Life Narratives

This course is intended for students in the bachelor's programme in English and students in the programme for teacher education years 8-13 (lektorutdanning trinn 8-13, studieretning engelsk).

This course may be taken as a single course.

A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

This course draws on contemporary theories to explore autobiography as a site where a particular perception of a life is constructed, transmitted, and transformed. Some questions we will address include: At a particular historical moment why do individuals tell stories about their lives, who can tell such stories, and in what contexts? In what ways do personal stories, personality traits, and collective cultural memories intersect? How are boundaries between fact and fiction negotiated?

Life narratives from a variety of contexts will be examined, including classical English language autobiographies and contemporary life narratives. We will discuss what it means to see life as a narrative and discuss authors’ techniques for giving unity to the messiness of real life.

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or prior learning and work experience (realkompetanse).

Application code: 9199 - Enkeltemner (ikke realfag), lavere grad (Nordic applicants).

The students have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

The student has:

• knowledge about various social, literary, historical, and cultural contexts in which writing about the self has developed
• an understanding of relationships between authors, narrators, and characters
• insight into the relationships between gender, ethnicity, and representations of the self in an historical period
• comprehension of various ways to recognize boundaries between fact and fiction

Skills

The student is able to/can:

• write and speak proficiently in English
• explain ideas in a succinct, coherent manner and support them with close readings of texts
• interpret life narratives in their historical, cultural and critical contexts
• identify and explain elements of style in autobiographical writing
• express relationships between language and narrated representations of the self

26 teaching hours with seminars, lectures and tutorials.

Quality assurance:

All courses will be evaluated once during the period of the study program. The board of the program decides which courses will be evaluated by students and teacher each year.

Language of instruction and examination

This course is available for inbound exchange students. There are no academic prerequisites to add this course to your Learning Agreement. A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

Do you have questions about this module? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: INBOUND STUDENT MOBILITY: COURSE COORDINATORS AT THE FACULTIES | UiT

More info about the coursework requirements

• One oral presentation
• A written assignment of 1200-1500 words

Re-sit examination