

- Are you interested becoming an expert in the languages, history and cultures of the Americas?
- Do you want to better understand the multifaceted relationship between language and culture?
- Do you want to be able to use your language skills to disseminate research findings at an international level?
- Are you aiming at a career in tourism, interpreting, translation or other forms of communication?
The MA in inter-American studies is a programme that can be tailored to suit a student's interests, allowing them to specialise in English, Spanish or French.
Programme structure
The programme is 120 ECTS and is organised as two years of full-time study.
The programme is made up of:
- Mandatory courses, 25 ECTS
- Elective courses, 65 ECTS
- Final project, 30 ECTS
Students select elective courses based on their own interests. Students are also strongly encouraged to spend one semester studying abroad.
Students choose between the following specialisations:
- Inter-American studies - English
- Inter-American studies - French
- Inter-American studies - Spanish
Organisation of teaching
This programme is taught in English, French, Spanish or Icelandic.
Main objectives
Students should:
acquire specialist knowledge of the languages, history and cultures of the Americas
be able to use the appropriate language to share academic knowledge on an international level
know the subject matter of their field of expertise as well as central issues
are able to use the most recent knowledge in their chosen field
Other
Completing an MA with a first class grade grants a student access to doctoral programmes in their chosen field.
A Bachelor’s degree (BA, B.Ed or a BS) with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of at least 7.25. The student must also meet the language proficiency requirement set for graduate studies in the relevant language(s): English, French and/or Spanish.
New students must have English language proficiency on the upper C1 level = TOEFL 100, IELTS 7.5.
On the information page, Proof of English Proficiency Requirements, under "Other ways to meet English proficiency", the following two clauses:
- You have completed at least one full year of full time higher education, taught in English, at an accredited higher education institution in a majority English speaking country (UK, USA, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada)
- You have completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in English (English BA or English MA)
are replaced by the single clause:
- A complete bachelor or masters degree taught in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or the US (however, please be aware that if your degree is a collaboration between a university in one of these countries and a second country not on the list, it will not count for this exemption). Please note that a bachelor or masters degree taught in English does not fulfil the requirement unless it is one of the specific cases listed above.
Of the 120 ECTS required for the program, students complete at least 55 ECTS in mandatory courses, including two 10 ECTS courses (20 ECTS), the MA-Seminar (5 ECTS) and the MA project (30 ECTS).
Aditionally students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits in course work on American languages and cultures, in English, French or Spanish. At least 20 credits thereof must be on their preferred language/cultural area.
In other respects students are free to select graduate courses offered in English, French Studies and Spanish as well as from other relevant programmes. Students are strongly encouraged to avail themselves of exchange studies abroad for a term.
Choice of the final thesis is decided by student specialization and is done in agreement with the programme supervisor.
This MA degree may be assessed for continued studies towards a doctorate degree in the selected field of specialization.
- Statement of purpose
- Reference 1, Name and email
- Reference 2, Name and email
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
Applicants must submit evidence of English proficiency on the upper C1 level. See the Self-assessment grid.
Minimum score: TOEFL 100, IELST 7.5 or PTE 76.
Further information on supporting documents can be found here
Programme structure
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
- First year
- Fall
- MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
- Theory and Writing
- Languages and Culture I
- Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
- Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
- Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
- Hollywood: Place and Myth
- Theory applied to Videogame Studies
- Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
- Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture
- Languages and Culture I
- Latin American Cinema
- Spanish Film Studies
- Individual Project
- Individual Project
- Seminar C: Lexicographia
- Spring 1
- Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
- Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
- American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
- "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
- Adaptations
- Second Language Research
- Language and Humor
- Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
- Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French
- Not taught this semesterData collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
- Culture and Dissent
- New Critical Approaches
- Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
- History of the Spanish Language
- Directed Study in Spanish
- Literature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border Region
- Not taught this semesterLatin American Literature: The 20th Century Novel
- The Latin American Literature: Short stories
- Not taught this semesterColonial Literature
- Not taught this semesterMA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígena
- Individual Project
- Individual Project
- Not taught this semesterKitchen passions, dieting, and food shows
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.
Theory and Writing (ENS231F)
This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.
Languages and Culture I (MOM301F)
This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.
This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G.
Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.
Second Language Theories and Pedagogy (ENS034F)
This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language.
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.
A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.
This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.
Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.
Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture (FRA103F)
A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.
Languages and Culture I (MOM301F)
This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
Latin American Cinema (SPÆ303M, SPÆ101M)
Special Theme: Contemporaneity: Social Contexts in Recent Visual Texts
This course will offer an introduction to a range of films from Latin America while examining cinema as a format embedded in the visual culture of the continent. From a sociological standpoint and in light of various strands of influential theoretical models, this course will consider the centrality of movies and television programs as cultural expressions of contemporaneity. This course embraces forms other than feature films or short films, images from media other than scenes from a film, and audience response platforms other than academic articles or reviews from critics. The emphasis is placed on visual texts released in the last decade. The focal points are cross-border / global production and reception, digitization of cinema and recent approaches to cultural identity (identity branding migratory displacement, films as artefacts of contestation, new understanding of gender and ethnicity, memory, neoliberalism and markets, mediatized narcoculture, social inclusion, core-periphery relations, new video cultures and affect). The class will be mainly taught in English
Spanish Film Studies (SPÆ303M, SPÆ101M)
This course will explore the history of Spanish cinema in twentieth century Spain, with particular emphasis on the post-Franco period. (The Cine-Club Hispano will be operated during the semester).
Individual Project (SPÆ705FSPÆ709F)
Individual project. A supervisor has to be found before signing up for it.
Individual Project (SPÆ705FSPÆ709F)
Individual project.
Seminar C: Lexicographia (SPÆ714F)
Seminar C. Lexicografía
Objetivo
En este seminario se pretende ofrecer una introducción a la lexicografía teórica (metalexicografía) como base para estudiar, valorar y usar los diccionarios del español tanto en formato impreso como electrónico. También se presenta el diccionario como herramienta pedagógica.
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement. Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity.
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.
Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.
Adaptations (ENS217F)
This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.
In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.
Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study.
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.
NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.
Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French (FRA218F)
The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.
New Critical Approaches (MIS201F)
A week-long intensive seminar in medieval studies held annually in mid May (usually sometime during the period May 10–30, taught by visiting faculty and covers a different subject every year.
Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition (MOM402M)
The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.
History of the Spanish Language (SPÆ202M)
An overview of the history and developments of the Spanish language.
Directed Study in Spanish (SPÆ208G)
Special project.
Literature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border Region (SPÆ402M)
A survey of literature and history of the Mexico-USA boarder regions. Works by Mexican and Mexico-American (Chicano) authors read.
Latin American Literature: The 20th Century Novel (SPÆ405M)
An introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
The Latin American Literature: Short stories (SPÆ412M)
An introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Colonial Literature (SPÆ501M)
This course will explore literature from the colonial period, with particular emphasis on the role of the conquest gaze as a promoting factor in the image making for the new world. Geographic, literary, and ethnic issues will be examined.
MA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígena (SPÆ801F)
MA-seminar: literature
Individual Project (SPÆ804FSPÆ806F)
Individual project.
Individual Project (SPÆ804FSPÆ806F)
Individual project.
Kitchen passions, dieting, and food shows (ÞJÓ609M)
NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.
Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.
Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?
In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.
- Second year
- Fall
- MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
- Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
- Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
- Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
- Hollywood: Place and Myth
- Theory applied to Videogame Studies
- Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
- Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture
- Languages and Culture I
- Latin American Cinema
- Spanish Film Studies
- Individual Project
- Individual Project
- Seminar C: Lexicographia
- Final Project in Inter-American Studies
- Final Project in Inter-American Studies
- Final project in Inter-American Studies
- Academic Studies and Research
- Theories in Humanities
- Fundamentals in Web Communications
- Writing and Editing
- Writing and Editing
- Spring 1
- Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
- Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
- American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
- "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
- Adaptations
- Second Language Research
- Language and Humor
- Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
- Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French
- Not taught this semesterData collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
- Culture and Dissent
- New Critical Approaches
- Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
- History of the Spanish Language
- Directed Study in Spanish
- Literature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border Region
- Not taught this semesterLatin American Literature: The 20th Century Novel
- The Latin American Literature: Short stories
- Not taught this semesterColonial Literature
- Not taught this semesterMA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígena
- Individual Project
- Individual Project
- Not taught this semesterKitchen passions, dieting, and food shows
- Final Project in Inter-American Studies
- Final Project in Inter-American Studies
- Final Project in Inter-American Studies
- Images, power and orientalism
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.
This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G.
Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.
Second Language Theories and Pedagogy (ENS034F)
This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language.
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.
A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.
This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.
Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.
Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture (FRA103F)
A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.
Languages and Culture I (MOM301F)
This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
Latin American Cinema (SPÆ303M, SPÆ101M)
Special Theme: Contemporaneity: Social Contexts in Recent Visual Texts
This course will offer an introduction to a range of films from Latin America while examining cinema as a format embedded in the visual culture of the continent. From a sociological standpoint and in light of various strands of influential theoretical models, this course will consider the centrality of movies and television programs as cultural expressions of contemporaneity. This course embraces forms other than feature films or short films, images from media other than scenes from a film, and audience response platforms other than academic articles or reviews from critics. The emphasis is placed on visual texts released in the last decade. The focal points are cross-border / global production and reception, digitization of cinema and recent approaches to cultural identity (identity branding migratory displacement, films as artefacts of contestation, new understanding of gender and ethnicity, memory, neoliberalism and markets, mediatized narcoculture, social inclusion, core-periphery relations, new video cultures and affect). The class will be mainly taught in English
Spanish Film Studies (SPÆ303M, SPÆ101M)
This course will explore the history of Spanish cinema in twentieth century Spain, with particular emphasis on the post-Franco period. (The Cine-Club Hispano will be operated during the semester).
Individual Project (SPÆ705FSPÆ709F)
Individual project. A supervisor has to be found before signing up for it.
Individual Project (SPÆ705FSPÆ709F)
Individual project.
Seminar C: Lexicographia (SPÆ714F)
Seminar C. Lexicografía
Objetivo
En este seminario se pretende ofrecer una introducción a la lexicografía teórica (metalexicografía) como base para estudiar, valorar y usar los diccionarios del español tanto en formato impreso como electrónico. También se presenta el diccionario como herramienta pedagógica.
Final Project in Inter-American Studies (AME304L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies written in English.
Final Project in Inter-American Studies (AME305L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in French but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
Final project in Inter-American Studies (AME306L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in Spanish but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
Academic Studies and Research (ABF902F)
In this course, MA students in Comparative literature, Cultural studies and Film studies prepare for their final thesis. The group meets every two weeks during the semester. In the first half of the semester, the focus is on selecting a thesis topic, determining and searching primary sources, formulating a research question and other questions about getting started with a final thesis. Students then turn their attention to the theoretical background for their work and its theoretical basis. This work also involves critical reflection on search methods and approaches to texts. The third part of the course is dedicated to student presentations and discussion, where students and instructors come together to discuss research proposals, give feedback and get constructive criticism. The final product of the course is a report with a research proposal, partial bibliography and commentary on thesis aims, theory and methods. Students are also required to write a working diary describing their preparation process and readings and explaining the relation of different texts to their work. Course evaluation is based on this working diary (20%), class presentation (25%) and final paper (55%).
Theories in Humanities (FOR709F)
The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.
Fundamentals in Web Communications (HMM120F)
Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.
The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.
Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).
This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).
This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement. Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity.
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.
Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.
Adaptations (ENS217F)
This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.
In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.
Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study.
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.
NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.
Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French (FRA218F)
The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.
New Critical Approaches (MIS201F)
A week-long intensive seminar in medieval studies held annually in mid May (usually sometime during the period May 10–30, taught by visiting faculty and covers a different subject every year.
Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition (MOM402M)
The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.
History of the Spanish Language (SPÆ202M)
An overview of the history and developments of the Spanish language.
Directed Study in Spanish (SPÆ208G)
Special project.
Literature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border Region (SPÆ402M)
A survey of literature and history of the Mexico-USA boarder regions. Works by Mexican and Mexico-American (Chicano) authors read.
Latin American Literature: The 20th Century Novel (SPÆ405M)
An introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
The Latin American Literature: Short stories (SPÆ412M)
An introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Colonial Literature (SPÆ501M)
This course will explore literature from the colonial period, with particular emphasis on the role of the conquest gaze as a promoting factor in the image making for the new world. Geographic, literary, and ethnic issues will be examined.
MA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígena (SPÆ801F)
MA-seminar: literature
Individual Project (SPÆ804FSPÆ806F)
Individual project.
Individual Project (SPÆ804FSPÆ806F)
Individual project.
Kitchen passions, dieting, and food shows (ÞJÓ609M)
NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.
Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.
Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?
In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.
Final Project in Inter-American Studies (AME445L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies written in English.
Final Project in Inter-American Studies (AME446L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in French but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
Final Project in Inter-American Studies (AME447L)
Final project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in Spanish but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
Images, power and orientalism (MAN101F)
The course focuses on stereotypes and prejudice as manifestations of Othering processes and racism, by using the lens of critical race theories and postcolonial perspectives. The course emphasizes the interlinking of past and present discourses and images about those categorized as Others and how Othering takes place. For this purpose, it analyses colonial imaginaries and of the historical connection of orientalism with key concepts such as culture, identity, and development. It thus highlights the connection between older colonial discourses, nationalism, and contemporary imageries that target marginalized groups, with a specific focus on the European context.
The course asks how discourses shape bodies and identities of specific groups or categories of people, as well as the social and physical spaces they inhabit. The course also addresses the issue of agency and strategies of resistance against Othering processes and racism, and explores the delicate role that anthropological knowledge, and social theory more in general, plays in this scenario.
The course will be taught in English.
- Fall
- ENS113FMA-Seminar: Graduate Student ConferenceMandatory (required) course5A mandatory (required) course for the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse Description
All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS231FTheory and WritingMandatory (required) course10A mandatory (required) course for the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMOM301FLanguages and Culture IMandatory (required) course10A mandatory (required) course for the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
PrerequisitesENS501FResearch Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist LegacyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionJane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.
Distance learningPrerequisitesENS022FResearch Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and FilmsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.
This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G.
Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.
PrerequisitesENS034FSecond Language Theories and PedagogyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesENS352MHollywood: Place and MythElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionWhat does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.
A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.
This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS508MTheory applied to Videogame StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.
PrerequisitesFOR701MThirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday ObjectsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionConventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesFRA103FIndividual Project. Political System, History and CultureElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.
PrerequisitesMOM301FLanguages and Culture IElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
PrerequisitesSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MLatin American CinemaElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial Theme: Contemporaneity: Social Contexts in Recent Visual Texts
This course will offer an introduction to a range of films from Latin America while examining cinema as a format embedded in the visual culture of the continent. From a sociological standpoint and in light of various strands of influential theoretical models, this course will consider the centrality of movies and television programs as cultural expressions of contemporaneity. This course embraces forms other than feature films or short films, images from media other than scenes from a film, and audience response platforms other than academic articles or reviews from critics. The emphasis is placed on visual texts released in the last decade. The focal points are cross-border / global production and reception, digitization of cinema and recent approaches to cultural identity (identity branding migratory displacement, films as artefacts of contestation, new understanding of gender and ethnicity, memory, neoliberalism and markets, mediatized narcoculture, social inclusion, core-periphery relations, new video cultures and affect). The class will be mainly taught in English
Distance learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MSpanish Film StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course will explore the history of Spanish cinema in twentieth century Spain, with particular emphasis on the post-Franco period. (The Cine-Club Hispano will be operated during the semester).
Distance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ705FSPÆ709FIndividual ProjectElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIndividual project. A supervisor has to be found before signing up for it.
PrerequisitesSPÆ714FSeminar C: LexicographiaElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSeminar C. Lexicografía
Objetivo
En este seminario se pretende ofrecer una introducción a la lexicografía teórica (metalexicografía) como base para estudiar, valorar y usar los diccionarios del español tanto en formato impreso como electrónico. También se presenta el diccionario como herramienta pedagógica.
Prerequisites- Spring 2
ENS520MMedia and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscapeElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAs the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesENS718FVerb Semantics and Argument RealisationElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS521MAmerican Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19Elective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionDeborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement. Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS519M"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective FictionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.
Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionThis class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.
In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.
Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.PrerequisitesENS235FSecond Language ResearchElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionUtilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.
PrerequisitesENS448FAngels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in FictionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.
NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.
PrerequisitesFRA218FIndividual Project. Usage and Presentation: FrenchElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.
PrerequisitesNot taught this semesterÍSL612MData collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technologyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionRecent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.
PrerequisitesMFR703MCulture and DissentElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMIS201FNew Critical ApproachesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA week-long intensive seminar in medieval studies held annually in mid May (usually sometime during the period May 10–30, taught by visiting faculty and covers a different subject every year.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMOM402MLanguages and Culture II: The European Intellectual TraditionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ202MHistory of the Spanish LanguageElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn overview of the history and developments of the Spanish language.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesSPÆ208GDirected Study in SpanishElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial project.
PrerequisitesSPÆ402MLiterature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border RegionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA survey of literature and history of the Mexico-USA boarder regions. Works by Mexican and Mexico-American (Chicano) authors read.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ405MLatin American Literature: The 20th Century NovelElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesSPÆ412MThe Latin American Literature: Short storiesElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ501MColonial LiteratureElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course will explore literature from the colonial period, with particular emphasis on the role of the conquest gaze as a promoting factor in the image making for the new world. Geographic, literary, and ethnic issues will be examined.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ801FMA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígenaElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionMA-seminar: literature
PrerequisitesSPÆ804FSPÆ806FIndividual ProjectElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIndividual project.
PrerequisitesNot taught this semesterÞJÓ609MKitchen passions, dieting, and food showsElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionNOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.
Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.
Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?
In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.
Prerequisites- Fall
- ENS113FMA-Seminar: Graduate Student ConferenceMandatory (required) course5A mandatory (required) course for the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse Description
All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS501FResearch Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist LegacyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionJane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.
Distance learningPrerequisitesENS022FResearch Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and FilmsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.
This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G.
Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.
PrerequisitesENS034FSecond Language Theories and PedagogyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesENS352MHollywood: Place and MythElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionWhat does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.
A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.
This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS508MTheory applied to Videogame StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.
PrerequisitesFOR701MThirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday ObjectsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionConventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesFRA103FIndividual Project. Political System, History and CultureElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.
PrerequisitesMOM301FLanguages and Culture IElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
PrerequisitesSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MLatin American CinemaElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial Theme: Contemporaneity: Social Contexts in Recent Visual Texts
This course will offer an introduction to a range of films from Latin America while examining cinema as a format embedded in the visual culture of the continent. From a sociological standpoint and in light of various strands of influential theoretical models, this course will consider the centrality of movies and television programs as cultural expressions of contemporaneity. This course embraces forms other than feature films or short films, images from media other than scenes from a film, and audience response platforms other than academic articles or reviews from critics. The emphasis is placed on visual texts released in the last decade. The focal points are cross-border / global production and reception, digitization of cinema and recent approaches to cultural identity (identity branding migratory displacement, films as artefacts of contestation, new understanding of gender and ethnicity, memory, neoliberalism and markets, mediatized narcoculture, social inclusion, core-periphery relations, new video cultures and affect). The class will be mainly taught in English
Distance learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MSpanish Film StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course will explore the history of Spanish cinema in twentieth century Spain, with particular emphasis on the post-Franco period. (The Cine-Club Hispano will be operated during the semester).
Distance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ705FSPÆ709FIndividual ProjectElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIndividual project. A supervisor has to be found before signing up for it.
PrerequisitesSPÆ714FSeminar C: LexicographiaElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSeminar C. Lexicografía
Objetivo
En este seminario se pretende ofrecer una introducción a la lexicografía teórica (metalexicografía) como base para estudiar, valorar y usar los diccionarios del español tanto en formato impreso como electrónico. También se presenta el diccionario como herramienta pedagógica.
PrerequisitesAME304LFinal Project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies written in English.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsAME305LFinal Project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in French but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsAME306LFinal project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in Spanish but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsABF902FAcademic Studies and ResearchElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIn this course, MA students in Comparative literature, Cultural studies and Film studies prepare for their final thesis. The group meets every two weeks during the semester. In the first half of the semester, the focus is on selecting a thesis topic, determining and searching primary sources, formulating a research question and other questions about getting started with a final thesis. Students then turn their attention to the theoretical background for their work and its theoretical basis. This work also involves critical reflection on search methods and approaches to texts. The third part of the course is dedicated to student presentations and discussion, where students and instructors come together to discuss research proposals, give feedback and get constructive criticism. The final product of the course is a report with a research proposal, partial bibliography and commentary on thesis aims, theory and methods. Students are also required to write a working diary describing their preparation process and readings and explaining the relation of different texts to their work. Course evaluation is based on this working diary (20%), class presentation (25%) and final paper (55%).
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesFOR709FTheories in HumanitiesElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesHMM120FFundamentals in Web CommunicationsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionConstant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.
The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.
Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesÍSL101FWriting and EditingElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionTraining in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).
This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesÍSL101FWriting and EditingElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionTraining in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).
This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisites- Spring 2
ENS520MMedia and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscapeElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAs the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesENS718FVerb Semantics and Argument RealisationElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS521MAmerican Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19Elective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionDeborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement. Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS519M"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective FictionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.
Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionThis class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.
In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.
Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.PrerequisitesENS235FSecond Language ResearchElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionUtilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.
PrerequisitesENS448FAngels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in FictionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.
NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.
PrerequisitesFRA218FIndividual Project. Usage and Presentation: FrenchElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.
PrerequisitesNot taught this semesterÍSL612MData collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technologyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionRecent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.
PrerequisitesMFR703MCulture and DissentElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMIS201FNew Critical ApproachesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA week-long intensive seminar in medieval studies held annually in mid May (usually sometime during the period May 10–30, taught by visiting faculty and covers a different subject every year.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMOM402MLanguages and Culture II: The European Intellectual TraditionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ202MHistory of the Spanish LanguageElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn overview of the history and developments of the Spanish language.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesSPÆ208GDirected Study in SpanishElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial project.
PrerequisitesSPÆ402MLiterature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border RegionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA survey of literature and history of the Mexico-USA boarder regions. Works by Mexican and Mexico-American (Chicano) authors read.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ405MLatin American Literature: The 20th Century NovelElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesSPÆ412MThe Latin American Literature: Short storiesElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn introductory course in Latin American Literature. Literary works include poems, short stories and novels.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ501MColonial LiteratureElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course will explore literature from the colonial period, with particular emphasis on the role of the conquest gaze as a promoting factor in the image making for the new world. Geographic, literary, and ethnic issues will be examined.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ801FMA-seminar B: Literature indigenista/indígenaElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionMA-seminar: literature
PrerequisitesSPÆ804FSPÆ806FIndividual ProjectElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIndividual project.
PrerequisitesNot taught this semesterÞJÓ609MKitchen passions, dieting, and food showsElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionNOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.
Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.
Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?
In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.
PrerequisitesAME445LFinal Project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies written in English.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsAME446LFinal Project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in French but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsAME447LFinal Project in Inter-American StudiesMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionFinal project in Inter-American Studies. The project should be in Spanish but the supervisor makes the decision in agreement with the student.
PrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsMAN101FImages, power and orientalismElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe course focuses on stereotypes and prejudice as manifestations of Othering processes and racism, by using the lens of critical race theories and postcolonial perspectives. The course emphasizes the interlinking of past and present discourses and images about those categorized as Others and how Othering takes place. For this purpose, it analyses colonial imaginaries and of the historical connection of orientalism with key concepts such as culture, identity, and development. It thus highlights the connection between older colonial discourses, nationalism, and contemporary imageries that target marginalized groups, with a specific focus on the European context.
The course asks how discourses shape bodies and identities of specific groups or categories of people, as well as the social and physical spaces they inhabit. The course also addresses the issue of agency and strategies of resistance against Othering processes and racism, and explores the delicate role that anthropological knowledge, and social theory more in general, plays in this scenario.
The course will be taught in English.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesSecond year- Fall
- ENS113FMA-Seminar: Graduate Student ConferenceMandatory (required) course5A mandatory (required) course for the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse Description
All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS231FTheory and WritingMandatory (required) course10A mandatory (required) course for the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMOM301FLanguages and Culture IMandatory (required) course10A mandatory (required) course for the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
PrerequisitesENS501FResearch Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist LegacyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionJane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.
Distance learningPrerequisitesENS022FResearch Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and FilmsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.
This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G.
Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.
PrerequisitesENS034FSecond Language Theories and PedagogyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesENS352MHollywood: Place and MythElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionWhat does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.
A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.
This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS508MTheory applied to Videogame StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.
PrerequisitesFOR701MThirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday ObjectsElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionConventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesFRA103FIndividual Project. Political System, History and CultureElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.
PrerequisitesMOM301FLanguages and Culture IElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.
PrerequisitesSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MLatin American CinemaElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial Theme: Contemporaneity: Social Contexts in Recent Visual Texts
This course will offer an introduction to a range of films from Latin America while examining cinema as a format embedded in the visual culture of the continent. From a sociological standpoint and in light of various strands of influential theoretical models, this course will consider the centrality of movies and television programs as cultural expressions of contemporaneity. This course embraces forms other than feature films or short films, images from media other than scenes from a film, and audience response platforms other than academic articles or reviews from critics. The emphasis is placed on visual texts released in the last decade. The focal points are cross-border / global production and reception, digitization of cinema and recent approaches to cultural identity (identity branding migratory displacement, films as artefacts of contestation, new understanding of gender and ethnicity, memory, neoliberalism and markets, mediatized narcoculture, social inclusion, core-periphery relations, new video cultures and affect). The class will be mainly taught in English
Distance learningPrerequisitesNot taught this semesterSPÆ303M, SPÆ101MSpanish Film StudiesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course will explore the history of Spanish cinema in twentieth century Spain, with particular emphasis on the post-Franco period. (The Cine-Club Hispano will be operated during the semester).
Distance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ705FSPÆ709FIndividual ProjectElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionIndividual project. A supervisor has to be found before signing up for it.
PrerequisitesSPÆ714FSeminar C: LexicographiaElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSeminar C. Lexicografía
Objetivo
En este seminario se pretende ofrecer una introducción a la lexicografía teórica (metalexicografía) como base para estudiar, valorar y usar los diccionarios del español tanto en formato impreso como electrónico. También se presenta el diccionario como herramienta pedagógica.
Prerequisites- Spring 2
ENS520MMedia and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscapeElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAs the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesENS718FVerb Semantics and Argument RealisationElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS521MAmerican Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19Elective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionDeborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement. Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesENS519M"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective FictionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.
Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionThis class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.
In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.
Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.PrerequisitesENS235FSecond Language ResearchElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study.
Face-to-face learningOnline learningPrerequisitesCourse DescriptionUtilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.
PrerequisitesENS448FAngels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in FictionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.
NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.
PrerequisitesFRA218FIndividual Project. Usage and Presentation: FrenchElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.
PrerequisitesNot taught this semesterÍSL612MData collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technologyElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionRecent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.
PrerequisitesMFR703MCulture and DissentElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMIS201FNew Critical ApproachesElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionA week-long intensive seminar in medieval studies held annually in mid May (usually sometime during the period May 10–30, taught by visiting faculty and covers a different subject every year.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesMOM402MLanguages and Culture II: The European Intellectual TraditionElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThe European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.
Face-to-face learningDistance learningPrerequisitesSPÆ202MHistory of the Spanish LanguageElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionAn overview of the history and developments of the Spanish language.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesSPÆ208GDirected Study in SpanishElective course5Free elective course within the programme5 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionSpecial project.
PrerequisitesSPÆ402MLiterature and Culture of the Mexico-US Border RegionElective course10Free elective course within the programme10 ECTS, credits