SOAN 254 - The Russo-Ukrainian War

FDR: Humanities (HU)
Credits: 3

The Russo-Ukrainian War is the largest war in Europe since WW2. This course places the war in its social context. The course delves into the social dynamics that have led to this war and explores how this war unraveled and transformed since 2014/2022. Students will learn about the experiences of different groups in Ukraine and the impacts the war had on them; explore different strategies various Ukrainians and Russians chose in response to the war; discuss Ukrainian and Russian militaries and how they changed historically and during this war; learn about experiences of soldiers and the pains they encountered while serving.

Students will meet with researchers currently studying various aspects of the Russo-Ukrainian War: sociologists and cultural anthropologists who study people with HIV on the Russia-occupied territories; men who avoid the draft; and the Ukrainian LGBTQI+ community and the impact this war had on it. Students will also have the opportunity to interact with Ukrainian volunteers as well as human rights activists who made it their job to fight for soldiers’ rights.