Course Description
The peoples and cultures of the Balkans from the Byzantine period to the present, with a focus on the social, historical, and cultural factors that have played a role both in the formation of ethnic/national identity within the region and in the perceptions of outsiders.
Athena Title
BALKANS
Prerequisite
Permission of Honors
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will gain an understanding of the history and culture of the Balkans, their relationship to the rest of Europe, and the origins of the political unrest and armed conflicts that accompanied the fall of Communism and the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. Particular attention will be paid to the development of nationalism in the 19th and 20th centuries. A major objective of the course will be to develop a more sophisticated understanding of linguistic issues and a critical approach to the use of language. The politics of language, the construction of narratives, and the use of language as a symbol of identity will be emphasized throughout. Students will read and discuss a variety of texts, including works of fiction and poetry, travelogues, essays, and historical documents, as well as scholarly works. They will be assigned two short book or film reviews and a final project or paper, and they will be required to lead some class discussions, either singly or in small groups.
Topical Outline
Historical/geographical background (i) Early history; the ethnic makeup of the Balkans (ii) The Balkans under imperial rule: The Byzantine, Ottoman, and Habsburg empires (iii) Orthodoxy, Islam, and Catholicism The shared culture of the Balkans (i) The view from without: Orientalism, traveler's accounts, artistic representations of the Balkans (ii) The view from within Folklore and romanticism: The romantic idea of the Volksgeist, folk songs and epic poetry, the supernatural Nationalism (i) Background, the development of nationalist movements (ii) Language and national identity, the development of standard languages (iii) Outward symbols of identity: flags, emblems, dress and names Minority populations: Sephardic Jews, Muslims, Roma (Gypsies), Vlachs; the drawing of borders and the creation of ethnic minorities The Communist period and its legacy Terrorism, war, and ethnic cleansing: past and present Popular culture and the perpetuation of stereotypes