Course code

HIK6436.HT

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Erikursus kultuuriloost

Course title in English

Special Course in Cultural Theory

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Ksenia Shmydkaya (language of instruction:English)

lecturer of 2025/2026 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

– to explore the historical, cultural, and social dynamics of Poland and Ukraine with a focus on multilingualism, multiculturalism, national culture, and identity;
– to introduce students to the key theoretical concepts, including postcolonialism, hybridity, memory, gender, and queerness;
– to develop students’ ability to critically engage with films and literature, applying the discussed theoretical frameworks;
– to examine how cultural artefacts reflect and shape collective identities, historical memory, and societal changes.

Brief description of the course

Contemporary Poland and Ukraine are countries with complicated and mutually entangled histories. The course offers a look at these histories from the perspective of national cultures. The students will be introduced to a broad selection of artistic production from Poland and Ukraine (literature and film) and encouraged to connect them to the relevant social phenomena. Combination of broad theoretical frameworks and specific case studies will help to see the history of the region in a larger context. The key questions that go throughout the course are: how do we define a national culture and whose voices have a right to contribute to, and claim it?

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- is familiar with the historical and cultural contexts of the region;
- is familiar with various works of art, including literature, film, and visual art produced in the region;
- can apply theoretical concepts such as postcolonialism, gender, and memory to analyze cultural texts;
- is aware of the critical debates on imperialism, colonialism, decolonization, and cultural hybridity in the Eastern European context;
- understands the complexities of cultural memory, including its construction, contestation, and impact on collective identity.

Teacher

Ksenia Shmydkaya

Study programmes containing that course

Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/25.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/24.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/23.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/22.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/21.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/20.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/19.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/18.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/17.HT)