On Decolonizing the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (SEEES) Classroom and Engaging with New Perspectives
摘要
This chapter first provides a brief history of the field of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (SEEES), outlining the conditions that led to it being Russocentric in nature. Next follows a discussion of the main goals of decolonization, a process that invites underrepresented perspectives into the field, often engaging non-Western ways of understanding and knowing to do so, while highlighting the difficulty of upending Western views which have been historically applied to an area of the world that is marginally considered Western itself. Finally, the chapter advances the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) Undergraduate Think Tank as an example of a successful program aimed at engaging the voices and perspectives of marginalized groups in knowledge production in SEEES, revealing the ways the program has already served as a catalyst to consider and incorporate perspectives beyond the majority. In this way, the chapter recommends a practical and actionable approach to decolonizing the SEEES classroom and engaging with new perspectives.