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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PL 355"
COURSE NAME: "Eastern European Politics and Societies"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring Semester 2012
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Argentieri Federigo
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 11:30-12:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: PL 223
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The primary objective of this course is to offer a multidisciplinary overview of Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on contemporary political issues. Geographic, religious, historical, cultural factors have contributed to shaping this region much more than others, and are still so strongly present in the current public debate, that no understanding of current events is possible without the appropriate and articulate background knowledge that the course endeavors to offer.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The geographic dimension: does Eastern Europe have natural boundaries? Are they the only criterion of identification?
The religious heritage and the main differences between Western and Eastern Christianism
The linguistic dimension and its cultural implications
Disappearance of medieval nation-states and surge of multiethnic Empires
20th century tragedies, between Hitler and Stalin
Patterns of communist collapse
21st century: the weight of the past and perspectives for the future
Current East European states and their main features and policies
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students are expected to become capable of identifying the main issues, debates, problems pertaining to the East European region; to describe leading politicians past and present; to assess each country's characteristics in each field of public life; to understand and explain the most important challenges facing them, today and in the near (predictable) future.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Central & Eastern European Politics - From Communism to Democracy, 2nd edition | Sharon L. Wolchik-Jane L. Curry | Rowman & Littlefield | 978-0-742-56734-4 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| midterm | an in-class quiz | 20% |
| term paper | a 10-page book review and/or a research paper, to be discussed on a personal basis | 30% |
| final exam | Questions on the textbook | 35% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
Attendance 5%
Contribution to class discussion 10%
Quiz 20%
Term paper 30%
Final exam 35%
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Regular attendance in this class is mandatory, and absences can only be excused for documented reasons related to health, family or other major emergencies. Students are also expected to participate actively in the Monday evening Films from/on the Other World series and to contribute actively to class discussions
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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| Session | Session Focus | Reading Assignment | Other Assignment | Meeting Place/Exam Dates |
| Jan. 16-18 | Intro to the course | | | |
| Jan. 23-25 | Stalin - Screening of a movie by Ivan Passer | Wolchik-Curry part one | Required attendance of evening event, "Homage to Havel", Aula Magna, Guarini campus, 5:30-8:30 pm | |
| Jan. 30-Feb. 1 | Stalin, Gorbachev and those in between | As above | Recommended attendance of event "Explorers of Excellence", Aula Magna, 7:00 pm | |
| Feb. 6-8 | Patterns of the political transition | Bunce | | |
| Feb. 13-15 | Patterns of the economic transition | Fisher | "Films from/on the Other World" series begins, Monday at 8:15 pm in G.K.G.1: DARK BLUE WORLD, by Jan Sverak, Czech Republic, 2001 | |
| Feb. 20-22 | Ethno-national issues | Csergö | GUARINI INSTITUTE EVENT, Monday Feb. 20 at 5:30 pm, Aula Magna Regina, on The New Hungarian Constitution, featuring chair of drafting committee Jozsef Szajer | |
| Feb. 27-29 | Women's status | Rueschmeyer | | |
| March 5-7-9 | Accession to NATO and the EU | Linden-Simon-Spero | | |
| March 12-14 | Review and midterm exam | all the above | Film: "Burnt by the Sun", by Nikita Mikhalkov, Russia 1994 | March 14 midterm quiz |
| March 26-28 | Poland | Curry | | |
| April 2-4 | Hungary | Argentieri | | |
| April 11-16 | Czecho-Slovakia | Wolchik | | |
| April 18-23 | Ukraine | Kuzio | | |
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