CST:CZS01 Transformations of Political - Course Information

CZS01 Transformations of Political Enviroment in Central Europe after 1989

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Ing. Mgr. Richard Turcsányi, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ivan Jarabinský (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Šárka Hakalisto, M.A.
Pan-university studies
Contact Person: Šárka Hakalisto, M.A.
Supplier department: Pan-university studies

Timetable

Tue 27. 2. to Fri 25. 5. Tue 13:50–15:20 KOM S116

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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

The course is conceived to give students a complex insight into trends and events that have influenced recent political and social developments in Central Europe and have significantly contributed to the present character of political life in this specific region of Europe. Throughout the course we will primarily focus on the four Visegrad countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) which will be regarded as the core of the Central European region, although at various occasions we will include discussion of other countries or their parts, such as Austria, Germany, Russia and others. The course will consist of two parts. The first one (shorter) will give a contextual and historical introduction into the Central Europe. While a number of letures will be devoted to specific historical periods, the general approach is to point out their impact on the present situation in the region. After the first part of the course, the students will be expected to be familiar with basic historical facts and especially the ways how they are (or are not) remembered in the countries of the region. The second part of the course will look at some specific issues which emerged in the region after the 1989 and changes of political systems. The objective is that students will at the end of the course understand the most recent development in the region within the scope of each of the covered topics in the post-1989 period and they will be able to critically assess the present situation.

Syllabus

• 1. Introduction to the course and the concept of Central Europe
• 2. From medieval history to national awakening
• 3. The region in the short 20th Century
• 4. Revolutions of 1989 and openings towards democracy
• 5. Mid-term exam and civil society
• 6. Political transformation in Central Europe: Progressing democratization (1990-2004)
• 7. Parties, presidents and elections: Who is in charge?
• 8. Political economy
• 9. Europeanization and globalization
• 10. Security situation and Concluding remarks

Literature

recommended literature
• INNES, Abby. Czechoslovakia :the short goodbye. New Haven: Yale university press. xii, 334 s. ISBN 0-300-09063-3. 2001. info
• WANDYCZ, Piotr S. The price of freedom : a history of East Central Europe from the Middle Ages to the present. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. xvii, 335. ISBN 0415254914. 2001. URL info
• Return to diversity : a political history of East Centrale Europe since World War II. Edited by Joseph Rothschild - Nancy M. Wingfield. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. xii, 338. ISBN 0195119924. 2000. info
• FIALA, Petr, Miroslav MAREŠ and Pavel PŠEJA. The development of political parties and the party system. In VEČERNÍK, Jiří and Petr MATĚJŮ. Ten years of rebuilding capitalism: Czech society after 1989. Praha: Academia. p. 273-294. ISBN 80-200-0774-1. 1999. info

Assessment methods

Assessment method:
Mid-term exam: 20 %
Consists of about 10 open questions requiring short answer. Goal is to check whether students acquired basic factual knowledge in the first part of the course. Literature and lecture content will be both included.
Final exam: 40 %
Final exam will consist of four open questions which will require longer answers. Students will be asked to prove that they acquired knowledge about the topics covered throughout the course and can critically discuss the dynamics in the region.
Two position papers 10 % (each position paper is for maximum of five points).
Deadline: The midnight of a day before a given lecture. Submission: Via email to both lecturers. Students will choose two topics according to their interest from the second part of the course (after the mid-term exam) and write position papers on these topics. If a student submits more than two position papers, those with the best scores will be counted to the final assessment. Each position paper should be 2 pages long and consist of a brief introduction to the topic based on the assigned literature, discuss two-three issues which caught your interests and present your opinion on them, and at the end a few questions for the discussion.
Presentation: 15 %
Every student will do a presentation in the second half of the course on the topics assigned during the first/second class. A presentation should take 15 minutes and it expects own research of the assigned topic beyond the assigned reading for the class. Ideally it will be end up with some questions for thoughts to kick off the discussion. Topics for presentations - see the relevant classes
Participation and activity in the class: 15 %
Students are expected to participate in classes. In case of missing a class due to reasonable reasons, talk to the teacher. Furthermore, active participation is expected. Students are strongly recommended to go through the assigned reading before the lecture and join discussion during the classes.
Final assessment: A: 100 – 90 % B: 89 – 80 % C: 79 – 70 % D: 69 – 65 % E: 64 – 60 % F: 59 – 0 %

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught each semester.

Teacher's information

http://cic.muni.cz/cs/left-incoming-mobility/incoming-student/incoming-student-exchange/incoming-student-exchange-cesp

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