Modern Literatures and Cultures
Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures
Kathrin Bower, Chair
Professors Bonfiglio, Ravaux-Kirkpatrick
Associate Professors Bower, Howell, Kapanga, Troncale
Assistant Professors Delers, Pappas, Radi
Director of the Arabic and German Language Programs Sulzer-Reichel
Director of the Chinese Language Program Su-Lin Tai
Director of the Intensive Language Program in French Baker
Director of the Intensive Language Program in Italian Marcin
Director of the Japanese Language Program Suzuki
Director of the Multi-Media Language Laboratory Scinicariello
Modern Literatures and Cultures Majors
French
French Major/International Business Option
- (To be carried out in conjunction with a major in the Robins School of Business with an international business concentration.)
German Studies
German Studies Major/International Business Option
- (To be carried out in conjunction with a major in the Robins School of Business with an international business concentration.)
Italian Studies
Italian Studies/International Business Option
- (To be carried out in conjunction with a major in the Robins School of Business with an international business concentration.)
Russian Studies
(Note: The Latin American and Iberian Studies major is available through the Department of Latin American and Iberian Studies.)
Related Majors
Combined major in English and French literature
Combined major in English and German literature
Combined major in English and Russian literature
International Studies: Africa
International Studies: Asia
International Studies: Latin America
International Studies: Modern Europe
International Studies: World Politics and Diplomacy
Modern Literatures and Cultures Minors
Arabic
Chinese
French
German Studies
Italian Studies
Japanese
Russian Studies
For full course listings in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Russian, see the individual program pages.
Study Abroad
Study and travel abroad are strongly encouraged for all students. The department offers summer study programs in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Jordan, and Russia. In addition, there are exchange agreements for study during the academic year in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Quebec, and Russia; others are being negotiated. For a complete list, contact the Office of International Education.
The Residency Requirement
For all MLC majors, at least 5.5 units of the 9.5 units required for the major must be taken on the University of Richmond campus. If the student participates in a study abroad program, at least one upper-level course in the major must be taken upon return from the program.
Modern Literatures and Cultures (MLC)
All courses under modern literatures and cultures are taught in English and have no prerequisite, except as noted. Approved MLC courses may be counted as elective credit toward a French, German studies, Italian studies or Russian studies major if taken in conjunction with a Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC) component (.25 units).
Administration
Placement
- A student who desires to continue study of a language begun elsewhere or spoken as a first language will be placed for continuation by the Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures. The determination of level may be by the score received on the AP, IB or SATII test in a given language; by the evaluation of a required placement test; or, in special cases, by interview. Students who meet the language communication skills requirement by placement may not take for credit 100- or 200-level courses in the same language.
Sequential Credit
- Once the 100 or 200 level is begun, continuation, if any, must be to the next higher level within the sequence of courses. Students cannot receive credit toward the degree for 100- or 200-level coursework which is taken after credit has been earned in coursework more advanced in the sequence.
Medium of Instruction
- All courses taught in the department are taught in the respective language with the exception of the courses listed in the modern literatures and cultures category.
Courses
MLC
105 Introduction to Self-Designed Language Learning
Development of skills needed to become autonomous learners of language and culture, including how to create a learning plan, use multimedia resources, work with language tutors, and assemble a learning portfolio. Development of basic understanding of the structure of human languages and the relationship between language and culture.
Prerequisite(s): co-requisite: MLC 110
Unit(s): .5
MLC
110 Self-Directed Language Learning I
Development of skills in reading, writing, and speaking a new language. Investigation of the history of the language and the culture of the areas in which the language is used. Assessment of progress through examination and the evaluation of a student-created portfolio.
Prerequisite(s): co-requisite: MLC 105
Unit(s): .5
MLC
111 Self-Directed Language Learning II
Development of skills in reading, writing, and speaking a less-commonly-taught language. Investigation of the history of the language and the culture of the areas in which the language is used. Assessment of progress through examination and the evaluation of a student-created portfolio.
Prerequisite(s): MLC 110
Unit(s): 1
MLC
235 Special Topics in Japanese Film
Discussion and analysis of Japanese films with emphasis on understanding the cultural and historical aspects of Japan through cinematic representations.
Prerequisite(s): Japanese 102.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
256 Psychoanalysis, Literature and Culture
General introduction to use of psychoanalytic techniques to analyze literature and culture. Readings from Freud and post-Freudian theorists used to interpret variety of literary texts, as well as films, ads, and other examples from popular culture.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
260 Nature, Nurture, Neurons: Science and Society in 20th Century East European Literature
Selected readings in 20th century Czech and Polish literature. Analysis of primary texts (in translation) focuses on the representation of both science and socialism as powerful ideological forces.
Prerequisite(s): English 103.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
321 Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature
Introduction to Russian literature and critical literary analysis. Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and others.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
322 Introduction to Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Russian Literature
Introduction to Russian literature and critical literary analysis. Includes Modernism, Soviet Socialist Realism, and contemporary Russian fiction.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
331 Russian Cinema
General introduction to Russian cinema focusing on the significant portion of Russian cinema within the context of European and world cinemas. Emphasizes historical and theoretical contributions of Russian cinema and traces development of cinema in Russia from Protazanov and Eisentein to Tarkovsky, Todorovsky, Mikhalkov, and Sokurov. Different variants of the course that would appear in alternate years will have variety of topical foci such as Russian and European cinema, World War II, ideology and art in film, Soviet social realism, literature and cinema, Shakespeare in Russian cinema, the auteur in Russian cinema, Russian female directors, the female image in Russian cinema, Stalin and Lenin in film, etc.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
332 Conscience and Consciousness in 19th Century Russian Painting
Survey and analytical study of significant periods of Russian painting, focusing on interconnections between philosophy, literature, spirituality, and ideology in Russian painting during various historical periods and developments in Russian culture and intellectual history.
General Education Requirement: (FSHT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
331 Geometries of Being: Transitions to Modernity in Russian Painting, 1895-1934
An interdisciplinary study of early 20th century Russian painting as an organic part and expression of the cultural and intellectual development of
fin de siecle Russia. The cultural significance of Russian paintings is traced through a critical analysis of primary historical, philosophical, literary, artistic, and other sources of the period.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
335 Bolsheviks, Bombs and Ballet: Soviet Culture and Civilization
Survey of intellectual and scientific life, artistic movements, and popular culture under communism in the Soviet Union. Interdisciplinary focus on the arts, music, science, and literature with attention to complicated relations between official and private culture.
General Education Requirement: (FSHT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
340 European Romanticism
Comparative study of the major international currents in European romanticism, drawing from the literary traditions of England, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
341 Gender and Sexuality in 19th-Century France
Examines representations of gender and sexual identity in 19th-century France as demonstrated in literature, film, and historical documents.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing
Unit(s): 1
MLC
350 Introductory Linguistics
General, historical and/or descriptive linguistics.
Prerequisite(s): Completion of Communication Skills II-Language requirement
Unit(s): 1
MLC
351 Contemporary Literary Theory
A broad survey of literary theory, with textual applications, and including structuralism, Marxism, post-structuralism, feminism, psychoanalysis, and new historicism.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
357 The Idea of the Renaissance: Self, History and Knowledge
A comparative and interdisciplinary investigation of the period in European history known as the Renaissance through the lens of some of its most well-known and compelling works.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
358 Desire and Identity in the Renaissance: The Lyric Tradition
A comparative investigation of Italian, French, and English Renaissance lyric poetry. (Same as English 309.)
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
360 Representing the Holocaust
Critical analyses of visual and textual representations of the Holocaust in an international context. The course raises questions about the limits and meaning of Holocaust representations as well as their ideological and moral implications.
Prerequisite(s): English 103.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
365 German Film in Context
Survey of German cinema from the 1930s to the present emphasizing the historical and cultural context in which the films were produced.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
General Education Requirement: (FSLT)
Unit(s): 1
MLC
388 Individual Internship
Internship experiences outside of the department in fields related to MLC programs. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required degree units.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.
Unit(s): .5-1
MLC
389 Practice Assistantship
Students lead practice sessions associated with the elementary and intermediate language sequences outside of the regularly-taught program languages. The practice assistantship does not count as credit toward the major or minor. Up to one unit can be applied toward graduation credit.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.
Unit(s): .25
MLC
397 Selected Topics
Special interest topics offered at department's discretion.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
410 The Teaching of a Modern Second Language
Theory and practice of teaching modern second language, including English as second language, at the K-12 levels. Designed to enable teachers to meet state licensure requirements.
Prerequisite(s): For MLC: Completion of a modern literatures and cultures minor or the equivalent, or permission of department. For education minors seeking licensure in Spanish that requires MLC 410: the completion of a Latin American and Iberian Studies minor, the equivalent, or permission of the Latin American and Iberian studies department.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
411 Teaching Japanese as a Second Language
Analyze Japanese syntax and develop skills for teaching Japanese. Taught in English.
Prerequisite(s): Japanese 202.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
497 Selected Topics
Experimental and special interest topics offered at department's discretion.
Unit(s): 1
MLC
495 Independent Study
Special projects individually pursued under supervision of faculty member.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of department.
Unit(s): .5-1
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