POL S 445 A: Politics And Society In Eastern Europe

The course will contribute to a better understanding of the political, social and cultural transformations characterizing Central and Eastern Europe since 1945. The focus will be placed on civil society developments in the region. The course unfolds in four parts: First, we will ask ourselves what civil society is and how the Soviet/Socialist legacy has affected the development of the sector. Second, we will turn our attention to concrete forms of dissent and sub-cultural movements in the Eastern Bloc that paved the way for post-communist political transition. Third, we will critically examine the state of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe on the ground and the ambivalent legacy of the EU Accession. Fourth, we will look at civil society dynamics in the post-Soviet space more in general, with an emphasis on the Color Revolutions, the Maidan Revolution and civil society responses to the current conflict in Ukraine.