Marko Manev, Ruse Balcony, 1976 |
CORE 140B: Balkan Cultures
King’s College, Summer 2013
Cristofer Scarboro
Office:
Hafey-Marian Hall 306
E-mail: cristoferscarboro@kings.edu
Phone:
(570) 208-5900 ext. 5637 (o)
(570) 735-4762 (h)
Moodle Site:
http://kings.mrooms2.net/course/view.php?id=1716 |
I.
Course Description:
This course traces the development of the Balkans as a distinct (and not so
distinct) cultural and geographical space from the time of the Byzantine Empire
to the present. We will investigate
the rise and fall of two great world empires (Byzantine and Ottoman) the
creation of the Balkan national states, the mechanics of the Balkan communist
systems, and the perils and possibilities of the integration of the Balkans into
the “West.” Central to this
investigation will be questions of definition: what are the Balkans? Who defines
the meaning of the Balkans and “Balkanness?” What are its constitutive elements?
How do its meanings change over time? And, what are the implications and
consequences of such understandings?
II.
Purpose:
A.
Mission Statement:
An
awareness of cultures other than the dominating Anglo civilization of the United
States deepens our understanding of the diverse world in which we live and our
place in it. When we step beyond our limited cultural surroundings and attempt
to enter into the minds of others in the world community, we are often
confronted with values and perspectives that both challenge our assumptions and
broaden our understanding of what it is to be human. The liberally educated
individual whose philosophy of life is solidly grounded in human and humane
principles should understand cultural diversity and be equipped to deal with it
in an informed and sensitive manner. Core 140: Foreign Cultures, attempts to
present the student with as full an understanding of a non-English culture as
possible in the space of one semester, in an English-language classroom. Topics
broached in the Core 140 classroom include: the Geography and Political History
of the nation or nations in question, its traditions of Art, Cinema, Literature,
and Music, in the context of their historical development; native folklore,
customs, and other social variables specific to the nation or region. Questions
of ethnicity, religion and other topics that may reach beyond the borders of the
particular nation will also be discussed.
B. Objectives for the student:
*to
assess and appreciate with deeper insight and sensitivity the culture of a
people or nation other than that of the English-speaking United States;
*to
analyze the interrelation of the geography, history and cultural achievements of
a people or nation other than that of the English-speaking United States;
*to
compare and contrast the Anglo-American mode of thinking, creating, behaving and
communicating with a foreign mode;
*to
master a clearly defined body of knowledge drawn from the culture, e.g., from
the language, literature, history, contemporary culture, etc., of a people or
nation other than that of the English-speaking United States.
C. Goals for the student:
*To
recognize the value of understanding cultures and languages different from one’s
own;
*to
study and consider with fairness and sensitivity cultural values, patterns and
points of view different from one's own;
*to be
better prepared to deal with cross-cultural contacts;
*to
develop new insights into human and cultural values;
*to
understand that language is an integral part of a national heritage;
*to
develop a broader perspective on one's own language and culture by comparing it
with another;
*to
develop a global perspective from which to assess the political, economic and
cultural interdependence of all nations.
III. General Course Requirements:
A.
Course Readings:
Andric,
Ivo, The Bridge on the River Drina,
University of Chicago Press, 1977.
Kadare,
Ismail, The General of the Dead Army,
Arcade Publishing, 2012.
Kaplan,
Robert, Balkan Ghosts: A Journey through
History, Picador, 2006.
Mazower, Mark, The Balkans: A Short
History, Modern Library Chronicles, 2002.
B.
Course Films:
The films for the course are an intrinsic part of the course--they will be the
centerpiece of class discussion on the week they are shown, and viewing them is
a requirement for the course.
The films will be available on reserve at the King's College Library.
A subscription to Netflix <<www.netflix.com>>
(shared or otherwise) is an inexpensive way to watch the films on your own time.
Kusturica, Emir, Underground, 1995.
Manchevski, Mirko, Before the Rain,
1994.
IV. Assignments and Assessment:
An online class requires us to make a special effort to create and maintain a
shared academic community. I will
check the course moodle site daily (unless otherwise specifically noted) for the
duration of the course. Please
contact me by email or through the course’s moodle interface if you have any
questions or concerns. The
assignments listed below begin with the premise that education is a
collaborative endeavor—they ask that you work with and comment on one another’s
work in order to wrestle with important ideas.
This will particularly be the case in the discussion forums and in the
critical reviewing on one another’s work.
It goes without saying that this work should be done carefully and
respectfully.
A. Class Discussion:
An
integral part of this class will be your discussing of readings with the class
as a whole—as befits an online classroom much of this work will take place in
discussion boards through the course moodle sites.
These discussions will take place in two parts: quizzes and discussion
boards.
1)
Quizzes:
By Thursday of each week you will need
to answer a set of questions on the readings: a quiz of sorts.
These questions will ask you to think about the readings and its
implications and make connections with earlier readings and discussions.
These quizzes will count for 15% of your final grade.
Importantly, these quizzes will be read by your classmates as an
introduction to the weekly discussion forum.
I will cut and paste your answers from the quizzes into the forum as the
first post for each discussion topic.
2)
Forum
Discussions:
By the
end of the day each Saturday you will need to have read all the forum postings
(taken from your answers on the quizzes) and comment at least once on each
of the discussion threads. Each
responses on should total at least 300 words.
These forum discussions will count for 15% of your final grade.
B.
Microthemes:
Four
times this semester you will be asked to reflect on the readings and turn in a 2
page response paper (microtheme).
These microthemes should connect the readings to larger course themes and
reflect on class discussions.
Further, these microthemes will be a constituent part
of your larger paper—think of them as rough drafts of your final paper which
will incorporate elements from each of your microthemes. You
should make sure that the sources you chose relate to your paper topic and work
well together to forward your paper’s thesis.
The schedule and reading list for each microtheme is presented below:
Microtheme |
Due Date |
Texts |
Microtheme 1 |
6/8/2013 |
New York Times
Series: “River of Hope to River of Blood”
Mazower, The Balkans
Konstantinov, Bai Ganyo |
Microtheme 2 |
6/22/2013 |
Todorova, Imagining the Balkans
Kaplan, Balkan Ghosts |
Microtheme 3 |
7/20/2013 |
Kusturica, Underground
Manchevski, Before the Rain
Kadare, The General of the Dead
Army |
Microtheme 4 |
8/03/2013 |
Andric, The Bridge on the River
Drina |
C. Final Paper:
Your written assignment is due August 8th. This paper should
address some of the questions that frame the class:
what are the Balkans? Who defines the meaning of the Balkans and “Balkanness?”
What are its constitutive elements?
How do its meanings change over time? And, what are the implications and
consequences of such understandings? They
should tie together the work of you microthemes into a coherent and well thought
out articulation of how you understand Balkan cultures.
This final paper will count for 20% of your final grade.
D. Exams:
This class will have both a midterm (taken during the seventh week of the class)
and a final (taken during the twelfth week of the class).
These exams will cover material from the course readings and discussions.
Both the midterm and the final will count for 15% of your final grade.
E. Grading:
It is your responsibility to understand why you have achieved a certain grade,
and what steps you can take to maintain or improve your grade. You should
consult with the instructor during office hours or by appointment before and
after exams and written assignments.
**Your final grade will be based on the following percentages
95-100 |
A |
92-94 |
A- |
89-91 |
B+ |
85-88 |
B |
83-84 |
B- |
81-82 |
C+ |
78-80 |
C |
75-77 |
C- |
70-74 |
D |
69< |
F |
**Your grade distribution for assignments is as follows:
Quizzes |
15% |
Forum Discussions |
15% |
Microthemes |
20% |
Midterm |
15% |
Final |
15% |
Final Paper |
20% |
V. Academic Integrity:
This course adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student
Conduct Code in the Student Handbook. Cheating and plagiarism will be penalized
in accord with the penalties and procedures indicated in that source. All
students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of
these infractions of academic honesty. Please take a moment to familiarize
yourself with the History Department’s plagiarism policy posted below:
http://departments.kings.edu/history/honesty.html
VI. Dissabilities:
King’s College and I will make every effort to accommodate students with a
bona-fide disability that impacts on their ability to learn the course material.
Please meet with me privately so that appropriate arrangements can be made to
help in the learning process.
VII. Course Schedule:
“The
Balkans produce more history than they can consume”—Winston Churchill
Week 1:
May 20th-May 25th
**Reading: New York Times Series: “River of Hope to River of Blood” (course
moodle site)
When
and Where are the Balkans? What do
we mean by “Balkan Culture”?
Week 2:
May 26th-June 1st
**Reading: Mazower, The Balkans
(entire)
Defining “Bulgarianness”: “Balkanization” and the Development of National
Identity
Aleko
Konstantinov and Bai Ganyo
Week 3:
June 2nd-June 8th
**Reading: Konstantinov, Bai Ganyo
(entire)
~First
Microtheme due: June 8th
Imagining the Balkans, Part I
Week 4:
June 9th-June 15th
**Readings: Todorova, Imagining the
Balkans, (moodle site)
Balkan
Ghosts(!)(?)
Week 5:
June 16th-June 22nd
**Reading: Kaplan, Balkan Ghosts,
(1-233)
~Second
Microtheme due: June 22nd
Balkans
as Idea / Balkans as Europe
Week 6:
June 23rd-June 29th
**Films: Kusturica, Underground
and Manchevski,
Before the Rain
Midterm
Exam
Week 7:
June 30th-July 6th
“Dead
Armies,” part I
Week 8:
July 7th-July 13th
**Reading: Kadare, The General of the
Dead Army (1-158)
“Dead
Armies,” part II
Week 9:
July 14th-July 20th
**Reading: Kadare, The General of the
Dead Army (161-264)
~Third
Microtheme due July 20th
Balkans
as Bridge?
Week
10: July 21st-July 27th
**Readings: Andric,
Bridge on the River Drina (1-133)
Balkans
as Bridge?
Week
11: July 28th-August 3rd
**Readings: Andric, Bridge on the River
Drina (134-314)
~Fourth
Microtheme due August 3rd
Balkans
in Europe / Balkans as Europe
Week
12: August 4th-August 8th
**Readings: Slavenka Drakulic, Café
Europa (Selections on the course moodle site)