CHL 208 - Multicultural Children’s Literature (GEUS)
Introduction to literature for children and young adults by and about African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, including history of multicultural writing for the young; major issues of multiculturalism; historical and cultural background of each group; and critical apparatus for the selection, interpretation, and evaluation of such literature.
Credit Hours: 3 hrs
Grade Mode: Normal (A-F)
A study of children’s literature is also a study of the values, beliefs and attitudes of a society, since what adults offer to children reflects contemporary adult views. This course exposes students to multicultural literature for young readers, as well as the history, beliefs, values and attitudes of underrepresented groups in the United States. Course design assures adequate representation of the literature by and about a wide selection of minorities in our country, with emphasis on four major cultures- African, Asian, Latino and Native Americans- as well as the diversity within each culture. Supplementary materials in history, cultural anthropology and philosophy provide a sound basis for the discussion of the literary works, but the primary focus is on the literature itself. The history of the development of multicultural literature for young readers, criteria for evaluation, literary criticism, as well as cultural authenticity are explored. Since this is an introductory course, it will also include a discussion of basic literary terms and literary criticism, as well as fundamental issues such as why we study literature, what culture means, how literature for young readers can inform us about culture, etc.
Winter 2025 Course Sections
Fall 2024 Course Sections
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