GNS Courses Fall 2024

(3 credits)

TR 9:30 – 10:45 am

Instructor: Marcus Cederström

Course Description: Exploration of the ideals and realities of sustainability in Central, Northern and East European contexts. Cultural, historical, environmental and other perspectives on sustainability on a local and global scale.

In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) published Our Common Future, chaired by Norwegian Gro Harlem Brundtland, and stated that sustainability “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” But what does that mean in practice? In this class, we’ll examine questions of sustainability in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. We will explore cultural and environmental histories of the region and its populations, natural as well as human.

The class aims to contextualize sustainability in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe to help you understand the many, often changing, facets of sustainability while exploring the role that you play in the local and global effects of sustainability. This is a practical as well as theoretical course, so you will be conducting research and class projects will incorporate ways in which you can make research available to the public.

Prerequisites: None

(This course is cross listed with ENVIR ST 210)

(3 credits)

TR 9:30 – 10:45 am

Instructor: Nâlân 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 12:05 – 12:55 PM

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.

(4 credits)

MTWR 12:05 – 12:55 pm

Instructor: Krzysztof Borowski

Course Description: Development of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in Polish, with continued study of Polish culture.

Prerequisites: SLAVIC 112.

(Meets with SLAVIC 207)

(4 credits)

MTWR 9:55 – 10:45 am

Instructor: Gulnara Glowacki

Course Description: Continues the study of the Kazakh language with an emphasis on four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking in order to develop proficiency at the intermediate level. The primary goal is to improve communication in Kazakh. Instruction will emphasize the language that is relevant to situations that students are likely to encounter if they travel to or live in Kazakhstan. The secondary goal of the course is to improve students’ understanding of Kazakh society and culture.

Prerequisites: GNS 332 (or LCA LANG 332 prior to fall 2018).

(4 credits)

MTWR 1:20 – 2:10 pm

Instructor: Nâlân Erbil 

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).

(4 credits)

MTWR 11:00 – 11:50 am

Instructor: Gulnara Glowacki

Course Description: Building on skills developed in fourth semester Kazakh, in this course students will develop proficiency at the advanced level in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

(3 credits)

MW 8:00 – 9:15 am

Instructor: Nâlân Erbil 

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).