Matters of kinship are a major force in the structuring of communities. Kinship governs many kinds of ties ranging from enmity to 'suitable' partners, it suggests safety, reliability and a sense of ... read more
Matters of kinship are a major force in the structuring of communities. Kinship governs many kinds of ties ranging from enmity to 'suitable' partners, it suggests safety, reliability and a sense of origin, it dictates inclusion, responsibility and communication. Yet the notion of kinship can also break up traditional ideas of family, relationship and lineage. So-called patchwork families or secluded groups organised around abstract ideas disrupt the normative and naturalised connection of kinship and blood.
In this seminar, we will be looking at discourses of kinship and ask how questions of family, national and global histories, migration and gender influence and change these concepts in literature and other media.
Texts:
Dionne Brand, At the Full and Change of the Moon
Andrea Levy, A Long Song
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
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14 Class schedule
Additional appointments
Wed, 2013-07-03 16:00 - 18:00
Lecturers:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Cordula Lemke
Location:
K 31/102 Übungsraum (Habelschwerdter Allee 45)
