Syllabus for SLAV/PWAD 467: Language and Political Identity
Welcome to Language and Political Identity. This course will examine the roles of language policy
and linguistic controversies in determining national identity and fueling political polarization.
It will focus primarily on Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
Logistics
Time & Place: MWF 1-1:50 in Murphey 104
Instructor: Laura A. Janda (janda@unc.edu;
962-7549; Slavic Dept CB # 3165; office in 312A Dey Hall; mailbox in 425 Dey Hall)
Office Hours: M 11, W 2 and by appt
Textbooks
- The following textbooks will be used in this course:
- Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity ed. by Joshua Fishman Oxford UP 1999
- Language, Ethnicity and the State. Volume 1: Minority Languages in the European Union ed. by Camille O'Reilly Palgrave 2001
- Language and Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and Its Disintegration by Robert D. Greenberg Oxford UP 2004
- Language Policy in the Soviet Union by Lenore Grenoble Kluwer 2003
- PLEASE NOTE: These textbooks are very expensive! I recommend that you team up and share them. The books by O'Reilly, Greenberg, and Grenoble have also been placed on reserve at the library.
- Other materials will be available on our Ereserve site the Blackboard site for this course
- If you do not already own a USB data storage device, you are required to purchase one. Your papers and your final presentation must be stored on this device.
What we will accomplish
this semester
Yes, we are going to read the assigned books and listen
to lectures, but, more important, I expect you to be active participants and to
create some products of lasting value. Here are some of the things that we will
discuss:
- The dynamic interplay of language and identity politics, with a strong focus on
Eastern Europe and the countries of Central Asia, and with comparisons to Western Europe
- How language and identity have proven powerful motivators in the conflicts in the Balkans
- The dynamics of language in the most linguistically diverse region on the planet: the Caucasus
- The efforts to re-instate local national languages previously supplanted by Russian in
the successor states after the breakup of the Soviet Union
- The effects of anti-Russian policies in successor states, particularly the Baltics
- The effects of language on politics and trade between Eastern and Western Europe
- The effects of language policy on admission to the EU for Eastern European countries
Here are some of the things that we will do in this course:
- Create a map that integrates the following pieces of information: 1) a boundary between Western and Eastern
Europe, 2) indications of what countries are and are not members of the EU, and 3) indications of which majority
languages belong to what families (Germanic, Romance, Slavic, non-Indoeuropean, etc.)
- Write two five-page papers, which will be revised and
resubmitted. One paper will focus on Western Europe and the other will focus on Eastern Europe.
For your two papers, you can either a) select two nations (one W and one E) and examine the linguistic challenges they
face and how they have dealt with them, or select two ethnolinguistic minority groups (one W and one E) and examine the
challenges to their political identity and what strategies they have used. Information from your papers can be integrated into your
final presentation. Each paper will be graded according to the following criteria: Topic relevance, Use of detail, Argumentation, Style, and Bibliography. NOTE: If your first draft earns a full 10 points, you will also be credited the additional 10 points for the final version, which you will not have to submit, so it pays to do your best job on the first draft!
- We will also watch some films in this course. You will earn 1 point extra credit for each film you attend. See our film series.
- Prepare a Final Project as a Powerpoint presentation, to be delivered orally in class. You will work in groups to receive feedback on a preliminary version of your final project, and then
will present the project to the whole class. You are very welcome to collaborate with one or more of your classmates
in the preparation of a final project. Your final project will be a thematically-based comparison of how and issue has been handled in a Western European and an Eastern European setting. For example, one could compare how an economic factor has affected two minority language communities, one in W Europe and one in E Europe, or one could compare how discrimination has been handled by two communities. Your final project
must include a bibliography of at least 7 items, at least 5 of which must come from books or scholarly journals, and the bibliography should appear as the last slide in your powerpoint. Your powerpoint should not contain any embedded audio or video. Final projects must be emailed
as attachments to the instructor (janda@unc.edu) at least 48 hours before the class in which they are to be presented. For inspiration, see the Language and Political Identity Archive
- Learn from your classmates! Your final exam will consist of an essay describing what you have learned from the
final projects presented by others in the class.
How
to succeed in this course
Here are your keys to success in this course:
- Do a small amount of work every day -- don't try to cram several days'
worth of assignments into one evening
- Keep up with the readings and other assignments
- Come to class every day
- When you come to class, be sure to bring something that you have prepared for the class:
comments on a reading, questions for discussion, etc.
- Work on your Final Project early and often
How grades will be assigned
Grades will be based upon performance on papers (including revisions),
oral presentations (including commentary on others' presentations and integration of commentary
in final presentation), and tests.
Grades. Here is how grades will be assigned:
| Item |
Number of Items |
Points per Item |
Total Points |
| Map |
1 |
5 |
5 |
| Papers - Drafts |
2 |
10 |
20 |
| Papers - Revisions |
2 |
10 |
20 |
| Project Group Report |
1 |
10 |
10 |
| Project Presentation |
1 |
20 |
20 |
| Hour Tests | 2 | 10 | 20 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| | |
Total: | 100 |
| Extra Credit for Movies |
1 |
5 |
5 |
Important note: It is your responsibility to know
about the Honor System at UNC. Go
to this page and be sure you know how to avoid plagiarism and other forms of academic
cheating.
Useful Resources -- This site has links to resources that have proved useful for this course.
Don't forget to have fun! See you at the movies!
Please join us TUESDAYS at 6:00. Click here to get the schedule! Sign in and get
extra credit for every movie you watch!
Assignment Schedule
The basic structure of the semester will be as follows:
- Two weeks will be devoted to gaining theoretical background and acquiring basic concepts that
will be used in the course
- Three weeks will be devoted to an overview of Western European situations
- Two weeks will be devoted to a case study of the Sámi people of Scandinavia
- Three weeks will be devoted to overview study of Russia and the successor states
- Two weeks will be devoted to a case study of the fate of Serbo-Croat and the former Yugoslavia
- Two weeks will be devoted to Final Presentations
- What to prepare for next time:
- Read Chapter 2
"Language and Nationalism" (Edwards
Ch 2: Language and Nationalism), from Language, Society and Identity; this reading
is available through Ereserve.
Aug 25: Language and Nationalism
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
Aug 28: History and Nationalism
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
- Go to see Sudeten Germans & Czechs: A Challenge for Europe (documentary about ethnic cleansing), Documentary on Welsh, Where Eagles Fly (documentary on a Buryatian Shaman) at our film series on Aug 29!
Aug 30: Economics and Political Science
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
Sept 1: Psychology and Social Psychology
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
Sept 6: Sociolinguistics, Second-Language Learning
- What to prepare for next time:
- Read this article on recent attacks on Hungarians in Slovakia
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
Sept 8: Guest Lecture by Prof. Robert Jenkins on Hungary and Hungarians
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
- Create a map that integrates the following pieces of information: 1) a boundary between Western and Eastern
Europe, 2) indications of what countries are and are not members of the EU, and 3) indications of which majority
languages belong to what families (Germanic, Romance, Slavic, non-Indoeuropean, etc.); email your map to the
instructor before 9/13 or bring it to class on that day
- See this interactive list
of some of the minority languages of Europe
Sept 11: Researching and Educating Minorities
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
NOTE: Today at 4pm in Toy Lounge Prof G. C. Kálmán will give a talk entitled "Canon Changes in Modern Hungarian Literature"
Sep 13: Western Europe and Maps
- What to prepare for next time:
- From O'Reilly's Minority Languages in The European Union
- Read EU language situation
- (note for instructor)
- What to prepare for next time:
- Please read the Charter from the link above and look also at the list of declarations, etc (particularly to compare France's reaction with the reaction of other countries)
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
- From O'Reilly's Minority Languages in The European Union
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
- Go to see Sápmi and Even if a Hundred Ogres at our film series on Sept 19!
NOTE: Today at 4pm in dey 402 Prof Steven Totosy de Zepetnek will give a talk entitled "Hungarian Culture and Literature in the Work of Imre Kertész"
- What to prepare for next time:
- From O'Reilly's Minority Languages in The European Union
- Finish draft of paper #1
- See
statistics on multilingualism in the EU
- Wikipedia entry for Breton
- Listen to Kan ha diskan, Breton music, and
read about how it is sung
If you are interested: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 5:00 PM, 120 VANCE HALL, UNC CAMPUS: "WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WRITER IN TODAY'S RUSSIA?" WRITERS WILL DISCUSS ISSUES ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN LITERARY SCENE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A ROUNDTABLE FORMAT and THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 7:00 PM, BORDERS BOOKS IN CHAPEL HILL: WRITERS WILL READ FROM THEIR WORK. READINGS IN RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH.
Sept 22: Minority Languages in France & Spain; Hand in Draft of Paper #1
- What to prepare for next time:
- From O'Reilly's Minority Languages in The European Union
Today at 5pm: listen to 89.3 FM wxyc -- Prof. Chad Bryant will be talking about The Politics of Czech Rock'n'Roll
- What to prepare for next time:
- Sápmi: becoming a nation -- Find this reading on the Blackboard course space for this course
- "Regional characteristics of Sápmi and the Sámi people"
NOTE: Today at 4pm in Toy Lounge Prof Peter Sherwood will give a talk entitled "Reading the 1957 Revolution: The Themes of Ferenc Juhász's Poem Evszakok (1957) in the Shadow of its English 'Translations'"
- What to prepare for next time:
- Read pp. 9-37 from Lehtola's The Sámi People -- Find this reading on the Blackboard course space for this course
Sami links:
Samisk hoegskole,
Nordic Sámi Institute,
Sametinget in Norway,
Baiki,
John Weinstock's page,
Sámi Center at University of Tromsoe
- What to prepare for next time:
- Read pp. 42-69 from Lehtola's The Sámi People -- Find this reading on the Blackboard course space for this course
- Read this article about an Inari Sámi rapper
and listen to his music
- Prepare final version of paper #1
- What to prepare for next time:
- Read pp. 70-93 from Lehtola's The Sámi People -- Find this reading on the Blackboard course space for this course
- Go to see Pathfinder at our film series on Oct 3!
- See the Hour Test Study Guide
- What to prepare for next time:
- Study for the Hour Test
Oct 6: First Hour Test
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Fishman's Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
- See Map of Autonomous Areas in Russia
Extra Credit Opportunity: Go to Prof. David Harrison's lecture "Endangered Languages, Knowledge Loss, and Sustainability" at 4pm today in Dey 402. In addition, you are welcome to come to a reception for him at my house (108 Morningside Drive, Carrboro) at 7pm this evening.
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
Oct 13: Soviet Language Policy
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
- What to prepare for next time:
- See this site I found on minority peoples in Russia
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
- Prepare draft of paper #2
Oct 18: The Baltic States; Hand in draft of paper #2
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
Oct 23: The Caucasus and Central Asia
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Grenoble's Language Policy in the Soviet Union
- Want to learn more about Tuvans and other Siberian peoples? See
David Harrison's website
- Go to see Herders of the Mongun Taiga (1 hr doucmentary about the Tuvan people of Siberia), Nenetsi Samoyeds: Nomads of the Siberian Tundra (52 min documentary) at our film series on Oct 24!
Oct 25: Siberia and Wrap-up on Soviet Union
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- See this full-color map of S-C dialects
Oct 27: Intro to BCS and Former Yugoslavia (Ch1 ppt)
- What to prepare for next time:
- Thinking about your final project? See these resources
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- Ch 2: Serbo-Croatian: United or not we fall
- Prepare final version of paper #2
- Opportunity to volunteer for linguistic research
Oct 30: Serbo-Croatian; Hand in final version of paper #2; Chapter 2 ppt
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- Ch 3: Serbian: Isn't my language your language?
- See Second Hour Test Study Guide
- Prepare Title and list of presenters for your Final Presentation -- you will need to write down this information on your Hour Test
- Go to lecture on "Human Rights and Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia" Oct 30 7 pm Hanes Art Center
Nov 1: Serbian vs. Serbo-Croatian; Preparation for Second Hour Test; Study guide; Chapter 3 ppt
- What to prepare for next time:
- Study for Second Hour Test; be prepared to give title of Final Project and names of co-presenters on test
Nov 3: Second Hour Test; write title of Final Project and names of co-presenters on your test
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- Ch 4: Montenegrin: A mountain out of a molehill?
Nov 6: Guest Lecture by Prof. John Pickles on the situation of minorities in Bulgaria; Chapter 4 ppt
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- Ch 5: Croatian: We are separate but equal twins
- What to prepare for next time:
- From Greenberg's Language Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croat and its Disintegration
- Ch 6: Bosnian: A three-humped camel?
- Ch 7: Conclusion
Nov 10: Bosnian and Wrap-up of Former Yugoslavia
- What to prepare for next time:
- Group A will prepare preliminary version of Final Project presentations and receive feedback from peers. Group A will present Final Projects Nov 15, 17, 27, 29
Nov 13: Group A presentations and feedback (all members of class participate)
- What to prepare for next time:
- Go to see Vukovar at our film series on Nov 14!
- Presentations: Eliot Rayner & Neyla Amaya; Julian Rankin & Brian Nordness
Nov 17: Final projects
- Presentations: Dez Hill, Miroslav Styblo, Robert Page
- What to prepare for next time:
- Group B will prepare preliminary version of Final Project presentations and receive feedback from peers. Group B will present Final Projects Nov 29, Dec 1, Dec 4, Dec 6
Nov 20: Group B presentations and feedback (all members of class participate)
Nov 27: Final projects
- Presentations: Daniel Elam & Ana Hacic-Vlahovic, Rebecca Pardue & Liz Ramsey, Matthew Green
Nov 29: Final projects
- Presentations: Sarah Milewski, Laura Lea, Robin Hilmantel & Daniel Widis
Dec 1: Final projects
- Presentations: Lorenzo Bared & Becky Gursoy, Stanton Kidd & Kellen Carpenter
Dec 4: Final projects
- Presentations: Sarah Martin & Mark Bolin, Ann Ansley & Ben Greenberg
- Go to see No Man's Land at our film series on Dec 5!
Dec 6: Final projects
- Presentations: Geoffrey Bridges, Brian Hardiman
The FINAL EXAM is on Saturday, December 9 at noon in Murphey 104
- Be there or be SQUARE!
- Click HERE to get the questions that you need to prepare.
This website was last updated on: Nov 28, 2006
