MBIB4320 Sociology of Literature Course description

Sociology of literature looks at how people's lives and social conditions are reflected in literature, and how literature is read and evaluated across historical and cultural contexts. In this course, we look at both classical and contemporary questions regarding the sociology of literature. We examine how different criteria for literary quality emerge and grapple with each other in the public sphere, what happens when certain works are canonised, while others are forgotten; how the fascination for literature emerges in different parts of the public sphere, and what literature's social function is. We also discuss the relationship between players, institutions, organisations and informal networks in the literary public sphere (authors, publishing houses, bookshops, libraries, literature critics, readers, bloggers, fan fiction writers, the Norwegian Authors' Union, the Norwegian Library Association, etc.) Last, but not least, we will look at Norwegian literature politics, and at the power relations between the public and private book market and the relationship between literature politics and reading habits.

None.

Knowledge

The student has

• insight into theory and method of the sociology of literature
• in-depth knowledge of the circumstances in the literary public sphere, and about Norwegian literature and library policy
• in-depth knowledge of different theories concerning the evaluating of and fascination with literature and the social function of reading

Skills

The student is capable of

• analysing and participating in a quickly changing book and media society
• conducting studies of a qualitative and quantitative nature relating to the sociology of literature
• writing literary criticism, opinion pieces and articles
• assessing the quality and relevance of prose and fiction in relation to different types of readers and different contexts

The course is organised as a series of three sessions over three days. The teaching methods are seminars, lectures, group work and student presentations. Students will work individually with assignments of their choice within the genres opinion pieces, articles and literary criticism.

In the last session, the students will present and discuss one or more of the assignments that have been prepared during previous sessions.

Coursework requirements must be completed by the set time and approved by the lecturer before the student can take the exam.

None.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

The course is organised as a weekly series of seminars. The students can attend the lectures on campus or follow them remotely online

Studentene skal levere tre arbeidskrav. Disse består av tre praktiske gruppeoppgaver om oppgitte emner. Dersom oppgavene ikke blir godkjent, skal studenten få anledning til å levere en ny versjon. Arbeidskrav skal være gjennomført innen fastlagt tid, og godkjent av faglærer før studenten kan framstille seg til eksamen.

The form of assessment is a semester paper. The semester paper can be written individually, in which case its scope shall be approx. 15 pages, or it can be written in groups of two or three students, in which case it shall have a scope of approx. 20 pages.