Politics, Literature and Film

Year
3
Academic year
2022-2023
Code
01016329
Subject Area
Other areas
Language of Instruction
English
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
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

Main learning outcome:

Understand international relations through the lens of literature and films, familiarising the students with the intersection of politics with literature and film, in order to enrich the intellectual discussions about both the macro concepts of international politics and the micro practices embodied in our societies.

 

Specific learning outcomes and methodological skills:

- 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 freedom, equality, community, democracy, migrations, inclusion, 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].

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Periodic or by final exam as given in the course information: 100.0%

Bibliography

Agnew, 1998, Geopolitics: Re-visioning World Politics. Routledge

Bagghi, 2018, Human Nature and Politics in Utopian and Anti-Utopian Fiction. R&L

Barthes, 1978, Image-Music-Text. Hill & Wang

Carter & Dodds, 2014, International Politics and Film: Space, Vision, Power. Wallflower Press

Cresswell & Dixon, eds., 2002, Engaging film. R&L

Danchev, 2009, On Art and War and Terror. EUP

Downing, ed., 1987, Film & Politics in the Third World. Autonomedia

Gregg, 1998, International Relations on Film. Lynne Rienner

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

Monaco, 2009, How to read a film: Movies, Media and Beyond. OUP

Said, 1978, Orientalism. Penguin

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

Wachs & Schaff, 2021, Age of Anxiety: Meaning, Identity, and Politics in 21st Century Film and Literature. R&L

Weber, 2001, International Relations Theory. Routledge