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The turn to the twentieth century did not only see the rise of modernism – or rather a large variety of modernisms – in American arts and letters. It also saw the rise of increasingly global conflicts and wars as well as the dawn of a post-war era of globalized American popular culture, of global American cultural diplomacy, of military might and economic power (later understood as a form of Coca-colonization, since consumer culture played a key role) and the rise of international peace-keeping institutions that sought to promote new forms of agonistic plurality. Writers, thinkers and cultural producers attempted to 'break with the past' and to anticipate a new age, whereas politicians, legal discourse and entrepreneurs sought to maximize the leverage of American goods and American principles, while also investing in competitive battles for diversity. At the same time, there was also a heightened sense of needing to accommodate a range of contradictory and contentious ways of being, belief systems and opinions. In this lecture, we will look at this time of momentous changes through the lens of literature and its ability to compromise, to offer a level playing field in which all parties involved have to step back from their individual battles and give up on some of their core beliefs in order to have a share in a common project of future dreams and ambitions. By way of preparation please read the modernism chapter in the Metzler Amerikanische Literaturgeschichte, edited by Hubert Zapf and Timo Müller (2024).
This lecture by Barbara Buchenau integrates course segments taught by Dr. Courtney Blair Hodrick, a guest lecturer from Stanford University, and a number of professors teaching at Aurora universities. It is open to Aurora students and will discuss literature that addresses SDG 16 – the sustainable development goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. The course curriculum will allow students to improve their competences in Inquiry & Analysis. |
