In cultures and societies as well as literatures and arts throughout the Americas, concepts and representations of nature have undergone considerable change over the past centuries. Until the early modern period, the order of nature appeared as a closed 'cosmos'; since the colonial expansion of Europe at the latest, however, the occidental idea of an open 'universe' emerged, which was conceived as a potentially unlimited space of extension and which correlated with the idea of a passive nature viewed as a place of classificatory inscriptions and economic exploitation carried out by the European colonizers. In the context of the critique of the Western opposition of nature and culture (civilización and barbarie) current debates of the Anthropocene have brought about a new paradigm of thinking about nature in the Americas: On the one hand, the term now decidedly includes the cosmovisions of indigenous peoples and communities, which emphasize the interaction of different human and nonhuman actors (humans, animals, plants, deities e.a.); on the other hand, it focuses primarily on the dangers inherent in the human impact on climate and the environment. Accordingly, nature is increasingly coming to be viewed as an environmental geophysical and terrestrial biosystem ('Earth'), characterized by its 'planetary boundaries' as well as its own spatiality and temporality.
The seminar will explore the different conceptualizations and forms of representation of nature in the Americas in different historical contexts. Drawing on some relevant theoretical approaches, we will consider texts and materials belonging to the fields of climate theory, natural history, landscape aesthetics, the discussion of natural disasters; Andean, Amerindian and other indigenous and Afro-American cosmovisions, (neo-)extractivism, and broader socio-environmental crises and agencies related to the Anthropocene.
Frequency | Weekday | Time | Format / Place | Period |
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Module | Course | Requirements | |
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22-4.3 Mastermodul Geschichtswissenschaft: Moderne
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar Moderne | Graded examination
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Student information |
22-B4 Profilmodul Geschichtswissenschaft | Seminar | Graded examination
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Student information |
22-M-4.3 Mastermodul Moderne
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-M-4.4.15 Profilmodul "Gesellschaft - Wissen - Umwelt"
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-M-4.4.16 Profilmodul "Global- und Verflechtungsgeschichte"
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-M-4.4.6-IAS9 Advanced History of the Americas / Estudios avanzados de la historia de las Américas | Seminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-M-4.5.15 Forschungsmodul "Gesellschaft - Wissen - Umwelt"
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-M-4.5.16 Forschungsmodul "Global- und Verflechtungsgeschichte"
4.3.4 |
Masterseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
22-WS-CSH Globale Strukturen und Interaktionen: Literatur-, kultur- und geschichtswissenschaftliche Perspektiven | Forschungsseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
23-IAS-M-IAS5 Literaturas y culturas latinoamericanas | Estudios culturales latinoamericanos | Study requirement
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Student information |
Literatura latinoamericana en su contexto histórico-social | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Vertiefungsseminar "Literaturas y culturas latinoamericanas" oder "Estudios culturales latinoamericanos" | Study requirement
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Student information | |
- | Graded examination | Student information | |
23-IAS-M-IAS6 Advanced Studies of Literatures and Cultures of the Americas / Estudios avanzados de literaturas y culturas de las Américas | "Literaturas y culturas iberoamericanas" oder "Estudios culturales latinoamericanos" | Study requirement
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Student information |
- | Graded examination | Student information | |
23-LIT-M-LitAM4 Aufbau-Modul II: Fachphilologische Vertiefung Amerikanistik | Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Study requirement
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Student information |
Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Lehrveranstaltung 3 | Graded examination
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Student information | |
23-LIT-M-LitAM5 Aufbau-Modul II: Fachphilologische Vertiefung Romanistik | Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Study requirement
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Student information |
Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Lehrveranstaltung 3 | Graded examination
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Student information | |
23-LIT-M-LitINT Intensivierung | Aufbaumodul Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Study requirement
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Student information |
Aufbaumodul Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Aufbaumodul Lehrveranstaltung 3 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Profilmodul Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
Profilmodul Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
23-LIT-M-LitPM2 Profilmodul II: Literatur, Kultur, Wissen | Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Graded examination
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Student information |
Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
23-LIT-M-MGS-wp Wahlpflichtmodul Literaturwissenschaft | Lehrveranstaltung 1 | Graded examination
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Student information |
Lehrveranstaltung 2 | Study requirement
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Student information | |
23-ROM-B4 Profilmodul Kultur- und Medienwissenschaft | Kulturelle Grundlagen sprachlicher und literarischer Kommunikation | Study requirement
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Student information |
- | Graded examination | Student information | |
23-ROM-B4_a Profilmodul Kultur- und Medienwissenschaft | Kulturelle Grundlagen sprachlicher und literarischer Kommunikation | Study requirement
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Student information |
Vertiefungsseminar "Kulturelle Grundlagen sprachlicher und literarischer Kommunikation" oder "Medientechniken und -praktiken in Geschichte und Gegenwart" mit Lektüreschwerpunkt | Graded examination
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Student information | |
23-WS-GE Globale Verflechtungen | Forschungsseminar | Study requirement
Graded examination |
Student information |
38-M2-KV Theoretische Grundlagen | Kulturgeschichte | Study requirement
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Student information |
- | Graded examination | Student information | |
38-M9-KV Individuelle Profilierung | Wissenschaftliche Profilierung | Study requirement
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Student information |
The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.
Studienleistung: Presentations of a length of 20-30 minutes/Moderation of a session
Prüfungsleistung: At the end of the semester, you will write a 25-30-page paper on one of the texts we discussed in class or on a theoretical/historical/literary text of your choice.
A corresponding course offer for this course already exists in the e-learning system. Teaching staff can store materials relating to teaching courses there: