EKIP5020 Historical Contexts of the Anglosphere (5 op)

The course gives an introduction to cultures, discourses and texts of the Anglosphere from a historical perspective. We start by studying the present discourses and ideologies on the unifying role of key values in the English-speaking world. We travel back in time and investigate historical events through extracts from political documents, literary works and popular culture texts in order to gain a critical understanding of how culture is constructed as an interplay of texts, practices and discourses through which our conceptions of past and present are formed.

Kieli- ja viestintäopinnot, englanti, englanti maailmankielenä, anglosfääri, English speaking world, anglosphere

After completing the course, students will be able to

• see culture as a dynamic and complex construct,
• understand the development and impact of British colonialism,
• identify the historical origin of discourses on the Anglosphere cultures and examine their development critically,
• see how political documents, literary works and popular culture can be used as analytical tools to understand history and social development.

A list of readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.