This lecture series is open to the university public, to general studies (1CP), the M.A. E-SC SusStu Module (1CP), and three specific B.A. E-SC classes taught by Kerstin Knopf, Paula von Gleich and Corina Wieser-Cox.
The lecture series ties together ideas and knowledges in the new burgeoning field of Blue Humanities, now also established at FB 10, U Bremen. This new research field studies oceans, rivers, and coastal areas in terms of (colonial) histories and modernities, migration and travel, sustainability and ecological issues, circulation of people and ideas, marine and Indigenous knowledges, literature and cultures, new geographies, extractivism, energy and economic issues, among others.
For this lecture series we invite experts in this field who will give talks on postcolonial sea fiction, Arab Blue Humanities, refugee literature, environmental destruction, lack of water, digital Black Atlantic, legal status of rivers, marine anthropology and more.

In this class, students will learn about English in the Caribbean covering arrange of topics:
• general considerations of the spread of English to the Caribbean
• language identity and language policy in the Caribbean
• grammatical variation in Caribbean Englishes
• lexical variation in Caribbean Englishes

In the course of the class, students will also investigate selected aspects of Caribbean Englishes using online databases and dictionaries.

This specialized course responds to the United Nations' emphasis on sustainable development, revealing that sustainability encompasses various dimensions beyond the environment, notably gender equality. It recognizes the need for equitable, inclusive societies and the elimination of gender disparities, aligning these goals with the literary realm of Arab-American fiction. We explore narratives authored by Arab-American women, who play a pivotal role in offering unique perspectives on the intersection of gender, culture, identity, and environmental issues. By focusing on these diverse voices, the course delves into rich portrayals of women's experiences and resilience, emphasizing the importance of diversity within the global dialogue on sustainability and gender equality.

This class will be conducted within the theme teaching year on SUSTAINABILITY and within the research area Blue Humanities. Blue Humanities studies oceans, rivers, and coastal areas in terms of (colonial) histories, migration and travel, sustainability and ecological issues, circulation of people and ideas, marine and Indigenous knowledges, literature and cultures, new geographies, extractivism, energy and economic issues, among others.

Please note that the course will be conducted in connection with a lecture series in the Blue Humanities, which takes place Wednesdays 18.15-19.45 at the Cartesium on campus. You are cordially invited to come and listen to all lectures; however 4 lectures are mandatory for you to attend, which ones will be specified at the start of the course, the first one on 25 Oct.

As well, on 26 October we will do a short study excursion to the MARKK Museum in Hamburg and their exhibition “Wasserbotschaften” with a guided tour: https://markk-hamburg.de/veranstaltungen/wasser-botschaften-9/.
We will leave on a train around 11.30 and have the guided tour in the afternoon. After that you can explore the museum on your own. You will use your semester ticket to use regional trains to go to Hamburg and back for free. This study excursion is not mandatory. And yet all students are invited to join us; there is limited capacity for the tour. Those who wish to go to Hamburg, pls register on the Etherpad here on StudIP with your full name and email address by 3 October.

After discussing sustainability and the sustainable development goals of the UN in the class, we will read and discuss short stories from the collection The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea by Laura Trethewey and the novel People of the Whale by Linda Hogan. The novel is ready for purchase at the University bookstore at the beginning of the semester: People of the Whale (17,50 €). The short story and other texts will be uploaded on StudIP.
Pls note that regular attendance and class participation and preparation are mandatory. You must register on StudIP for this class.