2026/2027
Введение в исследования памяти
Статус:
Дисциплина общефакультетского пула
Кто читает:
Школа филологических наук
Где читается:
Факультет гуманитарных наук
Когда читается:
4 модуль
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Преподаватели:
Вичкитова Анна Михайловна
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
3
Контактные часы:
36
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course is designed for undergraduate students interested in Memory Studies. Memory Studies is a relatively new interdisciplinary field that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century and took shape near the end of it. As an academic discipline, it is still actively developing, and courses dedicated to it are gradually appearing in university curricula across the globe. The course is multidisciplinary, incorporating works from the social sciences and the humanities. Students will critically read and discuss a set of texts related to the core concepts of memory studies, including classical theorists who established the discipline’s key terms as well as later developments by contemporary scholars. We will explore several central questions: How is “memory” defined within the field of Memory Studies? What distinguishes individual memory from collective memory, and how do social, cultural, and political memories differ from one another? Finally, we will investigate how the frameworks of Memory Studies can be applied to analyze different types of memory across various academic disciplines. Through close readings of the foundational texts, interactive lectures, guided discussions, and individual research projects, this course will familiarize students with the key terms and theoretical frameworks of Memory Studies while strengthening their critical thinking and interpretive skills. To fulfill the course requirements, students must have a good command of written and spoken English (a CEFR language proficiency level of B2 or C1 is required).
Learning Objectives
- To introduce the interdisciplinary field of Memory Studies, including its history, foundational theories, key thinkers, and central concepts. To familiarize students with the discipline’s key concepts, such as communicative memory, cultural memory, cultural trauma, postmemory, and nostalgia. To enable students to distinguish between key areas of study within memory studies, such as communicative memory (e.g., oral history) and cultural memory (e.g., cultural artifacts like literature, film, and photography). To familiarize students with the main directions of contemporary memory studies, such as oral history, literature and memory, visual memory studies, digital memory, and memory in media.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Identify key theorists, explain foundational theories, and describe central debates in the interdisciplinary field of Memory Studies.
- Define and compare the core concepts of the discipline (communicative memory, cultural memory, cultural trauma, postmemory, nostalgia, etc)
- Differentiate between the key frameworks of communicative and cultural memory, including their distinct characteristics and primary medium.
- Analyze how different media (e.g. literature, visual culture, digital media) shape the formation and transmission of memory.
Course Contents
- Part I. Foundations
- Part II. Modes and Transmissions of Memory
- Part III. Cultural Memory and Its Forms
- Part IV. Digital Dimension of Memory
Assessment Elements
- Lecture AttendanceLecture Attendance is 10% of the final grade. Attendance is recorded for each of the 9 lectures. Since attendance is worth 10% of your final grade, the maximum contribution is 1.0 point out of 10. For example, if you attend 7 lectures, you receive 8/10 for attendance. This adds 0.8 points to your final grade (out of 10). Each missed lecture reduces your attendance grade by 1 point (out of 10).
- Seminar ParticipationSeminar Participation is 10% of the final grade. Active participation in group discussions and in-class assignments is required at every seminar. Students should be in class on time. They are to prepare for every class and to be active in class discussions, being able to respond to any question connected with the issue under discussion. The assessment of seminar participation is based on the amount of work done and the effort involved. The system of points will be used.
- Final Written TestThe Final Test is 25% of the final grade. The test will be held at the regular class time in the week following the conclusion of the course. The final test is designed to assess the student’s comprehensive understanding of the course material. It is based exclusively on the main readings for the course — approximately 20 articles and book chapters that will be discussed during lectures and seminars throughout the semester. The complete list of these readings is provided at the end of this syllabus under “Reading for the Final Test.” The test consists of 50 questions, approximately 5 questions per topic. It has 100 raw points: 50 questions × 2 points each.
- Article SummaryArticle Summary is 15% of the final grade. Students will write a handwritten summary of one assigned academic article from the course readings (chosen by the instructor). The summary should clearly present the author’s main argument, key concepts, and conclusions.
- Written AssignmentWritten Assignment is 20% of the final grade. Students will write a short essay (750–1000 words, typed double-spaced) that applies one or two course theories to a cultural object, site, or practice. Students can choose from the list of suggested topics or propose their own. In the latter case, the topic must be approved by the instructor beforehand.
- Midterm QuizMidterm Quiz is 20% of the final grade. It is scheduled for Week 6. This quiz is designed to evaluate students' understanding of the core readings and concepts. The quiz consists of up to five closed and open-ended questions. These may ask student to formulate a reading’s main argument (all articles that used in quiz are marked in syllabus), define a concept, compare different theoretical approaches, or write down a term, etc.
