REST 150 - Russian Popaganda

Students in this interdisciplinary course consider how contemporary Russian pop culture—from Pussy Riot to Putin memes—engages with state ideology. Coursework is grounded in the post-Soviet era, yet also looks at how Russia’s current pop cultural attitudes to “facts” and ideology relate to the artistic and political practices of the Soviet past. Course materials include films, literature, visual art, performance art, and internet memes, as well as official state sources of mass information, from the Kremlin website to press releases. Finally, students consider the relationship between these developments in Russia and in US political discourse, through conversations surrounding “fake news,” deep fake, and troll farms. All students are welcome: no previous experience with Russian language or culture is expected.

Credits: 1.0
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No Senior
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts Practices: Confronting Collective Challenges and The Process of Writing
Core Component: None

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