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PIR-20078 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 24 April 2024

PIR-20078 - Russian Politics and Society
Coordinator: Matthew Wyman Room: N/A Tel: +44 1782 7 33756
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The main theme of this module is the most important political experiment of the twentieth century - the attempt to build communism in Russia. We look at:
* the ideological, cultural and political origins of communism
* the nature of the political, economic and social systems created under Lenin and Stalin
* the decline of the Soviet system
* the causes of the collapse of Soviet communism in the Gorbachev period
* communism's legacy and the postcommunist Russian political system
* Putin and Putinism
Indicative reading: Orlando Figes: Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991 (2014); Robert Service: The Penguin History of Modern Russia: from Tsarism to the Twenty-First Century (4th edition 2015).

Aims
This introductory Russian politics module, intended for second year students, addresses the following areas:
- An historical overview, focussing on dominant political values and traditions, and on how political institutions were formed in the Soviet period;
- Governing structures, institutional interactions and the mechanics of power in the Soviet Union and in postcommunist Russia;
- The difficult development of civil society in Russia;
- Russia and democracy: obstacles to democracy in contemporary Russia.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/pir-20078/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe and analyse features of Soviet and post Soviet politics / society using appropriate academic material: 1,2
1,2
Develop the skill of asking good questions: 1,2
Communicate effectively on an unfamiliar topic for a non specialist audience:

Study hours

Seminars: 22 hours;
Seminar preparation 38 hours;
Blog / podcast / vlog preparation 90 hours;

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Commentary weighted 50%
Blog post of 1000 words each or 15 minute podcast or vlog on topic of the student's choice
Students will select an item from a list identified by tutors and produce a written, spoken or video commentary, 1000 words or 15 minutes, aiming to communicate to a non-specialist audience, and informed by the module content and themes.

2: Commentary weighted 50%
Blog/podcast/vlog of 1000 words on module material
Students will select an item from a list identified by tutors and produce a written, spoken or video commentary, 1000 words or 15 minutes, aiming to communicate to a non-specialist audience, and informed by the module content and themes.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 24 April 2024