Course Catalogue

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This is a 20-credit level 2 course offered by CEES which explores aspects of political, social and economic change in Russia and the Former Soviet Union following the collapse of communism

Three one hour lectures (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) and a one hour tutorial weekly.

20 credits at D or above in one Level 1 course taught in SPS, History (Arts), or Russian

Essay (50%)

Exam (40%)

Tutorial performance (10%)

Tutorial performance is assessed according to a set of criteria (attendance, prep, understanding, participation and

argument) full details located in course handbook.

This course aims to demonstrate:

■ the reasons for the collapse of the communist system in the Soviet Union and its consequences, with a specific focus on Russia and the Baltic states

■ the geopolitical consequences of the demise of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent reordering of global economic and geopolitical space

■ the nature of socio-economic changes in the region in the 1990s, and how different social groups responded to them

■ cultural change, with a focus on identity politics, gender and ethnicity

■ the political management of ethno-culturally diverse territories, and the renegotiation of national and ethnic identities

■ the importance of the region for Europe as a whole, including a focus on Russia and the Baltic states' relations with the new enlarged Europe

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ analyse the political, social, economic and cultural heritage of the FSU with a view to understanding the particular nature of systemic change and development 

■ apply comparative analytical skills necessary for cross cultural analysis

■ utilise the various theories of historical development and how the region can be analysed using concepts of state and society, the collective and the individual, ethnicity, gender and identity

■ extract relevant information from the reading regarding social, economic and political change

■ identify and use key concepts related to the process of transition, as related to political, territorial and socio-economic change

■ explain the complexities governing the possible integration of the region into the wider Europe and the forces that determine this process

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment and have regular tutorial attendance.