Queer Russia
REES 235
Fall 2023
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
RULE 235, RUSS 235, FGSS 234 |
| Course Cluster and Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate, Queer Studies |
Russia is accustomed to playing the role of the "evil empire." The current ongoing war in Ukraine has resurrected the Cold War-era narratives about Russia as a dark, aggressive, and ruthless military power. The notorious legislation of recent years--whose functions range from barring Americans from adopting Russian orphans to criminalizing the so-called "gay propaganda"--have further solidified Russia's reputation as a country with little regard for human rights. Yet generations of Russian poets, artists, and writers have transformed the country's systematic oppression and violence into spectacular forms of protest and self-expression. This course focuses on gender and sexuality in exploring an alternative cultural history of Russia, which highlights its queer legacy from the nineteenth century to the present. We will examine poetry, fiction, art, memoirs, plays, films, performances, and discursive texts that showcase uniquely Russian conceptions of marriage, gender relations, gender expression, and sexual identity. Attention will be paid to the ways in which Russian and Western narratives of queerness align and diverge. In English. No knowledge of Russian is required or expected. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA REES |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CSCT)(FGSS)(REES-MN)(REES-Lang/Lit/C) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Alexandra Kollontai, Love of Worker Bees, trans. Cathy Porter
Mikhail Kuzmin, Wings, trans. Hugh Aplin
Marina Tsvetaeva, Letter to the Amazon, trans. A¿Dora Phillips and Gaëlle Cogan
Fyodor Sologub, The Petty Demon, trans. S.D. Cioran, ed. Murl Barker
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Active participation in discussion, several short reading responses, e.g. social media analysis and film review (ca. 2 pp each), as well as two papers (ca. 5-7pp. and ca. 7-10pp) |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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| Instructor(s): Utkin,Roman Times: ..T.R.. 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: FISK312; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 2 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 5 | FR: 4 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 1 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 1 | Unranked: 2 |
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