CE5134: 1989: a Pivotal Year for Europe
School | Continuing and Professional Education |
Department Code | LEARN |
Module Code | CE5134 |
External Subject Code | 101323 |
Number of Credits | 20 |
Level | L4 |
Language of Delivery | English |
Module Leader | Ms Janet Stephens |
Semester | Double Semester |
Academic Year | 2018/9 |
Outline Description of Module
- To give a broad introduction to political, social and economic developments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the late 1980s and early 1990s
- To identify and explain different interpretations of the processes leading to the collapse of communism in CEE
- To explore the legacy of the collapse of communism in CEE for contemporary Europe
On completion of the module a student should be able to
- Identify and evaluate the political, economic and social developments that led to the collapse of communism in CEE
- Identify and evaluate the principal consequences of events in 1989-1991 for contemporary Europe
- Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of competing explanations of the collapse of communism in CEE
- Critically evaluate the differing roles played by civil societies and political elites in achieving the transition processes in CEE countries
- Critically assess the legacy of the different transition experiences with regard to current European affairs
How the module will be delivered
Weekly 2.5 hour lectures/seminars, 2 Saturday Schools
Skills that will be practised and developed
- Comparative analysis of evidence and arguments
- Logical development of arguments
- Oral communication, presentation and defence of arguments
How the module will be assessed
Type of assessment % Contribution Title Duration (if applicable) Approx. date of Assessment
Essay 50%
Class test 50%
Assessment Breakdown
Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
---|---|---|---|
Written Assessment | 100 | 1989: A Pivotal Year For Europe | N/A |
Syllabus content
- Introduction: The Iron Curtain Falls
- Eastern and Western Europe in Comparison, 1950s-1980s
- Hungary and the GDR
- Poland
- The Velvet Revolution and the Velvet Divorce
- Bulgaria and Romania
- The collapse of the Soviet Union
- The fragmentation of Yugoslavia
- A return to Europe?
Background Reading and Resource List
Joseph Rothschild & Nancy Wingfield: Return to Diversity. 4th Edition, (OUP, 2007)
Gale Stokes: The Walls came tumbling down. 2nd Edition (OUP, 2011)
Stephen White, Paul Lewis & Judy Batt: Developments in Central and East European Politics (Duke University Press Books, 2013)
Goodbye Lenin! dvd
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