HERZEN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA

SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

SUMMER COURSE IN RUSSIAN STUDIES IN SAINT PETERSBURG

History 475/Political Science 481:

The Post-Soviet World: Origins and Development

 

 24 Days; June 2-June 28, 2002; 48 contact hours

 The course will examine the origins, rise and fall of Russian Communism. It will look into how and why it had a phenomenal expansion in its first fifty years, and ultimately failed in its last twenty years. The course will also investigate post-Soviet history of those nations that constituted the Soviet Union, with a concentration on Russia. Finally the course will assess the challenges of post-communism, as well as the problems and prospects of building liberal democratic governments and market-based economies in the post-Soviet world.
 The lecturers for the course will be faculty members of the Herzen State Pedagogical University. The field trips will be organized by the Center of International Education of the Herzen State Pedagogical University.
 The instructor of record and the liaison faculty for the course will be Nicholas Pappas, Associate Professor of History at Sam Houston State University. In preparation for this out-of country course, Professor Pappas will offer a condensed version of History 365, Russian History to 1917, during the May Mini Session. He will oversee the lectures, coursework, and field trips to make sure that they adhere to the same objectives, requirements, and instruction as would be offered at Sam Houston State University. When needed he will organize and lead discussions on the lectures and field trips offered by the Herzen State Pedagogical University.
 This course will offer students of Sam Houston State University the unique opportunity of studying the history and present-day conditions of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States in Russia. Their coursework will include lectures by native experts and guided field trips to historical sites in and around Russia's "window to the west", St. Petersburg.

 The course consists of four sections with different instructors:
 Section 1. Origins and Development of Communism in Russia. Lecturer - Professor Valery G. Zarubin
 Section 2 The second world: common characteristics and different variations. Lecturer -Professor Galina I.Gribanova
 Section 3. The challenge of postcommunism : democratization in comparative perspective. Lecturer - Professor Leonid V. Smorgunov
 Section 4. Political and Economic Change in Russia. Lecturer - Associate Professor Sergej B. Bystriantsev
 Introduction and summary - Professor Galina I.Gribanova

 Course goals include:
  - to develop a distinctive historical and analytical approach to study of the processes taking place of emerging democracies of NIS.
  - to provide the understanding of threats and hopes that Russia and other NIS faces in their search for national ideals, strong state and efficient economy.

 

 Course Requirements:
 1. Class attendance - up to 10 points
 2. Active and thoughtful participation in seminar discussions - up to 20 points
 3. An essay - up to 30 points
 4. Midsession and final examinations. - up to 40 points

 

 Course Grading:
 95 - 100 points = A 90 - 94 points A
 87 - 89 points B+ 80-86 points 13
 77 - 79 points C+ 73 - 76 points C 70 - 72 points C-
 69 and less points = F
 69 and less points = F

 

SYLLABUS

 Section 1. Origins and Development of Communism in Russia. Lecturer - Professor Valery G. Zarubin

 

  • 1. The Origins of Russian Communism. -June 4
    • Femia J.V. (1999) "Marxism and Communism" in Contemporary Political Ideologies Eatwell Roger and Wright Anthony 2nd edition L. -N.Y.: Pinter, 1999. pp. 104-113
    • Encyclopedia of Marxism. Glossary. People. Basic concepts of Marxism.
  • 2. Revolutionary Movements and Russian Communism - June 6
    • McNeal R. H. (ed.)Resolutions and Decisions of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, , vol. 1: The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, 1898-October 1912 (ed. R.C. Elwood.) Toronto, 1974, pp. 42-45, 72-73.
  • 3. Revolution and Russian Communism - June 10
    • Hague Rod, Harrop Martin, Breslin Shaun (1997) Comparative Govemment and Politics. London: Macmillan, pp.75, 78-79.
    • Lenin Vladimir (1917). The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution. Online Version: marx.org 1997, marxists.org 1999
    • Encyclopedia of Marxism. Glossary. Basic concepts of Marxism.
  • 4 - 5.State and Russian Communism- June 12
    • Femia J.V. (1999) "Marxism and Communism" in Contemporary Political Ideologies Eatwell Roger and Wright Anthony 2 nd edition L. -N.Y.: Pinter, 1999. pp. 116-122
    • Encyclopedia of Marxism. Glossary. People. Basic concepts of Marxism.
    • Leon Trotsky (1930) Permanent Revolution. Ch.10. "What is the permanent revolution? Basic postulates". Transcribed and HTML markup for the Trotsky Internet Archive, a subarchive of the Marxist writers' Internet Archive, by Sally Ryan in 1996.
  • 6.Contemporary Russian Left and Communism.- June 14
    • Volk Evguenii "Who are you, Comrade Zyuganov?" The Heritage Foundation Moscow Office June 6, 1996
    • Yanov Alexander (1996) "The puzzles of patriotic communism: Gennadi Zyuganov, the Russian Milosevic?" Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy. Publication Series, Number 12

 Section 2 The second world: common characteristics and different variations. Lecturer - Professor Galina I. Gribanova

 

  • 1.The-second world: basic features. - June 4
    • Hague Rod, Harrop Martin, Breslin Shaun (1997) Comparative Government and Politics. London, Macmillan, pp.54-57, 142-143, 162-165, 184-186, 227-229, 242-246, 302-303, 330-335, 358-360, 371-373
  • 2.The failure of communism - June 12
    • Yanov Alexander (1996) "The puzzles of patriotic communism: Gennadi Zyuganov, the Russian
    • Milosevic?" Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy, Publication Sefies, Number 12
    • Mandel William S. (1993) Ethnic issues in the USSR collapse and the CIS future. Slavic Research Center.
    • Hague Rod., Harrop Martin., Breslin Shaun (1997). Comparative Government and Polities. London: Macmillan. pp.82-90, 143-145, 165-167,186-190, 246-249, 303-305, 335-336, 360-361, 374-'376
  • Putin Vladimir (1999). Russia at the Turn of the Millennium.. Moscow: pp.3-4
  • 3.Did communism really die? The case of Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova -June 14.
    • Mordechai Altshuler(1998). Some Soviet and Post-Soviet National and Linguistic Problems in the Slavic Republics (States): Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. Slavic Research Center.
    • Tarasyuk Borys. Ukraine~ Place in the European and Global Securi(y Systems.Speech at the Statesmen's Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies July 6, 1998
    • Cohen Ariel (200 1). Crisis in Ukraine Threatens Democracy and Undermines Regional Security. Heritage Foundation.
    • Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. "A proxy state". RFEIRL Newsline, March 18, 1999
    • The Political Situation in Belarus after the Parliamentary Elections on October 15 and 29, 2000 The Role of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus. Report. Summary
  • 4. Did communism really die? The case of Transcaucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia. June 14.
    • Khachatrian. Haroutiun "Armenians worry about special relationship with Russia" in Eurasia Insight February 15, 2001.
    • Khachatrian Haroutiun "Study shows over half Armenia's population in need of government assistance" in Eurasia Insight March 12, 200 1.
    • Hadiv-Zadeh Hikmet (200 1). Russia in the Transcaucasus, or Democracy in a State ofEmergancy Heritage Foundation.
    • Lieven Anatol. "Georgia: A Failing State?" in Eurasia Insight January 30, 2001.
  • 5. Did communism really die? The case of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgizstan and Turkmenistan. - June 18
    • Brill Olcott Martha. "The Central Asian region has been a disappointing one from the point of view of democracy-building". Testimony before the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on democracy in the Central Asian Republics. April 12, 2000
    • Rashid Ahmed "Central Asia Summary: Recent Developments In Uzbekistan, Tajikistan" in Eurasia InsightJanuary 17, 2001.
    • Rashid Ahmed "Central Asia Summary: Recent Developments In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan" in Eurasia Insight January 18, 200 1.
  • 6. Russia and Former Soviet Republics: Lessons for the Future. - June 18
    • Starr Frederick "Lands of the Former USSR: Seven Years On". Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst", February, 1999
    • Ray S. Cline (1992) Assessing the Post-Soviet World Order. Interview in the Center for American Eurasian Studies and Relations.
    • Dimitri Kemoklidze "Has the commonwealth of independent states collapsed?" Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst'. January, 200 1.
    • Anatol Lieven "G.UUAM: What Is It, and What Is It For?" in Eurasia jnsight December 18, 2000.

 

 

 Section 3. The challenge of postcommunism : democratization in comparative perspective. Lecturer - Professor Leonid V. Smorgunov

 

  • 1.The Third Way of Democratization: the Quest for Liberalism. June 5.
    • Doorenspleet Renske. "Reassessing the three waves of democratization". in World Politics 52 (April 2000), pp.384-406.
    • Shestopal Helen "Observations on the Transformation of the Political Science Community in PostSoviet Russia." in PS: Political Science and Politics. December 1999 Vol.XXXII N. 4, pp. 713-720.
  • 2.The-Problems of Consolidation of Democracy. June 6
    • Balahur Doina. (I 999)"Trends and orientations in the political culture of the period of transition: communitarian and liberal values" in Communitarianisin, Liberalism and the Quest for Democracy in Post-Communist Societies, Koryushkin Alexander and Meyer Gerd (eds). St.Petersburg: SPBU Presspp. 241-254.
    • Larry Diamond (1997) "Introduction: in search of consolidation" in Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies Diamond Larry, Plattner Marc, Yun-han Chu, and Hung-mao Nien (eds.) Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. - p.xiii-x1vii.
    • O'Donell Guillermo(1997). "Illusions about consolidation". in Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies Diamond Larry, Plattner Marc, Yun-han Chu, and Hung-mao Nien (eds.) Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p.40-57
  • 3.Could Russia Be Developed Without the West? June 13.
    • Lantzov, Sergej (1-997) "Political modernization in Russian and Eastern Europe: the common principles and historical peculiarities" in Political Culture andPolitical Change in Post-Communist Societies,~ Goutorov Vladimir, Koryushkin Alexander and Meyer Gerd (eds.). St.Petersburg: SPBU Press-- pp. 15522.
  • 4.Putin and the Turn in Russia's Policy. June 13
    • Meyer Gerd. (1999) "Values, small life worlds and communitarian orientations: ambivalent legacies and democratic potentials in post-communist political cultures". in Communitarianism, Liberalism and the Quest for Democracy in Post-Communist Sociede, Koryushkin Alexander and Meyer Gerd (eds). St.Petersburg: SPBU Press. pp. 114-139.
    • Toka Gabor (1997). "Political Parties in East Central Europe" in Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies Diamond Larry, Plattner Marc, Yun-han Chu, and Hung-mao Nien (eds.) Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp.93-134.
  • 5.New Problems for Russian Development. June 17-18
    • Smorgunov Leonid.(1999) "Rational choice, communitarianism, collectivist values and problems of the effective state" in Communitarianism, Liberalism and the Quest for Democracy in Post-Communist Societies, Koryushkin Alexander and Meyer Gerd (eds). St.Petersburg: SPBU Press. pp,78100.
    • Smorgunov Leonid (1997). "Political legitimacy and the construction of a new federal state in Russia". in Political Culture and Political Change in Post-Communist Societies, Goutorov Vladimir, Koryushkin Alexander and Meyer Gerd (eds.). St.Petersburg: SPBU Press. - pp. 13 7-15 1.
    • Krupavicius Algis (1998). "The Post-Communist Transition and Institualization of Lithuania's Parties" in Political Studies (1998), XLVI, pp~ 465-49 1.

 

 Section 4. Political and Economic Change in Russia. Lecturer -Associate Professor Sergej B. Bystriantsev

 

  • 1. Major events of Eltsin's decade. June 5
    • Fikentsher W. (1993) "From a centrally planned government system to a rule-of-law democracy" in Law and Democracy in the New Russia Smith Bruce, Danilenko Gennady (eds). Washington D.C.: Brooklyn Institute, pp.24-42.
    • Mcbaut M. (1994) Understanding Russia ~ 1993 Parliamentary Elections, Stanford University
    • Zaslavsky V. (1995) "From redistribution to marketization: social and attitudinal change in Posi-Soviel Russia" in The New Russia. Troubled Transformation, Lapidus Gail (ed.). San Francisco - Oxford: Westview Press.
  • 2. Key Political Economic Problems of Transition Period in Russia: Privatization and its Consequences, Jun e 7
    • Dewlin J, (1995) The Rise of the Russian Democrats. Hunts England: Edvard Elgar Publ. Ltd.
    • Aslund A. (1994) "The role of the state in the transition to capitalism" in Legacies of the Collapse of Marxism, Moore J.H. (ed). Virginia Fairfax: George Mason Univ. Press, pp. 181-197
  • 3. Political Power and Market Formation in Russia.- June 10.
    • Blau P.M. (1974) Exchange and Power in Social Life. N.Y.-L.-Sidney: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 224252.
    • Turner J.H. (1984) Societal Stratification, N.Y.: Columbia Univ. Press, pp. 100 - 123
  • 4. Middle Class in Russia. -June 13
    • Dewlin J. (1995) The Rise of the Russian Democrats. Hunts England: Edvard Elgar Publ. Ltd.
    • Fukuyama F. (1992) "Varieties of Russian Nationalism" in Law and Democtacy in the New Russia Smith Bruce, Danilenko Gennady (eds). Washington D.C.: Brooklyn Institute, pp.35-79.
  • 5.Phenomenon of Broad Support for Putin. June 17
    • Cohen Ariel (2000). The Rise of Putin: what it means for the future of Russia. Heritage Foundation.
    • Putin Vladimir (1999). Russia at the Turn of the Millennium. Moscow: pp.3-4