FF:AJL28087 Australia: The Lie of the Land - Course Information

AJL28087 The Lie of the Land: Australia in Literature and Film

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 13 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

This course examines some of the intricacies of social, historical and cultural life in Australia, focusing on how Australian myths, identities and places have been constructed in order to provide a sense of a nation. It uses various concepts ranging from ethnicity and race, gender and sexuality, to representation of land and multiculturalism to analyze the ways in which multiple meanings of “Australianness” are played out. Primary materials include literary texts and films/documentaries, secondary materials are aimed to provide interdisciplinary background, including history, social sciences and literary and film theories.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will: gain a better understanding of the formation of Australian culture; learn to implement critical vocabulary; improve their knowledge of various cultural representations of Australia.

Syllabus

• Syllabus:
• Session 1: Narrating the Nation: Introduction to course policies and assignments; Film: Australia, dir. Baz Luhrman (2008)
• Session 2: A Postcolonial Nation?: Settler Belonging; Novel: Andrew McGahan, The White Earth (2004)
• Session 3: A Maturing Nation?: Memories of Anzacs; Films: Gallipoli (1981); Anzacs miniseries (1985)
• Session 4: An Environmental Nation?: A Sense of Place and Landscape; Novel: Tim Winton, Dirt Music (2001)
• Session 5: A Gendered Nation?: Australian Masculinities, Femininities and Queerness; Films: Crocodile Dundee (1986), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Alexandra’s Project (2003)
• Sesion 6: A Nation of Immigration?: White Australia Policy; Novel: Eva Sallis, Hiam (1998); documentary Immigrant Nation (Ep. 1, “White Australia Policy”)

Literature

required literature
• Andrew McGahan, The White Earth

not specified
• Luhrmann, Baz. Australia (film).
• Eva Sallis, Hiam
• ELDER, Catriona. Being Australian : narratives of national identity. 1st pub. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2007, x, 390. ISBN 9781741149289. info
• CARTER, David A. Dispossession, dreams & diversity : issues in Australian studies. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Longman, 2006, x, 446. ISBN 1740910966. info
• WINTON, Tim. Dirt music. London: Picador, 2003, 465 s. ISBN 0330490265. info

Teaching methods

mini-lectures, class discussions, student presentations

Assessment methods

Class discussion 20% Response papers (5x) 30% Final Essay 50%

Language of instruction

English

Further Comments

The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJL28087