(in Polish) Borderlands: Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean Region, and the Arab World 3700-ISSC-BCEE-RB
Aim of the course is reflection on questions revolving the notion of borderlands.
The central problem of the borderlands will be illustrated with case studies of the Polish Borderlands (Kresy), the German Bollewerk, the Balkan borderlands of military (Croatian- Vojna Krajina, German- Militärgrenze, Serbian- Војна Крајина, Hungarian-Katonai határőrvidék, Latin- Confiniaria militaria), religious and cultural character of the concept, and the series of lectures on Israel/Palestine and Lebanon (+ the context of other Arab countries), focused on conceptualizations of these territories as borderlands but with references to critique of the usage of an aforementioned notion. Another illustration of the specificity of the title category will be the cities and towns of the Slovenian-Italian border region, Dalmatia and eastern Poland.
What is the difference between borderlands and Kresy? How are borderlands formed? What is the historical background of the contemporary borderlands existence? Is it possible to treat the whole region as a borderland? What is the result of such approach, how does it influence our understanding of a region? How can we identify the boundaries of the borderland? How do cultural traditions and identities form in the borderlands? How are everyday practices influenced by the borderland context? What is the role of materiality and symbolism in borderlands construction? How does the notion of borderlands work in a conflict reality? How to explore and research the complexity of the borderlands?
Outline of the topics
Prof. dr hab. Jolanta Sujecka:
1. Borderlands: Polish Context
2. Borderlands: German Context
3. The Balkans as Borderland
4. Macedonia – Illustration of Borderlands
5. The Borderlands and Identity. Mediterranean and Balkan Context
Dr Maciej Falski
6. Border cities? The historical background of the formation of contemporary Slovenian-Italian borderland.
7. Biography as a tool to understand borderland community from below.
8. Different kinds of borders: ethnic, political, sociological. Dalmatia as an example
9. Zamojskie region: from borderland to the 'landscape of absence’
10. Between localness and centralising identities: notion of the cultural heritage.
Dr hab. Michał Moch, prof. IKŚiO PAN
11. Mapping the contemporary South-Western Asia and Northern Africa. New borders and borderlands. The Decline of Empire(s)
12. Power, land, ethnicity, ethnocracy. Can we talk about modern Israel/Palestine as postcolonial borderlands?
13. Space and separation in conflicted borderlands. Zones of Conflict Daily experience and artistic representations
14. Popular music as a space of conflict and dialogue on the cultural, ethnic and transnational borderlands of Israel/Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt
15. The idea of Lebanon as a borderland of the West and the Arab world. Collective myths and political decline.
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
the graduate understands Selected cultural and social processes occurring in Mediterranean countries (as well as other border regions of Europe, including Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans) in an advanced manner, and their significance for the entire continent. K_W1
the relationships between the various dimensions of social change (especially with regard to various aspects of mobility and "crises") and knows the approaches to this process related to many scientific fields and disciplines. K_W02
The value of an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and interpretation of social changes in the contemporary world (particularly in Mediterranean countries and in Central and Eastern Europe). K_W6
Skills:
appropriately select and critically evaluate information from various sources — scientific, popular science, journalistic, and others. K_U01
Is able to prepare the results of individual work in the form of a structured and argued oral presentation, but should find the topic from the scope of the lecture which was presented as a marginal topic or to present the presented (during the lecture) topic from the other point of view.
Social competences:
Uphold and develop ethical principles in academic and professional relationships, including those concerning the use of sources in academic work and copyright regulations. K_K05
Understands the issues of multiethnicity and multiculturalism.
Assessment criteria
Positive grade is conditioned by regular active participation in classes.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: