SOC 332 Communism and Its Aftermath (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)

Caught as we are in the fault lines separating the First World from the Third, it is easy to lose sight of the fate of the Second. This course will explore the final decades of the Soviet period as well as the impact that the collapse of state socialism has had on the inhabitants of the former Soviet bloc and on the political imagination of the world at large. The class will draw on a variety of research perspectives and media in order to grasp the peculiarities of late Soviet-style socialism and of the challenges and dilemmas that accompany the post-socialist project of simultaneously transforming the economic, political and cultural realms of society. Topics include: socialist utopia in theory and practice, competing explanations for the regime's collapse, formation of new elites and class cultures, gender and property in transition, civil society and everyday political talk, historical politics and collective identities in the changing times.
Format: seminar. Requirements: class presentation, several short papers and a final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 15). Open to non-majors.

SHEVCHENKO