Course Schedule

RSSS 101 – Elementary Russian I

For the student with no previous experience in Russian.

RSSS 102 – Elementary Russian II

For the student with some knowledge of Russian.

RSSS 114 – How to Learn a Foreign Language

The goal of the course is to provide students with important tools to help them become successful foreign language learners. Students will become familiar with basic elements of language such as parts of speech and the pronunciation of new sounds as a means of enabling them to anticipate and effectively deal with problems in pronunciation, vocabulary building, and sentence formation that often come up in foreign language study. They will also learn about the intertwining of culture and language, such as how expressions of politeness and body language differ across cultures. They will also be exposed to different language teaching and learning styles, typical mistakes language learners make, and strategies for making language learning more effective. This information will be presented in the context of the wide variety of languages taught at the University of Arizona

RSSS 150B1 – East European Cinema in Social Context

East European Cinema in a Social Context (RSSS150) introduces students to a variety of excellent films that have come out of Eastern Europe in the last 100 years or so. Students will learn about the socio-political and cultural contexts of these films, the societies in which they were produced, and the events and situations that they depict. The goal of the course is to increase students' understanding and knowledge of Eastern European societies, cultures, and history while at the same time enhancing their appreciation and understanding of particular film masterpieces and cinema in general. By engaging them in the close study of these films, the course should help students develop analytical and viewing skills. Students should emerge from this course with a strong understanding of cinematic terms, an enriched understanding of diverse cultures of the region, and the tools for further exploration in a variety of academic disciplines (language, film, history, etc.). For purposes of this course, Eastern Europe includes the geographical area bounded by the Czech Republic in the west, Russia in the east; Poland in the north, and the former Yugoslavia & Greece in the south. We will watch a selection of movies from different areas.

RSSS 160C2 – Contemporary Russia in a Historical and Global Context

This course examines contemporary Russian culture and politics in a historical context, determining how the country's past influences present day culture and politics. We will learn of Russia's recent cultural and artistic triumphs within the context of Russia's rich history. In discussing Russian literary and cinematic works of the early 21st century, we will assess the impact of history on Russian consciousness and identity, noting how Russia presents itself around the world, and how it is perceived by other nations.

RSSS 202 – Intermediate Russian II

Fourth semester Russian.

RSSS 302 – Advanced Grammar and Composition

RSSS 305 – Russian and American Foodways: Cultivation, Culture, and Connectedness

Although Arizona and Russia have vastly different climates, cultures, and histories, there are more shared traditions of food cultivation, preparation, and consumption than we might assume. This is a comparative course in Russian and Sonoran foodways that not only explores food preferences, recipes, and cooking as part of human identity but also examines power structures behind food economies; the significance of ancient recipes and remedies in indigenous cultures; and the effect of oppressive policies/ideologies, such as colonialism or communism, on foodways. This course offers an in-depth study of food culture, traditional cuisine, agriculture, and "locavore" movements in Russian and American (particularly Sonoran) contexts. Through a variety of readings, films, lectures, and experiential learning activities, students will investigate how foodways serve as markers of inequalities or oppression (but also resistance and liberation) that inevitably leave a deep imprint on cultures, with additional emphasis on contemporary issues of sustainability, environmental impact, and global interconnectedness.

RSSS 306 – Russian Rap from Love and Sex to Propaganda and Protest

Russian Rap introduces students to a more recent history of the Russian Federation and various political, social, and cultural changes through exploration of the development and rise of Hip Hop culture within a newly reshaped country. In particular, the focus is on the global phenomenon of rap music and Hip Hop as it enters and adapts to local contexts in Russia. Beginning with an overview of Russian history up to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the course spans over near four decades of Russian history and a way of life of modern Russians (1990s - present). Students will engage in exploration of Russian rap music from a variety of prominent musicians, as well as analysis of their significance from socio-political and cultural perspectives. Particular emphasis is on a comparison between rap within Russian and American contexts as well as connecting it to an idea of Hip Hop as a global phenomenon. As an outcome, students should develop an understanding of recent Russian history and culture along with an ability and tools for understanding how musical artifacts represent historical, societal, and cultural changes and aspects of the region.

RSSS 315 – Vampires and Werewolves: Slavic & East European Folklore in our Culture

This course will examine the ways in which the vampire and werewolf serve as metaphors for human fears and desires. Starting with East European peoples, we will explore how the folklore around the monsters symbolized "the other" and cultural taboos. We will trace how Western cultures engaged with, adopted and transformed the East European beliefs to reflect evolving conception of identity, social conflict, gender/sexuality, and the nature of good and evil

RSSS 320 – Criminal Russia: From Rasputin to Putin

In contemporary Russia -- marked by extreme inequality; political prosecutions; government discrimination against racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities; extensive corruption, and prisoners' human rights violations -- the illegal has permeated the legal. "Criminal Russia" centers on the concept of power, and specifically, on the process of its consolidation and application by legitimate and illicit structures, and on the effect these processes have on different populations. To do this, the course begins with considering the influence of crime on the government in imperial Russia and the nation's fascination with a glorified criminal archetype. Then, moving to the more recent period, "Criminal Russia" explores the oppressive nature of the Soviet state, realized in unlawful mass incarcerations into Gulags; the interweaving of the criminal code into Russian politics; the rise and (alleged) fall of the Russian mafia; the country's penitentiary system as a reflection of societal power verticals and the collective sense of right and wrong; and the paradoxical place of the criminal culture within the national consciousness. Upon completing the course, students will be able: (1) to critically analyze issues of power (and power abuse) by the state and by its shadow using various disciplinary approaches, (2) to address issues of freedom, oppression, incarceration, and human rights, in Russia and elsewhere, and (3) to explain how counter cultures subvert dominant ideologies.

RSSS 350 – The Soviet Experiment

Readings and discussion in English of representative Russian literary works from the 20th century.

RSSS 415 – Advanced Topics in Russian Language, Literature and Linguistics

A variable topics course taught in English or Russian (depending on subject material).

RSSS 461 – Human Rights in Eurasia

This course will examine a variety of seminal human rights in the Eurasian region. We will consider what are international human rights and how international human rights are integrated into the various states of the region, focus on the historical background and socio-cultural underpinnings of various states in the region when approaching human rights (especially of minorities and other communities) and then focus on specific issues including LGBTQ+, minority and linguistic rights, feminism in the region, and other important rights. We will then also consider how the international human rights system might (or is, at times) employed to uphold the various rights discussed, with a view to incorporating the variety of approaches and perceptions accorded to rights and to different groups by states and controlling factions.

RSSS 493C – Internship

Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.

RSSS 498H – Honors Thesis

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

RSSS 515 – Advanced Topics in Russian Language, Literature and Linguistics

A variable topics course taught in English or Russian (depending on subject material). Graduate-level requirements include graduate students being held to higher standards of proficiency in all exams and coursework. Graduate students will be given more challenging assignments and may have additional, separate meetings with the instructor.

RSSS 561 – Human Rights in Eurasia

This course will examine a variety of seminal human rights in the Eurasian region. We will consider what are international human rights and how international human rights are integrated into the various states of the region, focus on the historical background and socio-cultural underpinnings of various states in the region when approaching human rights (especially of minorities and other communities) and then focus on specific issues including LGBTQ+, minority and linguistic rights, feminism in the region, and other important rights. We will then also consider how the international human rights system might (or is, at times) employed to uphold the various rights discussed, with a view to incorporating the variety of approaches and perceptions accorded to rights and to different groups by states and controlling factions.

RSSS 581 – Russian Phonology and Morphology

Synchronic study of the phonology and morphology of modern Russian.

RSSS 587 – Assessment in Second/Foreign Language Learning

The primary objective of this course is the development of language teachers' assessment literacy, which includes knowledge of key assessment principles and skill in creating or adopting assessment tools and procedures for the language classroom. Participants in this course will develop their knowledge and skills related to assessing all skill areas in the language classroom, including productive skills (writing, speaking), receptive skills (reading, listening), and assessing grammar and vocabulary. Grading and student evaluation will also be important topics of consideration and exploration in this course. Designed specifically for in-service (and pre-service) language teachers, the course combines theory with practice by covering essential principles of effective classroom assessment and the development of effective assessment tools for classroom use. Participants completing this course will become more assessment literate and better able to evaluate student performance in their classrooms fairly and effectively.

RSSS 593C – Internship

Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.

RSSS 696E – Post-Soviet Literature and Culture of Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia

This course provides an in-depth overview of the major literary and artistic trends of the late 20th Century to the present day, surveying the transition from the Soviet to post-Soviet period, with a special focus on how Postmodernism interacts with and/or reflects the Post-Soviet condition. Students will explore a variety of responses to the legacy of state communism and the transition to a new political and economic regime. We will discuss the rise of Postmodernism in the late 20th century and its relation to the period of transition in the 1990s. Students will be able to discuss recurrent themes in this multinational literature (such as paranoia, carnival, dislocation, corporeal experience, crime and mafia, nostalgia) and the varied literary techniques employed (palimpsest texts, unreliable narrators, misdirection and mystification, use of popular genres, metanarrative). Finally, we will consider how the literary traditions of the region evolve and respond to contemporary events and trends in the 21st century as the various nations in the region embark on a search for a post-Soviet national identity.