In this seminar students will undertake an in-depth exploration of various aspects of cultural history, literature, language, and society of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Aimed at introducing students to the diverse field of Russian and East European studies, the course will feature a number of guest speakers—scholars who will provide introductions to the various areas and present their own research. Course readings include diverse primary texts (literature, popular culture, journalism, etc.) and representative scholarly studies. Films and media materials will be shown and discussed in the course of the semester. Taught in a seminar format, this course makes a special emphasis on research. Participants will receive an opportunity to produce a research paper (10-20 pages) on the topic of their interests, working in individual consultations with both the primary instructor and other faculty members. (Students working on a senior or honors thesis may find this seminar useful for their thesis research.)

Required of all majors in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, in Fall 2015 this course is also open to other students who are interested in research on this vital area of the world.

Prerequisite: Major status in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures or the consent of the instructor.