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Senior Seminar
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Macalester College, Spring 2007 Instructor: Jim von Geldern Class: MWF 12:00-1:00
Course Description: The transition to independent states has forced the former Soviet republics to confront a bewildering array of issues and agendas. The creation of new governments and legal systems; the management of market economies; social tensions that had been building for decades: all this has tested and sometimes overwhelmed states that have only been in existence since 1991. Perhaps the surest indicator of the success of newly formed states to manage and foster their societies has been their willingness and ability to respect the human right of their citizens. Life and society in the former Soviet Union are changing so rapidly today that conventional sources of scholarly knowledge can be out-of-date before they reach press. Politics, the economy, culture, the arts and literature, have undergone such transformations in the last ten years that observers need to consult daily press to keep up. More than any other, electronic sources of information make it possible to follow contemporary events as they unfold. Most central newspapers have internet portals, often in Russian; and listeners around the world can follow radio stations by streaming sound. In this seminar, we will be learning how to access electronic sources on the internet, and to use them to research and discuss contemporary developments in human rights in the former Soviet republics. First, we will learn to use Russian language computer systems. Next, we will investigate the most important general sources of electronic information, including electronic newspapers and web portals. We will study specialized web sites for specific topics of current interest. After the introductory section of the class, each week will be devoted to a specific region or republic, when students will do independent research and short class presentations. We will choose which regions and republics we want to research during the first week of class. Classes will be conducted in Russian. Students will be required to submit weekly written assignments, and research and write a short paper in Russian at the end of the semester. Class participation is an absolute must.
The syllabus for the class will be posted and weekly assignments can be accessed on the class moodle site, accessible at moodle.macalester.edu. |
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