Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Russia's Political Culture in Transformation
Course Code
SZF_042
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time; Part-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Deniss Hanovs
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
To provide students with the knowledge of the transformation of political culture in Russia within last 300 years, to foster common debates on elements of political culture, to provide insight into the definition of political culture within the paradigm of cultural studies, which imply that Russian political culture is shaped by various elements of culture, such as arts, literature, religion. During the course students will be offered a chance to combine their knowledge of politics with new theoretical views and methods from cultural studies. The course consists of three parts:
1. General theoretical paradigms of cultural studies and political culture; Cultural turns in political science will be explained and reflected upon together with students
2. The development of Russia`s political culture and history, since the beginning of the 17th century;
3. The framing of political culture – the influence of various sectors of political culture.
Preliminary Knowledge
General knowledge of Russian political culture and society in the scope of a bachelor's program. If there is knowledge of the Russian language, students will be able to read original texts about the 19th century. Russian political philosophy and share with other students in discussions.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students will explain the stages of the development of Russian political culture. Students will describe the most important stages of the transformation of Russian political culture and the dynamics of their development over the last 300 years. Students will distinguish the concepts of cultural theories from the concepts and principles of political culture, as well as compare them.
Skills
1.Students will independently analyze texts on the development of Russian political culture over the past 300 years, critically selecting sources of information, presenting their conclusions and answering questions during seminars. Students will explain the dynamics of Russian political culture transformation in an argumentative and in-depth way and anticipate the development trends of Russian political culture in the perspective.
Competences
1.Students will develop research based on interdisciplinary scientific literature, combining theoretical concepts of cultural and political science and applying them in the study of empirical elements. Students will interpret the assumptions made in theoretical knowledge in the context of Russia's current transformation processes.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
|
Grade
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|---|---|---|
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1.
Individual work |
-
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-
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The knowledge acquired in the course is tested during seminars, discussions on selected texts.
Skills are acquired and evaluated by creating reports on course topics, submitting reports in e-studies.
In the final examination, the student presents his / her report and participates in a discussion with colleagues on the problem issue analyzed in the report.
In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Examination |
-
|
-
|
|
2 presenations: 1 after the expedition through city space " looking for evidences of Russian political culture in local space" with the PPT presentation afterwards; PPT with the analysis of a scientific literature of the choice from e-studies library relevant for the students' study papers or MA.
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2.
Examination |
-
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-
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• Participation in the seminar on the selected course literature (min. 50 pages from the e-learning catalog) makes up 40% of the final course evaluation.
• Execution of independent work tasks in the form of a report – 40% of the final assessment.
• The exam assesses the student's ability to participate in a discussion of the results of the report – 20% of the final assessment of the course.
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The notion of political culture and its place in the theory of culture
Description
Annotation: Before one begins with the analysis of Russian political culture, an introduction to the cultural studies is necessary precondition. Where can we place political culture within the cultural theory.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The notion of transformation in the concept of fluid modernity (Z. Bauman)
Description
Annotation: The political transformation will be analysed within the concept of “fluid modernity” by Zygmunt Bauman.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
How to analyze culture? Findings of cultural turns (interpretive turn)
Description
Annotation: This lecture is dedicated to the variety of cultural approaches in the social sciences, starting from the linguistic turn and continuing with the genealogy of the cultural analysis into the last decades of the 20th century.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Postcolonial turn and performative turn in the analysis of political transformations
Description
Annotation: This lecture continues the development of cultural turns, explaining two major turns - the postcolonial and performative turns. Both turns are important tools to analyse political transformations in Russia.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The Concept of Collective Memories and the Politics of History: From Cultural Theory to Geopolitics?
Description
Annotation: The politics of memory is an important tool to analyse the contemporary Russian political culture and geopolitics. The lecture will focus on the concept of Jan and Aleida Assmann.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
East? The West? The third room? Basic trends and contexts of transformation in Russian history
Description
Annotation: During the lecture various questions concerning political discourses in contemporary Russian will be asked. One of the major issues is the dialogue on the presence of Western political thought in contemporary Russian politics.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Westernization politics of Russian rulers in the early phase of the 18th century. Politics of Peter I in Europe
Description
Annotation: The lecture presents an overview of the Westernization politics of Russian rulers in the early phase of the 18th century.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Enlightenment Discourse in Russia. Diderot's and Voltaire's views on Russian society in the discourse of civilization
Description
Annotation: The French Enlightenment will be analysed in the context of its images of Russian political culture of absolutism.
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
28 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
PART-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The notion of political culture and its place in the theory of culture
Description
Annotation: Before one begins with the analysis of Russian political culture, an introduction to the cultural studies is necessary precondition. Where can we place political culture within the cultural theory.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The notion of transformation in the concept of fluid modernity (Z. Bauman)
Description
Annotation: The political transformation will be analysed within the concept of “fluid modernity” by Zygmunt Bauman.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
How to analyze culture? Findings of cultural turns (interpretive turn)
Description
Annotation: This lecture is dedicated to the variety of cultural approaches in the social sciences, starting from the linguistic turn and continuing with the genealogy of the cultural analysis into the last decades of the 20th century.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Postcolonial turn and performative turn in the analysis of political transformations
Description
Annotation: This lecture continues the development of cultural turns, explaining two major turns - the postcolonial and performative turns. Both turns are important tools to analyse political transformations in Russia.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The Concept of Collective Memories and the Politics of History: From Cultural Theory to Geopolitics?
Description
Annotation: The politics of memory is an important tool to analyse the contemporary Russian political culture and geopolitics. The lecture will focus on the concept of Jan and Aleida Assmann.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
East? The West? The third room? Basic trends and contexts of transformation in Russian history
Description
Annotation: During the lecture various questions concerning political discourses in contemporary Russian will be asked. One of the major issues is the dialogue on the presence of Western political thought in contemporary Russian politics.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Westernization politics of Russian rulers in the early phase of the 18th century. Politics of Peter I in Europe
Description
Annotation: The lecture presents an overview of the Westernization politics of Russian rulers in the early phase of the 18th century.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Enlightenment Discourse in Russia. Diderot's and Voltaire's views on Russian society in the discourse of civilization
Description
Annotation: The French Enlightenment will be analysed in the context of its images of Russian political culture of absolutism.
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
28 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2.
Susanne A. Wengle (2022). (Editor). Russian Politics Today New Edition. Cambridge University press.
3.
Neil Robinson. (2017). Russian Neo-patrimonialism and Putin’s ‘Cultural Turn’ In: EUROPE-ASIA STUDIES. Vol. 69, No. 2, March, pp. 348–366
4.
Hanovs D., Gubenko I. (eds.). (2018). Memory – access denied? Political landscapes of memory and inclusion in contemporary Europe. Versions, tendencies and analytical novelties. Riga: Zinatne, 2018. – pp. 95-115
5.
Kelly O` Neill. (2017). Claiming Crimea: A History of Catherine the Great`s Southern Empire. Yale University Press: London.
6.
Gubenko I., Hanovs D., Malahovskis V. (eds.). (2016). The New Heroes. The Old Victims. Politics of memory in Russia and the Baltics. Riga: Zinatne.
7.
Candida Yates. (2015). The Play of Political Culture, Emotion and Identity. Palgrave Macmillan: London.
8.
Stephen Welch. (2013). The Theory of Political Culture. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
9.
Stephanie Lawson. (2011). Cosmopolitan Pluralism: Beyond the Cultural Turn. In: Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Journal, Vol.3, No.3. pp. 27-46.
10.
Jarmo Kotilaine and Marshall Poe (eds.) (2004.) Modernizing Muscovy. Reform and social change in seventeenth-century Russia. RoutledgeCurzon: London.
11.
Paul Bushkovitsch. (2004). Peter the Great. The Struggle for Power, 1671-1725. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
12.
Alexei Miller. (2008). The Romanov Empire and Nationalism. Essays in the methodology of historical research. CEU Press: New York.
13.
Robert A. Segal. (2012). Clifford Geertz’s Interpretive Approach to Religion. In: Religion Compass 6/12, pp. 511–524.
14.
Ben White. (2007). Clifford Geertz: Singular Genius of Interpretive Anthropology. In: Development and Change 38(6), pp. 1187–1208
15.
Robert van Voren. (2009). On Dissidents and Madness. From The Soviet Union of Leonid Brezhnev to the “Soviet Union” of Vladimir Putin. Rodopi: New York.
16.
Anandam Kavoori and Kalyani Chadha. (2009). The Cultural Turn in International Communication. In:Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media/June, pp. 336-346.
Additional Reading
1.
Deniss Hanovs (2023). Baltic Nations in Soviet Dissident Literature: The Compromise by Sergei Dovlatov. Letonica, 51, pp. 97-119.
2.
Michael Haynes and Rumy Husan. (2003). A Century of State Murder? Death and Policy in Twentieth-Century Russia. Pluto Press: London.
3.
Sheila Fitzpatrick. (2000). Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
4.
Robert Horvath. (2005). The Legacy of Soviet Dissent. Dissidents, democratisation and radical nationalism in Russia. Routledge: London.
5.
Dvora Yanow and Peregrine Schwartz-Shea (eds.) (2013). Interpretation and Method Empirical Research Methods and the Interpretive Turn. M.E.Sharpe: Armonk, New York
6.
Alexander Polunov. (2005). Russia in the Nineteenth century: Autocracy, Reform, and Social Change, 1814-1914. M.E.Sharpe: Armonk, New York
7.
David R. Marples. (2014). Motherland Russia in the 20th Century. Pearson Education Limited: London.
8.
Victoria E. Bonnell, Lynn Hunt. (eds.) (1999). Beyond the Cultural Turn. New Directions in the Study of Society and Culture.University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles.
9.
Patrick Brantlinger. (2002). A Response to Beyond the Cultural Turn. In: American Historical Review, pp. 1500-1511.
10.
Richard Handler. (2002). Cultural Theory in History Today. In: American Historical Review December, pp. 1512-1520.
11.
Zygmunt Bauman. Liquid modernity. (2000). Polity: London.
Other Information Sources
1.
International Journal of Cultural studies
2.
The International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society