Who’s on the Syllabus

World Literature According to the US Pedagogical Canon

Bibliographic Data

ID22132001
AuthorsMarkella B Rutherford (Wellesley College), Markella Rutherford (1 Wellesley College USA Wellesley, MA), P Levitt (0000-0002-6427-0101, Wellesley College)
Year2020
Volume5
Issue4
Pages606-629
Publication date2020-11-04
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of World Literature (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2405-6472 • E-ISSN: 2405-6480
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/24056480-00504009
OpenAlexW3105975379
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited1

This article examines changes in the teaching of modern and contemporary literature in the United States. As university students become more socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, and as universities claim to be offering a more global curriculum, what are students really learning? What kinds of non-Western modern and contemporary writers find their way into the classroom? To answer these questions, we examine how much The Norton Anthology of World Literature , The Longman Anthology of World Literature , and The Bedford Anthology of World Literature have changed over time with respect to their content and presentation. We then use a unique database of course syllabi to analyze the extent to which the non-Western authors included in these anthologies find their way more broadly into university classrooms. Getting included in anthologies, texts, and course syllabi is extremely powerful. It determines the parameters of the pedagogical canon – a shared common ground that generations of students will learn and continue to reference collectively throughout their lifetimes

Art · Curriculum · Literature · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Sociology · Syllabus · World literature · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics

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