Literature in Society. Europe and Beyond Leiden University

Overview

The master in Literature in Society. Europe and Beyond offers specialised knowledge on the role and impact of literature in society. Novels, poetry, theatre and new literary media from both 'high’ and ‘popular’ culture reflect social issues but also shape them. Your studies thus take a thematic approach to the study of literature, exploring literature from the point of view of political and social issues like identity, migration, memory, and the metropolis.

A transnational perspective

Studying the impact of literature on society involves a series of questions: how does literature affect (or sometimes threaten) ways of life and moral standards? How do literary strategies such as story-telling shape the fields of politics and law? How does literature help shape individual and collective identity and memory? Conversely, society also shapes literature.

This involves questions about the embeddedness of literature in culture and society; about the cultural capital of individual texts, genres and oeuvres: why are certain works and authors classified as classics and others as popular or ‘cult’? Much modern literature in Western Europe stands at the crossroads of European and non-European cultures. A transnational perspective is thus an important part of this Master.

Leiden University is considered a leading centre of expertise in western and non-western languages and cultures.

What you will learn

The Master's programme in Literature in Society. Europe and Beyond at Leiden University equips you with a range of transferable skills and knowledge that will help you stand out in your future career. Your specialised knowledge is complemented by a broad and contextual understanding as well as critical thinking skills that can be applied to complex conceptual problems. Other skills you may encounter in the various Literary Studies courses are:

• Problem-solving skills
• Oral and written communication
• Creative thinking
• Collaboration
• Analysis

Career prospects

Because of the extensive curriculum and specialisations, the career opportunities after completing the Literary Studies specialisation in Literature and Society. Europe and Beyond are broad. Our graduates have landed jobs in various sectors of the job market, such as education, communication and marketing, government, media and consultancy. Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:

• Archivist
• Editor
• Content manager
• Copywriter

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.