Anglo-American University in Prague Modernisms and Postmodernisms
| Course Name | Modernisms and Postmodernisms |
| Course Code | LIT661 |
| Description | This course acquaints students with the major artistic movements of the 20th century, with an emphasis on literature. The modernist movement rose in response to the social, political, and technological changes from the turn of the century until after WWII. Together we will explore these changes and how writers from different cultures responded to them. We will then discuss the crisis which followed WWII and the Cold War, when the Postmodernist movement — the most significant cultural phenomenon of the second half of the 20th century — began to rise. The seminar will discuss the philosophical and social background of the movement, as well as the art and literature that grew out of it, including some of the most notable masterpieces of the period. Our emphasis will be on the literary avant-garde, but we will also be considering cinema and radio. |
| Learning Outcomes | Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: – Acquire a clear grasp of a wide variety of forms of European and American modernism in literature and other disciplines; – Acquire a clear grasp of a wide variety of forms of European and American postmodernism in literature and other disciplines, and how it differs from earlier avant-garde; – Gain an understanding of the aesthetic, socio-historical, political, and philosophical factors to which modernisms and postmodernisms responds in different ways; – Understand the meanings of key modernist and postmodernist works, and their place in the overall movement of 20th century culture; – Improve the skills of critical thinking, close reading, oral presentation, academic writing, and independent research. |
| School | School of Humanities & Social Sciences |
| Level | Master |
| Number of credits (US / ECTS) | 3 US / 6 ECTS |
| Prerequisites | LIT600 |