239560 Mobile Ethnicities: Identity Constructs in US-American Ethnic Fiction (S) (SoSe 2013)

The end of the 20th century saw the emergence of revolutionizing theories in the field of Cultural Studies. Stuart Hall, James Clifford and Stephen Greenblatt were among the many scholars who dared to rethink and redefine the concepts of ethnic belonging and cultural practice. Particularly in the case of the United States, in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and during the ever-growing flows of migration, such contributions served to better understand the dynamics of contemporary multi-ethnic communities. This seminar attempts to familiarize students with theories of cultural mobility and with their help dive into the maze of identity constructs as illustrated in the in the U.S.-American ethnic fiction of the late 20th century. With a particular focus on the largest immigrant group to the United States, the Latin-American community, we will look at narratives by writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Cristina García and Roberto Fernández. Students can obtain up to 3 LP and a grade/Studienleistung for a written essay and an oral presentation.