Imagining the Other

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

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