RUSSIA AND THE POST-SOVIETSTATES
San FranciscoStateUniversity, Fall 11IR/ PLSI 328
HSS 246
MW 12:20-14:00
Office hours: M 14:30-16:30 / By apnt. / Andrei P. Tsygankov
Email:
Office: HSS 354
Office phone: 87493
Description:
What kind of states have emerged after the Soviet breakup in 1991? Are they politically and economically competitive, like most in the Western world? May they be classified as strong and independent? Or should they be viewed as weak and unable to provide their citizens with basic conditions for security, prosperity, and freedom? The course focuses on political order in the post-Soviet region. It explores reasons for weakness of nation-states in the region and differences among them in terms of their perspectives on cultural identity, political economy, security and human rights. Russia and some other former Soviet states are working to develop vision and institutions that differ from those of the Western nations, whereas other states are trying to formally "join" the West. Among reasons for low viability of the post-Soviet states and policy choices of their elites are old communist legacies, nationalist ideologies, complex international settings, as well as the newly independent states’ structural dependence on Russia, the old metropole of the Soviet empire.
In the process of our exploration, we will attempt to develop a critical understanding of these issues by studying them comparatively and by addressing several alternative perspectives. To further improve our critical skills, we will develop standards of research-based papers and presentations.
Requirements:
Attendance and participation – 15 points
Exam I (closed notes) – 30 points
Exam II (open notes) – 20 points
Research paper (10-15 pages) – 20 points
In-class presentation (7 minutes) – 15 points
In addition, I assign news articles for in-class discussions (sent by email).
The format of paper and presentation will be discussed separately.
Readings:
Tsygankov, Russia’s Foreign Policy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010)
Ioffe, Russia and the Near Abroad, 12th ed. (2011)
Articles on electronic reserve (e-r), by email, and through SFSU electronic library (the link:
Calendar (tentative):
Week 1 Aug 24Week 2 Aug 29, 31
Week 3 Sep 7
Week 4 Sep 12, 14
Week 5 Sep 19, 21
Week 6 Sep 26, 28
Sep 28 Assignment due
Week 7 Oct 3, 5
Week 8 Oct 10, 12
Week 9 Oct 17, 19
Week 10 Oct 24, 26 /
Week 11 Oct 31,Nov 2
Nov 2MidtermWeek 12 Nov 7, 9
Nov 9 Presentations begin
Week 13. Nov 14, 16
Week 14 Nov 21, 23 RECESS
Week 15 Nov 28, 30
Week 16 Dec 5, 7
Week 17Dec 12
Dec 12 Paper due
Dec 29 Final Exam
The course schedule (all dates and readings are subject to change):
I. THEORY & HISTORY
Week 1 (Aug 24) Competing Perspectives on Eurasian States
Friedman, The Geopolitics of Russia.Stratfor.com, October 15, 2008 (*)
Tsygankov, Preventing Eurasia’s Collapse, RFE/RL, 2009 (*)
Week 2 (Aug 29,31) The Soviet Empire
Lapidus, Ethnonationalism and Political Stability,WP, 1984 (*)
Gleason, The Political Economy of Dependency under Socialism,Studies in Comparative Communism, 1991 (*)
Aug 31 Assignment Discussion: Criteria, Structure, Sources, Samples
Week 3 (Sep 7) The Soviet Breakup
Tsygankov, chap. 2
Darden & Grzymala-Busse, Literacy, Nationalism, and the Communist Collapse,W P2006 (*)
Reader: article 12 (Gorbachev)
Sep 5 Labor Day Observed / No Class
II. INTERESTS OF RUSSIA & OTHER POWERS
Week 4 (Sep 12, 14) Russia from Yelstin to Putin
Tsygankov, chap. 3-4
Video: “Return of the Tsar”
Week 5 (Sep 19, 21) Russia: Recent Developments
Tsygankov, chap. 5-7
Reader: article 9 (Putin’s Munich speech)
Week 6(Sep 26, 28) Other Great Powers
Suny, The pawn of great powers,JES, 2010
Reader: article 15 (Cooley)
Sep 28 Assignment due
III. IDENTITY & NATIONALISM
Week 7(Oct 3, 5) Russia
Zevelev, Nation or Civilization,RGA, 2009
Wedgwood, The Teaching of History in Russia, EAS, 2010
Oct 5 Presentations format discussion
Week 8 (Oct 10, 12)Non-Russian States
Kuzio, History, Memory, and Nation Building,NP, 2002
Korostelina, War of Textbooks,CPCS 2010
Reader: Ukraine (country-report)
Video: “Lifting the Yoke”
IV. ENERGY & POLITICAL ECONOMY
Week 9 (Oct 17, 19)Russia
Putin’s Academic Writings and Policy,PPC,2006
Rutland, Russia as an Energy Superpower,NPE, 2008
Week 10 (Oct 24, 26)Non-Russian States
Goldman, Moscow’s New Economic Imperialism,CH,2008
Lewis, Resources and Rivalry in the ’Stans. WPJ, 2008
Reader: Turkmenistan (country-report)
Week 11 (Oct 31, Nov 2)Review and MIDTERM
V. DEMOCRACY & HUMAN RIGHTS
Week 12 (Nov 7, 9) Russia
Wilson, Russia and the Colored Revolutions,PPC, 2010
Reader: article 13 (Zakaria)
Video: “Music without Borders”
Nov 7Presentations begin
Week 13 (Nov 14, 16) Non-Russian States
Reader: article 23 (Wilson)
Week 14(Nov 21, 23) RECESS
VI. SECURITY & STABILITY
Week 15 (Nov 28, 30)Russia
Welt, The Thawing of a Frozen Conflict, EAS, 2010
Reader: Georgia (country-report)
Week 16 (Dec 5, 7) Non-Russian States
Kolstoe, Living with Non-recognition,EAS, 2008
Cooley and Mitchell, Living Without Recognition, TWQ, 2010
Week 17 (Dec 12)Summary
Tsygankov, chap. 8
Reader: article 5 (Cohen)
Final Exam (December 19, Monday, 10:45-1:15)
Journal Abbreviations
CHCurrent History
CPCSCommunist and Post-Communist Studies
EASEurope-Asia Studies
JESJ. of Eurasian Studies
NPNationalities Papers
NPENew Political Economy
PPCProblems of Post-Communism
RGARussia in Global Affairs
TWQThe Washington Quarterly
W PWorld Politics
WPJWorld Policy Journal
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