AgenciesRelated
The prism of white supremacy through which we have viewed history, literature and art for a very long time has tainted our understanding of the work and a UK based university -- Stirling University -- is taking concrete steps to revamp the curriculum to bring in more diverse voices in students’ lives and in the classrooms to overcome the 'white' narrative of the past.
Stirling University's English Literature programme recently decided to replace Jane Austen with Toni Morrison. The decision came on the heels of the commitment that the university made in the wake of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Media reports claim that back in 2020, after the BLM protests , Stirling University Principle Prof Gerry McCormac iterated that the university must “support an anti-racist agenda in higher education”.
A report in The Telegraph says that the English and Literature department at Stirling’s decision to drop Austen isn’t a snub at the author and her illustrious work, but a routine change in the Special Authors Module that happens annually. The reason to choose Morrison is “to contribute to increased diversity” on the syllabus, according to forms informing management of changes to course material. The perks of incorporating Morrison’s work is that it will automatically lead to discussions on racial difference, critical race theory, gender and sexuality.
Austen, who through her works set in the Regency era England, often highlights social hypocrisy in a satirical form, has some of the most beautifully written female characters in English literature and is often hailed as a prolific writer. However, the role of colonialism in her writings has been hotly debated in recent times and many are still fence sitting on whether she is a feminist. In contrast, Morrison’s protagonists are always people of colour. Her writing centers around rural African-American communities and talks about their cultural inheritance as well as their day-to-day lives.
Stirling University's English Literature programme recently decided to replace Jane Austen with Toni Morrison. The decision came on the heels of the commitment that the university made in the wake of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Media reports claim that back in 2020, after the BLM protests , Stirling University Principle Prof Gerry McCormac iterated that the university must “support an anti-racist agenda in higher education”.
A report in The Telegraph says that the English and Literature department at Stirling’s decision to drop Austen isn’t a snub at the author and her illustrious work, but a routine change in the Special Authors Module that happens annually. The reason to choose Morrison is “to contribute to increased diversity” on the syllabus, according to forms informing management of changes to course material. The perks of incorporating Morrison’s work is that it will automatically lead to discussions on racial difference, critical race theory, gender and sexuality.
Austen, who through her works set in the Regency era England, often highlights social hypocrisy in a satirical form, has some of the most beautifully written female characters in English literature and is often hailed as a prolific writer. However, the role of colonialism in her writings has been hotly debated in recent times and many are still fence sitting on whether she is a feminist. In contrast, Morrison’s protagonists are always people of colour. Her writing centers around rural African-American communities and talks about their cultural inheritance as well as their day-to-day lives.
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