GLCb2002 Communism: Politics, Culture and Society

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Lubomír Kopeček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies (51,00 %), Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies (49,00 %)
Timetable
Tue 10:00–11:40 U41
Prerequisites
none
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to show the form and development of communist regimes, their ideology, impact on social structure and cultural practices. The focus is on the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, with an emphasis on Czechoslovakia. While sociology provides a theoretical perspective that reveals the ambivalent relationship of communist revolutionary movements to the project of modernity, political science offers an in-depth analysis of the different versions of communist regimes. This course includes field excursions.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:
- identify and summarize important features of the major periods in the history of Communist political movements, parties and political regimes;
- compare and contrast different cultural, political and social aspects of the constitution and fall of communist mode of governance in Central Europe;
- write an essay outlining the relationship of society and the state in its diverse forms, particularly in respect to the political formation and social reproduction of an authoritarian regime.
Syllabus
  • 1. week 20.02.: Opening session – brief intro into the course (Csaba Szaló, Lubomir Kopeček)
  • Lectures with Lubomír Kopeček:
  • 2. week 27.02.: From the Bolshevik Revolution to the Stalinist Soviet Union
  • Reading: Brown, Archie. 2009. The Rise and Fall of Communism. London: The Bodley Head, pp. 9-92, 101-114.
  • 3. week 5.03.: The expansion of the Soviet empire, destalinisation under Khrushchev and the upheavals in the Eastern Bloc
  • Reading: Brown, Archie. 2009. The Rise and Fall of Communism. London: The Bodley Head, pp. 135-147, 161-178, 227-292.
  • 4. week 12.03.: Brezhnev's stagnation, Gorbachev, Perestroika and the Crisis of Empire
  • Reading: Brown, Archie. 2009. The Rise and Fall of Communism. London: The Bodley Head, pp. 398-418, 481-573.
  • 5. week 19.03.: The case of communist Czechoslovakia: the birth, changes and fall
  • Reading: Balík, Stanislav et al. 2017. Czech Politics: From West to East and Back Again. Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich Publishers. pp. 67-98.
  • Seminars (Csaba Szaló):
  • 6. week 26.03.: Communist utopia and the rationalist radicalization of modernity Reading: Carnoy, Martin. 1984. The State and Political Theory. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 9-64.
  • 7. week 02.04: Communism and the romantic critique of modernity Reading: Carnoy, Martin. 1984. The State and Political Theory. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 65-127.
  • 8. week 09.04.: Midterm test (45 minutes)
  • 9. week 16.04.: Faculty Day: Excursion to a housing development project from the 1970's in Brno Reading: Kundera, Milan. 1992. The Joke. Faber and Faber. Chapters 1-2.
  • 10. week 23.04.: Everyday socialism from shortage to consumption Reading: Carnoy, Martin. 1984. The State and Political Theory. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 128-152.
  • 11. week 30.04: Communist revolution between totalitarianism and modernization. From 11.30, an excursion to a Cold War military object in Brno
  • Reading: Carnoy, Martin. 1984. The State and Political Theory. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 153-207.
  • 12. week 07.05: World capitalist crises and the state’s performance Reading: Carnoy, Martin. 1984. The State and Political Theory. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 208-261.
  • 13. week 14.05: Final test
Literature
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussions, excursions
Assessment methods
Assessment
-Active attendance on ten sessions, including one presentation of a response paper (activity bonus: 10 points)
- One written assignment during the seminar (second part of the semester) is a response paper (10 points).
- Midterm written test (20 points)
- Final written test (20 points)

Grading: 0-35: F, 36-40: E, 41-45: D, 46-50: C, 51-55: B, 56-60: A.

Midterm and final test:
In both written tests, students will answer “open” questions focused on the problems presented in the assigned readings and discussed in the lectures and seminars.
Model test questions:
- Outline the context and outcome of the struggle for power after Stalin's death in the Soviet Union, including the name of the new key leader of the Communist Party and the policies he initiated.
- Describe the "normalisation" of Czechoslovakia (when it happened, how the regime functioned, how the opposition operated, etc.).

Written assignment and its presentation
Students write a response paper of about three pages (5400 characters, including spaces) for one of the seminar sessions. Students will be enlisted to particular sessions through the ISMU. Students are expected to present their response papers during the seminar and actively contribute to the debate about the seminar reading.  Deadlines: (a) submitting the draft of the response paper 24 hours before the seminar, (b) submitting the final version one week after the seminar.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
Teacher's information
How to write a response paper

A response paper is not simply about expressing your opinion about the assigned seminar reading. It must elaborate on the text’s central claims and arguments from your perspective. Focus on the themes important to you. (What did you not understand? What went against your assumptions?) Take note of the examples that clarify your views, but also explore the questions that puzzled you. The key to writing a response paper is commenting on the readings. However, instead of summarising the text, you should connect it with another academic text, a book, a movie, or a life experience you can access.

Response paper must not contain parts that can be classified as plagiarised or contain academic fraudulence. Students have to demonstrate that they used all the references enlisted in the paper and show beyond doubt that they wrote the paper by being able to defend it in a discussion.

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to know the Masaryk University study rules and maintain academic honesty by refraining from plagiarism and from cheating during exams. Plagiarism means that one presents other peoples’ ideas as one’s own and does not credit the author. Plagiarism is one of the most serious breaches of ethical standards in the academic environment, for it denies the mission of the university and the meaning of studying. From a legal perspective, plagiarism is the stealing of intellectual property. The official Faculty of Social Studies (FSS) MU disciplinary policy states that academic dishonesty is not tolerated under any circumstances. For students caught plagiarizing or cheating in a course, the minimum penalty is immediate expulsion from the course, a grade of F for the semester, and referral to the Faculty Dean, who may choose to send the case to the FSS Disciplinary Committee. To avoid plagiarism, students are responsible for learning and following the rules about proper citation of sources.

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