Entering the Field: Social Justice in Contemporary Literature and Arts

Full course description

In this course, we study works of contemporary literature and art through the topical lens of social justice and through the critical lens of key theoretical texts from relevant fields, such as postcolonial studies, gender and sexuality studies, environmental and health humanities, and critical age and disability studies. We establish how and to what effect contemporary literature and arts are intimately connected with issues of social justice. These include racial injustice, class and gender inequalities, environmental justice, the rights of migrants and refugees, the stigmatisation of LGBTQ+ people, ageism and ableism. We explore the relationship between 21st-century literature and arts on the one hand and contemporary issues of social justice on the other by studying influential works from literature, the visual arts, performing arts, and film. We then study key texts from critical and cultural theory that help us develop a deeper understanding of these works in the context of social justice. We also explore how contemporary literature and arts not only reflect on and/or represent issues of social justice, but also how they can actively intervene in the spheres of politics and society at large.