First-Year Seminar (105-6-1)
Topic
From Fascism to Pussy Riot: Language & Politics in
Instructors
Elisabeth M Elliott
847/491-8082
Kresge Hall, 3-305, 1880 Campus Dr.
Office Hours: Wednesdays 10am to 12pm and by appointment
Meeting Info
Meets in Non-General PurposeRm: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Registration Requirements
In this course, we will have a main objective: effective written communication on our specific theme of language and politics. We will explore some of the sociolinguistic issues (that is connections between language and society) in various Slavic speaking countries and areas and Central Europe (the Russian Federation, the former Soviet Union, the former Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, etc.). In addition to some topics of important in these regions, we will also look at contemporary issues in Russia and the Ukraine as these relate to sociolinguistic issues and how such issues have increased since the War started in Feb. 2022, and the question of fascism particularly with respect to the annexation of the Crimea and the current War. Issues to be examined include: language and identity, language discrimination, language vs. dialect, and language and nationalism. Land Acknowledgment: I would like to acknowledge that the Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. It was also a site of trade, travel, gathering and healing for more than a dozen other Native tribes and is still home to over 100,000 tribal members in the state of Illinois. It is within Northwestern's responsibility as an academic institution to disseminate knowledge about Native peoples and the institution's history with them. Consistent with the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion, Northwestern works towards building relationships with Native American communities through academic pursuits, partnerships, historical recognitions, community service and enrollment efforts. To learn more about Northwester University's Land Acknowledgement. https://www.northwestern.edu/native-american-and-indigenous-peoples/about/Land%20Acknowledgement.html
Learning Objectives
In this seminar, students gain skills in: communicating effectively, both orally and in writing (focusing on our seminar's topic); consciously working with the writing process and discovering what yours is, how you may want to improve it, all with the goal hopefully of improving your writing; beginning to understand basic sociolinguistics/linguistic anthropology; starting to understand how language is used to discriminate and erase identities; and starting to understand language's role in DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice).
Class Attributes
WCAS First-Year Seminar
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only
Add Consent: Department Consent Required