COML 3001 - Methods of Comparison

(LA-AS, ALC-AS)

Fall. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Intended for: current majors and minors and those who intend to declare. Non-majors are welcome if space allows.

T. McNulty.

What do comparatists do when we approach our objects of study? What enables or justifies comparison across different languages, different genres, different media, and different disciplines? Does all comparison assume a common ground of some kind (whether historical, formal, conceptual, or ideological), or is comparison inherently ungrounded, provocative, or political? We will explore these questions through examination of a wide range of comparative projects, from those often cited as foundational to the discipline and their most important critics to contemporary comparative projects that are reshaping the discipline and expanding it in new directions. Readings will be complemented by discussions with Cornell faculty and graduate students working in the field.