Course: The Book studies 1

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Course title The Book studies 1
Course code KBH/EKS1
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course unspecified
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Polách Vladimír, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Book Studies I cover the following topics: 1. Definition of the field, its boundaries, traditions, sources, periodicals, etc.; 2. Basic methodological approaches; 3. Models of the book communication circuit: Darnton and his followers and critics; 4. The materiality of the book as the most traditional research field. Bibliographic code. 5. Technological determinism in book research and use. 6. The author: definition, development, historical perspectives and the emergence of the institution of authorship. 7. Author variations and variants. 8. Authorship and technology, creative technology. 9. Reading and the act of reading - an introduction to the field of research. 10. Darnton, Rousseau and the second reading revolution.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
Learning outcomes
Book Studies (I) introduces students to ways of studying the book beyond the traditional discourse of literary studies and literary history. Beginning with the delineation of the field of study itself and the definition of key concepts, we will examine the principles of investigating the materiality of the book and the evolution of its production and form up to the 21st century. The second part of the semester will be devoted to questions of authorship, primarily from the perspective of the emergence of the modern commercial author, the technological context of authorship, and the emergence and function of literary agents and agencies. The course comprises three face-to-face tutorials and its own study materials.
- Applies theoretical concepts from book studies to the independent analysis of specific historical and contemporary book artefacts and media phenomena. - Assesses the impact of technological developments on changes in authorship principles and publishing strategies from a historical perspective. - Applies an interdisciplinary approach (combining literary studies, history, sociology and media studies) when addressing complex issues relating to book culture. - Is able to define both the advantages and limitations of a material-centred approach to the analysis of book artefacts and book culture.
Prerequisites
In its methodological part, the course is significantly linked to the course Book and Text in Media Studies (KBH/EKMES), which should be studied in parallel or even in advance to Book Studies I.

Assessment methods and criteria
Analyssis of the Student's Portfolio, Written exam

- submission of individual assignments prepared for the current semester on Moodle (based on the relevant study guide and up-to-date materials) - final writen test
Recommended literature
  • DARNTON, Robert. Velký masakr koček a jiné epizody z francouzské kulturní historie. Praha: Argo, 2013.
  • Eisenstein, Elizabeth L. (1983). The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge.
  • Ginzburg, Carlo. Sýr a červi. Svět jednoho mlynáře kolem roku 1600, přel. Jiří Špaček, Argo, Praha 2000.
  • HOWSAM, Leslie. Old Books and New Histories. Toronto: University of Toronto Press 2006.
  • PIPER, Andrew. Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times. 2012.
  • ROBINSON, Steven. The Book in Society: An Introduction to Book History. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2014.
  • Šmejkalová, J. (2000). Kniha. K teorii a praxi knižní kultury.. Brno.
  • ŠMEJKALOVÁ, Jiřina a POŘÍZKOVÁ, Lenka. Co jsou to dějiny knihy? Praha: Academia 2022.
  • VOIT, P. (2006). Encyklopedie knihy. Praha.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester