Time Schedule:
Denis Basic
BCS 420
Seattle Campus
A travelogue through the intellectual and cultural landscape of the former Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav successor states, studying the select literary works, films, and other artifacts, with the exploration of both how these phenomena are a part of their intellectual and historical environment, and how they transcend and change it.
Class description
During this course we shall study how Bosnian-Herzegovinan (B-H) Muslim Slavs depict themselves in their literature and contrast and compare these images to the images of the B-H Muslims as offered in literary and historical works written by their non-Muslim neighbors.
Thus, we shall explore several works by the Bosnian Nobel Prize winner, Ivo Andrić, as well as those by Meša Selimović. Dževad Karahasan, Mak Dizdar, Aleksa Šantić, etc. We shall also look at the lyricism of the Bosnian-Herzegovinan folk love songs – sevdalinkas - as well as the modern Bosnian-Herzegovinan poetry written in the last decade of the 20th century. Additionally, we shall study the message and imagery of some Bosnian-Herzegovinan movies, examine how historical reality has influenced their shape, and how the art can influence the development of historical events.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Students will be required to read assigned works either in English or in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. All students will be required to attend lectures and class discussions on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Fridays we shall watch movies together or, by need, shall split into two sections (AA and AB) for 50-minute sessions each.
The AA section (SLN 1794) will include students who read the materials in English. During the Friday sessions, they will learn about general, cultural, and political history of the region that will help them better understand the literature and films explored in the course. If the students wish, through this course they will be able to obtain some extra writing credits.
The AB section (SLN 1795) will include students who have a native or very advanced knowledge of BCS and who will read the works in the original language. In this session, they will get some extra help with essay writing in BCS, i.e. they will practice the orthography of the BCS and will improve their writing style. Depending on the BCS level, these students might also be offered to study the Bosnian Alhamiado literature – the literature written in the Bosnian language using Arabic script. In that case, the students will also be taught the Arabic alphabet during these sessions.
Recommended preparation
Reading the assigned materials on a regular basis, as well as a regular class attendance and participation in discussions will ensure a complete success on the final exam and with the final paper, and consequently in the course.
Class assignments and grading
Essay writing in English or BCS, orthography quizzes for BCS, class presentations, final exam
The quality of the final essay (orthography, vocabulary, style) 50% and the success on the final exam (familiarity with the works and authors covered during the course) 50%. No midterm exam. The results on the quizzes will not influence the final grade. The BCS quizzes simply serve to help students gain and improve their writing skills, which will be observable in the final paper and final exam. Final exam is made of several short essay questions.
