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Black Feminist Theory and Literature in the Critical Language Classroom: An Interdisciplinary Study of Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred and How It Can Be Used to Engage in Critical Pedagogy in the Swedish Upper Secondary ESL Classroom

Hammarström, Sofia LU (2015) ÄENC51 20152
Educational Sciences
English Studies
Abstract
The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to consider how teachers of English as a second language (ESL) might engage with critical pedagogy through the use of literature. This is illustrated by, on the one hand, applying a Black feminist lens to Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 science fiction novel Kindred, which is argued to constitute an appropriate novel for upper secondary students to read. On the other hand, the analysis is discussed in the light of the Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School and the ESL subject syllabus. The literary analysis is concerned with analyzing the ways in which race intersects with gender in creating women’s experience within the novel, how the female characters are portrayed and what the... (More)
The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to consider how teachers of English as a second language (ESL) might engage with critical pedagogy through the use of literature. This is illustrated by, on the one hand, applying a Black feminist lens to Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 science fiction novel Kindred, which is argued to constitute an appropriate novel for upper secondary students to read. On the other hand, the analysis is discussed in the light of the Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School and the ESL subject syllabus. The literary analysis is concerned with analyzing the ways in which race intersects with gender in creating women’s experience within the novel, how the female characters are portrayed and what the novel tells the reader about African heritage and African American history and experience. The analysis is then systematically organized using coding method. Using this method, the emerging themes were: The importance of heritage, Racism and sexism intersected and Equality in relationships. The major interpretations include showing how such a systematic analysis can elicit themes that can constitute the basis for a critical pedagogy approach to the teaching of ESL, as well as showing how engaging with critical theory creates a way for teachers to cover a number of the aims expressed in the Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School. (Less)
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author
Hammarström, Sofia LU
supervisor
organization
course
ÄENC51 20152
year
type
L3 - Miscellaneous, Projetcs etc.
subject
keywords
The Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School, critical pedagogy, critical theory, literature, Black feminist criticism, Octavia E. Butler, Kindred
language
English
id
8626092
date added to LUP
2016-02-17 08:31:01
date last changed
2016-02-17 08:31:01
@misc{8626092,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to consider how teachers of English as a second language (ESL) might engage with critical pedagogy through the use of literature. This is illustrated by, on the one hand, applying a Black feminist lens to Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 science fiction novel Kindred, which is argued to constitute an appropriate novel for upper secondary students to read. On the other hand, the analysis is discussed in the light of the Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School and the ESL subject syllabus. The literary analysis is concerned with analyzing the ways in which race intersects with gender in creating women’s experience within the novel, how the female characters are portrayed and what the novel tells the reader about African heritage and African American history and experience. The analysis is then systematically organized using coding method. Using this method, the emerging themes were: The importance of heritage, Racism and sexism intersected and Equality in relationships. The major interpretations include showing how such a systematic analysis can elicit themes that can constitute the basis for a critical pedagogy approach to the teaching of ESL, as well as showing how engaging with critical theory creates a way for teachers to cover a number of the aims expressed in the Swedish National Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School.}},
  author       = {{Hammarström, Sofia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Black Feminist Theory and Literature in the Critical Language Classroom: An Interdisciplinary Study of Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred and How It Can Be Used to Engage in Critical Pedagogy in the Swedish Upper Secondary ESL Classroom}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}