Courses

This course, designed for students with no previous study of Arabic, introduces the students of the script system of Arabic language, ensures the acquisition of basic speaking, listening, reading and writing in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and an introduction to the Arab culture around the world. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units.

This course focuses on the basic linguistic and cultural fundamentals of Arabic in a communicative approach that allows the students to increase their linguistic abilities in reading, writing, listening and speaking in uncomplicated situations.

This course reviews and expands the fundamentals of the language through oral and written expression accompanied by readings and culture.

This course presents more complex structures and embraces cultural competence by means of discussing TV shows and current newspapers.

Focus on the continued development of spoken Modern Standard Arabic and written Arabic through text and multi-media resources.

Introduces students to the basic expressive and receptive skills in ASL, including conversation strategies, spatial referencing and facial expressions. Questions, commands, and simple sentences are covered, leading to basic conversational skills in ASL. Awareness of Deaf culture is included. Attendance in ASL lab practicum is required in addition to the class time. One and one-quarter units.

Continues to develop the basics of the ASL language and the building of both expressive and receptive vocabulary. Further develops the communicative competencies in the language focusing on skills including use of classifiers, temporal sequencing, spatial agreement and object identification through description. Study of Deaf culture is continued. Attendance in ASL lab practicum is required in addition to the class time. One and one-quarter units.

This course covers issues relating to deafness, deaf people and the Deaf community, focusing on the cultural and linguistic aspects of deafness rather than the medical condition. It explores such questions as whether deafness is something to be fixed or celebrated, and it considers alternative ways of looking at members of society who are different in some way. It considers policy making, and explores the way that the hearing community influences opinions, decisions, and policies that affect the Deaf community. This course is a requirement for students proposing a CIS Student-Designed major or minor which includes Deaf Studies as one of its disciplines. Taught in English. One unit.

This course reviews and expands on the fundamentals of ASL, continues the acquisition of speaking and listening skills through a visual-gestural modality, and develops conversational skills.

This course reviews and expands on the fundamentals of ASL, continues the acquisition of speaking and listening skills through a visual-gestural modality, and develops conversational skills.

With the goal of increased fluency and comfort, topics revolve around sharing information about our environment and us. Students continue to learn conversational strategies. All lab work, social events, videotapes, learning stimulating activities (in and outside of class) and assignments are intended to develop advanced competency in receptive and expressive use of ASL. In addition to the class time, students are required to participate in a Community-Based Learning partnership program where ASL is used. Students are evaluated using the target language in videotape format, in-class presentations and at public forum presentations using ASL. One unit.

This course examines how culture and language intersect in 20th-century ASL literature. It explores the origins of deaf literature, its relationship with written literature, especially its effect on the development of aesthetic expression of ASL literature. It considers works about deafness and works written by deaf authors and the various attitudes toward deafness revealed in these works. Emphasis is placed on historical background, meaning of the content discussion of grammatical features and styles revealed in the study of selected video materials. One unit.

Offers students a unique learning experience, a full immersion internship opportunity for the semester with concurrent weekly seminar. Students integrate the hands-on experience of their internship sites with related readings, classroom discussions and student presentations of specific topics. Students make a formal presentation. Students are involved with a unique collaborate signed History project. Using ASL as a means of communication, students conduct interviews with deaf individuals in the community. One unit.

An introduction to spoken Mandarin and written Chinese. Providing a foundation in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and communication skills and an introduction to the Chinese culture.

An introduction to spoken Mandarin and written Chinese. Providing a foundation in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and communication skills and an introduction to the Chinese culture.

An introduction to the history, geography, literature, and social issues of China through readings, films, music, poetry, and web-based resources. Taught in English. Three class hours weekly. One unit.

Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and on the strengthening of cultural competency in Chinese through the use of written texts and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and on the strengthening of cultural competency in Chinese through the use of written texts and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Introduction to major works in traditional Chinese literature. One Unit.

An exploration of Chinese culture through 20th- and 21st-century Chinese cinema. Taught in English. One unit.

An overview of the history and structure of the Chinese language.

This course will explore the complex forces at work in the emergence of modern China through a selection of Chinese literary texts. How was modernity perceived at the turn of the century? How did women's liberation change the face of China? How did we understand colonialism in Taiwan? How did May Fourth literature, New Sensationalism, and leftist literature negotiate questions of age, race, gender and class as well as nationally? Introducing iconic writers such as Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, Eileen Chang, and Wu Zhuoliu, and films such as New Women and Spring in Small Town, this course will chart the course of modern expressions and concerns in the Sinophone worlds of the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. All readings in English translation. No prerequisite.

Have you eaten yet? As one of the most common greetings among people in China, it suggests the important role food plays in Chinese culture and society. This course examines the Chinese culinary tradition and practice from antiquity to the present and explores diverse representations of food in historical accounts, literature, traditional arts, and the modern media. In this journey to Chinese cultures heart through its stomach, we will savor every bite: both food for thought and food for stomach. While digging into our food, we will also discuss a variety of topics related to the subject of Chinese food, such as food and culture values, food and identity, food and hunger, and Chinese food in the West. Students will develop critical eating skills and will further embrace cultural diversity through food.

Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and cultural competency through the use of traditional Chinese readings and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and cultural competency through the use of traditional Chinese readings and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Continued development of oral and written communication skills and cultural competency through the use of readings, videos, and other multimedia resources. One unit each semester.

Continued development of oral and written communication skills and cultural competency through the use of readings, videos, and other multimedia resources. One unit each semester.

This course continues its focus on the development of higher level skills in spoken Mandarin and formal, written Chinese.

An introduction to the classical literary language of China.

This course is designed to improve advanced students' modern Chinese language skills and cultural knowledge by immersing them in the advanced communication context of contemporary Chinese media. Learning materials include Chinese news media, TV series, and films.

This first half of an introduction to the fundamentals of the French language focuses on the acquisition of the basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and presents an introduction to the cultures of the French-speaking world. This course is restricted to students with no previous study of French. Five class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

This second half of an introduction to the fundamentals of the French language reinforces and deepens basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in French as well as knowledge of the cultures of the French-speaking world.

The first half of a review of the fundamentals of French supplemented by reading of literary and cultural material and by practice in oral expression.

The second half of a review of the fundamentals of French supplemented by reading of literary and cultural material and by practice in oral expression.

Designed for gaining proficiency in oral and written French. Emphasis on developing correctness and fluency in everyday situations. Regular methods of instruction include discussions, web activities, skits, listening comprehension, grammar review. Required for French majors and minors. Recommended for first-year students with advanced placement. Four class hours weekly. French.

Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

An overview of French life and letters from the Middle Ages to 1800. Focus is on literature, but other types of material are included to provide insights into the cultural, historical, and ideological contexts. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

An overview of French life and letters from 1800 to the present. Focus is on literature, but other types of material are included to provide insights into the cultural, historical, and ideological contexts. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

Arts will be the thematic focus of the course and will encompass readings on urbanism and architecture, film, advertising, comic books, choreography, equestrian theater, political songs, painting, and photography. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

Paris will be the thematic focus of the course and will encompass a variety of readings on the City of Lights' history, urban design and landscape, landmarks and symbols, cultural institutions, artistic and intellectual neighborhoods. We will also examine how poets, novelists, playwrights, and filmmakers have represented Paris by studying sample(s) of their respective art form. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres (poetry, theater, novel) and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

The general theme of the Fantastic is the focus of this course. As a literary and cinematic genre, the Fantastic is characterized by the intrusion of the supernatural into our natural world. This intrusion, which can take many forms, destabilizes both the reader/spectator and the characters within the text itself. Students will study a variety of works on the topic. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

In this course, students analyze works of literature written by francophone authors that feature a voyage, either literal or metaphorical. Focus is on literature, but other types of material are included to provide insights into the cultural, historical and ideological contexts. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills, and stylistic proficiency. Conducted in French.

In this course, we will analyze works of literature written by authors of diverse backgrounds based in France. One of the course's goals is to explore the many faces of the country, not just that of the Parisian elite. Focus is on literature, but other types of material are included to provide insights into the culture, historical and ideological contexts. Designed to give students the tools to read and write critically in French. Students will examine texts representative of major genres and will acquire lexical flexibility, rhetorical skills, and stylistic proficiency. The course will bring student' proficiency to the level of accuracy and clarity required for the satisfactory completion of 400-level course. Conducted in French [counts toward the French major and minor. Satisfies the College's Language Common Area Requirement]

Designed for students who seek to reach an advanced level of proficiency in French. The four skills are stressed. Particular emphasis on exercises that focus on complex language structures.

Through the translation of selected passages, seeks to teach students to write with precision and clarity in both French and English. Conducted in French.

Even though the French commonly do not believe that one can learn how to become a successful fiction writer by taking courses in creative writing, they admit that there are certain tricks and techniques pertaining to the art of writing that one must know in order to write a fine piece of literature. In this course, we shall take up the challenge. We shall first read samples of fictional works (excerpts, a fable, a tale, a short story, a novel), take them apart to understand how they are fabricated, and analyze each component at play in detail. Students will then compose similar short pieces. By the end of the semester, students will try their hand at a larger piece of fiction in French. Conducted in French.

The major trends and theories by prominent 20th-21st Century novelists are considered. Selected works by authors such as Gide, Proust, Mauriac, Sartre, Colette, Camus, Breton, De Beauvoir, Beckett, Bernanos, Giono, Vian, Queneau, Perec, Pagnol, Tournier, Robbe-Grillet, Sarraute, Duras, Hyvrard, Modiano, Sollers, Lainé, Wittig, Roche, Yourcenar, Leduc, Ernaux, Angot, Germain and others. This course fulfills the literature requirement for the major. Conducted in French.

Focuses on current issues in contemporary France. Politics, society, the arts, domestic and international affairs, education, the media, feminism, etc., are among the topics analyzed and discussed. Conducted in French.

A critical examination of contemporary Francophone music and new poetic forms such as slamming across Africa, Europe, North-America and spanning genres such as afro-pop, hip hop, reggae, zouk. The course seeks to highlight the use of music and spoken work as instruments to contest the prevailing political discourse and a platform to engage social changes.

This course focuses on cinematic masterpieces, understood as either popular or critical successes, or both, in order to provide students with an in-depth study of French and French-language filmmaking from its inception in 1895 to the present. We move chronologically, and cover a variety of trends, periods, and genres, including the 1920s Avant-Garde, Poetic Realism, Occupation Cinema, the Tradition of Quality, the French New Wave, Beur and Banlieue filmmaking, the popular comedy, the documentary, and the road movie. We also explore French-language cinema produced outside Metropolitan France. Conducted in French.

This course introduces students to the politics of representation in contemporary French-language cinema, from France but also other corners of the French-speaking world. We focus specifically on issues of race, gender and sexuality as they emerge in a variety of filmic texts of the last few decades. Other considerations will include class, ethnicity, hybridity and multiculturalism. Key theoretical paradigms such as feminist film studies, queer theory and postcolonial thought will be utilized to contextualize and comprehend these categories. Conducted in French.

Eligible students may elect one or both of these courses with the permission of the section coordinator. Tutorials are normally offered only to students who have previously taken all other advanced courses offered in a given semester.

Eligible students may elect one or both of these courses with the permission of the section coordinator. Tutorials are normally offered only to students who have previously taken all other advanced courses offered in a given semester.

The French 19th century is haunted by scenes of entrapment. From Victor Hugo's prison narratives to the first ever locked room mystery, the period is marked by an impulse to enclose, be it within the walls of a dungeon, a lighthouse, a human body or within the limits of the text itself. This course invites students to explore the theme of confinement through a variety of genres (poems, short stories, novels, graphic novels, plays as well as film adaptations) and authors (Ignace Nau, George Sand, Marie Krysinska, Honore de Balzac, Guy de Maupassant, Rachilde, etc.). Questions we will be asking ourselves include: What do these narrative accounts of isolation reveal about the literary impulse behind bars? How does literature deal with (its own) limits? How can stories about confinement help us process our own experience of quarantine?

Designed for students with no previous study of German, aimed at the acquisition of a basic speaking, reading and writing knowledge. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of practicum.

Designed for students with no previous study of German, aimed at the acquisition of a basic speaking, reading and writing knowledge. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of practicum.

A review of the fundamentals of the German language, supplemented by readings in literary and cultural texts as well as practice in oral and written expression. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

A review of the fundamentals of the German language, supplemented by readings in literary and cultural texts as well as practice in oral and written expression. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

The city of Berlin represents a microcosm of change and growth in European society yet maintains a unique identity. Its development from a royal city to the capital of a united Germany will be examined through the lenses of literature, film, art, and architecture. In English.

Designed for students wishing to acquire proficiency in spoken and written German. Discussions focus on current and historic events, address stylistic devices and rhetorical strategies in literary texts, and explore students' interests. Weekly oral and written assignments with grammar review as necessary. Required for German majors and recommended for first-year students with advanced placement. In German.

An introduction to outstanding examples of German thought, art, and cultural developments in the 18th and 19th centuries. Important German cultural figures such as Frederick the Great, Goethe, Beethoven, Nietzsche and Marx are discussed. Readings, lectures, and discussions in German.

An introduction to political and cultural developments in Germany in the 20th century. Aspects of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, East and West Germany, and the United Germany are studied. Readings, lectures, and discussions in German.

A study of German literature in the age of burgeoning industrialism and materialism, extending from the late romanticism through the era of realism. Works of representative authors such as Heine, Büchner, Grillparzer, Droste-Hülshoff, Stifter, Keller, Meyer and Fontane. Readings and discussions in German.

Introduction to the most significant masters of German prose in the first half of the 20th century. Works of representative writers such as Hauptmann, Schnitzler, Mann, Kafka, Hesse, Brecht. Readings and discussions in German.

A study of German texts created around the turn of the millennium in the newly unified Germany.

Eligible third-year students may elect German 491, 492 with permission of department chair and instructor. Topics to be determined by instructor. Recent topics: Modern German Drama, East German Literature.

Designed for students with little or no knowledge of Italian language, this course provides an overview of basic Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication, listening comprehension, and reading. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

Designed for students with little or no knowledge of Italian language, this course provides an overview of basic Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication, listening comprehension, and reading. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

Students who have taken any higher level ITAL course may not register for ITAL 101. No previous knowledge of language.

Provides a review of Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication. Students also read and discuss Italian literature and cultural material. Four class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

Provides a review of Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication. Students also read and discuss Italian literature and cultural material. Four class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

Examines the life and work of Dante Alighieri with a focus on his masterpiece, La Divina Commedia, which will be read in its entirety. A portrait of the political, social, cultural, and religious climate in which Dante wrote will be provided. Conducted in English.

Offers students intensive oral and written practice in Italian language through an exploration of Italian culture. Authentic materials such as literary texts, newspaper and magazine articles, and video are utilized as a basis for class discussion and written compositions. Grammar is reviewed in context.

Explores the history and the culture of Italy from Fascism to contemporary Italy, passing through the economic boom, the ¿Leaden Years,¿ and the Mafia. Along with historical and cultural information, students will read newspaper articles, letters, excerpts from novels and short stories from authors such as Calvino, Levi, and others. They will also see films by directors like Scola, e Sica, and Giordana.

A study of selected Novellas from Giovanni Boccaccio's masterpiece, The Decameron. Students will learn about the culture, literary tradition, and language of 14th-century Italy. In addition to reading and analyzing the most important of Boccaccio's one hundred stories, they will explore themes, such as merchant culture, the condition of women, and the art of the practical joke, that recur throughout the work. Students will also view selected episodes from Pasolini's homonymous film. Conducted in Italian.

In this course we will review the long-term development of Western medicine in the pre-modern period, including its contact and exchange with other medical cultures. What makes a person healthy or unhealthy? What do health care practitioners and patients do to fight illness and promote health? How does society support and regulate the practice of medicine? The course will deal with these and other questions about health care during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, a period of the of European history that included the widespread use of herbal remedies, the arrival of the Black Death, and the increasing importance of both anatomical observation and astrology.

The course aims to provide students with the elementary background knowledge needed to appreciate the relevance of a few, selected Medieval/Renaissance authors, along with an adequate knowledge of their works in terms of form, structure, style, imagery, and themes. Students will become familiar with the writings of Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Manetti, Bibbiena, Aretino, Machiavelli and other Renaissance authors. The course will also explore the history of the book throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance with particular emphasis on its development in Western culture. The course will also focus on the physical aspects of texts, their production, manufacture, authorship, publication, distribution, and reception. The course is intended 1) to develop students' understanding of the creative context in which the texts originated, namely the world of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance and its varying social contexts; 2) to introduce the terminology associated with the period; 3) to help students to develop critical approaches to the texts; 4) to learn how the physical and material formats of books have evolved over the time and 5) to understand the practice of manuscript creation, production, dissemination and reception in the larger social, economic and political context of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

This course introduces students to the cultural history and experiences of people of African descent in Italy. Through cinematic and literary works, media and songs, the course explores the historically variable meaning and the multiplicity of Italian African identities, while also highlighting intersections and similarities. The course intends to enable students:1) to learn and apply the norms of academic discourse (writing and speaking) in the humanities. 2) to identify, describe, and use features of academic writing, including thesis, motive, evidence, analysis, and style. 3) to improve working knowledge of the grammar and mechanics of standard Italian. 4) to improve critical thinking by analyzing and identifying rhetorical strategies through close reading, discussion, writing/revision, and peer-review. 5) to learn and demonstrate research skills by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing secondary sources. 6) to become versed on some of the major events that marked the contemporary history of the people of African diaspora in Italy; 7) to foster respect for diversity and tolerance when discussing controversial topics regarding such issues as race, gender, sexual orientation. Conducted in Italian.

Representative works of the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries are studied in the context of Renaissance culture and history. Selected works by Petrarch, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Leon Battista Alberti, Poliziano, and Castiglione will be studied. Conducted in Italian.

Introduces students to the celebrated literature of Sicily, the land of mythology and the Mafia, and home to many of Italy¿s most important writers. The course concentrates on modern Italian literature, tracing the evolution of Sicily¿s culture from the Unification in 1861 to today. Students will read works by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Giovanni Verga, Maria Messina, Luigi Pirandello, Leonardo Sciascia, and Andrea Camilleri and see films based on their works.

A study of 20th-century Italian narrative that focuses on the experience of the war. Topics include Fascist policies, the partisan resistance, the Holocaust and Italian Jews. Authors studied include Ignazio Silone, Giorgio Bassani, Cesare Pavese, Natalia Ginzburg, Primo Levi, and Renata Viganò. Students will also view and discuss films adapted from several of the works in class. Conducted in Italian.

Eligible third-year students may elect one or both of these courses only with the permission of the department chair. For students who have previously taken all other advanced courses offered in a given semester.

Promotes active communicative skills along with the basics of Russian grammar. By course end, read, write, understand, and speak Russian in a broad range of everyday situations. Various aspects of Russian culture and life are introduced through the medium of language. Five class hours weekly and language lab practice. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Promotes active communicative skills along with the basics of Russian grammar. By course end, read, write, understand, and speak Russian in a broad range of everyday situations. Various aspects of Russian culture and life are introduced through the medium of language. Five class hours weekly and language lab practice. One and one-quarter units each semester.

Description: The collapse of the USSR in 1991 ended decades of literary censorship and spelled the death of the Socialist Realist genre in former Soviet countries. These events lead to a new literary renaissance, a publication explosion and, in many countries, the emergence of a new authoritarianism and regime of censorship and literary repression. In this course, we will explore thirty years of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian novels, shorts stories, and poetry in a variety of genres including literary, historical, and science fiction within their historical and cultural context, focusing on how these works grapple with the difficult legacy of the past, the demise of the Soviet utopian dream, and the uncertain future. Authors will include Vladimir Sorokin, Victor Pelevin, Svetlana Alexievich, Andrey Kurkov, Yuri Andrukhovych, Valzhyna Mort, Tatiana Tolstaya, and others. We will supplement readings with historical and cultural presentations and films.

Designed to activate students' spoken Russian, a wide variety of in-class activities allow students to practice Russian needed for most everyday situations. Textbook and workbook are supplemented with audio and videotapes. Conducted in Russian.

Designed to activate students' spoken Russian, a wide variety of in-class activities allow students to practice Russian needed for most everyday situations. Textbook and workbook are supplemented with audio and videotapes. Conducted in Russian.

From current events in post-Soviet Russia to classic Russian literature, Madness is an ubiquitous element of the Russian experience. We will cover a broad range of works-from medieval to post-Soviet masterpieces-to investigate the evolution of madness in Russian culture. The protagonists of the novels, plays, and short stories we will explore range from holy fools to everyday madmen to chronically troubled spirits. The reading will include Griboyedov's The Trouble with Reason, Pushkin's Queen of Spades, Gogol's The Diary of a Madman, Dostoevsky's The Idiot, Chekhov's The Black Monk and Ward No 6, Kuzmin's Venetian Madcaps, Nabokov's The Defense, Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, and Pelevin's Buddha's Little Fingers. We will also examine manifestations of fictional insanity in film, opera, and the visual arts. One unit.

This course treats the representation of desire in great works of the Western literary tradition. We will examine the transformation of this great literary theme over the ages and in various literary genres. The readings will include Euripides' Hippolytus, Dante's La Vita Nuova, The Don Juan stories of Tirso de Molina, Bryon and Pushkin, Flaubert's Madame Bovary, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Nabokov's Lolita. Conducted in English. One unit.

A consideration of Siberia as a native land, an adopted land, and a land of exile. Students start with Siberian folktales and the study of such native traditions as shamanism. Next, the course examines Siberia through Chekhov, Dostoevsky, and Shalamov as a land of both freedom and imprisonment. Finally, students read Rasputin, Astafiev, and Shukshin, whose work is devoted to the preservation of Siberia as a natural world and a culture. Narrative and documentary films complement the reading selections. Conducted in English. One unit.

The Orthodox icon in Russia is a distinctive art form, a theological text, and an object of veneration. In this course, you will learn about the controversial history of icons, their 10th century introduction into Kievan Rus, and the development of native Russian icon types. You will study the icon painters Andrei Rublev, Theophanes the Greek, Dionisius, Daniil Chornyi, and Simon Ushakov and learn about the materials used to create icons, the precision of the icons composition (prorisi, podlinniki), and the meaning of its colors, its symbols, and its text. You will learn about many of the most important icon types, their narratives (skazanie) of the miraculous, and the idea of their presence. You will consider the relationship between icons and those who venerate them and how in this relationship we see the modern Russian cultural and national identity take shape. By the end of the course, you will be able to understand the meaning of icons historically, aesthetically, and theologically. You will also be able to begin analyzing icons as works of art and faith.

Read Shakespeare, Moliere, Goldoni, and Ibsen and analyze their influence on such Russian playwrights as Pushkin, Gogol, Chekhov, Blok, Evreinov, and others. Special attention will be paid to Stanislavsky's acting system - a Hollywood favorite - and Meyerhold's experimentation on the Russian modern stage. Conducted in English. One unit.

This course examines the development of Russian cinema from its silent pre-Revolutionary stage up to the Post-Soviet blockbusters. It focuses on the artistic and technical achievements of Russian filmmaking and their contribution to practical and theoretical aspects of western cinema. We will discuss the distinction between Russian cinema as an ideological tool of a totalitarian state, and western cinema as an entertainment industry. Screenings will include a variety of cinematic genres and styles such as Eisenstein's legendary The Battleship Potemkin (1925) and the Oscar-winning films Moscow Does not Believe in Tears (1979) and Burnt by the Sun (1994). Conducted in English.

This course explores the ritual origins and subsequent uses and functions of the folk, literary, and contemporary fairytale. Its methods include anthropological, psychological, archetypal, structural, feminist, and spiritual readings of the world's most important tales. The course is both theoretical and practical. It aims not only to help students understand the various functions and methods of treating fairytale, but also to give them the tools to work with the genre themselves. The course also discusses historical problems of the study and classification of the fairytale. The cross-cultural approach of the course is designed to familiarize students with non-Western tales that challenge their assumptions about cultural boundaries and question the notion of what it means to be civilized. Conducted in English. One unit.

This course considers the "Rabbles, Rebels, and Martyrs" of Russia's Golden Age of literature. During the 19th century, the Emancipation of the serfs, the Great Reforms, revolutionary activity and continued westernization changed Russian society dramatically. Perhaps it was these attempts at liberalization that produced the great works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Read the classic works of Russia's Golden Age: The Bronze Horseman, Hero of Our Time, The Overcoat, Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina. Conducted in English. One unit.

A survey of the major works, authors and movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will discuss the function of literature in the Russian society over the last one hundred years, from the modernist pre-revolutionary era to the present. We will focus on novels, short stories and poetry written during the Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War, Stalinism, the era of stagnation, and after the fall of communism. The reading will include such diverse writers as Checkhov, Blok, Zamyatin, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Akhmatova, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Pelevin and others. Conducted in English. One unit.

In addition to pure propaganda, the Soviet doctrine of Socialist Realism also produced a rich tradition of art and literature that expressed the ideal of the "New Soviet Person." While introducing students to the wealth of Socialist Realist art and ways to interpret its hidden meanings and messages, this course traces the evolution of the "positive hero" in Soviet literature and art. We consider the meaning of Socialist Realism as a way to practice and understand art. We also discuss the merits and the dangers inherent in the relationship between this kind of literature and Soviet society, one that allowed a nation on its knees to rebuild and modernize as well as one that silenced countless authors. Students are also asked to discern how, in satirical or subversive works, the tenets of Socialist Realism are subverted and their values questioned and why, in today's Russia, there is a growing nostalgia (and market) for Socialist Realist art. Conducted in English. One unit.

This course examines major literary works of the Stalinist era as the artistic expression of the history of twentieth century art, its writers and poets, and their relationship to the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin. The course teaches students how to discern symbolic systems that encode the works, often as a form of protest. It also considers the ethical issues at the heart of the works that concern such resistance and it risks and the role that art plays in such discussions. This course presents the social, political and cultural history of the Stalin-era Soviet Union (1922-1953) through primary and secondary historical sources, literature, arts, film (documentary and interpretive), and music. It attempts to piece together the history of stalinism, while asking students to consider the moral complexities of the time and it relevance to Russia as well as to other modern day nations. Students grapple with multiple voices that compete to own the history of Stalin, including that of Stalin himself. Conducted in English. One unit.

This course explores Russia's medieval roots from the tenth century to the death of Ivan the Terrible as it is represented by Russia itself - through both its history and its art. We read selections from the Primary Chronicles, lives of saints and holy fools, icon narratives, and Russia's great epics. We will give great consideration to the important historical, political and spiritual role of the Russian icon. We also consider how the medieval age is represented in Russian opera and films such as Andrei Rublev, Mongol and 1612. Finally, we consider how modern writers, artists, and leaders including Stalin and Putin - as well as contemporary Russian advertisements use medieval imagery for their own purposes.

Continued development of oral and written language skills and cultural competency through the use of Russian literature, film, songs, and art.

Walter Benjamin once wrote that [i]t is the task of the translator to release in his own language that pure language which is under the spell of another, to liberate the language imprisoned in a work in his re-creation of that work. By doing so, Benjamin frames translation as a complex relationship between two languages that requires deep thought on issues that range from finding the right word to the notion that there is a common sacred language that translation strives to express. In this course, you will explore various major philosophies and theories of translating from Russia and the West both from one language to the other and within a language itself. Topics will include the role and responsibilities of the translator, the meaning of the original text, the history of translation theories, theories and polemics of literary translation, translation as a literary art and tool of protest, strategies in specialized translations, and the importance of context in translation. You will also learn strategies of translation, as you continue to develop your Russian language skills by encountering a variety of advanced texts and implementing the kinds of strategies that make the process of translation an exciting way of exploring the complexities of two languages at once.

An analysis of literary works and documentary material with the aim of probing Russian cultural traditions of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. All discussions, readings and course work in Russian. One unit.

This is a mixed-level course appropriate for students with advanced Russian language abilities from coursework, study abroad or native heritage. The course approaches a chosen theme from various media and focuses on both oral and written literacy. Student interest determines the theme(s) of study and the course is then titled accordingly. This course may be taken more than once.

The course will trace the historical conditions of women's education in the Western traditions with reference to women's 'historical silence' or 'mouthpiece function'. Women's writing will be read as an escape from, answer to, repudiation of a gender discourse favoring men's determination of self and society. Readings and discussions will focus on women's desire for knowledge as well as women's articulation of desire - the desire to be different without having to adapt to standards not set by themselves. The goal of self-determination will be differentiated with regard to both equal rights and equal responsibilities. Finally, the course will address women's conceptualization of history, literature, and language of their own. One unit

An intensive examination of classical texts from twentieth century and contemporary Africa aimed at highlighting their particularities in expressing the colonial experience and its aftermath. Explores manifestations of traditional narrative forms in the modern novel and seeks to introduce students to the contributions of some of the most influential writers from the African continent.

This film course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to study the unique contributions that French-speaking filmmakers have made to the art of cinema. The course is both an introduction to the study of film, and an in-depth survey of French-language filmmaking. We discuss the history of French cinema (from the invention of the cinématographe by the Lumière brothers until today, including cinematic trends such as Poetic Realism, Occupation Cinema, the French New Wave and Young French Cinema) with particular emphasis on sound films (i.e., films made since 1930). We also examine both the qualities of individual films and the cultural and historical factors that have shaped the development of the medium. The course is taught in English and the films (in French with English subtitles) are analyzed in relation to an historical overview of French cinema, an introduction to film theory, key concepts of film studies and various articles on each specific film. Emphasis throughout the semester will be on close readings of the films. One unit.

This course, titled after French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir's 1949 feminist manifesto The Second Sex, explores the unique contributions that women filmmakers have made to the art of cinema, from its inception to the present, with special attention to the contemporary period. Emphasis will be placed on French-language cinema (produced in France, Belgium, Quebec/Canada, North Africa and other francophone countries), but other national cinemas will be discussed as well. Counts toward the Studies in World Literatures (STWL) major, and the concentration in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (GSWS). No prerequisite. Conducted in English. One Unit.

A topical examination of contemporary African societies and cultures as expressed through the camera lens. A study of films from across the continent focusing on the dynamics of change, gender, migrations, conflicts, politics, globalization, and marginalization. The course aims to highlight the internal diversity of perspectives and aesthetics in the representation of such issues. The course focuses less on the technical or theoretical considerations of the films and more so on the examination of the themes and issues they raise, internally and globally. (Films from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, etc.)