Dutch literature of the 19th and 20th centuries : nation, language, emancipation

Teacher(s)

Vanasten Stéphanie;

Language

Dutch

Prerequisites

Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages 

Main themes

• Reflection on the concept of a "canon” ((especially for the Dutch-language literature); analysis of its historical, cultural, institutional, pedagogical and political foundations;  
• Introduction to the history of Dutch-language literature of the 19th and 20th centuries and its contextualization bearing in mind the main cultural, artistic, philosophical, political and social European productions 
• Attempt at a synthesis of the major literary productions while confronting the analysis of individual movements; presentation of the main issues addressed, of the genres and channels used, and of literary, cultural and social debates of the period. Compulsory readings of literary texts or excerpts illustrate the subject. 
• Deepening of the skills in researching, reading and writing scientific texts in the field of Dutch-language literary studies. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Read, understand and analyze the major literary productions in Dutch,  from the 19th and 20th centuries
2	Explain the main developments of Dutch-language literature from the 19th and 20th centuries and relate them to different contexts (linguistic, cultural, artistic, philosophical, ideological, social, political) as well as to the European and national literary histories;
3	Situate the major authors and literary texts or genres on a timeline (periods, movements, generations) and show the specificity of the literary phenomena and literary, cultural and social debates studied;
4	Critically discuss the legitimacy and the validity of the periodization used and write, from the perspective of literary and cultural history, a personal analysis of (a) literary text(s), based on various scientific sources,
5	Make correct and relevant use of heuristic tools, and develop the reading and writing skills needed to produce a personal scholarly work that complies with academic conventions in the field of Dutch-language literary studies.
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes:1.5; 1.6; 2.3.; 2.6; 3.5.; 4.3; 5.6; 6.4.

Content

This course is devoted to the study of Dutch literary texts from 1830 until the second half of the 20th century. (It constitutes a sequel to LNED 1234.) It introduces the founding texts in Dutch-language literature and culture of the period by situating them in their various historical contexts (linguistic, political, aesthetic, philosophical, social, cultural, religious), and interrogates their emergence, circulation and posterity in the contemporary period. The major authors, main figures or forgotten, literary movements, texts and genres are considered and studied, while problematizing their positioning (consecration, canonization, invisibilisation). Representative texts (or excerpts) illustrate the course.

Teaching methods

The course unit introduces the historiographic content and markers, using (self-learning and) interactive learning activities (short individual and collective research tasks, reading assignments based on excerpts of literary histories and critical readings ; inversed classrooms ; in-class discussions). Students are encouraged to actively participate in classroom.
The lectures focus on the analysis and guided readings of literary texts in Dutch that are representative of the studied period, and chosen in function of various themes, registers, genres, programmes. These texts, included in the anthology (see Moodle), are read and prepared at home by all students. Following an inductive method, we will explore various questions that the works studied can raise in response to the discourse of their epoch and of our time. The approach is complemented by textual exploration from various critical (inter)disciplinary and theoretical perspectives in order to shed light on certain issues addressed.
Exercices and tutorials, under the supervision of a teaching assistant, are offered in addition to the lectures and help students to carry out readings and critical text analyses, to appropriate the material, to transfer the questions raised to other texts and discourses of the time, to deepen critical methods of analysis and to prepare for the final assesment.
Special attention will be paid to the use of scholarly and heuristic tools in Dutch literary studies.
The various learning activities enable students to prepare for the assessment. A mock test is provided with sample questions of a similar level of difficulty to those in the written exam, and sample answers are provided, explaining the assessment criteria, so that students can adjust their study.

Evaluation methods

Formative and Continuous assessment (20%): active participation of the student in the course, based on the compulsory preparatory reading of literary texts and historiographic learning materials and including the role of respondent. Regular attendance at compulsory tutorials and workshops is expected. Two compulsory written tasks are expected (students will get a fail mark for this part if the two assignments are not handed in).

The final assessment (80%) in June consists of a written exam (55%) and an oral exam (25%):

• The written exam (55%) covers the historiographical contents and markers presented and discussed during the course as well as the studied literary texts and inquiries. (Excerpts from) annotated texts are the object of an in-depth assessment.
• The oral exam (25%) is based on a personal written work, handed in beforehand at the end of the term, and consisting of a critical analysis, with the help of at least three scholarly sources, of one or several literary texts (one of them not discussed during the course) related to the period studied. It should be established according to the principles of scientific inquiry and demonstrate a critical reflection on a chosen problem related to historiographic construction as a scholarly approach in the broader context of Cultural History and the History of Ideas. Unter Article 72 of the Règlement general des études et des évaluations, the course lecturer may propose to the examination board that they refuse to allow a student who has not submitted their work by the required deadline to sit the oral examination.

Assessment of language quality
The quality of the language will be taken into account when assessing the written and/or oral work submitted by students as part of this learning unit, and an excessive number of language errors may result in a lower mark or even lead to a fail.
Students’ various written work, in particular the final assignment (short paper), must be produced in accordance with the specific instructions provided and in line with the principles of academic and scientific integrity (see RGEE, in particular Article 107 concerning irregularities and plagiarism).  In all tasks and activities relating to this learning unit, students must comply with the Lignes directrices pour une utilisation responsable des outils d’intelligence artificielle générative set out by the Ecole de Langues et Lettres. More specifically, any use of artificial intelligence tools within the framework of this course unit must be limited to the minimum level (level 1) of the Grille des usages de l’intelligence artificielle générative, which supplements the guidelines, and must be accompanied by a Declaration in accordance with the template provided therein. In case of non-compliance with the relevant rules, the examination board will take the measures set out in section 6 of the Guidelines.

In case of a resit, the assessment of the separate parts will be as follows: a written exam (70%) plus an oral exam (30%) based on the portfolio. For the oral exam, the student is at liberty to decide, after consulting the lecturer(s), to improve the short paper whilst keeping the same literary text(s) or topic submitted in the previous exam session, provided that there has been a substantial improvement and that the feedback given has been taken on board.
The final mark will be made up of the various assessment components weighted according to the percentages described above for each exam session. In order to achieve the minimum pass mark for this course unit, taking the various learning activities into account, and in order to demonstrate the skills and knowledge set out in the learning outcomes, a score of at least 8/20 must be obtained for each of the two parts of the final assessment (written exam, oral exam). If the student has obtained a mark of less than 8/20 for (one of) these parts, then the final mark for the entire exam session cannot exceed 9/20.

Other information

- Societal issues (social inequalities, gender issues, colonization, discrimination)
- Green transition and sustainability (ecocritical readings)

Online resources

anthology of chosen literary works ; excerpts from literary histories and scholarly articles introducing the period (see Moodle, online or University Library) ; hand-outs, PowerPoint, audio and video sources, teaching materials on Moodle.

Bibliography

Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse literatuur. Amsterdam : Bert Bakker, 2006-2013 (en ligne, www.dbnl.org), en particulier:

• Wim van den Berg en Piet Couttenier, Alles is taal geworden (1800-1900). Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 2009.
• Jacqueline Bel, Bloed en rozen (1900-1945). Amsterdam : Bert Bakker, 2015.
• Hugo Brems, Altijd weer vogels die nesten beginnen. Amsterdam : Bert Bakker, 2006.

Une bibliographie secondaire détaillée pour la période est mise à disposition sur Moodle.

Teaching materials

• Portefeuille de lectures (textes littéraires choisis; extraits d’histoires littéraires et articles critiques et théoriques préparant à la période) sur Moodle, en ligne ou bibliothèque universitaire)

Faculty or entity

> ELAL