IDENTITY, COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA THE GRECO-TURKISH POPULATION EXCHANGE (1923) IN LITERATURE, FILM, AND MUSIC

Course Objectives:

In this course, the students are expected to:

– Gain a critical perspective of a historical event based on academic discussions and analyzing fictional works,

– Develop a critical understanding of the notions of “identity”, “collective memory” and “nostalgia”,

– Comprehend argumentative articles and interpret them in a critical way,

– Select and use relevant resources for academic research,

– Gain presentation skills in leading a discussion and presenting the final project,

– Apply the rules of academic honesty in written and oral productions.

Course Content:

This course is an introduction to understand the 1923 Greek-Turkish population exchange which constitutes a historical turning point in the processes of nation-building both in Greece and in Turkey which directly affected more than 2 million people, including approximately 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians who lived in Ottoman lands and 400,000 Muslims who resided in former Ottoman provinces. This course aims to explore various representations of this historic event through cultural productions in literature, film and music making use of the concepts such as identity, collective memory and nostalgia.