Course Descriptions - Undergraduate Calendar 2012-2013

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Courses in Russian and East European Studies are offered through the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies.
Please also see CROAT, POLSH, and RUSS course offerings for interest in Slavic languages.

REES 100s


REES 100 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013878
Legendary Past: Russian Myths and Heroes
An introduction to myths in Ancient Rus' (Russia). This course traces the evolution of major themes, including heroism, and sets Russian myths in the context of the world's mythology.
[Note: Taught in English]

REES 180 LEC,TUT 0.50Course ID: 013630
German and Russian Literary Masterpieces
An examination of major Russian and German literary works that have influenced world literature.
[Note: Taught in English.]
(Cross-listed with GER 180)

REES 200s


REES 220 LEC,TUT 0.50Course ID: 013653
Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Fairy Tales, Then and Now
This course studies fairy tales in the broader context of the history of childhood and practices of education and socialization. The course will concentrate on the German and Russian context and in particular on the work of the Brothers Grimm and Alexander Afanasyev, and will also consider fairy tales drawn from a number of different national traditions and historical periods.
[Note: Taught in English.]
(Cross-listed with GER 220)

REES 230 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012445
The Devil
An examination of the Devil and demonic figures in the Russian and Slavic cultural traditions based on examples drawn from literature, music, the visual arts, and film. Connections to a larger Western cultural context are also explored.
[Note: Taught in English.]

REES 260 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012446
Special Topics
Selected topics in Russian and East European Studies chosen by the instructor in consultation with the department. The topics chosen introduce students to important issues in eastern European culture.
[Note: This course is repeatable, subject to different content.]

REES 261 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013008
Languages and Society I
This course examines the role that languages play in multilingual societies from a linguistic perspective. It focuses on topics such as dialects, language contact and change, bilingualism, language choice, and language and identity.
[Note: Taught in English]
(Cross-listed with GER 261, ENGL 220A)

REES 262 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013009
Languages and Society II
This course examines the role that languages play in multilingual societies from a social and cultural perspective. It focuses on topics such as plurilingualism and multilingualism, language maintenance and loss, language planning and politics, multilingual and heritage language education.
[Note: Taught in English]
(Cross-listed with GER 262, ENGL 220B)

REES 271 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008446
Russian Thought and Culture
An introduction to Russian culture from the tenth to the nineteenth century through the close study of selected works of literature and art.
[Note: Formerly RUSS 271. Taught in English.]
Also offered Online

REES 272 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008447
Russian Thought and Culture
An introduction to Russian culture from the nineteenth century to the present day through the close study of selected works of literature, art, film and music.
[Note: Formerly RUSS 272. Taught in English.]
Also offered Online

REES 273 LEC 0.50Course ID: 004353
Croatian Culture and Literature
This course presents the evolution of Croatian culture from the beginnings to 1835. Particular emphasis is placed on developments in literature; however, other significant manifestations of Croatian civilization (art, architecture, music) are also examined.
[Note: Formerly CROAT 371. Taught in English.]

REES 274 LEC 0.50Course ID: 004355
Croatian Culture and Literature
This course presents the evolution of Croatian culture from 1835 to the present. Particular emphasis is placed on developments in literature; however, other significant manifestations of Croatian civilization (art, architecture, music) are also examined. Integral to this course are the cultural aspects of Croatian settlements in Canada.
[Note: Formerly CROAT 372. Taught in English.]

REES 280 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013877
Comparative Literature: Theory and Practice
An introduction to comparative literature, its history as a discipline and its continuing role in literary studies. Past and present theoretical approaches to literature are used to illustrate the interpretive possibilities achieved by overcoming national, linguistic, and other boundaries. Examples are drawn from a variety of literatures.
[Note: Taught in English]
(Cross-listed with ENGL 220C, GER 280)

REES 281 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011198
Women in Russia: The Conscience of a Nation
This course is a survey of the cultural, artistic, and literary impact of women on Russian society and intellectual development. It examines the changing images of Russian women from early tribal matriarchy to the present post-Communist period. Special attention is paid to the "women's question" in Russia, including nineteenth-century emancipation, the Revolutionary movement, and specific problems and achievements of women in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia.
[Note: Taught in English.]
Antireq: RUSS 281
(Cross-listed with WS 281)

REES 300s


REES 310 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012444
Russian Folklore
This course examines the cultural background of East Slavic mythology. Elements of the Russian fairy tale and Bylina (Epic Song) - such as a hero's or a heroine's journeys to the Other World, goddess worship, and the fearsome beings (for example the Baba-Yaga, the Zmei and Koshchei) - are analyzed.
[Note: Formerly REES 220. Taught in English. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]

REES 320 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012457
The Slavic Short Story
A detailed examination of Russian and eastern European short stories by major representative writers.
[Note: Formerly RUSS 361, RUSS 362. Taught in English. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]

REES 330 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012449
Russian Politics through Literature
Russian literature and politics often seem inseparable, and this course illustrates this phenomenon by employing twentieth-century Russian literature to examine Soviet society. Representative works by writers such as Zalygin, Rasputin, Grekova, and Aitmatov will shed light on Soviet agricultural, educational, religious, and environmental policies.
[Note: Taught in English. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
(Cross-listed with PSCI 368)

REES 341 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008456
Russian Drama before 1905
A study of the origins and development of Russian drama up to 1905. Reading and critical analysis of major works in various genres with emphasis on authors of the 19th century.
[Note: Taught in English. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Antireq: RUSS 341
(Cross-listed with DRAMA 381)

REES 342 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008457
Russian Drama after 1905
A study of the origins and development of Russian drama after 1905. Reading and critical analysis of major works in various genres with emphasis on authors of the 20th century.
[Note: Taught in English. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Antireq: RUSS 342
(Cross-listed with DRAMA 382)

REES 360 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012448
Special Topics
Selected topics in Russian and East European Studies chosen by the instructor in consultation with the department. The topics chosen introduce students to important issues in eastern European culture.
[Note: This course is repeatable, subject to different content. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A

REES 364 LAB,LEC 0.50Course ID: 013636
German and Russian Film Pioneers
An examination of early German and Russian cinema, and the way these two film industries influenced each other. Influential theories of film from the period will also be studied.
[Note: Taught in English.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with FINE 364, GER 364)

REES 385 LEC,TUT 0.50Course ID: 013650
Culture Behind the Iron Curtain
An examination of the culture of the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic, and other states that experimented with socialism in the 20th century. Representations of Marxist-Leninist and Stalinist ideologies in literature, cinema, and the arts; the role of the state in directing cultural expression; and resistance to totalitarian control of culture are examined. Western representations of the Cold War are also studied.
[Note: Taught in English. GER 385 will have a German language component for students in German academic plans. REES 385 will have a Russian language component for students in Russian and East European academic plans.]
(Cross-listed with GER 385)

REES 400s


REES 460 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012451
Special Topics
Selected topics in Russian and East European Studies chosen by the instructor in consultation with the department. The topics chosen introduce students to important issues in eastern European culture.
[Note: This course is repeatable, subject to different content. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Prereq: Level at least 3A

REES 490 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012447
Senior Honours Project
Russian and East European Honours students in their third or fourth year may complete a major project, the results of which must be presented in a substantial essay. The topic should reflect the student's field of interest.
[Note: Requests for permission should be submitted to the undergraduate officer, in consultation with the intended faculty advisor, and should include an outline of the project and a bibliography. The project will be assessed and graded by two faculty members. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Department Consent Required

REES 495 RDG 0.50Course ID: 008480
Reading Course in Approved Topics
Study in selected topics under direction of instructor.
[Note: Formerly RUSS 496. This course will have a Slavic language component for students in REES academic plans.]
Department Consent Required

REES 496 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008479
Study Abroad
Study abroad in Russian and Eastern European Studies.
[Note: Formerly RUSS 495.]
Department Consent Required