Prerequisits:

None required.

Content (Syllabus outline):

This course explains the history, social context, and importance of the spatial turn in the humanities and social sciences. According to modern conceptions, spaces are ontologically multilayered, dynamic, and socially produced. This perspective forms the basis for outlining the history of the relationships between geography and literary studies, including the development of literary maps. The main part of the lectures focuses on literary geography and cartography (especially using geographic information systems) as an analytical method for the historical treatment of topics, forms, genres, and the social life of literatures, as well as relations between literatures. Research on the Slovenian literature environment is presented in greater detail.

Readings:

• Bodenhamer, David. J., John Corrigan in Trevor M. Harris, ur. The Spatial Humanities: GIS and the Future of Humanities Scholarship. Bloomington in Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 2010.
• Clarke, M. T., David Wittenberg, ur. Scale in Literature and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
• Cooper, D., Christopher E. Donaldson, Patricia Murrieta-Flores, ur. Literary Mapping in the Digital Age. London: Routledge, 2017.
• Dear, Michael, Jim Ketchum, Sarah Luria in Douglas Richardson, ur. Geohumanities: Art, History, Text at the Edge of Place. London in New York: Routledge, 2011.
• Dolgan, Marjan, Jerneja Fridl in Manca Volk. Literarni atlas Ljubljane. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2014.
• Döring, Jörg in Tristan Thielmann, ur. Spatial Turn. Das Raumparadigma in den Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften. Bielefeld: Transcript, 2008.
• Dović, Marijan, Jernej Habjan in Marko Juvan, ur. Prostorski obrat v literarni vedi / The Spatial Turn in Literary Studies = Primerjalna književnost 36.2 (2013).
• Harvey, David. Kozmopolitstvo in geografije svobode. Prev. Polona Petek. Ljubljana: Sophia, 2011.
• Juvan, Marko, ur. Prostori slovenske književnosti. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC, 2016.
• Juvan, Marko. From Spatial Turn to GIS-Mapping of Literary Cultures. European Review 23.1 (2015): 81–96.
• Moretti, Franco. Grafi, zemljevidi, drevesa in drugi spisi o svetovni literaturi. Izbor, prevod, spremna beseda Jernej Habjan. Ljubljana: Studia humanitatis, 2011.
• Perenič, Urška, ur. Prostor v literaturi in literatura v prostoru = Slavistična revija 60.3 (2012).
• Tally, Robert T. Spatiality. London and New York: Routledge, 2013.

Objectives and competences:

Students are introduced to the role of the spatial turn in paradigm changes and the modern humanities, and learn what makes the new conceptions of the relationship between spaces and cultural practices important for (national and comparative) literary history. They familiarize themselves with the history of interactions between geographical space and literature as a spatial practice, the history of literary cartography, and the structure of thematic maps, and they learn to use GIS in literary system analyses.

Intended learning outcomes:

Students use the knowledge acquired in the course to write a piece of academic writing that can serve as a draft of a dissertation chapter or a research article.

Learning and teaching methods:

Types of learning/teaching:

• Frontal teaching
• Work in smaller groups or pair work
• Independent students work
• e-learning

Teaching methods:

• Explanation
• Conversation/discussion/debate
• Work with texts
• Case studies

Assessment:

• 70 % Long written assignments
• 20 % Presentations
• 10 % Active participation in lectures and seminars.