Researching Texts

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

This subject must be completed over two consecutive study periods (Semester 1 AND July) – 12.5 points total.

85 Hours

Admission into 101AA Ph.D.- Arts or DR-PHILART Doctor of Philosophy in Arts.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This fortnightly workshop will be structured around a dialectic between the close, slow, or deep reading of selected texts, performances and a range of contextual, historical and other theoretical approaches to literature, theatre and other forms of textually. It will encourage students to reflect upon their practice as researchers and writers, allowing them to consider their social, cultural and intellectual positioning in relation to the projects they are beginning to define. Students will examine a range of historical debates in different literary and cultural traditions regarding canonical and popular literature. Individual seminars will be devoted to key topics such as periodization, literary history, the archive, memory, style, reviewing and refereeing, translation and textually. We will also engage with current debates about the role of the humanities, and literature, more specifically, in contemporary culture and society. Students will read a range of texts and genres from the medieval period through to the twenty-first century, mostly written in English, but some in translation from other languages.

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of a range of historical debates in different literary and cultural traditions regarding canonical and popular literature; and
• have an enhanced awareness of the range of contemporary scholarship in their discipline or interdisciplinary area; and
• demonstrate an ability to reflect on, critically evaluate and synthesise the contemporary research literatures relevant to their thesis topic; and
• formulate and present the research proposal for their confirmation; and
• articulate the range of problems, concepts and theories relevant to their thesis and field of study.

1. One 2,500-word essay, due at the end of first semester (50%).
2. Written work totalling 2,500 words, due four weeks after the teaching period (50%).

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.