This is a semester long course for honours students in the School of Humanities and Languages, whose disciplines include Asian Studies, Environmental Humanities, European Studies, History, Language Studies, Linguistics, and Philosophy.

Textuality is a quality attributable not only to written texts but to a wide variety of intellectual practices. This course assumes a broadened definition of “text” as a cultural artefact and symbolic expression of individual and communal identity. Through critical textual analysis the course aims to show students how to understand and analyse written, visual and/or musical texts by exploring their historical, geographical, philosophical, socio-political, linguistic and cultural contexts. In addition, it promotes a critical awareness of the often problematic relationship between western and non-western theoretical approaches.

Students will be encouraged to conduct close readings of primary and secondary texts, analyze their arguments, critically reflect on the contemporary significance of the ideas expressed, and to connect the critical approaches discussed in the course to their own research interests. The course has a disciplinary focus achieved through a program of directed readings and an interdisciplinary focus in which the student participates in interdisciplinary reading groups.