ASIU 102
Imagining the Other
Fall 2013
Instructor: Dr. Rossen Djagalov ()
Class meetings: Tuesday & Thursday 14:00-15:15 in SOS 103
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 15:30-16:30 or by appointment in SOS Z22C
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Cultural representations mediate our relationships with whole groups of people. They can deny the humanity of those groups, thus rendering them “Other,” but they can also reaffirm that those represented are people like us, or even give “the Other” a voice. In this course, we will examine fictional and cinematic texts, drawn from Turkey’s Balkan, Russian, and Mediterranean neighborhood, that take a range of perspectives on the Other. A number of theoretical texts, starting with Edward Said’s Orientalism, will help us understand how the Other—whether defined by ethnicity, class, or gender--is constructed and to what ends it is used.
READINGS
Readings will be available in a course packet from the copy center. Occasionally, shorter pieces might be handed in class or e-mailed.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) two in-class exams. In the first case, students will have to chose two out of the four possible questions and write a mini-response to both. In the second exam, students will have to choose only one question. Should a student like to focus on their writing, they are more than welcome to substitute one of their exams with a 4-page paper, as long as they consult with the instructor on a possible topic before that exam. 2 x 15%
2) a film roundtable. Three Tuesday classes will feature three film screenings to be followed on Thursdays by roundtable discussions. Each student will have to initially sign up for one roundtable. 15%
3) a final paper of 6-7 pages due on January 6. As a preparation, students will have tosubmit a one-page outline and thesis statement by December 24th. If citing outside sources, students should use MLA or Chicago formats: HU Those not yet confident in their writing are urged to read Joseph Williams’ Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace (any edition), which I would be happy to provide upon request. 30%
4) class participation. Students are expected not only to attend all classes but to do so
having already read, reflected upon, and generated questions about the assigned texts.
For each unexcused absence beyond the first three, 5% of your grade will be deducted. 25%
Koç University Grading Scale
A+ 97-100 / B+ 83-86 / C+ 73-76 / D+ 63-66A 90-96 / B 80-82 / C 70-72 / D 60-62
A- 87-89 / B- 77-79 / C- 67-69 / F 59 and below
The Ethnic/ Racial Other
Week 1
September 17 Introduction to the course
September 19 Edward Said, Orientalism(1978), p. 1-31
Week 2
September 24 Edward Said, Orientalism, p. 31-48; Bram Stoker, Dracula(1897), p. 2-26
September 26 Bram Stoker,Dracula, 27-72
Week 3
October 1Leo Tolstoy, Hadji Murad (1904), p. 18-48
October 3Leo Tolstoy, Hadji Murad, p. 49-74
Week 4
October 8Leo Tolstoy, Hadji Murad, p. 75-102
October 10Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina(1945), p. 13-54
Week 5
Bayram
Week 6
October 22Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina, p. 54-161
October 24First in-class exam
Week 7
October 29In-class screening: Black Cat, White Cat (Emir Kosturica 1998)
Alexander Kiossev, “Notes on the Self-Colonizing Cultures” (14 p.)
October 31 Film Discussion/ Roundtable
Week 8
November 5 Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina, p. 161-196
November 7 Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina, p. 196-248
The Social Other
Week 9
November 12Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina, p. 248-296
November 14Ivo Andric, Bridge on the Drina, p. 296-334
Week 10
November 19Owen Jones, Chavs: the Demonization of the Working Class, p. 1-12; Aleko Konstantinov,Bai Ganyo, p. 1-33
November 21 No Class
Week 11
November 26Aleko Konstantinov, Bai Ganyo, p. 33-88; Owen Jones, Chavs, 13-38
November 28 Second in-class exam
Week 12
December 3 In-class screening: The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica 1948)
Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction: a Critique of the Judgment of Taste(1979), p. 1-18
December 5 Film Discussion/ Roundtable
The Gendered Other
Week 13
December 10Simone DeBeauvoir, The Second Sex (1949), p. 13-28
Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata (1889), p. 2-55
December 12 Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata, p. 56-96
Week 14
December 17In-class screening: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu 2007)
Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”(1975) (12 p.)
December 19Film Discussion/ Roundtable
Outline and thesis statement due
Week 15
December 24Natalia Baranskaya, “A Week Like Any Other” (1968), p. 1-62
December 26 Review
Final paper due on December 31st
Important Dates
First exam (two in-class essays): October 24th
Second exam (one in-class essay): November 28th
Paper outline and thesis statement due: December 19th
Final paper due: December 31st