Course Catalogue

Humanities and Social Science

1. An understanding of the political and social development of the Soviet state 2. Knowledge and skills to understand, identify and critically assess different kinds of source material 3. Analytical, written and communication skills developed through classes and assessments

Outline Syllabus:Beginning with the revolutionary year of 1917, this module examines the lifespan of the Soviet “experiment”. From the avant-garde 1920s to the so-called “evil empire” of the 1980s, the interlocking political and social dynamics of the Soviet Union will be explored. The module introduces students to key themes in Soviet history such as the New Economic Policy, industrialization and collectivization, gender, the Terror, Stalinism, the “thaw”, and late socialism, with state policies addressed in terms of their impact on society. Lectures will outline key events and seminars will allow students to analyse primary sources such as films, art, official documents, and diaries, as well as assess historiographical discussions through secondary readings. Much of this will be done interactively and through group discussion. The module will also take an intersectional approach by examining questions of gender, race, and ethnicity in the Soviet “empire”. By the end of the module students should be able to understand and assess the complexities of the Soviet experiment.

Module Overview:
This module will provide an understanding of the early Soviet state and its relationship to society. You will gain knowledge and skills to understand, identify and critically assess different kinds of source material.

Additional Information:The Road to Revolution; Civil War and NEP society; the effects of collectivization and industrialization; Women in the early Soviet period; the impact of the Great Terror; Great Patriotic War and its impact on Soviet society; late Stalinist society; Khrushchev and the “thaw”; Women in the late Soviet period; The Soviet Seventies; The final decade of the experiment 2,000 portfolio on the early Soviet period: the objective is to analyse a primary source(s) whilst also drawing on historiography; the sources selected will encourage students to take a holistic approach by analysing the various “voices” or actors, for example, the state and the individual Essay questions on the late Soviet period Both assessments require application of primary and secondary knowledge and skills