Outline

Overview

This unit explores how literary and cultural works address the state of perpetual war of the historical present. Focusing on Third World decolonisation contexts, we will consider how writers and artists interrogate the gender, racial, and national ideologies that fuel violence, and how literary cultural analysis contributes towards understanding the global unevenly distributed effects of war.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ENGL3709
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in English or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Australian Literature
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Isabelle Hesse, isabelle.hesse@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Essay Research Essay	55%	Formal exam period Due date: 06 Jun 2022 at 11:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Blog Post and Response Blog Post and Response	15%	Multiple weeks	500+250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation Participation	15%	Ongoing	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research plan and annotated bibliography Research plan and annotated bibliography	15%	Week 09 Due date: 01 May 2022 at 11:59	750 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Participation: The aim of the Participation assessment, scored out of 100 marks, is to put into practice the idea that learning takes place in community; in other words, the classroom is not only a social space from which we gain insights but also to which we contribute. Marks will be awarded based on completion of these tasks in a timely manner.
Online discussion response: In week 1, students will sign up for a weekly slot to post one 500-word blog post discussing the assigned readings for the week on Canvas Discussions. The post should engage in close analysis of an aspect of the assigned reading and also raise two questions for discussions. Students will also post one 250-word response to another student’s blog post.
Research plan and annotated bibliography: The research plan should be accompanied by an annotated bibliography of the list of sources, which you intend to consult in producing your final essay/podcast. The list should include a full bibliographic citation (MLA or Chicago style) and a brief annotation summarising its contents and relevance to your topic.
Final Essay: The final essay is an opportunity for you to delve deeply into a research topic of your own choosing and to explore what particular insights that a literary work that we have studied in this unit offers in relation to the notion of perpetual war, broadly defined. The essay should present an argument about the literary work, one substantiated by research, and situate this argument within a broader conversation (e.g. an existing scholarly discussion or a public debate about an issue) to demonstrate its significance.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas. All assessments must be completed in order to pass this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties of 5% per calendar late will be applied, according to Faculty policy.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Introduction	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Burnt Shadows	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Burnt Shadows	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Burnt Shadows	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Burnt Shadows	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Half of a Yellow Sun	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Half of a Yellow Sun	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Half of a Yellow Sun	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Half of a Yellow Sun	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Persepolis	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Persepolis	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Frankenstein in Baghdad	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Frankenstein in Baghdad	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Frankenstein in Baghdad	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Frankenstein in Baghdad	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	The Refugees	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	The Refugees	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	The Old Lie	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	The Old Lie	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	The Old Lie	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	The Old Lie	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Conclusion	Lecture (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please buy or borrow a copy of the following books (any edition is fine).

- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Half of a Yellow Sun.

- Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis I.

- Claire G. Coleman. The Old Lie.

Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows and Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad are available as e-books via the library catalogue and extracts from The Refugees will be provided via Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an awareness of the range of literary and cultural works from Africa and the Asia Pacific that engage with world historical events from a variety of perspectives
LO2. demonstrate an understanding of how literary and cultural works illuminate processes of gender, racial, and national formation, as well as how they operate in a range of contexts
LO3. demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between literature, culture, and politics, as well as articulate how aesthetic analysis can contribute to understanding contemporary issues related to war
LO4. cultivate effective writing and thinking skills to develop, refine, and express ideas in a clear and engaging manner to specific audiences
LO5. recognise that collaboration is central to the process of learning and knowledge making, and to develop effective listening and communication skills to build an environment conducive to these ends.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

I am teaching this unit for the first time in 2022.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ENGL3709: Global Literature and Times of Perpetual War

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect