Mondays, January 27 - February 10 | 3 weeks | 10 am - 12 pm | $35

Instructor: Penny Haws

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have witnessed an enormous movement of people leaving their countries of origin whether due to wars, famine, religion or poverty. This movement has produced a considerable amount of literature involving the displacement of people. Moving to a new country involves moving into a “foreign” culture and often a new language. Culture shock can be very upsetting both for the migrating people and the receiving country. Generally, “migrants” look to their new homes with hope for a better life and a promising future. Ideally the mingling of cultures and diversity would contribute to understanding other cultures and learning from each other. This is not always the case.

How people are received in their new countries often depends upon the culture they are coming from, their level of education, and their ability to provide for themselves. Even in the best of circumstances, communication between cultures requires translation, whether in language or understanding cultural norms. This course focuses on pieces of literature that involve the migration of people and their response to their new cultures as well as their acceptance by that culture. These pieces include the novel Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck and selected short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri. The course will combine lectures, discussions, and videos.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Penny Haws has an M.A. in English and taught English in public schools for 11 years, Haws received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and had her own private practice for 24 years. She has a passion for literature, with an emphasis on international fiction, and enjoys travel. Having lived in a university setting for many years, Haws has interacted with teaching professionals from a variety of countries.

Register Here

Need Financial Assistance?