University of Waterloo
Dr. Clive Forrester
clive.forrester@uwaterloo.ca
Department of English Language and Literature
BLKST210: Language, Life, and Literature in the Caribbean
Class time: Mon. & Wed. 10-11:20am
ML354
Office Hours:
Mon. 12-2pm
HH141
(or by appointment on MS Teams)
Welcome to BLKST210!
This course introduces students to the ways in which language shapes and sustains various forms of cultural expressions in the Caribbean region. Participants will use the creative output of storytellers, poets, DJs, and playwrights as a lens to investigate and trace the evolution of a distinctly Caribbean identity from the post-colonial period (the 1960s) up to the present. Participants are also introduced to the socio-political dynamics of Creole language use in the Caribbean and an exploration of the ways in which these languages are implicated in diverse cultural art forms.
Week | Module | Topic | Readings |
1 | MODULE 0: COURSE INTRODUCTION & FOUNDATIONS | COURSE INTRODUCTION
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2 | MODULE 1: LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY IN THE CARIBBEAN | INDIVIDUALS & COMMUNITIES
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3 | MEDIA AND INSTITUTIONS
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4 | MODULE 2: ORAL TRADITIONS & LITERATURE | ORAL TRANSMISSION OF CARIBBEAN CULTURE
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5 | THE WRITTEN WORD
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6 | MODULE 3: POWER, PRESTIGE & LANGUAGE | A LEGACY OF COLONIALISM
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7 | LANGUAGE DEATH & REVITALIZATION
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8 | MODULE 4: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CARIBBEAN LANG. & LIT. | TRANSLATING THE CARIBBEAN VOICE
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9 | CURRENT TRENDS & DEBATES
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10 | IMAGINING THE FUTURE
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11 | CONCLUSION & CONSULTATION WEEK | COURSE WRAP-UP & CONCLUSION | |
12 | CONSULTATION WEEK FOR FINAL PROJECTS |
Assessment
2. Individual project (30%): You have two options for this assignment:
Module Exercises
40%
Group Project
30%
Individual Project
30%
OPTION 1 - RESEARCH POSTER | OPTION 2 - RESEARCH ARTICLE |
Select a module or topic from the syllabus (or come up with one we didn't discuss) and create an interactive research poster designed for a general audience. Your poster will incorporate various forms of multimedia (audiovisual and interactive elements) and hosted using the software called Padlet. | Select any topic related to the course and develop a research paper for submission in the Sankofa Open Journal @UW. This article will be reviewed by the editors (I am one of the editors), who will recommend revisions, and if the submission is accepted it will be catalogued on the website for the journal. |
3. Group project (30%): The theme for this year's group project will be "Diasporic Jankunu." Each group will conceptualize an original character for inclusion in the Caribbean masquerade tradition of Jankunu but one that is inspired by Caribbean life in the diaspora (USA, Canada, UK). You will create a mythology for this character that will be presented as a short video along with a 3D digital rendering of the character in costume.
All due dates are added to LEARN & synchronized to the course MS Team
Main texts
(Selected chapters will be added to LEARN)
Arnold, A. James, et al., editors. A History of Literature in the Caribbean. J. Benjamins, 1994.
---, editors. A History of Literature in the Caribbean / 2, English- and Dutch-Speaking Regions. J. Benjamins, Cop, 2001.
Additional Reading
These are additional resources that you could consult when doing an assignment or for deeper exploration into one of the topics explored in the course.
(These readings aren't on LEARN but can be found on the library database)
Module 1: Language & Identity
Module 2: Oral literature
Module 3: Power, prestige, and language
Module 4: Contemporary issues in Caribbean language and literature
Course Policies
Late Assignments
If you think you will need extra time on an assignment, you need to make this known well in advance. Late penalties of up to 5% a day will apply in the event there is no acceptable reason for late submissions
Keeping in touch
Feel free to stop by during office hours and have a chat about your work. If for some reason you can’t come to the scheduled office hours, we can make an appointment to meet virtually do not wait until you feel completely overwhelmed to seek help. Let’s start talking as early as possible. The best way to contact me is via MS Teams.
Course Content
The content for this course will always be available on LEARN. There's no need to ask "what did I miss?" if you didn't attend class on a particular day. Stay up to date with content, readings, and announcements on LEARN.
Academic honesty
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integrity Webpage and the Arts Academic Integrity Office Webpage for more information.
Discipline
A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing academic offenses and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline