Last modified: 11 Jan 2024 14:16
Germanic literature is famous for its fairy tales. From the brothers Grimm to contemporary re-imaginings of traditional tales, fairy tales have undergone continual revisions, reflecting changing social norms. We examine tales from the early 19th century to the present day, with attention to the gender roles that these tales reveal or perhaps challenge. As we learn more about changing perspectives on gender in German culture, we can reflect upon the challenges that we still face today.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
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| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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The brothers Grimm may have called their collection of fairy and folk tales the Kinder- und Hausmärchen, but the violence and dubious morality of some of these tales may make us hesitate to recommend them for children today. Yet while some tales have dropped out of favour, other fairy tales are told and re-told, often adapted to suit different times and places. As such, fairy tales provide insight into the values and expectations of particular societies, sometimes in a drive to reassert or to challenge those values. In this course, we trace attitudes towards gender in tales from the early 19th century to the present day. The course will introduce students to the historical context surrounding oral traditions and early written collections of fairy tales, with focus on the brothers Grimm in the early 19th century. We will address the reasons for the Grimms’ repeated editing and re-writing of the tales. Focusing on gender and the portrayal of women and men, the course will address some problematic aspects of gender inscription in the tales. As a response to this, we will consider ways in which tales have been re-imagined in later periods, particularly through feminist perspectives. The course will address issues such as women’s subjection to violence, including domestic violence (e.g. in ‘Bluebeard’); the association between women and uncontrolled natural forces (e.g. in tales of mermaids or water nymphs); women as objects of a male gaze, as well as the glorification of passivity, and even beauty in death (e.g. in ‘Snow White’). During the course we will seek to understand the powerful hold that fairy tales have over our imaginations.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 70 | |
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Word Count: 2,500 |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Procedural | Analyse | Students will develop their ability to analyse German literary texts with close attention to language, style and meaning. |
| Procedural | Create | Students will develop their ability to conduct independent research and to assemble an argument for presentation in oral and written work. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Students will be able to interpret the social and cultural values inscribed in German fairy tales. |
| Procedural | Apply | Students will be able to apply their understanding of feminist theory to interpreting German texts. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to reflect upon changing gender roles in society. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Students will develop their ability to engage appropriately with other people’s ideas and arguments, both in class discussion and in written assignments. |
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