GNS COURSES FALL 2023

(3 credits)

• TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm

Instructor: Thomas A. DuBois

Course Description: This an elementary-level course that explores the folklore of people living in Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe as well as that of their descendants living in the United States. The course will introduce you to various forms (“genres”) of folklore from these regions, including stories, music, customs, belief, material culture, and foodways. In taking the course you will learn about folklore as a subject and the ways that folklorists conduct fieldwork. Since this is a Communication B course, you will gain experience in producing the kinds of writing and presentations that folklorists produce in their professional lives as researchers, teachers, museum professionals, public serfvants, and entrepreneurs.

Prerequisites: None

(Gen Ed – Communication Part B. Breadth – Humanities. Level – Elementary L&S Credit – Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S)

(3 credits)

• TR 9:30 – 10:45

Instructor: Nalan Erbil 

Course Description: Love Berlin and Istanbul but cannot travel? Here is a course for you! This course is about two great cities: one entirely in Europe and one half in Europe and half in Asia. Berlin and Istanbul are connected by histories of political power, cultural exchange, and in the twentieth century by Turkish migration into Germany. The course starts with post WWII guest worker movement into West Germany and spans what is now the fourth generation of Turkish-Germans making Berlin the third largest Turkish city in the world after Ankara and Istanbul.

We will focus on Turkish-German food such as Döner kebab, Turkish-German rap and hip-hop, films, literature, sports (soccer), and social media influencers from the Turkish-German community. The course will offer students the opportunity to understand how the Turkish presence has influenced and transformed the German-speaking world and more generally how migration from outside Europe shapes the cultures of European cities.

To this end, we will watch and discuss films like Kebab Connection, artists such as Eko Fresh, film makers such as Fatih Ak n, controversial soccer players such as Mesut Özil and many more. Berlin and Istanbul will form the backdrop of our course, and guest speakers (virtual) from Germany will enrich our discussion.

All materials will either be in English translations or with English subtitles. Lectures and discussions will be in English. Prior knowledge of German and Turkish appreciated but not required. This course may be counted as a cognate toward the German major. It satisfies Humanities Credit and counts towards European Studies Certificate and Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: None.

(This is a Comm B course.)

(This course meets with GERMAN 278.)

(4 credits)

• MTWR 8:50-9:40 am         

Instructor: Gulnara Glowacki

Course Description: Provides an introduction to the Kazakh language, which is a Turkic language spoken by about 11 million people in Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iran. Work within four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Learn to communicate in Kazakh in authentic situations. Kazakh will be used as the primary language in classroom instructions, with minimal use of English for explanations of grammar.

Prerequisites: None.

(4 credits)

•  MTWR 11:00 – 11:50 am         

Instructor: Nâlân Erbil 

Course Description: Designed for students who are interested in learning the modern Turkish language (“Istanbul Turkish”) and cultures, and who have limited or no previous language use. This course introduces basic grammar & vocabulary building competence in novice level listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Turkish. Authentic materials will be provided to simulate real-life situations. Students will identify basic products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. The course counts towards Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: None.

(3 credits)

• MWF 12:05 – 12:55 pm

Instructor: Oksana Stoychuk

Course Description: Ukrainian is the official language of one of the largest countries in Europe. Surviving centuries of repression, it is now spoken by 50 million people around the globe. Learn the language of resistance!

Prerequisites: Sophomore Standing.

(3 credits)

• TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm

Instructor: Adam Stern

Course Description: What is the relationship between “God” and “money”? Why is the market guided by an “invisible hand”? And who in heaven and earth decided to stamp the dollar bill with the phrase: “In God we trust”? These questions will guide us as we explore the relationship between capitalism and religion. From Karl Marx to Walmart, and from the factory to the cubicle, we will think about the recurring interaction of these two seemingly separate domains. Did religion sow the seeds of capitalism? Does it support the reproduction of social inequalities, unjust labor practices, and exploitative economies? How have religious traditions and practices contributed to the critique of capitalism and the culture it created? In answering these questions, we will pay close attention to the historical specificity of capitalism, the conditions of its emergence in the Christian West, and the effects of its globalization on non-Christian traditions, including Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam. Areas covered include classical social theories of religion and capitalism; contemporary examples of religious practice and capital accumulation; and the relationship between religious movements and social- economic justice.

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or the consent of the instructor.

(Humanities. Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S. Level— Intermediate. Taught in English.)

(4 credits)

•  MTWR 9:55 – 10:45 am         

Course Description: Designed to help students develop intermediate competence in spoken and written Turkish. Emphasis is on listening comprehension, reading, speaking, writing, and cultural and historical knowledge. Knowledge of the grammatical structures taught in the first two semesters is assumed while we review them and introduce advanced grammar preferably in context. Students will be able to analyze and compare products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. The course counts towards the European Studies Certificate and Middle East Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: GNS 340 (or LCA LANG 340 prior to fall 2018).

(This course will be fully online (BTAA) depending on enrollment. You can reach the Turkish program coordinator, Dr. Erbil, at erbil@wisc.edu with questions.)

(3 credits)

• TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm          

Course Description: Designed to help students develop advanced competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and to enhance their critical literacy in Turkish. We will use authentic materials designed for speakers of Turkish such as novels, short stories, poems, and films. Students will be able to analyze and compare products, practices, and perspectives of Turkish speaking cultures in Turkey and beyond. Azeri/Ottoman will be incorporated upon demand. This course counts towards Middle East Studies Certificate and may count towards European Studies Certificate.

Prerequisites: GNS 440 (or LCA LANG 440 prior to fall 2018).

(This course will be fully online (BTAA) depending on enrollment. You can reach the Turkish program coordinator, Dr. Erbil, at erbil@wisc.edu with questions.)