Theory and Methodology

Required MA Course (2019–2020) / Dr. Jonathan Stavsky

The past few decades have seen the rise of radically new approaches to the study of literature: from textual materialism to digital humanities, from cognitive poetics to transnationalism. At the same time, established theoretical fields such as narratology have evolved in response to challenges brought on by the shifts that have been taking place in society, technology, and global politics. Others long considered out of date, for example formalism, are making a comeback. What possibilities of reading have these methodologies opened up? How are they redefining the object of our study? What are their limitations?

This course aims to expose beginning MA students to some recent developments in literary theory while training you in conducting graduate-level research. You will learn how to uncover hidden assumptions, blind spots, and ideological blinkers in other people’s work; how to stake out an informed theoretical position; and how to bring theory and criticism into mutual dialogue with literary texts. As your final project, you will practice conceptualizing, planning, and executing a research paper that employs the advanced skills you have acquired.

Note that, as an integral part of this course, you must attend the departmental events that will take place on Thursday afternoons.

Prerequisites

This course is open to students who have been officially admitted into the MA program. If you are still taking supplementary courses (hashlamot), you must wait until you have completed them successfully before signing up.

If your previous studies did not include an introduction to literary theory and an advanced BA-level workshop on academic writing (such as our Proseminar), please consult the lecturer and the MA advisor in advance of the academic year.

Reading Material

Short theoretical, critical, and literary texts will be made available on the course website.

Evaluation

• Regular attendance during the entire course in ordinary and make-up classes as well as the departmental events that occasionally replace them (10%);
• Seven out of nine short assignments on the reading material (35%), each of which must be submitted via the course Moodle by 16:00 of the due date there specified;
• One short assignment that relates to a departmental event (5%), to be submitted via the course Moodle by 16:00 of the following Thursday;
• A research proposal for an MA seminar paper or your MA thesis, to be submitted via the course Moodle by the last class of the semester (5%);
• A draft chapter of an MA seminar paper or your MA thesis, to be submitted via the course Moodle by the deadline there specified (45%).

To pass this course, you must (1) attend the required number of classes, (2) receive an average grade of at least 60 for the short assignments, submit (3) the research proposal and (4) draft chapter on time via the course Moodle, and (5) receive a passing grade for each.

NOTE: You cannot get partial credit for this year-long course or split it between two years.