Conveying Crises: Literary and Linguistic Explorations

How do the ways in which we talk or write about crises shape our understanding of current crises? Conveying Crises is an advanced level course that invites you to explore how language, literature, and other forms of cultural expression represent some of today’s most pressing societal challenges. In this course, which combines linguistic and literary perspectives, you will examine how crises are communicated in media and artistic production, and how these representations may influence public perception. You will work with tools from critical discourse studies to uncover the ideological dimensions of language and to analyse how word choice, framing, and narrative strategies affect interpretations of social and environmental issues. Alongside linguistic perspectives, you will engage with contemporary fiction and popular culture that tackle topics such as sustainability, climate change, and societal vulnerability. Using narratology, genre theory, and ecocritical approaches, you will investigate how crisis narratives are constructed and how they come to resonate with audiences. Through seminars, group discussions, and hands on analytical tasks, you will develop strong interdisciplinary skills for interpreting and critiquing crisis communication across different media and genres. The course is relevant for students interested in language, literature, media, sustainability, and cultural analysis. Join us to deepen your understanding of how crises are shaped—and reshaped—through the stories we tell.