Ukraine: Culture and Identity 2100-ERASMUS-UKCI
Ukraine’s willingness and ability to resist and fight back against Russian aggression since 2014, and even more so since 2022, has given rise to a wave of discussions about the ‘birth of the Ukrainian nation’ or Ukraine as an ‘unexpected nation’. This assessment is primarily related to the youth of Ukrainian statehood – Ukraine has been independent just for over three decades. In this situation of lack of own independent state, the culture was what created and preserved the individuality of Ukrainians. It formed the specificity of Ukrainians’ worldview and political and geopolitical orientations. The course aims to study the culture and identity of modern Ukraine in this political context.
Among the topics covered in the course are various aspects of the culture and identity of Ukraine: regional, linguistic and religious specificities; the dynamics of the development of civil society and the role of mass protests (Maidans) in this process; ‘pressure points’ of Ukrainian history that have become key in the formation of Ukrainian identity (or identities?) (Holodomor, deportations, etc.); challenges of decolonization of Ukrainian culture; territorial conflicts of independent Ukraine and the range of approaches to their resolution; ultimately, current Russian aggression as a war against Ukrainian culture and identity, which gave rise to a discussion on its assessment as genocide.
The course is based on using a wide range of sociological data. As part of the course, students will be offered to watch and discuss in class several films that reveal certain aspects of the course.
Topics:
- What does it mean to be a Ukrainian? – look through the prism of social surveys
- “It’s ‘Ukraine’, not ‘the Ukraine’” – challenges of decolonisation.
- Language: “Choosing a Mother Tongue”
- Crimea – from ancient history to international problem
- Religion: Ukraine as “the largest religious market in Europe”
- Ukrainian protests: “We have nothing to lose but our Maidans”
- Russian aggression against Ukraine as an attempt of cultural erasure
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- describe regional, linguistic and religious specificities of Ukraine, analyse their dynamics and impact on socio-cultural and political life, and the degree of their correlation with political and geopolitical preferences;
- identify specifics of modern Ukrainian culture and society, that go beyond simple binary oppositions like Eastern-Western or Russian-Ukrainian speaking etc.;
- analyse researches on Ukraine and contribute to discussionі on problematic issues related to modern Ukrainian history (decolonization, fighting with Soviet past etc.).
Assessment criteria
Course requirements include:
- one presentation
- contribution to class discussion
- attendance (one missed class is allowed)
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: