Course Description

England, as the seat of power for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has been a center for art and commerce for centuries. It has also been a nation of immigrants, especially with the arrival in 1948 of the Empire Windrush. Traveling from the far reaches of a fading Empire, this ship’s passengers hoped for a better life in the "mother country" but arrived in a nation whose doors were often closed to people of color, its cities and countryside ravaged by the bombs and rationing of World War II. What kind of England emerged from the rubble of war? What is the legacy of this immigration in contemporary British culture?

During the next few months, we will explore answers to these questions as we study the literature and culture of post-WWII Britain through an introductory but intensive survey of representative contemporary British writers from about 1950 to the present, with attention to their representations of the city and the country and to identity. We will focus on writers' responses to earlier traditions of realism and modernism, exploring the techniques of narrative fiction, drama, poetry, and film/television offered by their work. We will also trace the themes that these authors raise as they both respond and contribute to the post-WWII, post-Windrush, and post-Brexit experience of British culture. Cultural, historical, and theoretical context will be integrated into discussion through secondary readings and resources, allowing us to situate our close readings of the texts within the historical moment of their production and reception.

Course Objectives

• To become familiar with a particular period of British literary and cultural history and its narrative forms and themes
• To use relevant cultural and historical information when interpreting literature, film, and other cultural texts
• To participate in lively and informed discussions about our reading and films
• To develop and apply critical skills for reading, thinking, and writing about several genres
  – what a literary or cultural text conveys (its themes, its view of the world)
  – how a literary or cultural text conveys that knowledge (its aesthetic form, its selection/omission of detail)
• To contribute to current conversations about post-1950 British literature (Grad students: to develop a publishable idea and thus enter the existing critical conversation about this literature through a research-based, scholarly argument that intervenes in and advances that conversation.)

Course Modality: We will meet in a HyFlex modality, with some enrolled in person and some enrolled online --  pending the need to go fully online for weather. (See Canvas for Zoom link.) On selected weeks (noted below on the schedule of classes with [A]), we will meet for a portion of our scheduled time, and you will complete an asynchronous activity (shared on Wednesday, due by 11:59pm on Friday) which will represent the balance of your weekly time in class.

Readings and Class Participation: Given the course objectives stated above, this class will foreground discussion. Class participation is therefore expected and will count for 20% of your final grade. This portion of your grade includes your contributions to our discussions in class (10%, in large and small groups) and to our discussions on the online message board (10%, further information below). Your goal is to be an active presence in the class: you should complete the reading or viewing assigned for each class session, think carefully about that material, and be ready to share your ideas -- in class and online, synchronously and asynchronously.

Attendance: The University requires that students attend all classes in which they are enrolled, and so your attendance is required. Further, your attendance is important to the success of our discussions. However, I recognize that the unexpected will happen, especially during this pandemic year. If you miss more than one weekly class session, or several portions of weekly class sessions, please contact me, so we can discuss your progress and identify the best path forward.

Class Discussion Questions: As part of the class participation grade, students will sign up to develop discussion questions for one of our class sessions. Questions for class discussion (4-5 in number) should highlight issues or themes or queries you think we should address in our class discussion of the reading assigned for that day. Critical commentaries or historical context assigned for that class session can be included, too, to help us explore the primary reading. After drafting the questions, students should email me their questions by 6:00 p.m. CT the night before; I will confirm receipt and offer any suggestions for the order or focus of the questions.

Online Message Board: As part of your class participation and to practice informal analytical writing, each week, each student is required to post at least one paragraph-length comment (200-300 words) about the materials we’re reading and discussing in class. These posts are intended to help you do the following:

• Prepare for or develop topics and ideas discussed in class
• Prepare to engage in the public humanities by communicating your ideas and responding to those of your peers in a non-scholarly format

I will read these discussions and assess a grade (at the end of the semester) based on the thoughtfulness of your comments, their ability to foster discussion among your classmates, their responsiveness to our readings, and their ability to "translate" scholarly discussions for a general audience. I'll provide weekly question prompts as I follow these conversations, and I may also participate, but I see the online discussion primarily as a way for you to raise issues we haven't addressed -- or addressed fully or to your satisfaction -- during our regular class meetings. The work contributed to the message board can become source material for more formal writing assignments.

The weekly message board will run from Saturday to Friday, to encourage you to post right after as well as before our weekly class discussions, but I encourage you to contribute your ideas throughout the week and to check the board for others' postings. Postings will count for half (10%) of your class participation grade (20%). If you would like to know your message board grade to date at any point in the semester, please ask. I will offer models of successful comments early in the semester.

Papers and Response Papers: During the semester, you will be doing different kinds of critical writing: not only informal postings to the message board, but also more formal papers. All students will write one shorter paper (4 pages in length); undergraduates will also write a longer paper (7-8 pages in length), while graduate students will also write a longer paper with secondary sources (8-10 pages in length) and an abstract of that paper. You will have a choice of two topics for Paper #1, and you will have open choice between our assigned texts for Paper #2. Both papers should follow the general rules of composition and be typed or word-processed with standard double-spacing, 1-inch margins, and either 11- or 12-point typeface. Title pages and cover sheets are unnecessary. Pages should be numbered and spell-checked. Papers are due by the date and time on the syllabus; late papers will be penalized one grade (i.e.: A to B) for each day late. If you have extenuating circumstances which will prevent you from meeting these deadlines, please let me know, so we can discuss an alternative due date. (Note: The University's Honor Code obliges you to cite the source of any idea that is not your own. Otherwise, you have plagiarized. If you do plagiarize, you will fail this course.)

You will also write four response papers (2 pp in length) in response to our readings. Response papers are designed to ready you for class discussion and to explore ideas you could develop further in a longer paper. They are due the day indicated on the syllabus. In your response paper, you should not repeat previous class discussions or provide a summary of the reading. Instead, your response should begin to analyze the primary reading or viewing assigned for that class session, selecting an issue or theme or question you feel to be significant. I recommend that you select a word, phrase, or short quotation from the reading to initiate your response. (See sample response distributed in class.) Responses will be graded on a 1-5 scale: 5=A, 4=B, 3=C, 2=D, 1=F. I do not accept late response papers.

 

Multi-Media Project: You will choose one of four possible multi-media projects to complete during the semester. Your multi-media project can be submitted on any class day but must be turned in no later than Tuesday April 25. Each project should demonstrate insight and understanding of the text with which it connects, should be thoughtfully constructed, and should be presented professionally with attention to detail.  Refer to the grading rubrics (posted in Canvas as of January 28) for detailed grading criteria. The assignment will be distributed the second week of class, but here are brief descriptions:

• Option 1: Create a soundtrack or playlist to accompany one of the texts we're studying. It must have 5-6 tracks and be accompanied by a written explanation (2 pages in length) of how each selected song relates to the text and its themes.
• Option 2: Using events, situations, or characters from a text we're studying, create a fictional front page of a newspaper about that text. Format appropriately (single spaced, columns, headings/headlines), and include a written explanation (2 pages in length) about your process of selection, research, or design, in light of the text's themes.
• Option 3: Create a collage of pictures and words (cut from print media or assembled from digital images/print) that connects with a text we're studying. Include a written explanation (2 pages in length) explaining why you chose those particular images and/or words for that text and why you arranged them as you did, given the text's themes.
• Option 4: Create a trailer for one of the printed texts we're studying. The trailer should be 30-45 seconds in length and be accompanied by a written explanation (2 pages in length) of your process of selection and design in light of the text’s themes and the trailer’s audience.
  

 

Online and video resources: Along with some required viewing (see the films/TV/streaming video listed under "Required Texts") and required online reading, I will refer you to resources available online or on video to complement our readings and discussions. Links within the online "Schedule of Classes" will take you to related online resources, and a "Web Resources" link from our course homepage will take you to a page of links devoted to our selected authors, their work, and the British culture. I will add and update these resources as the semester progresses; if you locate a site or page which you find valuable, please let me know, and I'll consider adding it to the existing links.

 

Email: I highly recommend email as a way of touching base with me about your work for the class -- a kind of virtual office hours. You can send me queries about reading or writing assignments, your thesis statement for an essay, or anything else that could be handled with a quick exchange of messages. I check my email throughout the day, but please remember that I am not perpetually online.

Conferences: I want you to succeed in this course, and I am happy to meet with you about your work and your progress. I encourage you to see me before assignments are due, or if you have questions about material we discuss in class. Please feel free to set up an appointment during office hours (M, W 9:00-10:00 a.m.), or contact me by phone or email to arrange a more convenient time to meet.

Generative AI: As with other forms of technology, it is likely true that Chat GPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) that we are calling generative AI will have uses for research and writing practice. One of the central purposes of this class, however, is to help you practice and develop as a writer of in the field of English. At the core of that work is the principle that writing is a form of thought. It is one of the main ways that we work through our ideas, that we consider other sources, and that we engage, in detail, with texts of all different kinds. In other words, writing is a process and a method rather than a product. Given our goals, the use of Chat GPT or other AI technology detracts from the class’s purpose to help you develop as a writer and scholar. If there is a way in which you would like to use Chat GPT or AI as part of your writing process, you must meet with me first to discuss it. If such a use is approved, it must be cited in your work.

Academic Honesty: Kansas State University has an Honor System based on personal integrity, which is presumed to be sufficient assurance that, in academic matters, one’s work is performed honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate and graduate students, by registration, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Honor System. The policies and procedures of the Honor System apply to all full and part-time students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate courses on-campus, off-campus, and via distance learning. The honor system website can be reached <http://www.k-state.edu/honor/>. A component vital to the Honor System is the inclusion of the Honor Pledge which applies to all assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by students. The Honor Pledge is implied, whether or not it is stated: “On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work.” If you have any questions about your work in relation to the Honor System, please ask.

Health and Wellness Statement: As your professor, I value your health and wellness. As a 600-level course, this course will require a substantial amount of work, and it will challenge you with both complex ideas and difficult texts. That said, learning requires balance between hard work, rest, and fun. Given these dynamics, I have structured the course and the work to provide a learning arc, but if you need extra time or are struggling with anything, please do let me know, and we can discuss accommodations. If you are having any difficulties, you can always come to me or seek out any of the university’s resources, which are there to provide help.

Students with Disabilities: At K-State it is important that every student has access to course content and the means to demonstrate course mastery. Students with disabilities may benefit from services including accommodations provided by the Student Access Center. Disabilities can include physical, learning, executive functions, and mental health. You may register at the Student Access Center (k-state.edu/accesscenter) or to learn more contact. If you are a student enrolled in campus/online courses through the Manhattan, Olathe, or Global campuses, contact the Student Access Center at accesscenter@k-state.edu, 785-532-6441; for K-State Polytechnic campus, contact Academic and Student Services at polytechnicadvising@ksu.edu or call 785-826-2974. Students already registered with the Student Access Center: please request your Letters of Accommodation early in the semester to provide adequate time to arrange your approved academic accommodations. Once SAC approves your Letter of Accommodation it will be e-mailed to you,  and your instructor(s) for this course.  Please follow up with your instructor to discuss how best to implement the approved accommodations. 

Expectations for Student Conduct: All student activities in the University, including this course, are governed by the Student Judicial Conduct Code as outlined in the Student Governing Association By Laws, Article VI, Section 3, number 2. Students who engage in behavior that disrupts the learning environment may be asked to leave the class.

Academic Freedom: Kansas State University is a community of students, faculty, and staff who work together to discover new knowledge, create new ideas, and share the results of their scholarly inquiry with the wider public. Although new ideas or research results may be controversial or challenge established views, the health and growth of any society requires frank intellectual exchange. Academic freedom protects this type of free exchange and is thus essential to any university's mission.

Moreover, academic freedom supports collaborative work in the pursuit of truth and the dissemination of knowledge in an environment of inquiry, respectful debate, and professionalism. Academic freedom is not limited to the classroom or to scientific and scholarly research, but extends to the life of the university as well as to larger social and political questions. It is the right and responsibility of the university community to engage with such issues.

Mutual Respect and Inclusion in K-State Teaching and Learning Spaces: At K-State, faculty and staff are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. K-State courses, labs, and other virtual and physical learning spaces promote equitable opportunity to learn, participate, contribute, and succeed, regardless of age, race, color, ethnicity, nationality, genetic information, ancestry, disability, socioeconomic status, military or veteran status, immigration status, Indigenous identity, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, religion, culture, as well as other social identities.

Faculty and staff are committed to promoting equity and believe the success of an inclusive learning environment relies on the participation, support, and understanding of all students. Students are encouraged to share their views and lived experiences as they relate to the course or their course experience, while recognizing they are doing so in a learning environment in which all are expected to engage with respect to honor the rights, safety, and dignity of others in keeping with the K-State Principles of Community at https://www.k-state.edu/about/values/community/.

If you feel uncomfortable because of comments or behavior encountered in this class, you may bring it to the attention of your instructor, advisors, and/or mentors. If you have questions about how to proceed with a confidential process to resolve concerns, please contact the Student Ombudsperson Office. Violations of the student code of conduct can be reported here https://www.k-state.edu/sga/judicial/student-code-of-conduct.html. If you experience bias or discrimination, it can be reported here https://www.k-state.edu/report/discrimination/.

Statement Regarding Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Harassment:
Kansas State University is committed to maintaining academic, housing, and work environments that are free of discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment. Instructors support the University’s commitment by creating a safe learning environment during this course, free of conduct that would interfere with your academic opportunities. Instructors also have a duty to report any behavior they become aware of that potentially violates the University’s policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment (PPM 3010).