Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (REES)

REES 190. Special Topics in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. 1 Unit.

REES 200B. Empire, Culture, Power: An Introduction to Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. 1 Unit.

This course offers an introduction to the vast sweep of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia from an interdisciplinary perspective. This is one of the world's most important and intriguing but troubled regions with extraordinary diversity of religions, cultures at the intersection of the Western and Eastern worlds, and political systems ranging from empires to democracies.

REES 201B. Russia Today. 1 Unit.

Introduction to Russian studies, with attention to political, demographic, economic, social, and cultural features of the Russian area.

REES 285. Independent Study. 0.5 or 1 Units.

REES 290. Special Topics in REES. 1 Unit.

REES 290B. Introduction to Caucasus: Religion and Coexistence in Georgia. 1 Unit.

Georgia is a land of multiple faiths: Judaism, Islam, Official Atheism, Christian Orthodoxy, and Paganism have a long history of coexistence. This three-week course begins in Tbilisi with an introduction to religions in Georgia. The last two weeks students travel to spiritual sites central to Georgia's religious history. We will reflect upon and better understand religious traditions and values.

REES 301A. Survey of Russian Civilization. 1 Unit.

Introduction to Russian cultural achievements in music, visual arts, architecture, folk arts, philosophy, and religion.

REES 309. Survey of Russian Literature in English. 1 Unit.

Introduction to important works in Russian literature from the twelfth to twentieth century.

REES 310. 20th Century Russian Literature in English. 1 Unit.

The course encompasses many literary movements - Realism, Symbolism, Socialist Realism, and Village Prose - in their historical context. Genres include essays, tales, poetry, the novel, autobiography, film, and plays.

REES 320A. Russian and Soviet Film. 1 Unit.

Explores the one-hundred year tradition of Russian film art. We approach film as both an historical object that offers understanding into the traditions and beliefs of Russia, as well as works of art. Through workshops on cameras, editing, and acting, students gain additional insights into the potentials for cinematic art.

REES 338. Central Asia Politics. 1 Unit.

Long a peripheral region of European and Asian empires, Central Asia is now reclaiming its own identity in the wake of the collapse of the USSR. The primary focus of the course is on politics, society, and foreign policies in the new Central Asian states of Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, though some attention will also be given to the Turkic regions of western China as well as Iran and Afghanistan. Among the topics to be examined are Islamic revivalism, ethnic conflict, national security, the attempts to construct modern national identities as well as modern political and economic systems. Cross-listed with POLI 338.

REES 340V. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. 1 Unit.

This course focuses on Stetson's Ethical or Spiritual Inquiry Value. Two of the world’s greatest writers. They lived in one age, in one country, and sometimes in one city. They could not have agreed less on God, nature, man, and society. One Russian philosopher wrote that Tolstoy and Dostoevsky “exemplify an insoluble controversy, in which two sets of assumptions, two fundamental concepts of existence, confront one another.” To understand them both, and choose between them, is to define your own nature. In English.

REES 341V. Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. 1 Unit.

This course focuses on Stetson's Human Diversity Value. The first priority is to read, analyze, and (most importantly) enjoy a long and complex novel about life in Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In this national epic, Tolstoy wages polemical war on issues like historiography, human psychology, decision-making, nation-building, moral codes, violence, gender, and class. The answers are never what you expect, and they are as pertinent today as they were a hundred and fifty years ago. Junior Seminar.

REES 342V. Real Men, Real Women? Gender in 20th- and 21st-Century Russian Literature and Culture. 1 Unit.

This course focuses on Stetson's Human Diversity Value. We explore the contentious topic of gender in a Russian context by examining an array of representations of masculinity and femininity in Russian literature and film since the early twentieth century. By interrogating these representations, we will assess what it means (and what it has meant) to be a Russian man or woman, and in the process, we may challenge some of our own Western assumptions about gender constructs. As we identify and analyze the characteristics of ideal/real men and women, we will consider how and whether gender stereotypes are reinforced or shattered in the works of contemporary authors. Format: discussion-based class with minilectures for context. Requirements: thoughtful and active class participation, two short essays and a longer paper, a class presentation and discussion leader assignment, a midterm examination, and a final examination. Writing Enhanced course. Junior Seminar.

REES 343V. Protest Culture and Putin's Russia. 1 Unit.

This course focuses on Stetson's Human Diversity Value. This course examines the relationship between individuals and the state in Putin’s Russia. It analyzes a variety of texts – fiction, cinema, journalism, and popular culture – dealing with the chaos of the “wild 1990s,” Putin’s solidification of power in the early 2000s, and the rise of the protest culture that has dominated media attention in the last several years. Attention is devoted to the two recent Russo-Chechen Wars, activism and war in Ukraine, Putin’s interactions with Donald Trump, and the recent protests in Belarus. Course materials include works by representative authors, artists, journalists, and cultural critics. Format: discussion-based class with mini-lectures for context. Requirements: thoughtful and active class participation, two short essays and a longer paper, a class presentation and discussion leader assignment, a midterm examination, and a final examination. Junior Seminar.

REES 385. Independent Study. 0.5 or 1 Units.

REES 390. Topics in Russian Studies. 0.5 to 1 Units.

Topics include single authors, historical periods, genres, or themes. In English.

REES 395. Teaching Apprenticeship. 0.5 Units.

Pass/Fail only.

REES 397. Internship in Russian Area Studies. 0.5 or 1 Units.

A student–initiated internship (domestic or abroad) that builds knowledge and competency in Russian-area studies such as politics, geography, history, business, etc. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and chair. Enrollment in an internship course requires students to attend an orientation prior to beginning work at their internship site. For more information regarding internship orientations, please contact Career & Professional Development at career@stetson.edu or 386-822-7315.

REES 398. Contemporary Russian Culture. 1 Unit.

Analysis of current changes in Russian society as seen through culture in its historical context, beginning with the idea of culture. Texts are drawn from literature, journalism, history, film, art, and culture studies. In English.

REES 485. Independent Study. 0.5 to 1 Units.

REES 498. Senior Research: Sources and Methodology. 0.5 Units.

REES 498 helps the student locate a topic, an approach, and available research that will inform their Senior Research.

REES 499. Senior Project. 0.5 Units.