Ateneo - UPO

GENDER; BODY; AND SEXUALITY IN BRITISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE SINCE 1890.

All the material for the module will be available on the DIR platform.
The following bibliography is provided as a list of suggested further critical reading.
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Natalie Marena Nobitz, History's Queer Stories: Retrieving and Navigating Homosexuality in British Fiction About the Second World War , Transcript 2018

Martin – Piggford, a cura di, Queer Forster, Chicago UP 1997

Leila Kamali, The Cultural Memory of Africa in African American and Black British Fiction, 1970-2000: Specters of the Shore, Palgrave 2016

Rosemary Johnsen, Contemporary Feminist Historical Crime Fiction , Palgrave 2006

* The course aims to provide a general understanding of the historical and cultural implications of the key terms in the title: body, gender and sexuality, within the British context from the late nineteenth century to the present day. At a basic level, students should be able to gain a broad understanding of the British cultural history presented in the module handout and to define the three key terms; at an advanced level, students should be able to identify the connections between these three terms and the way in which they are articulated in the stories covered by the module, in particular by suggesting cross-comparisons between them.
* The module aims to teach the distinction between author and narrator (narrative voice) and to provide tools for discussing the narrative and ideological strategies of the literary texts covered in the module. At a basic level, students should be able to distinguish between author and narrative voice, and to recognise the main literary narrative strategies (treatment of time, focalisation and point of view) in the stories covered in the module; At an advanced level, students should be able to apply this theoretical knowledge to the reading and analysis of the short stories covered in the module, proposing broader interpretations, always grounded in textual analysis.
* The course aims to train students to write short texts (in Italian or English) in a clear, correct and focused manner, in response to questions regarding the narrative voice and the treatment of themes such as the body, gender and sexuality in the selected short stories, whilst avoiding generalisations. At a basic level, students must be able to write texts that are grammatically and syntactically correct, well-structured into paragraphs and clear in their presentation; at an advanced level, students must be able to write not only correctly but also with content that avoids generalisations not based on the individual texts, recognising the interpretative complexity of the literary texts covered in the module.

English level B1. Sufficient skill in written Italian or English with grammatical correctness: punctuation, syntax, paragraph structure, spelling, register.

The module will be delivered exclusively via distance learning, with all materials available on the DIR platform (video-recorded lectures, PowerPoint presentations, a handout containing the texts of the short stories to be studied, and self-assessment exercises). There will be 4 hours of face-to-face teaching (2 hours at the start of the semester and 2 hours before the first examination session). Individual or group sessions may be requested or offered to assess students’ understanding and suggest corrective measures in the run-up to the written exam.

It is strongly recommended that the students attend the first face-to-face session at the start of the term: the structure of the module and how it will be delivered via distance learning will be explained in detail. This program is designed to be consistent with Goals 4, 5, 16) of the UNESCO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Quality Education, Reducing Gender Gap; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request specific services and resources designed for them by contacting the relevant office or visiting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-disabilità-e-dsa. Students with disabilities, SLDs or SEN, once they have made contact with the University staff, may contact the lecturer responsible for the course regarding the arrangements for examinations and teaching-related matters.

* 2 in-course tests, each with 10 questions: the first will focus on the historical and cultural aspects (pass mark: at least 6 correct answers); the second will focus on the module’s three key terms: body, gender and sexuality (pass mark: at least 6 correct answers). Linked to the learning outcome: to provide general knowledge of the historical and cultural implications of the key terms in the module title – body, gender and sexuality – in the British context from the late nineteenth century to the present day. At a basic level, students must be able to demonstrate, through the quizzes, a broad understanding of British cultural history as presented in the module handout and the definitions of the three key terms; at an advanced level, students must be able to demonstrate a more detailed understanding of this cultural history and a more complex grasp of the scope of the three key terms, particularly in relation to one another. * Ongoing tests on the introduction to the narrator and narrative techniques (10 questions: a minimum of 6 out of 10 is required to pass). Linked to the learning outcome: learning the difference between author and narrator (narrating voice) and knowledge of the tools for discussing the narrative and ideological strategies of the literary texts covered in the module. At a basic level, students must be able to distinguish between the author and the narrative voice, and be familiar with the main literary narrative strategies (treatment of time, focalisation and point of view), recognising them in selected passages from the short stories covered in the module; at an advanced level, students must demonstrate a solid understanding of these strategies, recognising them accurately in selected passages from the short stories covered in the module. * A final written exam held in class (in Italian or English), answering two questions on the syllabus covered: the first will be on a story covered in the module, requiring an analysis of both form and content (500 words); the second question will focus on the student’s analytical ability to comment (on both form and content) on a short passage from a different story covered in the module (200 words). Both the form and content of the written examination will be assessed: both must be satisfactory. Linked to the learning outcome: ability to write short texts (in Italian or English) in a clear, correct and focused manner, in response to questions regarding the narrator and the treatment of themes such as the body, gender and sexuality in the selected short stories, whilst avoiding generalisations. At a basic level, the student must be able to distinguish between the author and the narrative voice, and must be familiar with the main literary narrative strategies (treatment of time, focalisation and point of view), recognising them in the two short stories covered by the examination; at an advanced level, students must be able to apply theoretical knowledge to the reading and analysis of the two short stories covered in the exam, proposing more general interpretations, always based on textual analysis. The use of AI is not permitted for any of the assessed components of the exam. Assessment is based on the final written examination, with a bonus (or penalty) of 1 or 2 marks depending on the pass rate for all three in-course quizzes. The mark bands are: 18–23 (basic level), 24–27 (intermediate level), 28–30 with distinction (advanced level). Distinction will be awarded on the basis of an assessment of the accuracy, depth and elaboration of the answers in the final written examination.

The module offers a cultural-historical introduction to terms and notions, such as body, gender, sex and sexuality in the period examined in the module. 7 short stories written between the 1890s and the 2000's will be commented and discussed. An introductory part of the module (with self-assessment exercises and an interim test) will focus on the question of the narrator (and narrative voice) in order to analyze the short stories from a broad cultural and ideological standpoint. INTEGRATION OF THE GENDER DIMENSION The gender dimension is at the heart of the module's content, intersecting with other terms such as body and sexuality (but also race, class and religion).

- To develop a basic ability to analyse a literary text from both a thematic and ideological perspective and a formal (narratological) one.
- Be able to navigate the themes covered in the module, paying attention to their historical development and socio-cultural complexity
- Improve one’s ability to read literary texts in English, paying attention to both form and content
- Demonstrate proficiency in writing short responses to clear, targeted questions designed to assess comprehension of a text.