College Bulletin 2022-2023 
    
    May 03, 2024  
College Bulletin 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Search


 

Russian

  
  • LITR 041R. War and Peace in Russian Literature and Culture


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 041 )
    This course explores Russian literary and cinematic responses to the ravages of war and revolution, heroic and bloody conflicts that repeatedly devastated the country throughout its tumultuous history. We will read a variety of texts dealing with wars in the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic invasion, the Crimean War, the Revolution of 1917, the Civil War, World War II, and various recent conflicts to explore how individual writers portray the calamity of war and its devastating effect on people’s lives, while expressing hope for ever-elusive peace and prosperity. Works to be read include Tolstoy’s War and Peace (of course), Bulgakov’s White Guard, Babel’s Red Cavalry, Grossman’s Life and Fate, and Akhmatova’s Poem Without a Hero. Films will include Alexander Nevsky, Battleship Potemkin, Ballad of a Soldier, My Name is Ivan, and Prisoner of the Mountains. All readings and discussions will be in English, and films will be screened with English subtitles.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian

     


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • LITR 042R. Revolutionary Theater


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 042 )
    We start with Konstantin Stanislavsky’s founding of the Moscow Art Theatre, whose revolutionary approach to acting, directing and set design exertsa profound effect on Western theater to this day. Concurrently we will examine Anton Chekhov’s four major plays and their integral part in the success of the Moscow Art Theatre. We then examine the effect of the Soviet revolution on Russian theater from two viewpoints. On the one hand, we will follow the arc of directors and playwrights such as Vsevelod Meyerhold who embraced the Soviet revolution and reflected this embrace in their radically innovative and futuristic productions and set designs. On the other hand, we will follow the tragic arc of playwright Mikhail Bulgakov and his stormy relationship with the Moscow Art Theater and the Soviet regime by reading his plays and his bitingly funny satire Black Snow.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Literatures in Translation  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • LITR 047R. Russian Fairy Tales


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 047 )
    Folk beliefs are a colorful and enduring part of Russian culture. This course introduces a wide selection of Russian fairy tales in their esthetic, historical, social, and psychological context. We will trace the continuing influence of fairy tales and folk beliefs in literature, music, visual arts, and film. The course also provides a general introduction to study and interpretation of folklore and fairy tales, approaching Russian tales against the background of the Western fairy-tale tradition (the Grimms, Perrault, Disney, etc.). No fluency in Russian is required, although students with adequate language preparation may do some reading, or a course attachment, in the original.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for INTP
    Spring 2023. Matthews.
    Spring 2025. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Literatures in Translation  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • LITR 053R. The End of History: Contemporary Russian Culture


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 053 
    Hailed as the “end of history” and “the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century,” the fall of the Soviet Union forced Russia to reconcile a past that had long been suppressed with a present reality full of possibility. We’ll discuss works that address contemporary issues (Putinism, protests, refugees, corruption) and resurrect historical traumas (the Civil War, the Stalin years, the Leningrad Siege, Chernobyl) to understand Russia today. This course features a wide range of texts: fiction, non-fiction, oral histories, poetry, art, performance, and film. We will also have the opportunity to speak with some of the figures whose work we’ll examine. No knowledge of Russian required.
    Humanities.
    Writing Course.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • LITR 075R. Comedy, Satire, Humor


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 075 )
    Laughter is one of the basic human experiences, but in different theories and manifestations it can mean aggression, festivity, freedom, a release of nervous tension or complicity. This course will concentrate on some of the funniest literature from the Russian tradition, be it lighthearted or scalding, fantastic or down-to-earth. Besides the pleasures of laughter, we wil explore what you need to know to get the joke and what this humor means.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • LITR 086R. Nature and Industry in Russian Literature and Culture


    (Cross-listed as RUSS 086 )
    From pre-Christian religion and folklore based in forest, steppe and tundra and the enduring role of peasant culture to today’s Neo-Pagans, Russian culture has been closely bound to nature, developing sustainable agricultural practices, honoring “Moist Mother Earth” and (even sophisticated city dwellers) heading out to gather berries and mushrooms. But the Soviet era pursued science-fictional plans to redesign whole landscapes, make rivers flow backwards and even revolutionize plant genetics (Trofim Lysenko). In practice, such projects led to a shrinking Aral Sea, massive pollution of industrial and agricultural sites, and the worst nuclear disaster in human history (Chernobyl)-at great human cost. Writers have both supported industrial transformation and resisted industrialization. This course will trace the evolution of these elements of Russian culture, focusing on expressions of ideology in literature. No knowledge of Russian is necessary, but students with the language may do some reading in the original.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for RUSS, ENVS
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Literatures in Translation  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 001. Intensive Russian


    Students who start in the RUSS 001-002 sequence must complete and pass 002 in order to receive credit for 001.
    For students who wish to begin Russian in college or who did not move beyond an introduction in high school. Designed to impart an active command of the language. Combines the study of grammar with intensive oral practice, work on phonetics, writing, web materials, and readings in literary and expository prose. Conducted primarily in Russian; normally followed by RUSS 004, RUSS 011 and ideally by RUSS 010, and RUSS 008A.
    See the explanatory note on language courses in the first section of modern languages and literatures.
    Humanities.
    1.5 credits.
    Fall 2022. Forrester, Yordanova.
    Fall 2023. Forrester, Yordanova.
    Fall 2024. Forrester, Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 002. Intensive Russian


    Students who start in the RUSS 001-002 sequence must complete and pass 002 in order to receive credit for 001.
    For students who wish to begin Russian in college or who did not move beyond an introduction in high school. Designed to impart an active command of the language. Combines the study of grammar with intensive oral practice, work on phonetics, writing, web materials, and readings in literary and expository prose. Conducted primarily in Russian; normally followed by RUSS 004 , RUSS 011 and ideally by RUSS 010, and RUSS 008A .
    See the explanatory note on language courses in the first section of modern languages and literatures.
    Humanities.
    1.5 credits.
    Spring 2023. Forrester. Yordanova.
    Spring 2024. Forrester. Yordanova.
    Spring 2025. Forrester, Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 003. Intermediate Intensive Russian


    For students who wish to begin Russian in college or who did not move beyond an introduction in high school. Designed to impart an active command of the language. Combines the study of grammar with intensive oral practice, work on phonetics, writing, web materials, and readings in literary and expository prose. Conducted primarily in Russian; normally followed by RUSS 004 , RUSS 011  and ideally by RUSS 010 , and RUSS 008A.
    See the explanatory note on language courses in the first section of modern languages and literatures.
    Humanities.
    1.5 credits.
    Fall 2022. Stuhr-Rommereim, Yordanova.
    Fall 2023. Stuhr-Rommereim, Yordanova.
    Fall 2024. Stuhr-Rommereim, Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 005. First Year Seminar: Back to the Future: Contemporary Russian Culture and Society


    (Cross-listed as LITR 005R )
    Hailed as the “end of history” and “the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century,” the fall of the Soviet Union forced Russia to reconcile a past that had long been suppressed with a present reality full of possibility. We’ll discuss works that address contemporary issues (Putinism, protests, refugees, corruption) and resurrect historical traumas (WWII, Stagnation, Soviet anti-Semitism, the Leningrad Siege) to understand Russia today. We will also have the opportunity to speak with some of the authors we’ll be reading. 

    FYS and W. Taught in translation. No knowledge of Russian required. Open to all. 
    Humanities.
    W
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 006A. Russian Conversation


    This course meets once a week for 1.5 hours. Students will read newspapers, explore the Internet, and watch videos to prepare for conversation and discussion. Each student will design and complete an individual project based on his or her own interests and goals.
    Can be repeated once for credit.
    Prerequisite: RUSS 004  in the current or a previous semester or by permission of the instructor.
    0.5 credit.
    Spring 2023. Yordanova.
    Spring 2024. Yordanova.
    Spring 2025. Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 008A. Russian Phonetics


    (Cross-listed as LING 008A )
    This course does not require any previous knowledge of Russian. It was originally conceptualized as an opportunity for students of Russian to develop their pronunciation; however, it will also allow linguists to put theory into practice with the pursuit of the acquisition of Russian phonetics. This is ultimately a practical course; therefore, attention will be focused on resetting the default positions of the tongue, jaw and lips (or, as the Russians have it, the “articulation foundation”). Work on the production of the individual phonemes will be followed by the study of phonetic rules, which govern the production of consecutive sounds in word and phrases, and by the study of intonational constructions. 
    0.5 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 010. Advanced Russian


    The course includes practice in speaking, understanding, reading and writing Russian through the use of authentic Russian language materials, including film. Students will consolidate previous knowledge of Russian grammar, and will significantly increase their vocabulary and improve their level of coherent language and writing. Students will acquire conscious knowledge of the meanings of the grammatical forms applied to discourse, i.e. to specific verbal situations, based not only on the underlying linguistic phenomena, but also on the content of lingua-cultural situations.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2022. Yordanova.
    Spring 2023. Yordanova.
    Fall 2024. Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 011. Introduction to Russian Culture


    This advanced intensive writing course will reinforce previous stages of work in Russian and will focus on composition rather than translation from English. Students will develop advanced skills in comprehension and active use of the written language through the use of authentic Russian language materials. The course will concentrate on contemporary Russian culture and also on changes in the Russian language-with a wide variety of materials from fiction, newspapers, journals and other media sources.
    Conducted in Russian.
    Prerequisite: RUSS 004  or permission from the instructor.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Spring 2024. Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 012. Russian Culture through Film


    The purpose of this course is to study the ways in which Russian filmmakers have used the medium of cinema to explore history, culture, politics, and social issues prevalent in the Russian society at different periods of its development. The course will follow the development of Soviet and Russian cinema from the Golden Age of silent films, through the periods of Socialist Realism, WWII, the Thaw, Stagnation, Perestroika, and finally - the Russian Federation up to the present day.
    In addition to exploring Russian history and culture, in this course special attention will be paid to the medium itself - cinema. As storytelling device, as historical document, as expression of imagination, as artistic object, there is no form more capable of capturing our interest and provoking the senses. Therefore, some of the main objectives in this course will be:

    • To understand the nature and process of film production
    • To learn how to “read” and analyze film
    • To explore the major aesthetic trends in the history of cinema and familiarize ourselves with the main theoretical and critical approaches to film theory.

    The films and readings assigned for each class meeting are selected because of their relevance to the theories for the week (often this relevance will be implicit rather than explicit) - for instance: The Photographic Image and Sound, The Cinematic Narrator, Reality and Film, The Film Spectator, Film Genre, etc. The goal of the course is not to focus on any single theory or group of theories, but rather to review a large selection of theories, and allow the students to practice applying these theories to film, so that by the end of the course each student will have the critical tools to provide an informed verbal and written film analysis, and be able to discuss how various aesthetic and ideological approaches to filmmaking influence cinema practice over time.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 013. The Meaning of Life and the Russian Novel


    (Cross-listed as LITR 013R )
    This course surveys nineteenth-century Russian-language literature, with a particular focus on the novel, and considers its major themes: nationalism, colonialism, and the ideology of Empire; the meaning of life in the face of death; women’s fate in a patriarchal society; the individual, the collective, and the experience of modernity; reason and irrationality; and the danger and promise of utopian thought. Our approach will be 1) to read and closely analyze a series of texts that became the foundation for the novelistic tradition in Russian within their own contexts and 2) to explore how these texts speak to contemporary issues, our lives, and eternal questions that all of humanity faces. We will read major novels by Fedor Dostoevsky and Lev Tolstoy, as well as novels, poems, and stories by numerous other authors, including Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Karolina Pavlova, and Nikolai Gogol.
    Taught in translation. No knowledge of Russian language or culture required.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2023. Stuhr-Rommereim.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 014. The Russian Novel: Revolution, Terror and Resistance


    (Cross-listed as LITR 014R )
    What does a culture look like after it undergoes a series of revolutions-sexual, political, linguistic-in short succession? To answer this question, this course surveys literature from the last days of the Russian Empire, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and the turbulent present of the Post-Soviet World.

    Together, we will consider how literary authors grapple with catastrophic upheaval, from the rapid construction of industrial socialism, to Stalin’s purges, World War II, the Gulag labor camps, and the Russian war on Ukraine in 2014 and the present. We will encounter fantastic, tragic, and absurd tales from a wild century: a battle of values in the early USSR between a rebel and a sausage maker; the joys and tribulations of post-revolutionary sexual liberation; a surreal night of drunkenness on the Moscow Metro; a lifetime in Soviet Central Asia recounted as astronauts make contact with a utopian society in a distant galaxy.

    All are welcome. Taught in translation. No previous knowledge of Russian language or culture required. Humanities. Writing course.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GLBL-paired
    Fall 2022. Stuhr-Rommereim.
    Fall 2024. Stuhr-Rommereim.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 015. First-Year Seminar: East European Prose in Translation


    (Cross-listed as LITR 015R )
    Novels and stories by the most prominent 20th-century writers of this multifaceted and turbulent region. Analysis of individual works and writers to appreciate the religious, linguistic, and historical diversity of Eastern Europe in an era of war, revolution, political dissent, and outstanding cultural and intellectual achievement. Readings, lectures, writing, and discussion in English; students who are able may do some readings in the original languages.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GSST, CPLT
    Fall 2023. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 016A. Forensic Linguistics


    Cross-listed as LING 016A 
    This half-credit course provides an overview of linguistic approaches to the study of law and language. It combines a theoretical discussion of selected issues with practical analysis of texts. Written texts will be analyzed for their stylistic features, spoken texts will point out the interaction between discourse participants. The course will report on the findings of the newly developing discipline of forensic linguistics. At the end of the course, students will be able to understand the role of the emerging discipline of forensic linguistics as well as understand the specificities of various genres of legal English.
    Humanities.
    .5 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 017. First-Year Seminar: Love and Sex in Russian Literature


    (Cross-listed as LITR 017R )
    Best known for political priorities and philosophical depth, Russian literature has also devoted many works to the eternal concern of love and sex. We will read significant and provocative works from traditional folk tales through the 20th century to discuss their construction of these most “natural” impulses -and how they imagine the relationship of human attraction to art, politics and philosophy.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GSST
    Fall 2024. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 018. Reading the Russian Media


    The Russian media (средства массовой информации) offer a wide range of political positions, language styles, and thematic interests. In this course we will read and watch widely, following both current events and particular student interests. Projects will emphasize all areas of language proficiency (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and may contribute to your work in other courses.
    Prerequisite: RUSS 004  or permission of the instructor.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GLBL-paired.
    Spring 2025. Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 019. Russian Culture Through Music


    (Cross-listed as MUSI 004C )
    Music has always played a central role in Russian cultural life. By shaping and responding to various cultural, social, and political changes, it has served as a space for the construction and negotiation of individual and national identity. This course will begin with a brief historical survey, touching upon the folk tradition and the beginning of Russian classical music and opera - Glinka, Musorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, etc. We will also examine the development of Russian music through different historical periods, concentrating on an area of common interest for the specific group of students enrolled in the course. Some of the questions this course will pose, and hopefully answer, at least partially, are: How does a piece of music reflect the ideological and political situation of its time? How does it reveal the aesthetic sensibilities and aspirations of the composers, their listeners, and society at large? How has music’s function as breeding ground for social and cultural values changed in post-Soviet times?
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Spring 2023. Yordanova.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 021. Dostoevsky (in Translation)


    (Cross-listed as LITR 021R )
    Writer, gambler, publicist, and visionary Fedor Dostoevsky is one of the great writers of the modern age. His work influenced Nietzsche, Freud, Woolf, and others and continues to exert a profound influence on thought in our own society to the present. Dostoevsky confronts the “accursed questions” of truth, justice, and free will set against the darkest examples of human suffering: murder, suicide, poverty, addiction, and obsession. Students will consider artistic, philosophical, and social questions through texts from throughout Dostoevsky’s career. Students with knowledge of Russian may read some or all of the works in the original.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Spring 2023. Matthews.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 023. The Muslim in Russia


    (Cross-listed as LITR 023R )
    The long and strong relationship of Russia and Islam has been neglected in scholarship until recently. This course will examine texts (and films) spanning more than a thousand years, to introduce actual interactions of Russians and Muslims, images of Muslims in Russian literature (and a few Muslim images of Russia), the place of Muslim writers in Soviet literature, and the current position of Muslims in Russia and in Russian discourse.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ISLM
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 024. Russian and East European Cinema


    (Cross-listed as LITR 024R )
    This course will introduce students to cinema from “the other Europe.” We will begin with influential early Soviet avant-garde cinema and survey the traditions that developed subsequently with selections from Caucasian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Yugoslav cinema. Screenings will include films by Eisenstein and Tarkovsky, Wajda, Kusturica and Paradzhanov, among others. Students will hone critical skills in filmic analysis while considering the particular cultural, national and political forces shaping the work of filmmakers in this “other Europe” from the early 20th to the early 21st century.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 025. The Poet and Power


    (Cross-listed as LITR 025R )
    This course will explore Russian literature in its cultural and historical contexts. In Russia, a poet has always been a voice, a herald of freedom or non-conformism, if not an envoy of the regime. The poet is also a philosopher and a thinker. Students will read Russian literary texts from the early 18th century through the beginning of the 21st century. The circle will begin with Lomonosov, whose poetry glorified the Tsarinas. We will continue with censored works by Pushkin, Griboedov, Chaadaev, Gogol, Akhmatova, Chukovskaya, Solzhenitsyn and others who underwent political or social pressure from the Russian or Soviet state. We finish with postmodernist Pelevin, who was neither harassed nor arrested for his prose in a new phenomenon for Russia: during the last two decades literature has come to exist independently from power, in a parallel world.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 026. Russian and East European Science Fiction


    (Cross-listed as LITR 026R )
    Science fiction enjoyed surprisingly high status in Russia and Eastern Europe, attracting such prominent mainstream writers as Karel Čapek, Mikhail Bulgakov, and Evgenii Zamiatin. In the post-Stalinist years of stagnation, science fiction provided a refuge from stultifying official Socialist Realism for authors like Stanisław Lem and the Strugatsky brothers. This course will concentrate on 20th-century science fiction (translated from Czech, Polish, Russian and Serbian) with a glance at earlier influences and attention to more recent works, as well as to Western parallels and contrasts.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for CPLT, GLBL-Paired
    Spring 2024. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 033. Propagandize this: LGBTQ Russia, Past and Present


    (Cross-listed as LITR 033R )
    In 2013, the Russian government passed a law forbidding the “promotion of nontraditional sexual relations to minors” - that is, restricting and potentially criminalizing any open discussion of LGBTQ identities or direct acknowledgment of the existence of queer people in Russia. Homophobic Russian rhetoric emphasizes the supposedly recent and foreign nature of LGBTQ identity and ideas - an idea at odds with the diverse sexuality and gender legacies of Russia and the USSR explored in this course. We will consider the authors represented in this course, which covers the 19th century through the present, as participants in legacies, but also as individual creators, and sometimes theorists, of queer strategies of survival, as well as LGBTQ thought and art.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GSST, GLBL-paired.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 037. Crime or Punishment: Russian Narratives of Captivity and Incarceration


    (Cross-listed as LITR 037R )
    “Bless you, prison, for having been in my life!” - Solzhenitsyn. While the Gulag remains the most infamous aspect of the Soviet justice system, Russia has a long history of inhumane punishment on a terrifying scale. This course explores narratives of incarceration, punishment, and captivity from the 17th century to the present day. In discussing (non-)fiction, history, and theory, we will consider such topics as justice, violence and its artistic representations, totalitarianism, witness-bearing, and the possibility of transcendence in suffering. 

    Authors include Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Kropotkin, Akhmatova, Solzhenitsyn, Pussy Riot, Navalny, Michel Foucault, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis, among others. 

    We’ll also have the opportunity to speak with two of our writers, Ali Feruz (jailed Uzbek journalist + LGBTQ+ rights activist) and Oleg Navalny (served 3.5 years on false charges + brother of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny).

    Taught in translation; no knowledge of Russian language or culture required. All are welcome.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for PEAC, INTP, GLBL-Paired, ESCH
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 041. War and Peace in Russian Literature and Culture


    (Cross-listed as LITR 041R )
    This course explores Russian literary and cinematic responses to the ravages of war and revolution, heroic and bloody conflicts that repeatedly devastated the country throughout its tumultuous history. We will read a variety of texts dealing with wars in the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic invasion, the Crimean War, the Revolution of 1917, the Civil War, World War II, and various recent conflicts to explore how individual writers portray the calamity of war and its devastating effect on people’s lives, while expressing hope for ever-elusive peace and prosperity. Works to be read include Tolstoy’s War and Peace (of course), Bulgakov’s White Guard, Babel’s Red Cavalry, Grossman’s Life and Fate, and Akhmatova’s Poem Without a Hero. Films will include Alexander Nevsky, Battleship Potemkin, Ballad of a Soldier, My Name is Ivan, and Prisoner of the Mountains. All readings and discussions will be in English, and films will be screened with English subtitles.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 042. Revolutionary Theater


    (Cross-listed as LITR 042R )
    We start with Konstantin Stanislavsky’s founding of the Moscow Art Theatre, whose revolutionary approach to acting, directing and set design exerts a profound effect on Western theater to this day. Concurrently we will examine Anton Chekhov’s four major plays and their integral part in the success of the Moscow Art Theatre. We then examine the effect of the Soviet revolution on Russian theater from two viewpoints. On the one hand, we will follow the arc of directors and playwrights such as Vsevelod Meyerhold who embraced the Soviet revolution and reflected this embrace in their radically innovative and futuristic productions and set designs. On the other hand, we will follow the tragic arc of playwright Mikhail Bulgakov and his stormy relationship with the Moscow Art Theater and the Soviet regime by reading his plays and his bitingly funny satire Black Snow.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 043. Chernobyl: Nuclear Narratives and the Environment


    (Cross-listed as LITR 043R )
    What really happened on April 26, 1986? This course will introduce students to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, its consequences, and its representations across a range of cultures. Texts will be drawn from (non-)fiction, poetry, film, TV, video games, VR, and other media, as we consider the labyrinth of Chernobyl’s mythology through a comparative lens and as a global phenomenon. Culture meets ecology, science, history, and politics. Fields trips and guest speakers. The final class project will involve an installation at McCabe Library. Taught in translation. No knowledge of Russian required. Open to all.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ENVS, INTP, GLBL - Paired
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 045. Poetry in Translation/Translating Poetry


    (Cross-listed as LITR 045R )
    This course will study the history, practice, and politics of poetic translation from antiquity to the present, including works from a variety of languages. The course has a strong practical component: all students will work on translations of their own throughout the semester (from languages they know or by working with native speakers or literal versions), and the final project may include a portfolio of translations. Especially suitable for students interested in comparative literature or creative writing.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 047. Russian Fairy Tales


    (Cross-listed as LITR 047R )
    Folk beliefs are a colorful and enduring part of Russian culture. This course introduces a wide selection of Russian fairy tales in their aesthetic, historical, social, and psychological context. We will trace the continuing influence of fairy tales and folk beliefs in literature, music, visual arts, and film. The course also provides a general introduction to study and interpretation of folklore and fairy tales, approaching Russian tales against the background of the Western fairy-tale tradition (the Grimms, Perrault, Disney, etc.). No fluency in Russian is required, though students with adequate language preparation may do some reading, or a course attachment, in the original.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for INTP, MDST
    Spring 2023. Matthews.
    Spring 2025. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 053. The End of History: Contemporary Russian Culture


    Hailed as the “end of history” and “the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century,” the fall of the Soviet Union forced Russia to reconcile a past that had long been suppressed with a present reality full of possibility. We’ll discuss works that address contemporary issues (Putinism, protests, refugees, corruption) and resurrect historical traumas (the Civil War, the Stalin years, the Leningrad Siege, Chernobyl) to understand Russia today. This course features a wide range of texts: fiction, non-fiction, oral histories, poetry, art, performance, and film. We will also have the opportunity to speak with some of the figures whose work we’ll examine. No knowledge of Russian required.
    Humanities.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 063. Roots of Feminism & Radicalism in Russia


    (Cross-listed as LITR 063R )
    From the earliest engagements with socialism in the Russian Empire to Russian Jewish émigré anarchism in the United States, radical visions for the transformation of society in Russian intellectual history were intertwined with the question of the social position of women. In this writing intensive course we will trace interlocking questions of social transformation and gender equality through literary and philosophical works by authors including: Tolstoy, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Alexandra Kollontai, Emma Goldman, and many others. This course is writing intensive.
    Humanitiies
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GSST.
    Spring 2025. Stuhr-Rommereim.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 070. Translation Workshop


    (Cross-listed as LING 070 LITR 070R )
    This workshop in literary translation will concentrate on both theory and practice, working in poetry, prose, and drama as well as editing. Students will participate in an associated series of bilingual readings and will produce a substantial portfolio of work. Students taking the course for linguistics credit will write a final paper supported by a smaller portfolio of translations. No prerequisites exist, but excellent knowledge of a language other than English (equivalent to a 004 course at Swarthmore or higher) is highly recommended or, failing that, access to at least one very patient speaker of a foreign language.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for INTP
    Fall 2022. Forrester.
    Fall 2024. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 075. Comedy, Satire, Humor


    (Cross-listed as LITR 075R )
    Laughter is one of the basic human experiences, but in different theories and manifestations it can mean aggression, festivity, freedom, a release of nervous tension or complicity. This course will concentrate on someof the funniest literature from the Russian tradition, be it lighthearted or scalding, fantastic or down-to-earth. Besides the pleasures of laughter, we wil explre what you need to know to get the joke and what this humor means.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 086. Nature and Industry in Russian Literature and Culture


    (Cross-listed as LITR 086R )
    From pre-Christian religion and folklore based in forest, steppe and tundra and the enduring role of peasant culture to today’s Neo-Pagans, Russian culture has been closely bound to nature, developing sustainable agricultural practices, honoring “Moist Mother Earth” and (even sophisticated city dwellers) heading out to gather berries and mushrooms. But the Soviet era pursued science-fictional plans to redesign whole landscapes, make rivers flow backwards and even revolutionize plant genetics (Trofim Lysenko). In practice, such projects led to a shrinking Aral Sea, massive pollution of industrial and agricultural sites, and the worst nuclear disaster in human history (Chernobyl) - at great human cost. Writers have both supported industrial transformation and resisted industrialization. This course will trace the evolution of these elements of Russian culture, focusing on expressions of ideology in literature. No knowledge of Russian is necessary, but students with the language may do some reading in the original.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ENVS
    Spring 2024. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  
  
  
  
  • RUSS 102. Russian Short Story


    Counterpoint to the sprawling Russian novel, the short story in Russia possessed a long and distinguished pedigree. Russian writers have used the genre to create polished and brilliant gems demonstrating the possibilities of character development, voice, plot, and the right exposition of ideas in prose. This seminar will explore a selection of examples from the likes of Pushkin, Chekhov, Zoshchenko, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Tolstaya, and others.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian

     


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  
  • RUSS 105. Literature of the Soviet Period


    This course treats the literature associated with one of the most remarkable social experiments in human history. Students will examine the relation of literature to ideology and social reality based on a selection of works reflecting the avant-garde experimentation of the 1920s, the official doctrine of Socialist Realism, underground and émigré literature, and/or literature addressing the historical situation and the legacy of Stalinism.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 107. Russia and Its Others


    As multinational states, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union included populations of huge ethnic variety, as does Russia today. This class will survey a variety of non-Russian Russophone writers and ethnic Russians writing about the other populations of their state. As usual for Russian literature, this enterprise will reveal universal human truth as well as sharply depicted particulars.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Spring 2024. Stuhr-Rommereim.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  
  • RUSS 110. Bulgakov


    Doctor, dramatist and dissident, Mikhail Bulgakov is one of the most significant prose authors of the Soviet period.  His writings embody scrupulous honesty, recognition of moral complexity, deeply thoughtful awareness of political, religious and philosophical traditions, and the life affirming force of humor.  We will read from his short stories, feuilletons and dramatic works, ending the semester with his masterpiece, Master i Margarita, arguably the most fun novel of the 20th century.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 111. Tsvetaeva & Mayakovsky.


    Poetic, dramatic and prose works of the “hysterical poets,” Marina Tsvetaeva and Vladimir Mayakovsky-two of the greatest Russian writers of the 20th century. Focus on their volcanic poetic development, interactions, and creative responses to gender, decadence, revolution, civil war, emigration and Soviet repression, as well as the inspirations and tragedies of their personal lives.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Eligible for GSST
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 112. Akhmatova and Mandelstam


    Several great Russian 20th-century poets belonged to a group called “Acmeists” for their emphasis on verbal clarity, specificity of imagery, and attitude of “nostalgia for world culture.” Osip Mandel’shtam spent years in “internal exile” for overly honest writing and died in a camp in 1938. Anna Akhmatova, the Russian poet perhaps most translated into English, witnessed all the horrors of Stalinism but survived to mentor a new generation of poets in the 1960s. The course will concentrate on these two poets, with attention to their literary and cultural context.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  
  • RUSS 115. Dissidence in Russian Literature


    This course will explore one of the most appealing components of Russian literature, reading controversial Russian literary and publicistic texts, written from the early 18th century through the beginning of the 21st century. The works carry hidden meanings that reward deep reading and multiple readings, and they convey a wealth of information and opinion about historical, moral, political, and existential questions. We will read the very best of these dissident writers, and each student will write a substantial research paper based on individual interests. The reading list will include Chaadaev, Bulgakov, Akhmatova, Solzhenitsyn, Aksenov, Brodsky, Shenderovich, Bykov, and others.
    Humanities.
    1 credit.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 116. The Petersburg Myth in Russian Literature


    This course examines the importance of St. Petersburg in Russian history, society, and culture. These themes and developments have been crucial for understanding Russia as a whole over the course of the city’s vibrant, often turbulent, 300-plus-year existence. Themes include the discourse of East versus West in defining Russian national identity; reform and modernization in Russian history; death and suffering in Russian history; and the relationship between center and periphery in the Russian and Soviet context.

    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 117. The Russian Literary Anecdote


    This course explores the nature and evolution of the Russian anecdote that originated in ancient times. From Ivan the Terrible through Peter the Great, the anecdote, like other oral genres, persisted in spite of governmental censorship. The heyday of the Russian literary anecdote was the first half of the nineteenth century. We will read anecdotes and stories from chronicles and diaries of contemporaries of the Russian tsars, short stories of Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy that were based on real facts and transformed into anecdotes. We come full circle to the chronicles of Soviet and post-Soviet times by Dovlatov and Veller.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • RUSS 118. Jews in Russia: Culture and Literature


    As the Russian Empire expanded over time, it absorbed territories with large Jewish populations. Jews have played crucial roles in Russian and Soviet history and culture, be it as political radicals and revolutionaries, moral thinkers and philosophers, or some of Russia’s best poets, artists, and film directors. Depending on student interest for its emphases, this course will read the likes of Lev Shestov, Liubov Gurevich, S. Ansky, Boris Pasternak, Osip Mandelstam, Isaac Babel, Evgeniia Ginzburg, Lev Grossman, Elena Shvarts, and perhaps translations of a few Russian-Jewish writers now working in American English.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Spring 2023. Forrester.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • RUSS 120. Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy


    Science fiction enjoyed surprisingly high status in Russia and the Soviet Union, attracting such prominent mainstream writers as Evgenii Zamiatin and Mikhail Bulgakov. In the post-Stalinist years of stagnation, science fiction was a refuge from stultifying official Socialist Realism for authors like Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Since the end of Soviet literary censorship, speculative fiction has continued its important role in public discourse, while fantasy (formerly banned from official publication) has emerged as an important genre in both young adult and mainstream literature.
    Humanities.
    2 credits.
    Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Russian  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  

Sociology/Anthropology

  
  
  • SOAN 020D. Music and Dance Cultures of the World


    (Cross-listed as MUSI 005A 
    In this course we take an ethnomusicological approach to examine music and dance cultures from around the world. We will consider music and dance both in and as culture with attention to social, political, and historical contexts. Topics will include identity, race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, memory, migration, globalization, tourism, and social and political movements. The course will provide an opportunity to develop critical listening and analytical skills to discuss sound and movement.
    Social sciences.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GLBL-Core
    Fall 2022. Stewart.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • SOAN 020M. Race, Gender, Class and Environment


    (Cross-listed as ENVS 043 ENGL 089 )
    This course explores how ideologies and structures of race, gender, sexuality, and class are embedded in and help shape our perceptions of and actions in the “environment.” Drawing on key social and cultural theories of environmental studies from anthropology, sociology, feminist analysis, and science and technology studies, we will examine some of the ways that differences in culture, power, and knowledge construct the conceptual frameworks and social policies undertaken in relation to the environment. The course draws on contemporary scholarship and social movement activism (including memoir and autobiography) from diverse national and international contexts. Topics addressed include, for example, ideas/theories of “nature,” toxic exposure and public health, environmental perception and social difference, poverty and natural resource depletion, justice and sustainability, Indigenous environmentalisms, eco-imperialism, and disparate impacts of global climate change. The course offers students opportunities for community-based learning working in partnership with local organizations.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ENVS, GSST, BLST, GLBL-core, ESCH
    Spring 2024. Di Chiro.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 035. Environmental Justice: Ethnography, Politics & Action: Philadelphia


    (Cross-listed as ENVS 035 )
    Held at the Friends Center, Philadelphia
    An introduction to the history and theory of environmental justice, an interdisciplinary field that examines how inequalities based on race, class, ethnicity, and gender shape how different groups of people are impacted by environmental problems and how they advocate for social and environmental change. This semester the course will be taught at the Philadelphia Friends Center and will concentrate on urban environmental justice issues and creative strategies for change in Philadelphia. Drawing on the work of scholars and activists from a wide variety of disciplines in the social sciences, natural sciences, and the arts & humanities, we critically examine the conceptual divisions between “nature and society,” “urban and rural,” and the”community and the planet.” We will analyze the history of the widely used concept of “sustainability” focusing on the diverse ways it has been embraced, transformed, and implemented in different cultural and urban contexts. We will investigate some of the challenges facing cities like Philadelphia as they implement sustainability initiatives and try to avoid “green gentrification” (sustainability improvements such as green buildings, eco-parks, and upscale farmers’ markets that increase property values, pricing out and displacing local, low-income residents). We will likewise explore the promise of urban areas as important centers for supporting the flourishing of diverse, equitable, and ecologically sustainable communities. Course incorporates a community-based learning component.
    This class will be taught in Philadelphia as part of the Tri-Co Philly Program.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ENVS, ESCH, PEAC
    Fall 2022. Di Chiro.
    Fall 2023. Di Chiro.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  
  • SOAN 040M. Race, Nation, Empire and Education


    (Cross-listed as EDUC 046 )
    This course examines the historical and contemporary role of education in relation to race, nation- and empire-building projects. Drawing on anthropology, history, and cultural studies, we explore processes of subject formation, especially as it articulates with ideas about race and un/belonging. We will focus in particular on how educational institutions shape notions of belonging, and how these are contested within a changing global landscape.
    Social Sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for BLST.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 041. Sociolinguistics II


    (Cross-listed as LING 082 
    This course builds upon foundational concepts in sociolinguistic theory to examine discourses of news and entertainment media, across science fiction and politics. Drawing upon contributions in applied linguistics, media studies, cultural studies, and animal studies, we ask which realities are mirrored in our everyday language and in the fictional and sensationalized worlds we engage in through the media we consume. What role does science fiction play in our explorations of social difference, deviance, control, disability, sexuality, and normativity? Can science fiction assist the goals of social justice and democracy? How does language surface in the biopolitics of human and non-humans? Together, we will explore key film and television, and select novels by authors Max Brooks, Octavia Butler, Philip K. Dick, and George Orwell. Students will learn advanced methods and theories in multimodal critical discourse analysis, ethnography of communication, and digital humanities.
    Prerequisite: One course addressing foundational concepts of language in society, including LING 025 SOAN 040B   
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for ESCH
    Spring 2023. Fuller Medina.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 096. Senior Research Project


    The senior thesis project represents the centrality of research to our disciplines, and allows students to develop their research interests through working directly with a faculty member. Students develop their analytical and writing skills and learn the process of developing and conducting a substantial research project from proposal to completed manuscript.
    Seniors will normally take two consecutive semesters of research project tutorial. Students are urged to discuss their project proposals with faculty during the spring semester of their junior year, especially if they are interested in the possibility of fieldwork. Students enrolled in SOAN 096 must attend SOAN 098.
    Course sequence SOAN 096-097, students who start in SOAN 096-097 sequence must complete SOAN 097 to receive credit for SOAN 096.
    Required for course majors housed in the department of Sociology and Anthropology. 
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2022. Staff.
    Fall 2023. Staff.
    Fall 2024. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 097. Senior Research Project


    The senior research project represents the centrality of research to our disciplines, and allows students to develop their research interests through working directly with a faculty member. Students develop their analytical and writing skills and learn the process of developing and conducting a substantial research project from proposal to completed manuscript.
    Seniors will normally take two consecutive semesters of research project tutorial. Students are urged to discuss their project proposals with faculty during the spring semester of their junior year, especially if they are interested in the possibility of fieldwork.
    Course sequence SOAN 096-097, students who start in SOAN 096-097 sequence must complete SOAN 097 to receive credit for SOAN 096.
    Required for course majors housed in the department of Sociology and Anthropology. 
    Social sciences.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Spring 2023. Staff.
    Spring 2024. Staff.
    Spring 2025. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 098. Senior Research Project Master Class- Fall


    This class meets weekly to support sociology and anthropology students in developing the skills necessary for their senior research project, including conducting literature searches, interpreting data, formulating research questions and analysis that contributes to the disciplines. The class complements and supports the work that students are doing with their senior project advisers. Students who have signed up for a senior research project credit are automatically enrolled in the class. The class is open to only seniors working on research projects.
    Required for all majors housed in SOAN.
    0 credit.
    Fall 2022. Staff.
    Fall 2023. Staff.
    Fall 2024. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 100. Ethnomusicology Seminar


    (Cross-listed as MUSI 100 )
    Ethnomusicology is an academic discipline that examines music in and as culture. This seminar examines how the interdisciplinary field has developed over the 20th and 21st centuries through an investigation of its origins, approaches, methodologies, and contemporary theoretical questions. Course readings will address the relationships between music and a variety of conceptual themes including race, ethnicity, identity, nationalism, Diaspora, globalization, and gender. The music cultures we will examine in this course represent a wide range of cultures, geographic regions, musical genres, and historical periods. Students will complete introductory exercises in research, transcription, analysis, ethnographic fieldwork, & performance. 
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2022. Ouyang.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 180F. Honors Thesis


    The senior thesis represents the centrality of research to our disciplines, and allows students to develop their research interests through working directly with a faculty member. Students develop their analytical and writing skills and learn the process of developing and conducting a substantial research project from proposal to completed manuscript.
    Candidates for honors will write theses during the senior year and it will be sent to an external honors examiner.
    Students are urged to have their thesis proposals approved as early as possible during the junior year, especially if they are interested in the possibility of fieldwork. 
    Students enrolled in SOAN 180F must attend SOAN 098.
    Course sequence SOAN 180F-180S, students who start in SOAN 180F-180S sequence must complete SOAN 180S to receive credit for SOAN 180F.
    Required for honors majors housed in the department of Sociology and Anthropology. 
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2022. Staff.
    Fall 2023. Staff.
    Fall 2024. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOAN 180S. Honors Thesis


    The senior thesis represents the centrality of research to our disciplines, and allows students to develop their research interests through working directly with a faculty member. Students develop their analytical and writing skills and learn the process of developing and conducting a substantial research project from proposal to completed manuscript.
    Candidates for honors will write theses during the senior year and it will be sent to an external honors examiner.
    Course sequence SOAN 180F-180S, students who start in SOAN 180F-180S sequence must complete SOAN 180S to receive credit for SOAN 180F.
    Required for honors majors housed in the department of Sociology and Anthropology. 
    Writing course.
    Spring 2023. Staff.
    Spring 2024. Staff.
    Spring 2025. Staff.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.



Sociology

  
  • SOCI 001. Foundations: Self, Culture, and Society


    This course offers a foundational introduction to the discipline of sociology. Throughout the course, we will examine key theories and concepts sociologists use, reading authors like W.E.B. DuBois, Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Bourdieu. We will also explore some of the key issues sociology tackles, including race and racism, gender and sexism, class and inequality, and the role of states and other power structures in shaping these and other facets of our social world. 
    Required for SOAN majors and minors.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Fall 2022. Rangel.
    Spring 2024. Laurison.
    Fall 2024. Laurison.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 006C. First-Year Seminar:The Working Class and the Politics of Whiteness (W)


    Who are the “white working class” in the United States? How do they live, what do they believe, and why? Or, is there even such a thing as “the” white working class? How did this racialized category come to evoke images of both “everyday Americans” in some circles, and (at least in some others) the Trump supporters who staged an attempted coup in January 2021? 
    This course is dedicated to both sets of questions. First, we will look at the actual lives, beliefs, and political behavior of people who could be categorized as white and poor or working class. Then we will take up the question of the ways this category is deployed in our political discourse, for what purposes, and by whom. In the course of reading and writing about these issues, we will develop our understanding of class, race, inequality and politics in the United States. 
    Social science.
    Writing course.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for PEAC
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 007B. Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in the United States


    Today, most sociologists and anthropologists acknowledge that race is a social construct and not a biologically measurable and discrete category. Although race does not exist in any consistent physiological way, it remains a central aspect of personal and cultural identity, often standing in for the concept of culture or ethnicity and usually connoted by physically identifiable (or marked) difference. Race is also one of the most significant predictors of quality of life for groups and individuals in the United States. With this in mind, we will examine the concepts of race and its history in the United States. Paying particular attention to the legacy of white supremacy in the United States, we will explore the multiple ways that race and ethnicity function in this country.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for BLST, ESCH
    Spring 2023. Veras.
    Spring 2024. Veras.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 007C. Sociology Through African American Women’s Writing


    Interrogating the explicit and implicit claims that black women writers make in relation to work by social scientists, we will read texts closely for literary appreciation, sociological significance, and personal relevance, examining especially issues that revolve around race, gender, and class. Of special interest will be where authors position their characters vis-à-vis white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and the U.S.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for BLST, GSST
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 016B. Research Methods in Social Science (M)


    This course is designed to provide an in-depth view of quantitative and qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Topics covered include (1) hypothesis formulation and theory construction (2) the measurement of sociological variables (3) data collection techniques - experimental, survey, and observational. At the end of the course, students should appreciate both the strengths and the limitations of sociological research techniques and will have a solid foundation for beginning to conduct research on their own.
    Methods course.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Spring 2023. Ya Su.
    Fall 2023. Ya Su.
    Spring 2025. Laurison.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 016E. Marriage and Family


    The family is often considered the most fundamental social institution. It is within the family that early socialization and care-giving usually take place, shaping our ideas about the world. Yet we often find it difficult to see how a social institution as private as the family is shaped by historical and social forces. This course will give students the opportunity to learn about the diverse forms the family has taken over time and the social forces that have shaped them. This knowledge will be useful in examining ongoing debates about social policy and the place of the family in social life. By taking a sociological approach to learning about the family and by gaining knowledge about national family trends and patterns in the U.S., this course will give students the theoretical and empirical tools to understand how family life is linked to social structure; to economic, cultural, and historical events and transitions; and to status characteristics like race, class, and gender.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GSST
    Spring 2024. Ya Su.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 020C. Global Colorism


    “I don’t see color.” The common adage is an allusion to a society in which phenotype bares minimal weight on one’s life chances. Scholars have long noted that the opposite is true-what we look like matters and greatly impacts our lives. Only coined in the 1980s, colorism, the preferential treatment of those with lighter skin and “desirable” features, has plagued communities of color for centuries. In this course, we will trace the origins of colorism considering global contexts for communities of color in general, and the African diaspora in particular. We will use emerging theories of colorism to examine the role of racism, colonialism, media, and capitalism in engendering and maintaining colorist ideals in contemporary society. We will engage academic and ‘non-academic’ texts to expose the variations of systemic colorism on a global scale often impacted by other demographic markers including: gender, region, class, ethnicity, and culture.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for BLST, GLBL-paired
    Fall 2022. Veras.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 020D. Race in Latin America and the Caribbean


    Is it the “one-drop rule,” phenotype, or something else? Indeed, as a social construct, racial categories are created, codified, and contended based on their unique sociopolitical histories. This course will introduce you to the sociological study of race and ethnicity throughout the Americas-North, Central, and South. We will learn how white supremacy, The Transatlantic Slave Trade, and imperialism have shaped the sociohistoric construction of race over time and space and its implications for racial inequality in respective societies. Central to this course, is understanding comparative perspectives with how anti-Blackness and anti-indigeneity is constructed in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. The course invites us to consider how the legacies of European domination persist, and to think critically about how to move forward.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for BLST, LALS
    Fall 2023. Veras.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 025B. Transforming Intractable Conflict


    (Cross-listed as PEAC 025B )
    This course will address the sociology of peace process and intractable identity conflicts in deeply divided societies. Northern Ireland will serve as the primary case study, and the course outline will include the history of the conflict, the peace process, and grassroots conflict transformation initiatives. Special attention will be given to the cultural underpinnings of division, such as sectarianism and collective identity, and their expression through symbols, language, and collective actions, such as parades and commemorations.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for PEAC
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


  
  • SOCI 025C. Globalization and Global Inequality


    Globalization, it is widely recognized, is profoundly remaking social structure and transforming the lives of people in every corner of the planet. Our personal biographies are linked to increasingly dense networks of global interrelations, as the integration of societies, economies, and cultures fundamentally transforms human life. The concept of globalization is contested, meaning that there are different and competing understandings of what the term means and how to assess the process. Regardless of how we conceive globalization, the concept occupies an increasingly prominent place in the social sciences and humanities and for a very good reason: it is impossible to understand the world in the early 21st century without understanding globalization and its consequences. The objective of this course is to explore what has come to be known as globalization studies, and in particular, to survey the distinct themes sub-areas that make up the sociology of globalization. These include: theories of globalization; the global economy; political globalization; globalization and culture; transnational social movements; globalization and the environment, transnational migration; global conflicts and global inequality.
    Social sciences.
    1 credit.
    Eligible for GLBL-core
    Fall 2024. Rangel.
    Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology  
    Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology


    Access the class schedule to search for sections.


 

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