Students
ENGL734 – Jane Austen and her World
2014 – S2 Evening
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Geoffrey Payne
Contact via geoffrey.payne@mq.edu.au
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
4
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will explore the literary culture of Regency England, placing the iconic texts written by Jane Austen at the centre of an investigation of the contexts of the literary, social and political milieus that surrounded their production. Students will closely study Austen's novels, juvenilia and letters, and will be encouraged to research connections between her writings and prominent movements and debates that characterised the literary culture of her time.
|
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- 1. To critically engage with texts written by Jane Austen and by others who form part of the cultural and intellectual milieu that surrounded their production and reception.
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Class participation | 10% | Ongoing |
| Presentation and Report | 15% | As described below |
| Research Proposal + Lit Review | 25% | 21/09/14 |
| Research Essay (3000 words) | 50% | 16/11/14 |
Class participation
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%
Seminar attendance, preparation and participation in class activities.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- 1. To critically engage with texts written by Jane Austen and by others who form part of the cultural and intellectual milieu that surrounded their production and reception.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Presentation and Report
Due: As described below
Weighting: 15%
Students will report on one of the unit's set weekly topics and deliver a 6-10 minute presentation to the class in the appropriate week of semester. Following in-class feedback, the presentation will then be revised as a 750 word report, which will be submitted by the time of class in the week following the initial presentation. For further details of this task, see the unit handbook (available via the unit's iLearn site).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- 1. To critically engage with texts written by Jane Austen and by others who form part of the cultural and intellectual milieu that surrounded their production and reception.
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Research Proposal + Lit Review
Due: 21/09/14
Weighting: 25%
Students will develop a proposal for a topic for their final research essays and submit a bibliography of 6-10 appropriate scholarly resources that will form a preliminary basis for their research project. For further details of this task, see the unit handbook (available via the unit's iLearn site).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
Research Essay (3000 words)
Due: 16/11/14
Weighting: 50%
Students will produce an essay of 3000 words in length, based on the research proposal developed for assessment task 3.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- 1. To critically engage with texts written by Jane Austen and by others who form part of the cultural and intellectual milieu that surrounded their production and reception.
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
Delivery and Resources
Classes
Weekly Seminars: 2 hours.
For lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations.
Required and Recommended Texts and Materials.
Required Texts (in order of study):
Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice. Ed.Donald Gray. Norton Critical Edition. 3rd ed. New York and London: W.W. Norton &Co., 2001. Frances Burney. Evelina. Ed. Stewart J. Cooke. Norton Critical Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998. Jane Austen. Lady Susan. Eds. Christine Alexander and David Owen. Sydney: Juvenilia Press, 2005. Jane Austen. Northanger Abbey. Ed. Susan Fraiman. Norton Critical Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility. Ed. Claudia L. Johnson. Norton Critical Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2002. Jane Austen. Mansfield Park. Ed. Claudia L. Johnson. Norton Critical Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998. Walter Scott. Waverley. Jane Austen. Emma. Ed. George Justice. Norton Critical Edition. 4th ed. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2011. Jane Austen. Persuasion. Ed. Patricia Meyer Spacks. Norton Critical Edition. 2nd ed. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013.
In addition to those texts, students will be asked to read one biography dealing with Austen's life and to supply their own favourite instance(s) of Austen's use in modern contexts. Students will also be supplied with selections of other texts from Austen's oeuvre and from other contemporaneous writers (including letters, poems, travel-writings, conduct manuals, moral essays). These texts will be supplied via the unit's iLearn site and are detailed in the unit handbook.
A selection of secondary readings will be availble via e-Reserve at the Macquarie University Library.
Unit Schedule
Unit Schedule
| Week | Topic | Texts | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What shall we do with Jane? The dilemmas of approaching Jane Austen and the scholarship of Regency Literature | Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice | Class participation. |
| 2 | Influences and Contexts: Novelists, poets, moralists. | Frances Burney. Evelina. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 3 | Jane's Juvenilia: Investigating a Writer's Development. | Jane Austen. Lady Susan. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 4. | Genre and Mode: The Gothic and the Satirical. | Jane Austen. Northanger Abbey. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 5. | What's Biography got to do with It? | Selection of letters; biographical excerpts. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 6. | Jane's World: Geography, Travel, Spaces, Ecology | Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 7. | Assessment preparation and submission | n/a | Research Proposal and Literature Review (Due Sunday 21/09/14). |
| 8. | Jane Austen and the Political: Gender, Class, War, Colonialism | Jane Austen. Mansfield Park. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 9. | Contemporary Influence/s: The Regency Novel and Austen | Walter Scott. Waverley. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 10. | Style: Analysing Literary Discourse, Precision,and Verbal Elegance. |
Jane Austen. Emma. |
Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 11. | Jane Austen and Cognitive Historicism. | Jane Austen. Persuasion. | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 12. | Reception as Scholarly Approach: Austen in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. | No new texts | Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). |
| 13 | Jane Today. Adaptation, Cultural Cache, Canonicity and Popularism. | Students will bring in their own selections of how Austen's work is used in contemporary culture. |
Class participation. Student presentations (when nominated). Research Essay (due Sunday 16/11/14). |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- 1. To critically engage with texts written by Jane Austen and by others who form part of the cultural and intellectual milieu that surrounded their production and reception.
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
- Research Proposal + Lit Review
- Research Essay (3000 words)
PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- 2. To synthesize and analyse information relating to a variety of current critical approaches to the study of literature within the academy, demonstrating an ability to apply them to the texts under scrutiny on the course.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
- Research Proposal + Lit Review
- Research Essay (3000 words)
PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
- Research Proposal + Lit Review
- Research Essay (3000 words)
PG - Effective Communication
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
- Research Essay (3000 words)
PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- 3. To creatively apply knowledge of texts and critical approaches in developing research practices and projects.
- 4. To effectively communicate learning and research to peers and teachers (using oral and written forms).
- 5. To actively participate in the production of a scholarly community of learners that investigates issues pertaining to the intellectual parameters of the course.
Assessment tasks
- Class participation
- Presentation and Report
- Research Proposal + Lit Review
- Research Essay (3000 words)
Changes since First Published
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 28/02/2014 | The Description was updated. |