BA /MA Blockkurs zu politischen Entwicklungen in Osteuropa 2: Political developments in Ukraine - from crisis to crisis
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Teaching
Details
Faculty Faculty of Humanities Domain European and Slavic Studies Code UE-L41.00094 Languages English and/or German Type of lesson Cours bloc
Level Master, Bachelor Semester SA-2021 Teaching
Responsibles - Stepanenko Viktor
Teachers - Stepanenko Viktor
Description Ukraine and Eastern Europe: peculiarities of socio-political development
Teacher: Prof. Viktor Stepanenko
Language: English
Course load: (14 teaching hours)
Time: 19-20 November 2021
Course description
In the 30-years period from the wave of anti-communist democratic revolutions in eastern Europe and after the USSR breakdown former communist countries have passed complex transformations which are various in their results. Some of these countries (central European and Baltic republics) have mostly successfully completed their post-communist transitions and became the EU members. But former Soviet eastern European countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Russia) are still undergoing their complex transformations with different political trajectories. The case of Ukraine is particularly interesting because it combines the features of typical post-communist democratization, cultural and psychological inertia of Soviet institutional legacy and some political peculiarities, including territorial geopolitical conflict and the war, ongoing nation-state building, mass citizens’ protest movements (“maidans”) and others. The aim of this course is to analyze the nature, dynamics and peculiarities of post-Soviet transformation, based mostly on the case of Ukraine and comparing it to other eastern European cases (Belarus, Russia, Moldova) in various socio-political aspects: variations of regime, the state of democracy and institutional efficiency, civil society and protest movements etc. The course aims at broadening the scope and understanding of important and general political processes in this European region, and to understand major trends that shape politics in Ukraine and the region. The conflicts and wars in this region, particularly the war in Ukraine’s Donbas, might be considered as the result of geopolitical and cultural split between Russia (and the “Russian world”) and the West (the EU, USA, NATO). The course will focus on the ways and implications in which Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus are affected by these geopolitical tensions.
Through addressing these questions, the course seeks to introduce students to the most important issues shaping the politics of eastern European post-Soviet region.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able:
- to have a broad overview of key historical and political developments in eastern European post-Soviet countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Russia) in the period 1991-2021;
- to evaluate the political processes in the region using the comparative method when they study politics;
- to provide students with a knowledge on peculiarities of eastern European post-Soviet countries;
- to encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of the benefits and shortcomings of theories, concepts, and categories from political science when applied to the study of East European region;
- to provide opportunities for students to conduct independent research, understanding and critiquing complex arguments, analytical reasoning, academic writing, and working independently or with a team to present their arguments verbally;
- identify and make valid comparisons between different eastern European post-Soviet countries, using empirical evidences and sociological data.
Course Requirements (Assessment)
Performance control and the course assessment will combine 3 elements, as follows:
Individual engagement and activity during the course
30%
In-class presentation
30%
Final essay (about 2000 words) - to be submitted by December 14, 2021 via e-mail to ukraine.essay@gmail.com
40%
Training objectives Gemäss Beschreibung
Softskills Yes Off field Yes BeNeFri Yes Mobility No UniPop No -
Assessments methods
Travail et exposé - Outside session
Assessments methods By rating, By success/failure -
Assignment
Valid for the following curricula: Culture, Politics and Religion in Pluralist Societies 90 [MA]
Version: SA18_MA_PA_bi_v02
Options > Political and Normative (Dis)order > ANTHRO 3 Interdisciplinaire
Culture, Politics and Religion in Pluralist Societies 90 [MA]
Version: SA18_MA_PA_bi_v01
Option > Option (Dés)ordres politiques et normatifs > ANTHRO 3 Interdisciplinaire
Eastern European Studies 120
Version: SA13_BA_bi_v01
CTC > Compétences transversales et complémentairesEtudes Europe de l'Est: science politique
Eastern European Studies 120
Version: SA13_BA_bi_v02
Etudes Europe de l'Est: science politiqueCTC > Compétences transversales et complémentaires
Eastern European Studies 30
Version: SA13_BA_bi_v01
Module à choix > Etudes Europe de l'Est: science politique
Eastern European Studies 30 [MA]
Version: SA13_MA_P2_bi_v01
MA OES Science politique et Anthropologie sociale
Eastern European Studies 60
Version: SA13_BA_bi_v01
Etudes Europe de l'Est: science politique
Eastern European Studies 90 [MA]
Version: SA13_MA_PA_bi_v01
MA OES Science politique et Anthropologie sociale
Education / Psychology 120
Version: SA20_BA_de_v01
BP1.7-D Bereichsübergreifende Kompetenzen
Education / Psychology 120
Version: SA20_BA_bil_v01
BP1.7-B Bereichsübergreifende Kompetenzen / Compétences transversales
Education / Psychology 120
Version: SA14_BA_fr_v02
CTC / BP1.8-F
Educational Sciences 120
Version: SA20_BA_de_v01
BE1.8-D Bereichsübergreifende Kompetenzen
Educational Sciences 120
Version: SA14_BA_fr_v02
CTC / BS1.8-F
Educational Sciences 120
Version: SA20_BA_bil_v01
Variante A > BE1.8a-B Compétences transversalesVariante B > BE1.7b-B Bereichsübergreifende Kompetenzen
English Language and Literature 120
Version: SA15_BA_ang_V02
Module Nine: Soft Skills
Ens. compl. en Lettres
Version: ens_compl_lettres
European Studies 90 [MA]
Version: SA14_MA_PA_bil_v01
Module de Base 4 Sciences politiques de l'Europe centrale et orientale
French 120
Version: SA16_BA_fr_V04
Module 8 - CTC
History 120
Version: SA16_BA_bi_v02
CTC > Soft skills 12
History 120
Version: SA16_BA_bi_v01
CTC > Soft skills 12
Italian 120
Version: SA15_BA_ita_V01
Soft Skills
Italian 120
Version: SA15_BA_ital_V02
Soft Skills
Lettres [Cours]
Version: Lettres_v01
Philosophy 120
Version: SA20_BA_bi_v01
Bereichsüberegreifende und erweiternde Kompetenzen / Softskills > Soft skills 12
Philosophy 120
Version: SA17_BA_bi_v02
Bereichsüberegreifende und erweiternde Kompetenzen / Softskills > Soft skills 12
Philosophy 120
Version: SH05_BA_bi_v01
Soft skills > Soft skills 12
Philosophy 120
Version: SA17_BA_bi_v01
Bereichsüberegreifende und erweiternde Kompetenzen / Softskills > Soft skills 12
Politics and Society 60
Version: SA21_BA_de_v01
BApol02 - Politische System I: GrundlagenBApol01 - Basismodul
Politics und Society 30 [MA]
Version: SA17_MA_SP_NP_de_v01
Staaten und Gesellschaften im Wandel
Psychology 180
Version: SA19_BA_fr_de_bil_v02
Module 11 > M11 Soft skills
Slavic Studies 120
Version: SA15_BA_slav_V01
Module 9: Compétences transversales et complémentairesModule à choix > Module 4: Sociétés et civilisations de L'Europe de l'Est
Slavic Studies 120
Version: SA15_BA_slav_V02
Module 9: Compétences transversales et complémentairesModule à choix > Module 4: Sociétés et civilisations de L'Europe de l'Est
Slavic Studies 60
Version: SA15_BA_slav_V01
Module à choix > Module 3: Sociétés et civilisations de l'Europe de l'Est
Social Anthropology 120
Version: SA17_BA_bi_v02
Perspectives pluridisciplinaires (AS-BA17)Compétences transversales et complémentaires
Social Anthropology 60
Version: SA17_BA-bi_v01
Modules à choix selon le domaine I > Etudiant-e-s en domaine I Science des religions à 120 ECTS > Perspectives pluridisciplinaires (AS-BA17)Modules à choix selon le domaine I > Etudiant-e-s en domaine I Sociologie 120 ECTS > Perspectives pluridisciplinaires (AS-BA17)
Sociology, Social Policy, Social Work 90 [MA]
Version: SA17_MA_VP_de_v01
Options > Politics and Society > Staaten und Gesellschaften im Wandel
Spanish 120
Version: SA16_BA_esp_V02
M7 - Competencias transversales (CTC)