ENG-207 Topics in Literature

This course examines literature through selected themes that illuminate cultural, social, and ethical questions central to the human experience. As a special topics course, the thematic focus and primary texts change each semester. Topics may include the graphic novel, environmental literature, contemporary American poetry, women in literature, food and culture, crime fiction, utopias and alternative social structures, literature and film adaptation, and science or speculative fiction.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENG-101

Lecture Contact Hours

3

Lab Contact Hours

0

Other Contact Hours

0

Department

• Humanities

Grading Scheme

• Letter

SUNY Gen Ed Credit

• No

Semesters Course Will Be Offered

• Fall
• Spring

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Students will read and analyze a variety of popular literary texts in order to better understand the social and cultural contexts in which those texts were produced and how they relate to contemporary society.
2. Students will write source-based essays using appropriate formats to both define major literary themes and their social and cultural significance, including how they reflect the progression of humanity’s ethics and values as well as the problems and proposed solutions that arise from these themes.
3. By completing a capstone project, students will be able to produce an assessable reflection to articulate connections between their chosen area of study and their educational path, including the relevance/impact on their peers, the institution, and/or the community as a whole.

View Course Outline

ENG 207: Topics in Literature

Department

Humanities

Course Description

This course examines literature through selected themes that illuminate cultural, social, and ethical questions central to the human experience. As a special topics course, the thematic focus and primary texts change each semester. Topics may include the graphic novel, environmental literature, contemporary American poetry, women in literature, food and culture, crime fiction, utopias and alternative social structures, literature and film adaptation, and science or speculative fiction.

Credit Hours

3

Contact Hours

Lecture	3
Lab	0
Other	0

Grading Scheme

Letter

Semester(s) Course Will Be Offered

Fall, Spring

Prerequisites

ENG-101

First Year Experience Course

No

Capstone Course

Yes

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Students will read and analyze a variety of popular literary texts in order to better understand the social and cultural contexts in which those texts were produced and how they relate to contemporary society.
2. Students will write source-based essays using appropriate formats to both define major literary themes and their social and cultural significance, including how they reflect the progression of humanity’s ethics and values as well as the problems and proposed solutions that arise from these themes.
3. By completing a capstone project, students will be able to produce an assessable reflection to articulate connections between their chosen area of study and their educational path, including the relevance/impact on their peers, the institution, and/or the community as a whole.

Topic Outline

• Approaches to Reading Popular and Contemporary Literature, which may include, but are not limed to:
  • Close reading strategies, genre awareness, and interpretive frameworks appropriate to popular and non-canonical texts.
• Major Literary Themes and Human Values, which may include but are not limited to:
  • Identification and analysis of recurring themes (for example, identity, power, justice, technology, community, and ethics, etc.) and how they reflect shifting societal values.
  • Exploring how texts engage with moral dilemmas, social responsibility, and evolving ethical frameworks.
• Literature in Social and Cultural Context, which may include, but is not limited to:
  • Examining how historical, political, economic, and cultural forces shape literary production and reception.
  • Analyzing how texts respond to social problems, propose solutions, or challenge dominant ideologies.
  • Connecting literary themes to present-day social issues and ongoing cultural debates.
  • Engaging with texts that represent varied identities, communities, and perspectives, and considering issues of inclusion, marginalization, and representation.
• Reader, Audience, and Cultural Impact, which may include, but is not limited to:
  • Considering how readers’ identities, historical moments, and cultural locations influence interpretation and meaning.
• Research Methods in Literary Studies, which may include but are not limited to:
  • Finding, reading, evaluating, and synthesizing scholarly and popular criticism to support literary analysis.
  • Writing analytical essays that integrate primary texts and secondary sources using appropriate academic formats and conventions.
• Reflective and Integrative Literary Analysis, which may include, but is not limited to:
  • Using reflective writing to articulate how literary study informs personal, academic, and civic understanding.
• Capstone Project Development, which includes:
  • Designing and completing a culminating project that connects literary analysis to the student’s educational path and broader community relevance.