C9120 - LETTERATURA CINESE (LM)

Learning outcomes

The students possess in-depth knowledge of the history, development, and distinctive features of modern and contemporary Chinese literature, as well as of Sinophone cultural productions outside of China, with particular attention to the relationship between literary texts and their historical, artistic, and linguistic contexts. They are familiar with and able to apply practical methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.

Course contents

The Cultural Politics of Chinese Literature and Translation

 

The dissemination, reception, consumption, and even discussion of cultural products - including literary texts - are phenomena that are strongly shaped by the material, ideological, and political conditions in which they take place. In the age of the internet, this must necessarily be complemented by an examination of the new dynamics governing the consumption, circulation, and even production of literary texts within digital spaces. These factors exert a decisive influence on the kinds of culture produced in a given place and historical moment, not by replacing the author, but by interacting with their intentions and ideas.

Taking this perspective as its point of departure, the course examines some of the most pressing and compelling cases through which to investigate the transformations of the contemporary Chinese literary scene. In particular, we will explore the relationship between authors, the state cultural establishment, the publishing market, and readers in the digital age. Finally, in keeping with the MA programme’s multilingual and inter-/transcultural approach, we will incorporate a reflection on translation (interlingual, cultural, and intermedial), seeking to understand whether and how dynamics associated with Orientalism are reproduced.

The aim of the course is to provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to conduct independent research in Chinese literary and cultural studies.

A more detailed syllabus will be uploaded to Virtuale at the beginning of the course. The course will be structured around the following topics:

• Sociology of cultural production and materialist criticism: key concepts and approaches
• The Chinese literary field: cultural policy under Xi Jinping, the challenges and possibilities of the internet, and key concepts for understanding the contemporary landscape
• Case study: the (extra)ordinary writings of ordinary people in the genre of “New Mass Literature” (新大众文艺)
• Case study: danmei (耽美) between dissent and assimilation
• Case study: science fiction, The Three-Body Problem (三体), and its Netflix adaptation

Readings/Bibliography

Please refer to the main Italian page for a list of readings.

Teaching methods

Seminar-style lessons, with active student participation. In addition to lectures, the course will include sessions devoted to discussion and the analysis of primary and secondary sources.

The primary sources will mostly be in Chinese, but knowledge of the language is not required for satisfactory participation in the course.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Assessment methods

The exam is based on the discussion of the term paper (approx. 4,000–5,000 words, excluding notes and bibliography). The paper must analyze either a literary text or a phenomenon involving the interaction between culture (visual arts, cinema, literature, music, serial narratives, etc.) and society. The topic should be independently selected and investigated by the student, based on a critically discussed corpus of primary and/or secondary sources. Further details will be provided during class, and the instructor is available for any clarifications.

The topic must be approved by the instructor at least two months prior to the chosen exam date. The final paper must be submitted no later than seven working days before the exam date (i.e., by the Almaesami registration deadline).

Attending students must submit, at the end of each case study, a short paper (2–3 pages) commenting on the critical essays and literary texts analyzed in class.

Non-attending students, instead, will answer three specific questions to demonstrate their knowledge of the critical readings listed in the updated bibliography, comprehensive of articles uploaded on the Virtuale platform.

Assessment rubrics are available on the Virtuale platform from the beginning of the course.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support individual study through supplementary explanations, summaries, and self-assessment activities. With regard to assessment, a limited, declared, and non-substantive use of AI is permitted for support tasks such as summarisation and rephrasing. The use of AI tools in planning or structuring coursework should preferably be undertaken in consultation with the instructor.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations, Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Picerni