UCHUMLIT267.5 ECTSEnglishBachelor
The Literary Canon of Human Rights
Faculteit—
NiveauBachelor
Studiejaar2026-2027
Beschrijving
Course goals
After completing this course students are able to:
- compare and distinguish among literary movements and become familiar with debates within the field of literary criticism;
- think critically through the interpretation of concepts (e.g., “the classic,” “the canon,” and “genre”) and through literary texts from different periods and cultural contexts;
- describe how processes of canonization have changed in relation to the history of human rights, and how they have been determined by a range of cultural, political and historical factors;
- demonstrate research skills by locating and interpreting sources, and reporting findings in writing and through presenting.
Relationship between assessment and learning goals:
| assessment | relates to learning goal |
| class assignments | |
| midterm video presentation: TEDtalk | |
| endterm paper |
Content
Human Rights has been an object of literary studies since the 1980s-2000s. Tapping into the knowledge produced in this new field, this course reframes the history of modern literature as part of a broader development: the invention and history of human rights. This course explores a number of ‘classics’ in the history of Human Rights literature as well as a broad range of literary texts that discuss human rights from various perspectives but are not considered part of the literary canon. This course allows students to study these forms as they have evolved since the late eighteenth century and across the globe in oral and written modes (songs, poems, novels, (auto-)biographies, graphic novels/comics, and so forth).
Format There will be two seminar-style classes per week, and students will be expected to do all assigned reading in advance of each session. Because the course will be dynamic and discussion-based, there will be a particular focus on partner/small-group work and interactive discussion. Students will also be responsible for giving presentations and leading discussions on the literature for an assigned session as well as bringing to class specific questions related to the material. The required literature for the first half of the course will be made known before the start. There will be a number of primary texts to be delved into in depth.
Format There will be two seminar-style classes per week, and students will be expected to do all assigned reading in advance of each session. Because the course will be dynamic and discussion-based, there will be a particular focus on partner/small-group work and interactive discussion. Students will also be responsible for giving presentations and leading discussions on the literature for an assigned session as well as bringing to class specific questions related to the material. The required literature for the first half of the course will be made known before the start. There will be a number of primary texts to be delved into in depth.
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