Course Syllabus
| Semester & Location: |
Summer session 2 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Summer Course - 3 credits |
| Study Tours: |
Belgium - France |
| Major Disciplines: |
Literature, History, Anthropology |
| Prerequisite(s): |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Ditte Marie Egebjerg-Rantzau Canvas Inbox) |
| Time & Place: |
Classroom: F24-402 - Class times will vary, please see calendar |
Course Description
This course examines European colonial narratives and how they continue to inform current discourses of immigration, culture, and race in Europe. A comparative approach in this course allows for a deconstruction of national narratives of exceptionalism, innocence, and benevolence. These narratives have enabled European nations to marginalize and romanticize their colonial past, each in their own unique ways. Why has it taken so long for Europe to address its colonial past? What are the consequences for Europe’s postcolonial migrants and their descendants? With Denmark, Belgium, and France as our case studies, we will investigate these questions and more. In class, on field studies and during our study tour to Brussels and Marseille, we we will look into how colonial narratives are challenged in decolonial work by artists, writers, thinkers, filmmakers, and activists.
Learning Objectives
- identify colonial structures in today's society
- identify colonial narratives via analysis of various cultural materials
- understand the interrelation between Europe's colonial past and current immigration issues
Faculty
Ditte Marie Egebjerg-Rantzau, cand. mag. in Nordic Literature and French, University of Copenhagen. BA studies in French Literature, Paul Valéry University, Montpellier, France. Vice Consul at the Royal Danish Consulate of Ethiopia (2000). Educator at Novo Nordisk and Mærsk (>2006). With DIS since 2006. Other courses taught by Ditte Marie Egebjerg-Rantzau: Social Change and Active Citizenship (SU1) and Danish Language and Culture. Areas of specialization: Memory studies, postcolonial studies and civic education.
Readings
Andreassen, Rikke: “Race Science and Racial Hierarchies” in Andreassen, "Human Exhibitions, Race, Gender and Sexuality in Ethnic Displays", Ashgate 2015
Andreassen, Rikke “Humans on Display” in Andreassen, "Human Exhibitions, Race, Gender and Sexuality in Ethnic Displays", Ashgate 2015, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017
Arens, Sarah: “From Mobuto to Molenbeek: Belgium and Postcolonialism”, in Jensen et al. (eds), Postcolonial Europe: Comparative Reflections after the Empires, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017
Bhambra, Gurminda K. “Postcolonial Europe: Afterword”, in Jensen et al. (eds), Postcolonial Europe: Comparative Reflections after the Empires, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017
Blanchard, Pascal and Thomas, Dominic: "Introduction: A Decade of Postcolonial Crisis: Fracture, Rupture and Apartheid (2005-2015). In: Bancel et al. "Colonial Legacy in France - Fracture, Rupture and Apartheid", Indiana University Press 2017.
Boëtsch, Gilles “From Cabinets of Curiosity to the ‘Hottentot Venus’” in Bancel et al. "The Invention of Race: Scientific and Popular Representations", Routledge 2014
Buettner, Elizabeth: "Europe and its entangled colonial pasts: Europeanizing "The "imperial turn". In: Knudsen, Britta Timm, Taylor and Francis 2022.
Jensen, Lars: “Danishness and Whiteness in Crisis”, in Loftsdottir et al. Whiteness and Postcolonialism in the Nordic Region. Exceptionalism, Migrant Others and National identities, Routledge 2012
Peabody, Rebecca et al.: "Visualizing Empire. Africa, Europe and the Politics of Representation, Getty Reseach Institute, 2021.
Said, Edward "Introduction" in Orientalism, Penguin, 2003.
Slimani, Leila: "The Country of Others, Faber & Faber, 2022 (French edition, 2020)
Movies:
The Battle of Algiers, by Antonio Musu and Saadi Yacef, 1966.
The Hate, by Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995.
Les Miserables, Ladj Ly, 2019.
Approach to Teaching
Our classes will offer lectures, small group assignments, class discussion, and peer-teaching seminars. We will use Copenhagen, Brussels and Marseille as our classroom as we visit exhibits, explore colonial traces in cities and when we engage in conversations with activists, curators and artists.
This course will include analysis and discussion of literature, film, art, monuments and political speeches. Because colonialism is a cultural process manifested in thought patterns and narratives, it requires a broad approach to analyze it.
Expectations of the Students
Our classes will be interactive and include many small group discussions and assignments. It is therefore essential that everyone comes fully prepared to class and ready to engage actively.
Evaluation
Active engagement
We are embarking on a collective learning journey, and from day one we will work on co-creating a strong class room community together. Active engagement is not only about raising your voice in class, but also about actively listening to guest speakers and not the least, the contributions of your peers. I will expect you to limit screen use in class, on field trips and during study tours to a minimum.
Discussion Posts
Discussion posts will be assigned to supplement our class room discussions. During our study tour, the discussion posts will offer us a chance to reflect on academic visits and raise questions which deserve further research.
Peer led discussions
In groups, you will be responsible for exploring a topic in more depth and subsequently leading a class session about this topic. The group project will offer you a chance to delve more elaborately into a topic that is relevant for your majors and / or you are passionate about. More info in class.
Final paper
Your final paper will draw from your discussion posts as well as ideas and issues explored in your peer teaching project. It will offer you a chance to analyze and discuss selected questions in more depth.
Grading
| Assignment |
Percent |
| Active Engagement in class, on field studies + study tour. |
40 % |
|
Discussion posts in Canvas |
20 % |
|
Peer led discussions (in groups) |
20 % |
|
Final Paper |
20 % |
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|