Gulag Archipelago: Stalin's Prison Camps
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| MLAC2204 | Modern Languages and Cultures | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- MLAC2204
- School
- Modern Languages and Cultures
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module introduces students to different aspects of the study of the Soviet Gulag system. The module examines both the rationale for the creation of the Gulag system and its economic, political and ideological functions during the Soviet period. Covering a wide range of sources, including historical documents, photography, documentaries, memoirs, documentary fiction, diaries and visual art, this module will explore the effect the Gulag system had on Soviet society and culture. A number of case studies of different categories of Gulag inmates will illustrate different individual experiences and responses to the traumatic experience of the Gulag. The module will also explore the legacy and commemoration of the Gulag system in the post-Soviet period.
Target Students
Students in RSS and MLC, also open to students in Faculty of Art
Classes
- Two 1-hour seminars each week for 11 weeks
- One 1-hour screening each week for 3 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 70% Coursework: 2,000 word essay (individual)
- 15% Project: Research Poster (group work)
- 15% Presentation: Poster Presentation (group presentation)
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
The aim of this module is to equip students with the skills to analyse, evaluate and discuss the political, economic and ideological factors which shaped the creation of the carceral system during the Soviet period; to identify and contrast different strategies by which individuals processed and communicated their experience of the Gulag; to examine artistic responses to the Gulag and to analyse the subsequent commemoration of the Gulag system in Soviet and Russian human rights movements.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
- Different critical approaches to gulag studies (A3)
- Social, cultural and historical contexts which frame the creation, experience and memory of the gulag (A2, A4, A5)
Teaching and Learning and Assessment
- Close reading and critical evaluation of a wide range of sources and cultural concepts and their cultural and historical context (B1, B2, B3, B4)
- Independent research to construct and express a balanced argument based on a sound evaluation of primary and secondary sources (B4, B5, B6, B7)
- Express ideas effectively in written and oral communication (B7, B8)
- Ability to integrate feedback, reflecting on prior performance to improve assessed work (D9)
Professional Practical Skills
- Understanding and expressing complex ideas in English and Russian (C3, C5, C6)
- Working independently to access databases, internet resources and library holdings, and critically evaluating the results of research (C7)
- Presentation of written work according to academic conventions (C8)
Transferable Skills
- Independent research and critical thinking (D2)
- Effective communication in written and oral form (D1)
- Identifying and solving problems (D3)
- Working independently and as part of a team (D4, D5)
- Time management and self-reliance (D6, D7, D9)
- IT skills (D8)