Module overview
This module provides an overview of major political, social and economic developments in Russia since 1991, and how they have been informed by a sense of Russian history. After the fall of the Cold War, Russia has found that it is no longer a superpower, and it has struggled to find a world role. The domestic and economic settlement in the country has also seen major changes, and life has changed in remarkable and sometimes dramatic ways for millions of ordinary Russian people. The primary focus on the module is to help us to understand contemporary Russia: lectures and seminars will examine themes and events that can help us to recognize in what ways Russia has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. But these debates will be placed in historical context: Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, and changing conceptions of national identity, can only be understood in the context of Russia’s history and the legacy of the turbulent twentieth century.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Historicize the major characteristics of the Russian political system
- Identity and explain the key characteristics of Putin and Putinism and place these in historical context
- Understand the origins of major problems in Russian domestic life
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Utilise and evidence effective time management
- Communicate your ideas effectively in written formats
- Critically assess a range of evidence
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Changing conceptions of Russia and its world role from the Russian people
- The ideology of modern Russia and how it has evolved since 1991
- The historical roots of debates relating to, for instance, the demise of communism, Putin’s rise, Russian national identity and changing foreign policy objectives
Syllabus
Topics covered in this module may include:
Soviet communism and its dissolution
Russia’s rulers and Russian history
Russian political parties
The economy and domestic life after communism
Russia’s foreign policy: an overview
Russian nationalism and national identity
Mass media in Russia
Crime, corruption and the law
Changing gender identities in Russia today
Russia’s place in the world today
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
- Lectures, which may include some group work and/or participation, such as reading primary sources
- Seminars including detailed reading and analysis of primary sources – including texts, images or objects
Learning activities include:
- In depth analysis of primary sources
- Preparatory reading and individual study
- Individual participation in seminars, group work and short presentations on seminar themes
Discussion in seminars will help you to develop your ideas on a topic, to analyse a range of source material and to articulate a critical argument.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 12 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Revision | 26 |
| Seminar | 12 |
| Completion of assessment task | 50 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Vladimir Putin (2000). First Person. New York.
Mikhail Tsypkin (ed.) (2008). Russia’s Security and the War on Terror. London.
Marlene Laurelle (ed.) (2009). Russian Nationalism and the National Reassertion of Russia. London.
Richard Sakwa (2008). Russian Politics and Society. London.
Mikhail Gorbachev (1996). Memoirs. London.
Sarah Oates (2006). Television, Democracy and Elections in Russia. London.
Peter Pomarantsev (2015). Nothing is True and Everything is Possible. London.
Richard Sakwa (2007). Putin: Russia’s Choice. London.
Gregory Freeze (ed.) (2009). Russia: A History. Oxford.
Sophie Pinkham (2016). Black Square: Adventures in the Post-Soviet World. London.
Robert Service (2009). A History of Modern Russia. London.
Martin McCauley (2001). Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia: Russia, the Baltic States and the CIS since 1992. London.
Mike Bowker and Cameron Ross (eds.) (1999). Russia after the Cold War. London.
Sean P. Roberts (2007). Putin’s United Russia Party. London.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 60% |
| Written assignment | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 60% |
| Written assignment | 40% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External