Information Package
baskent.edu.tr

Program of Political Science and International Relations (English)

POLI457

SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN EURASIA

Course Code
POLI457
Semester
-
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
5
Course TypeElective Course
Course LevelBachelor's Degree
Year of Study-
Semester-
ECTS5
Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. acquaint with the relationship between identity, ethnicity, migration and culture.
  2. explain the social, political, cultural and economic features of the Soviet Union.
  3. understand the common features of present day Eurasian societies..
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme ComponentsNo recommended optional programme components.
Course DescriptionThis course aims to provide students with an understanding of the significance of the Eurasian region and outline the general framework of the history and policies that shape the societal structures of the countries in this geography. Within the broad concept of Eurasia, the course will specifically examine the political, social, economic, and ethnic structures of major regional powers such as Russia and China, post-Soviet countries such as Ukraine and Belarus, and Turkic states such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that gained independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the context of the geopolitics of this region, the course will also evaluate regional organizational efforts and the perspectives and policies of multilateral relations within Eurasia. By the end of the course, students are expected to develop the ability to analyse events occurring in this region effectively.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction to the Course
2nd Week Perspectives on Researching Eurasia
3rd Week Mapping "Eurasia"
4th Week The Soviet Legacy
5th Week Soviet Dissolution-Nation Building
6th Week State Building- Regime Structure
7th Week Mid-Term Exam
8th Week Russia-Regime Consolidation and Neo-Imperial Narratives
9th Week Ukraine & Belarus - Power Struggles and Geopolitical Contestation
10th Week South Caucasus- Conflict, Fragmentation and Competitive Statehood
11th Week Central Asia I-State-Building and Political Transformation
12th Week Central Asia II-Informal Power, Religion and Social Structures
13th Week Global Power Dynamics I-USA, China and Russia
14th Week Global Power Dynamics II-Europe and Türkiye
Recommended or Required ReadingMielke, K., & Hornidge, A.-K. (2017). Introduction: Knowledge Production, Area Studies and the Mobility Turn. K. Mielke & A.-K. Hornidge (Ed.), In Area Studies at the Crossroads: Knowledge Production after the Mobility Turn (pp.3-26). Palgrave Macmillan.
Bonnell, Victoria E. and George Breslauer. (2003). Soviet and Post-Soviet Area Studies. In The Politics of Knowledge: Area Studies and the Disciplines, edited by D. L. Szanton. Berkeley: University of California Press/University of California International and Area Studies Digital Collection.
Adams, L. L. (2008). Can We Apply Postcolonial Theory to Central Eurasia? Central Eurasian Studies Review, 7(1), 2?7
Goode, J. P. (2016). Eyes Wide Shut: Democratic Reversals, Scientific Closure, and the Study of Politics in Eurasia. Social Science Quarterly, 97(4), 876?891.
Mackinder, H. J. (1904). The Geographical Pivot of History. The Geographical Journal, 23(4), 421?437.
Parker, W. H. (1960). Europe: How Far? The Geographical Journal, 126(3), 278?297.
Khan, S. (2018). Geo-Politics of Eurasia. Central Eurasian Journal, (Jan?Jun), 62-70.
Slezkine, Y. (1994). The USSR as a Communal Apartment, or How a Socialist State Promoted Ethnic Particularism. Slavic Review, 53(2), 414?452.
Beissinger, M. R. (2002). The Tide of Nationalism and the Mobilizational Cycle. In Nationalist Mobilization and the Collapse of the Soviet State (pp. 47?102). Cambridge University Press.
McFaul, M. (2004). The Fourth Wave of Democracy and Dictatorship: Noncooperative Transitions in the Postcommunist World. World Politics, 54(2), 212?244.
von Soest, C., & Grauvogel, J. (2016). Comparing Legitimation Strategies in Post-Soviet Countries. In M. Brusis, J. Ahrens, & M. Schulze Wessel (Eds.), Politics and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Eurasia (pp. 18?46). Palgrave Macmillan.
Hale, H. E. (2005). Regime Cycles: Democracy, Autocracy, and Revolution in Post-Soviet Eurasia. World Politics, 58(1), 133?165.
Hale, H. E. (2011). Formal Constitutions in Informal Politics: Institutions and Democratization in Post-Soviet Eurasia. World Politics, 63(4), 581?617.
Levitsky, S., & Way, L. (2020). The New Competitive Authoritarianism. Journal of Democracy, 31(1), 51?65.
Shleifer, A., & Treisman, D. (2005). A Normal Country: Russia after Communism. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 19(1), 151?174.
Fish, M. S. (2017). What is Putinism? Journal of Democracy, 28(4), 61?75.
Way, L. A. (2005). Authoritarian state building and the sources of regime competitiveness in the fourth wave: The cases of Belarus, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. World Politics, 57(2), 231?261.
Ioffe, G. (2003). Understanding Belarus: Belarusian identity. Europe-Asia Studies, 55(8), 1241?1272.
Götz, E., & Staun, J. (2022). Why Russia attacked Ukraine: Strategic culture and radicalized narratives. Contemporary Security Policy, 43(3), 482?497. https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2022.2082633
Broers, L. (2018). The South Caucasus: Fracture without end? In A. Ohanyan (Ed.), Russia Abroad: Driving Regional fracture in Post-Communist Eurasia and Beyond (pp. 81?103). Georgetown University Press
Companjen, F. (2011). Recent political history of the South Caucasus in the context of transition. In F. Companjen, L. Maracz, & L. Versteegh (Eds.), Exploring the Caucasus in the 21st century: Essays on culture, history and politics in a dynamic context (pp. 111?136). Amsterdam University Press
Akçalı, P. (2003). Nation-State Building in Central Asia: A Lost Case? Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, 2(3-4), 409?429.
Cummings, S. N. (2012). Authoritarian alternatives. In Understanding Central Asia: Politics and contested transformations (pp. 57?95). London: Routledge.



Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
  • Presentation
  • Project
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Mid-term 1 30
Attendance 1 15
Presentation of Article 1 15
Total(%) 60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 40
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work 14 2 28
Preparation for Final exam 1 20 20
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 1 1
Homework 1 15 15
Presentation (including preperation) 2 15 30
Project 1 20 20
Total Work Load156
Total Work Load / 30 (h)5.2
ECTS Credit of the Course5
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

LO1 LO2 LO3
K1 X
K2
K3 X
K4
K5 X
K6
K7 X X X
K8 X
K9
K10 X
K11 X X X
K12 X
K13