Literature and Film. Lanham: Lexington Books.

Said, Edward (1978), Orientalism. London: Penguin.

Said, Edward (1994), Culture and Imperialism. London: Chatto and Windus.

Scott, Kyle (2016), The Limits of Politics: Making the Case for Literature in Political Analysis. Lanham: Lexington Books.

Weber, Cynthia (2001), International Relations Theory. London: Routledge.

Weldes, Jutta (1999), Cultures of Insecurity. London: Routledge.