This course is a theme course on hero narratives in Anglophone popular culture. The course uses alternative study methods and is focused on individual, independent project work: classes mostly take place in the first period, after which students work on their own projects in the second period. Each student chooses a hero narrative (literary, filmic, televisual, etc), narrows down a research topic, and gives a conference presentation in December. Please note that there will be no classes on the hero narratives themselves; instead, classes deal with transferable skills such as writing and commenting on abstracts and giving conference presentations. In addition, individual project work is supervised by the teacher during the autumn.

The course is directed at students who have an interest in popular culture and hero narratives; who are interested in (independent) project work, research, and transferable skills; who are looking for a pro gradu topic; and who can manage and respect deadlines, because in December we will organise a Pop-up Heroes Day with conference presentations.

Thematic areas of interest for conference presentations and posters include, but are not limited to the following areas of interest: gender and hero narratives; superheroes; queering heroes; heroes and violence; global(ising) hero narratives; setting and spatiality in hero narratives; postcolonial heroes; cultural diversity and heroes; heroes and popular seriality; hero parodies; hero adaptations; heroes and fan fiction; and mobile heroes.

Assessment: class assignments, conference presentation, class contribution.

Tentative schedule and additional information