RUTR 232: America Through Russian Eyes

Welcome to Amerika

Looking at Ourselves Through Russian Eyes

From revolution to Cold War to perestroika to post-communism, American visions of Russia have changed. Russian representations of America have been changing, too. This course explores how ideas of America are refracted through another culture's lens -- in literature, film, music and other forms of popular culture -- and grounds them within the dynamic context of Russian cultural, social, and political life during the past century.

This course is designed to introduce students to Russian culture and literature while simultaneously asking them to reflect on questions with profound resonance in their own lives and times: How do others represent America and Americans? Where do those representations come from? What are the consequences? To achieve these goals, the course includes close reading and analysis of texts about America by prominent Russian/Soviet writers, as well as discussion of other cultural manifestations of Russian views of America (in film, music, jokes, advertising, visual art, and on the web).

Course Objectives

Students in RUTR 232: Amerika Through Russian Eyes will:

• Develop their awareness of, and critical approaches to, cross-cultural norms, practices and stereotypes by
closely considering Russian responses to America and Americans.

• Discover and articulate this critical awareness through the learning processes of reading, discussion, and writing.

• Enrich their understanding of Russian and Soviet literature and culture.

• Sharpen their skills in textual analysis by applying them to the works of major Russian and Soviet writers.

• Contextualize and synthesize themes and questions raised by this course within the framework of Russian and Soviet history.

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