Literature and Social Change: Engaging Students with Current Issues in our Midst

In this action research, we relate literature with everyday realities. Students have the perception that literature is something remote and unconnected to their lives. By determining the awareness and sensitivity of students about current news relating to gender issues, which is the focus of the course “Gender Identities: Malaysian Perspectives,” they will then be taken through a series of tasks to show connections between texts and society. More importantly, at the end of the action plan programme, the students are capable of identifying issues which can bring about social change in their communities.