FSS:SOCb2505 Sociology of Nationalism - Course Information

SOCb2505 Sociology of Communism

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. et Mgr. Gábor Oláh, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. et Mgr. Gábor Oláh, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies

Timetable

Wed 16:00–17:40 P24b

Prerequisites (in Czech)

TYP_STUDIA(B)

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 30/30, only registered: 3/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Abstract

This course focuses primarily on the sociological interpretation of communism and on everyday life under socialism. The course will be a mix of:

1. theoretical approaches and critical interpretation of communism as ideology, movement and social reality.

2. practical case studies highlighting particular topics such as work, travel, living, and games.

3. excursions to museums and one of Brno's housing estate sites.

4. fieldwork – interviews with a man/woman who has experienced socialism.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able to:

· Have a theoretical overview of communism and localize it in the context of a broader modernist leftist movement.

· Understand the characteristics of lived socialism through practical examples, processes and phenomena.

· Conduct a semi-structured interview.

· Cooperate with colleagues and prepare a presentation about the collected data.

Key topics

• Topics that we will discuss:

  · Communism as ideology, as movement, as social reality

  · Political and cultural geography of East-Central Europe

  · What Was Socialism? Historical Development and Economic Conceptualizations

  · Consumption: food, music, movies, identity, representations, politics and opposition

  · Memory and nostalgia

  · Entertainment under communism: sport, music, games

  · Free time, holidays and festivities – collective exercises and marches, Labor Day, etc.

  · Socialist housing

Study resources and literature

required literature
• HIGHMORE, Ben. Everyday life and cultural theory : an introduction. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2002, viii, 200. ISBN 0415223032. info
• The everyday life reader. Edited by Ben Highmore. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2002, xvi, 373 s. ISBN 0-415-23025-X. info

recommended literature
• SZCZERBIAK, Aleks. Politicising the communist past : the politics of truth revelation in post-communist Poland. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018, viii, 198. ISBN 9781138824737. info
• MOLLOY, Peter. The lost world of communism : an oral history of daily life behind the iron curtain. London: BBC Books, 2016, 314 stran. ISBN 9781785940255. info
• Food & everyday life in the postsocialist world. Edited by Melissa L. Caldwell - Marion Nestle - Elizabeth C. Dunn. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009, xiv, 231. ISBN 9780253221391. info

Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching

Presentations, class discussion

· Board games, excursions, movie analysis

· Individual and group tasks

Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements

Particular activities of students will be evaluated as follows. To pass the course, students must fulfill the following requirements: reading and discussion papers, class participation, interview and group task. By fulfilling these requirements, students will be allowed to write the final test.

Language of instruction

English

Further Comments

Study Materials

• Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  
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