Course Goals
* To enchance individual appreciation for literature
* To grow in understanding the uses and purposes of literature both individually and socially
* To apply strategies of critical thinking and problem solving
* To develop an understanding of critical lenses through which to evaluate literature, such as gender, social
class, and post-colonial perspectives
Cognitive Complexity: The Ultimate Goal
In evaluating the meaning and impact of literature, there are no absolute "right" or "wrong" answers. Discovering "truth" is a matter of creating better arguments supported by evidence drawn from an understanding of the piece of work imbedded in a particular social context as well as from the text itself. Being able to respond in a nuanced way to "ill-structured" problems such as those inevitably confronted in reading literature ("What is the value of a human life?" "How can society be made more just?") is a characteristic of cognitive maturity.
The ability to reason in complex ways, often referred to as "critical thinking," is a developmental process. Our understanding of truth evolves with age and experience. When we are young, there is benefit to understanding the world in clear dualities. We learn what we should and should not do ("Don't hit your sister!" "Eat your vegetables.") in order to adapt to our social world. Authorities (parents, teachers, police) are to be obeyed unquestioningly because they have access to the absolute truth.
As we grow older and our experiences broaden, we see that authorities are not always right, and the correct answer to a problem is not always clear. At first this can be confusing and overwhelming: clarity is comforting! Although truth is still clear in matters of fact ("Detroit is the largest city in the state of Michigan."), it seems that more complex questions ("Why are so many kids poor in Detroit?") have only subjective answers, that is, they are a matter of opinion. This can be a frustrating realization; if there is no clear answer and everyone has a right to their own opinion, isn't one opinion just as valuable as the next? Every point of view can be criticised, often leading to a highly cynical view of truth.
As individuals continue to confront complex, ill-structured problems in school and in daily living, it becomes clear that some solutions to problems are better than others. An opinion supported by facts, examples, and inductive and deductive reasoning is obviously better than an unsupported opinion. It is this capacity for creating "better arguments" that indicates the development of higher levels of cognitive complexity. Because literature is replete with complex, ill-structured problems imbedded in a social context, it is an ideal format for developing the critical analysis and problem-solving skills reflective of cognitive maturity.
Two useful frameworks for examing cognitive development in more detail are William Perry's cognitive development theory( http://gsi.berkeley.edu/teachingguide/theories/perry.html) and The Reflective Judgment Model developed by Karen Kitchener and Patricia King (http://www.umich.edu/~refjudg/reflectivejudgmentmodel.html).
* To enchance individual appreciation for literature
* To grow in understanding the uses and purposes of literature both individually and socially
* To apply strategies of critical thinking and problem solving
* To develop an understanding of critical lenses through which to evaluate literature, such as gender, social
class, and post-colonial perspectives
Cognitive Complexity: The Ultimate Goal
In evaluating the meaning and impact of literature, there are no absolute "right" or "wrong" answers. Discovering "truth" is a matter of creating better arguments supported by evidence drawn from an understanding of the piece of work imbedded in a particular social context as well as from the text itself. Being able to respond in a nuanced way to "ill-structured" problems such as those inevitably confronted in reading literature ("What is the value of a human life?" "How can society be made more just?") is a characteristic of cognitive maturity.
The ability to reason in complex ways, often referred to as "critical thinking," is a developmental process. Our understanding of truth evolves with age and experience. When we are young, there is benefit to understanding the world in clear dualities. We learn what we should and should not do ("Don't hit your sister!" "Eat your vegetables.") in order to adapt to our social world. Authorities (parents, teachers, police) are to be obeyed unquestioningly because they have access to the absolute truth.
As we grow older and our experiences broaden, we see that authorities are not always right, and the correct answer to a problem is not always clear. At first this can be confusing and overwhelming: clarity is comforting! Although truth is still clear in matters of fact ("Detroit is the largest city in the state of Michigan."), it seems that more complex questions ("Why are so many kids poor in Detroit?") have only subjective answers, that is, they are a matter of opinion. This can be a frustrating realization; if there is no clear answer and everyone has a right to their own opinion, isn't one opinion just as valuable as the next? Every point of view can be criticised, often leading to a highly cynical view of truth.
As individuals continue to confront complex, ill-structured problems in school and in daily living, it becomes clear that some solutions to problems are better than others. An opinion supported by facts, examples, and inductive and deductive reasoning is obviously better than an unsupported opinion. It is this capacity for creating "better arguments" that indicates the development of higher levels of cognitive complexity. Because literature is replete with complex, ill-structured problems imbedded in a social context, it is an ideal format for developing the critical analysis and problem-solving skills reflective of cognitive maturity.
Two useful frameworks for examing cognitive development in more detail are William Perry's cognitive development theory( http://gsi.berkeley.edu/teachingguide/theories/perry.html) and The Reflective Judgment Model developed by Karen Kitchener and Patricia King (http://www.umich.edu/~refjudg/reflectivejudgmentmodel.html).