Szeged

University/Centre
University of Szeged, Hungary

History:
Courses with Canadian content have been offered since 1985. Since 2000 there has been a Canadian Studies Centre.

Professors:
Dr. Katalin Kürtösi – literature, theatre
Dr. Eszter Szabó-Gillinger – sociolinguistics
Dr. Miklós Sághy – film
Dr. Zsófia Anna Tóth – North-American culture
Dr. Tamás Meggyes – fiction

Courses:

Current Approaches to North-American Culture (required course in the teacher training program)
The aim of the course is to examine how the American and the Canadian identities are formed, interpreted and (re)presented in literary and cultural works (short stories, poems, paintings, dramas, films, music videos etc.) from World War II to our days with a special focus on the most recent decades. During the course we will discuss how these North-American cultures are comprised of various and multiple voices, while having a look at the different approaches to the interpretation of what it means to be American/Canadian. We will examine how immigration, globalization, multiculturalism, mass culture, imperialism, capitalism etc. form the concepts of “Americannes”/“Canadianness” nowadays. The works to be read /watched/ contemplated/ listened to (re)present the diversity and the complexity of these cultures: African-American, Asian-American, Native American and/or Inuit, Latino/Latina – Chicano/Chicana identities etc. while race, gender, sexuality, class, religion etc. issues are to be targeted likewise also including intersectionality in the interpretations. Simultaneously, the course provides theoretical and practical considerations for the integration of literary works, films and other media content such as internet sites, YouTube videos or popular music into language teaching. Much emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the linguistic and stylistic features of the works in order to encourage students’ active involvement in the production of meaning.
Taught by Dr. Zsófia Anna Tóth

Library holdings:

Books:  A small general Canadian Studies library (some in French, but mostly in English) focused on literature, literary criticism, anthologies.
Journals: A miscellaneous collection, including The British Journal of Canadian Studies,  Zeitschrift fuer Kanada-Studien, Canadian Theatre Review, Jeu, Mosaic

Contact details
Department of Comparative Literature
Egyetem u.2
H-6722 Szeged
Hungary

For further information, please contact
Dr. Katalin Kürtösi   kurtosi[at]hung.u-szeged.hu