The Literary Canon

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The Literary Canon

• Mike Fleming

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Outline

• Arguments for
• Arguments against
• Underlying issues and values

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What do we mean by canon?

• Official specification of texts, authors genres
• De facto canon tacit agreement

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Justification for canon

• Notions of quality
• Cultural heritage
• Issues of national identity
• Ensuring representation

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Arguments against

• Challenge to absolute judgements
• Insensitive to diverse nature of society
• Need for curriculum to be appropriate Associated
  with traditional pedagogy based on authority
• Curriculum not just about specifying content

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Underlying issues

• Definitions of literature
• Conceptions of reading
• Judgements about literature

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Democratic canon

• Prevents de facto canon being left to chance
• Ensures entitlement
• Seeks balance

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Some questions for consideration

• Does the specified canon leave sufficient
  flexibility for teachers and pupils to exercise
  some choice?
• Are there mechanisms for regularly reviewing the
  literary curriculum?
• Are teachers involved in discussions about the
  appropriate choices of text and authors?
• Is there a sufficient balance between national
  texts and texts from other cultures?

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• Does the specified curriculum pay sufficient
  attention to process as well as content?
• Does the curriculum take account of the need to
  engage pupils interests in wider reading?
• Is the definition of text sufficiently broad to
  represent contemporary culture?