The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Language and Literature
Multicultural U.S./British Literature Concentration
The Multicultural U.S./British Literature Concentration is rooted in recent trends in literary theory and interpretation, which view U.S./British literature as expressing diverse national, cultural, and gender prespectives within a common tradition. Multicultural U.S./British Literature includes texts from both the U.S. and U.K. by writers of different ethnicities, genders, sexualities, classes, and ability/disability status. Multicultural literature focuses on the complexity of two countries in which people of many different cultures cohabit. Such fi elds as African American Literature, Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States, Women's Literature, and Lesbian and Gay Literature, increasingly prominent in English studies since 1990, form the core of this Concentration. This Concentration enhances the competitiveness of students applying to graduate English programs or continuing to a variety of careers. Specializations in African American Literature and Women's and Gender Studies aid students' ability to present themselves as pursuing focused and structured curricula. Within the Multicultural Literature concentration, additional specializations in African American Literature and in Women's and Gender Studies can be arranged.
World Literature Concentration
The World Literature Concentration studies literature in English from outside the U.S./U.K. as well as other literatures in translation. This concentration speaks to the increasing integration of international literary culture and to an increasing emphasis on global culture. It is directly relevant to the sizeable number of Old Westbury students from postcolonial English speaking cultures and to others with an interest in world culture. It helps prepare students for graduate study in such fi elds as Postcolonial Studies, the Literature of the African Diaspora, and others, and for varied careers.
Minors
Multicultural U.S./British Literature: This minor includes texts from the U.S. and U.K. writers of different ethnicities, genders, sexualities, classes, and ability/disability status. It focuses on the complexity of two countries in which people of many different cultures cohabit. It provides grounding in recent debates in literary study and features intensive work in effective writing and expression. Majors in Media and Communication, Business programs, and other areas will benefit from this minor, which improves communication skills that are fundamental to teaching, writing, and speaking.
