Topical Seminar in Asian Humanities (492-0-21)

Topic

Comparison and Interdisciplinarity

Instructors

Corey Byrnes
847/467-3314
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Office 4-548
Office Hours: Varies quarter to quarter, please check with instructor.

Meeting Info

Kresge 4438 Asian LC Sem Rm: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

AY 22-23 This seminar considers methods of comparison and interdisciplinarity in relation to the field of Comparative Literature. It offers a brief history of that field and some of its influential texts as a starting point for thinking through alternative methods of "doing" comparative and relational literary and cultural studies today. Of particular concern is the challenge of working within (or between) Eurocentric fields that struggle to make equal space for different traditions and the methods, questions, and theories best suited to them. What does it mean to work in a field that doesn't necessarily understand the work you're doing and why you're doing it? Of equal importance is the challenge of working across fields that are epistemologically and institutionally isolated from one another. How, for example, do you bring insights from other fields (in which you are not formally trained) to bear on your own research, particularly when both home and "outside" fields are not in conversation with one another? What does scholarly rigor look like when it comes to interdisciplinary work? We will approach these challenges and questions by looking at recent comparative and interdisciplinary scholarship in several broad fields, including the environmental humanities.

Teaching Method

Discussion

Evaluation Method

Attendance, Preparation, Participation: 20% Response Papers: 20% Presentation: 10% Final Essay: 50%

Class Materials (Required)

Course Reader