VIExpert-opiskelijoilla on vapaa pääsy kaikille verkoston tarjoamille kursseille. Kursseille on ilmoittauduttava ennakkoon. Muistathan aina rekisteröidä kurssisi HY:n Sisussa. Ohjeet kurssi-ilmoittautumiselle ja Sisun käytölle löytyvät täältä.
Ilmoittaudu muiden kuin oman yliopistosi ja HY:n kursseille elomakkeella. Syksyn 2023 kurssien ilmoittautumispäivät ovat 24.8. / 28.9. / 9.11. ja kevään 2024 kurssien ilmoittautumispäivät ovat 19.12.2023 / 15.2. / 14.3. /18.4.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.–20.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Una Bergmane
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course offers an introduction to the history of the USSR, paying special attention to the imperial relations between the Soviet center and the periphery. Nine sessions will consist of a lecture about one key topic in Soviet history, such as nationality policy, state violence, gender, race, environment, and a thirty-minute class discussion about a specific Soviet republic, region, autonomous oblast, or minority. Three sessions will consist of in-depth discussions of Ukrainian, Central-Asian, and Baltic history during the Soviet period.
Through lectures, readings, class discussions, and written assignments, students will learn to analyse primary sources, develop academic writing and discussion skills, independently analyse historical processes and compile relevant materials to complete assignments. Students will not only acquire knowledge about key developments in Soviet history but also develop an understanding of the multinational character of the Soviet empire.
Course plan
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 13.11.2023–17.03.2024
Verkkokurssi
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Simo Mikkonen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Kurssilla perehdytään arkeen ja elämään Neuvostoliitossa, ei vain nykyisen Venäjän alueella, vaan myös Ukrainassa, Virossa, Karjalassa ja muilla Neuvostoliittoon kuuluneilla alueilla.
Yli 70 vuoden jaksolla arkielämä Neuvostoliitossa koki merkittäviä muutoksia. Arki oli lisäksi hyvin erilaista eri puolilla Neuvostoliittoa ja eri yhteiskuntaluokissa (joita Neuvostoliitossa ei pitänyt edes olla olemassa). Ideologia ja politiikka vaikuttivat merkittävästi arkielämään, mutta toisaalta ihmiset pyrkivät pitämään arkielämän erossa julkisesta elämästä.
Neuvostoarkea tarkastellaan erilaisten lähteiden, muistelmien, sekä muun muassa kaunokirjallisuuden ja elokuvien kautta.
Luentojen lisäksi kurssin lopuksi tulee luentoihin ja luentomateriaaleihin perustuva tentti.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 28.8.-16.10.2023
Mon 16-18, online streaming
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Jussi Jalonen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The lecture series focuses on the history of warfare in Imperial Russia during the 19th century, with primary emphasis on social and cultural effects of war experience in a multi-national empire. The purpose is to provide the students with clear understanding of such things as the significance of war experience in the emergence and development of 19th century Russian nationalism, including slavophilia and pan-slavism; the position of Russian military power as a guarantor of status quo in Central and Eastern Europe during the Congress System; its impact on the political fault lines between liberalism and autocracy; the trans-national and trans-cultural nature of the wars waged by the Imperial Russia during its expansion in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans; and the impact of war on such issues as serf emancipation, industrialization, technology, social progress, literature and ideologies.
Learning outcomes: Participants will gain a broad understanding of the process of war as a tool of imperial power and its significance to the nation-building and modernization in 19th century and early 20th century Russia. They will be able to analyze and understand the far-reaching impact of war on Russian society and culture, the historical Russian role as a colonial power in her nearby regions, as well as the essential role of modern war in the centralization of Russian political power.
Assignments: Structured learning diary
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 7.9.–5.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Brendan Humphreys, Olga Kantokoski, Olga Zeveleva, Mikhail Nakonechnyi and Yury Sorochkin
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The students will gain a fresh perspective into politics and society, though the prism of incarceration culture. Historically, the course will further the students’ understanding the experiences of Communism in Eastern Europe in the 20th century, and of its contemporary legacies.
This multi-disciplinary course offers students a concise instruction to the Soviet and East/Central European experience of imprisonment. Penology offers multiple insights into society, touching on topics like the rule of law, policing, and human rights. At an individual level, prison experiences impact upon such issues as identity, memory, and life narratives.
The course draws on two high profile projects, funded by ERC and the Finnish Academy. The scholars bring a range of disciplines – geography, anthropology, politics science, memory studies, and history – and offer multiple perspectives on prison culture.
The core examples are from the ex-Soviet regions and the Balkans, combining the theoretical with empirically-grounded ethnography. The 9 lectures are:
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.09.2023 - 26.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Minna Piipponen, Joni Virkkunen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course deals with Russia's historically diverse regional and societal structures as well as its economic and political development. Perspectives on the course are brought by e.g. state and regional governance and population development. Ethnicity and migration are analysed through (post) socialist and (post) colonial lenses. The course further explores contradictory issues of environmental and natural resources, civil society and media, and Russia as an international actor. Contemporary topics are based on the common history of the former Soviet Union. We examine Russia as a distinct transnational and global player beyond common divisions of North and South. The discussions take into account e.g. Russia’s social and political situation, dynamics in neighbouring regions and international actors such as the United Nations and European Union.
Learning outcomes. The student
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page Note! ExpREES students coming outside of Joensuu may have a possibility to do the course online.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 2.11.-21.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Mariya Riekkinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
After the completion of the course, the students are expected to deepen their understanding of the place and the role of international law in Russia's legal system. This course takes a human rights based approach to carrying out international law obligations while combining a legalistic and interdisciplinary understanding of how Russia officially sees its performance in the arena of protecting human rights.
The course has three thematic clusters, first focusing on the basics of international human rights protection and the place of international law in Russia’s legal system including the key set of arguments that the officials employ for circumscribing the rules of international law. Second, we will reconstruct how Russia used its key arguments for non-compliance in the case studies of Russia’s relationships with the European Court of Human Rights for protecting individual human rights. Third, we will reconstruct the process of employing the said argumentation in relation to the collective human right to self-determination in the cases of what Russia terms “independence referendums” in Crimea and East Ukraine.
Learning outcomes. The students are thus expected to engage with the following:
The coursework includes
Assessment. The assessment is based on the compulsory essay (50% of the grade) and a take-home examination via Moodle (50% of the grade).
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 31.10.-18.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Meri Herrala ja Susan Ikonen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Kurssi käsittelee sitä, miten Neuvostoliitossa politiikka ja ideologia toimivat taidetta muovaavina
voimina sekä sisä- että ulkopoliittisissa yhteyksissä ja miten kulttuuria käytettiin
Neuvostoliitossa ja myöhemmin Venäjällä sisä- ja ulkopolitiikan välineinä. Kurssin aikaraja on
lokakuun vallankumouksesta nykypäivään. Käsittelemme myös, missä määrin Venäjän 2000-
luvun historiapolitiikkaa voi tarkastella Neuvostoliiton kulttuuripolitiikan jatkumona.
Opintojakson suoritettuaan opiskelijalla on kattava näkemys Neuvostoliiton kulttuuripolitiikan
keskeisistä piirteistä, kuten sensuurista, sosialistisesta realismista ja kommunistisen puolueen
roolista. Tarkoituksena on perehdyttää opiskelija ymmärtämään ideologian sekä sisä- ja
ulkopolitiikan vaikutukset neuvostokulttuurin sisältöihin ja niiden ohjailuun.
Esimerkkitapauksina esitellään musiikki, kirjallisuus ja elokuva, joiden vertailuun opiskelija saa
valmiuksia. Kurssi tarjoaa empiirisiä ja analyyttisiä välineitä ymmärtää myös pehmeää
diplomatiaa, “soft poweria” sekä informaatiovaikuttamista.
Kurssin lopuksi käydään läpi ns. Venäjän arkistovallankumous, joka on mahdollistanut
kurssillakin esitetyn neuvostohistorian tutkimisen alkuperäisaineistojen nojalla. Opiskelija saa
siten kuvan siitä, millaiset lähteet ja metodologia ovat kurssin aihepiiriä koskevan akateemisen
tutkimuksen takana. Lopuksi käsitellään 2010-2020-lukujen “kulttuuriskandaaleja” ja
historiapolitiikkaa: miten nyky-Venäjän poliittinen johto haluaa esittää maan neuvostoajan ja
miten tämä historiakuva eroaa akateemisesta historiantutkimuksesta.
Olennainen osa kurssin suorittamista on tutkimusartikkelien analyysi, joka tutustuttaa opiskelijat
aihetta käsittelevään uusimpaan tutkimukseen sekä harjaannuttaa opiskelijat kriittiseen,
reflektoivaan tieteellisen ajatteluun ja argumentointiin. Artikkelianalyysit syventävät opiskelijan
ymmärrystä tieteellisen kirjoittamisen eri osa-alueista (kysymyksenasettelu, tutkimuksellinen
viitekehys ja sisä- ja ulkopoliittinen konteksti, käsitteet, metodit ym.). Kurssitöiden laadinta ja
esittely sekä muiden opiskelijoiden töiden kommentointi kehittävät osallistujien yhteistyö- ja
keskusteluvalmiuksia.
Kurssin suorittaminen ja oppimateriaali
Kurssi suoritetaan osallistumalla luennoille, perehtymällä kahteen opettajien valitsemaan
tutkimusartikkeliin, osallistumalla pienryhmätapaamiseen ja pienryhmäesitelmän laatimiseen
sekä kirjoittamalla luentopäiväkirjan ja loppuesseen.
Opiskelijat lukevat kaksi tutkimusartikkelia pienryhmätyön osana. Kunkin pienryhmän jäsenet
lukevat samat kaksi artikkelia, vastaavat kirjallisesti niitä koskeviin, artikkelin sisältöä ja
akateemista kirjoittamista reflektoiviin kysymyksiin. He valmistelevat pienryhmänä artikkeleista
Powerpoint-muotoisen esityksen koko ryhmälle. Opettajat tarjoavat Moodlessa
kirjallisuusluettelon loppuesseen kirjoittamista varten.
Kurssin luennoimistapa
Kurssi toteutetaan hybridiopetuksena. Kurssi suunnitellaan pidettäväksi Helsingin yliopistossa
niin, että luennointi tapahtuu samanaikaisesti luokkahuoneelle ja Zoomiin. Luennot tallennetaan
Moodleen. Pienryhmät voivat valintansa mukaan kokoontua joko lähitapaamiseen tai
pienryhmän omaan Zoom-istuntoon, ja pienryhmäesitykset toteutetaan joko hybridinä tai
pelkästään Zoomissa.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle (YMV-P514)
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 8.9.–8.12.2023
Hybrid format
The registration period in UH Sisu is 15.8-4.10.2023.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Eugenia Pesci, Margarita Zavadskaya, Elena Gorbacheva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course “Political Behavior Across Eurasia” aims at introducing students to ‘the demand side’ of politics focusing on citizens’ perspectives, preferences, opinions, actions, and values in a diverse region of Central and Eastern Europe and the former USSR, sharing a communist and authoritarian legacy. ‘The demand side’ of politics means a primary focus on citizens, their values, and political attitudes instead of intra-elite interactions. We combine substantive topics with the most illustrative case studies and bring insights and original materials from our own research projects. Thus, instead of focusing on intra-elite and international tensions (‘the supply side’ of politics), we seek to make citizens’ perspectives more visible and to look at them through systematic comparison. We define political behavior as citizens’ engagement with politics considering the specificity and nature of political regimes and accounting for limited opportunities to affect politics in closed authoritarian set-ups. We emphasize, problematize and challenge the impact of post-communist and authoritarian legacies drawing on evidence-based empirical research.
The course brings together area studies perspectives (Central-European, Russian and Eurasian studies) with comparative politics, political economy, and history. The course seeks to familiarize the students with the overall context and specifics of political behavior in the designated region given the authoritarian past/present and communist legacy. Political behavior encompasses a wide array of political phenomena - electoral behavior, values, protest, civic engagement, and political activism - which will be covered within the course. Special attention is paid to the analytical tools, theories, and conceptual frameworks that will allow the students to provide meaningful comparisons and carry out independent political analysis.
The course consists of 24 contact hours, i.e. 12 lectures) covering various aspects of political behavior combining the introduction of specific topics and concepts with empirical materials. The course is taught in English and is delivered by Margarita Zavadskaya (Ph.D.), Elena Gorbacheva, Eugenia Pesci, and Aleksei Gilev (doctoral researchers at the Aleksanteri Institute). We also invite Kristiina Silvan from FIIA, an expert in Belarusian and Central Asian politics, to be a guest lecturer. Prior to each lecture, a list of readings will be offered via Moodle. The in-class meetings will consist of lecturing parts and seminars in order to facilitate knowledge construction, where assignments will include problem-solving, practical tasks, mini-essays, and group presentations.
The preliminary programme:
Lectures:
The course grade is based on:
After completing the course, the students will be able to:
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 31.10.–14.12.2023
Online teaching
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marina Vulovic
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
Students will be able to
Course outline
This course deals with the politics of transition and transformation in the Balkans after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It will address theories of such transformation, namely nationalism, populism, democratization, state-building, media freedom, transitional justice, conflict and legacies of war etc. It will also look at the individual post-Yu countries from a case-study angle, showing the different transformation trajectories of the region's countries. The students will have an opportunity to formulate their own topic of interest and follow that focus throughout the course by choosing some of their readings and deepening these insights in the final essay. The course involves independent study, but offers group activities as well, such as group discussions in class and forum reflections.
Structure of the course:
Completion
Online lectures with group discussions at the end. Students will have assigned readings, but also some that they can choose depending on their interest. Students are also expected to produce short weekly reflections in forums and give peer-to-peer feedback, to foster communication skills and reflection on their own topic of interest. The final assignment will be an essay on a topic of the students' choosing related to the course.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.–17.10.2023
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Dawid Bunikowski
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
The student should understand Poland’s politics: both domestic problems related to the exercise of power and crucial ideas of foreign policy. The student should learn main aims of Polish politics after 1989, divisions in the political party system, and recent problems such as populism.
Course outline
The course focuses on politics in Poland from the collapse of communism to nowadays.
The course includes the following lectures:
Completion: 10 web lectures, reading, small weekly written assignments, final essay.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.-15.9.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s)
Dawid Bunikowski
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This cross-disciplinary course will examine populism in East Central Europe, with special reference to Poland and Hungary, since respectively, 2015 and 2010. The aim is to study the erosion of both
the rule of law and liberal constitutionalism in the region. This is not only to acquaint the student with constitutional or political theories and phenomena, but also to focus on case studies and, especially, historical perspectives.
Lectures
I. Introduction to the weakening of liberal constitutionalism and the rule of law in Hungary and Poland during the last few years. The difference of the East: Poland and Hungary in search of prestige.
II. History of populism (from Aristotle's ancient Athens to the 19th-century US).
III. History of the rule of law in Poland since the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
IV. History of constitutionalism in East Central Europe.
V. History of Hungarian politics since the 19th century till the 1980s. Lacking rule of law in the lawyers’ regime: Hungary after 2010.
VI. The constitutional crisis in Poland in 2015-2020. Schmittian questions and Kaczyński’s political and legal philosophy.
VII. Populist foundations of illiberalism in Hungary. Constitutional memory in Poland, Hungary and beyond.
VIII. Remarks on the EU’s action on the erosion of the rule of law in Poland and Hungary.
Learning outcome
The student should understand the phenomenon of populism in East Central Europe. Also, he or she should know the process of the erosion of both the rule of law and liberal constitutionalism in East
Central Europe as well as the phenomenon reasons, trajectories and challenges. Moreover, the student should perceive wider – both historical and philosophical-political/social - contexts of the erosion of both the rule of law and liberal constitutionalism in the region.
Time and location
The course includes 16 hours of lectures. To pass the course, the student must: (i) actively participate in the lectures by discussing texts read in advance (20 % of the final grade), and (ii) write an essay of 12-15 pages (80%), using the publication and the extra materials given by the lecturer. The language of the course (lectures, materials, discussions, exam, and essay) is English.
Grading: 0-5. Level: Master's course.
Planned schedule
11.9.2023, 14-16, class
12.9.2023, 10-12 and 14-16, Teams
13.9.2023, 8-12, class
14.9.2023, 10-14, Teams
15.9.2023, 10-12, class
The hybrid format means that lectures are held both in the classroom and online (Teams, live).
In the case of the lectures in the classroom, it is possible that students from the REES network universities may join online (it is technically possible and it was the case before, in the pandemic, during this course previously being carried out).
Learning materials and recommended literature
1. The publication: Dawid Bunikowski, Katalin Miklóssy & Heino Nyyssönen (editors), the special edition “Erosion of the Rule of Law in East Central Europe”, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 2018, issue 3, vol. 26, DOI: 10.1080/14782804.2018.1498774, pp. 253-345.
2. The lectures.
3. The materials given by the lecturer (no more than 100 pages).
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 05.10.2023 - 30.11.2023
Hybrid teaching
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Gustaf Olsson
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course combines history, cultural studies, propaganda studies and cultural history and looks at Soviet history, society and propaganda through the lens of film. The course is structured around the idea that the political climate of a certain era is reflected in the films (as well as in the culture at large) that were made during that era. A more liberal political and cultural climate leads to more experimental filmmaking and films covering a broader range of topics, whereas more repressive eras have produced films that deliver a political message and that are less artistically daring. Before each lecture, the students are expected to watch a film connected to the topic of the lecture. The final examination is based on the films.
After the course, the student should:
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 27.11.-8.12.2023
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Dawid Bunikowski
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This multidisciplinary course focuses on the phenomenon of religion in both society and politics in Poland.
Expected learning outcomes: The student should understand historical, social and legal perspectives of religion in Poland. In particular, the student should know why Catholicism plays such a great role in this society.
The content includes the following lectures/topics:
1. Religion and religions in Poland. Introduction.
2. Christianity in Poland (966): Poland as a part of Western civilisation.
3. The role of Catholicism in medieval times in Poland.
4. Religious tolerance from the 16th to 18th centuries: from Protestants to Orthodox Church to Judaism to others.
5. Catholicism as a way of life, culture, identity and patriotism in the time of Poland’s partitions.
6. Religion in the communist Poland – persecutions. The Church as a place of freedom and hope.
7. Legal and social status of the Catholic Church and of other churches/religious communities after 1989. Religious freedom.
8. The future of religion in Poland and its impact on “moral laws” passed by the State (abortion, LGBT rights, the constitutional crisis, etc.).
9. Workshop on the essays topics.
10. Discussion on chosen topics.
Reading:
- The Role of the Catholic Church and Polish Religiosity, by Lucyna Stetkiewicz, 17 pages,
- Religious Freedom, National Identity, and the Polish Catholic Church: Converging Visions of Nation and God, by Kyriaki Topid, 19 pages, MDPI, Religions, Published: 26 April 2019. Available online, in Google,
- Religion, Multiculturalism and Racism in Poland. An interview-based exploration among members of religious minorities, by Anna Posmykiewicz, 40 pages,
Methods of teaching:
All together 20 hours of lectures online (Teams). The lectures will be also recorded in the Teams for those who cannot participate in a real time in order to watch it later.
Activating tasks for students to pass the course: active participation with reading and discussion as well as short written assignments (writing a 5-7-page essay on a topic agreed with the lecturer).
Time:
Place: Teams.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 31.10.–14.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Teemu Oivo, Olga Dovbysh, Mika Perkiömäki, Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, Elena Gorbacheva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course Resource Flows in Northern Eurasia will provide students with the latest research-based knowledge about the region and its flows of fossil, renewable, and information resources. The course is taught by the researchers of the FLOWISION project and it covers a wide range of environmental topics from energy transitions to climate change communication in the countries located in the North of Eurasia. Northern Eurasia is going through extensive changes, inflicted by climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and energy transition, and this multidisciplinary course offers focused approaches to understanding resource flows connected to these changes. A multi-level perspective allows the students to get familiarised with how different actors in Eurasia engage in environmental debates, coexisting, cooperating, and conflicting with each other.
Content
Assessment methods
Expected learning outcomes. After completing this course, the students will be able to:
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 06.09.-20.10.2023
Hybrid teaching
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Julie Yu-Wen Chen and Dana Rice
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Decades ago, scholars only considered Russian influence in Central Asia. But now we are facing a new era in which Chinese soft and hard power are on the rise in Central Asia. Whether this means competition or cooperation with Russia is intriguing. Observers often suggest that there is an informal division of labor between China and Russia, in which Russia takes care of the security domain while Beijing expands economically into Central Asia. This course aims to examine Russian and Chinese presence in Central Asia from historical and contemporary perspectives. The lecturers will lead students to debate and discover whether the current division of labor, in which “China invests and Russia protects,” will change and what this would imply for world politics in the future.
The nature of this course is multidisciplinary because studying this topic requires knowledge of multiple languages (e.g., Chinese, Russian, and Central Asian languages) and cooperation across multiple (sub-) disciplines (e.g., International Relations, Comparative Politics, International Political Economy, International Organizations, Chinese studies, Russian studies).
This course is a hybrid course aiming to lead students to explore Russia and China’s strategic interests in Central Asia and how Central Asian political elites, intellectuals and the general populace perceive the contestation of Russian and Chinese power in their countries. The lectures are composed of 1) online synchronous lectures, 2) online asynchronous self-learn studies, and 3) offline lectures. Moodle is the main platform in which students will have access to the syllabus and all learning materials.
Topics to be covered are 1) Russia’s Relations with Central Asia; 2) China’s Relations with Central Asia; 3) Central Asian Perspective on the Rise of China; 4) How Senior China Experts in Central Asia Look at China? Class Discussion on Several Oral History Interview Transcripts; 5) Energy and Security Issues; 6) Shanghai Cooperation Organization; 7) Fieldwork and Research Methods.
Documentary watching, podcast listening, simulation, role play, in-class quizzes, conference attendance and exercises will be part of the learning to familiarize students with the studied topics. At the end of this course, students will need to attend an international academic conference “The Rising Soft and Hard Power of China in Central Asia” at the University of Helsinki. The conference dates are 19-20 October. Conference attendance is compulsory.
Learning objectives
Upon completing the course, students will be able to
Lisätietoa / More information This course is part of the Master of Area and Cultures Studies in the Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki. It is funded by the Aleksanteri Institute, the coordinator of nationwide Expertise in Russian and Eastern European Studies (ExpREES) in Finland. Students belonging to the ExpREES network are welcomed to join this course remotely or on site.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 22.9.–8.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Elina Viljanen, Liisa Bourgeot, Vesa Oittinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course focuses on social, intellectual and cultural phenomena in the Soviet Union during what has been called the epoch of ‘Stalinism’, a period that lasted from the late 1920s until the early 1950s. Due to its many abnormities and excesses, the period when Stalin was in power has always posited specific methodological problems for scholars. It is pertinent to ask, what was the cultural methodology of Stalin’s statecraft since it has led historians to keep on repeating rather totalising societal and cultural definitions of his power? Our aim is to go beyond these definitions and paint a subtler picture. By offering new insights on Soviet philosophy of science and humanities, linguistics, philosophy, musicology, literature and mathematics from the point of view of general cultural theory, our course challenges the image of Stalin-era humanities as mere propaganda, showing instead the hermeneutic challenges that the Stalinist politics of culture produced for later generations seeking to penetrate and comprehend the individual worldviews of thinkers during that time.
In the course, our approach to Stalinism stems from the analyses, data and methodological experience of various ‘schools’ of thought, which we will introduce to students. However, we find the concept of culture far too complex an issue to be subordinated to any of the major previous models of Stalinism as such. When assessing Stalin era culture, it is more fruitful to analyse the methodologies of interaction between the fields of culture (here, cultural actors) and politics (Stalinism) and the results of their complex interplay. Our course addresses not only the politically ‘positive’ dissident intellectual productions that opposed Stalinism and went ‘underground,’ but also the more neutral intellectual productions in field of the humanities, which tried to further the critical ethos of cultural modernisation and yet remained part of a non-persecuted intellectual culture during the Stalin era. In this course, we focus mostly on the humanities and intellectuals during the Stalin era. We will ask, among others, in the class, in what ways did culture / cultural actors remain autonomous actors from politics?
Focusing on a selection of early Soviet cultural theoreticians – Shpet, Lifshits, Asafiev, Deborin, Megrelidze, Yanovskaya and Bukharin – who had more or less important, but hitherto not well analysed, formative or analytical roles in the culture of the 1930s and 1940s, our course also offers novel perspectives on thinkers like Gorky, an important formulator of Stalinist cultural politics, or Marr, the notorious creator of the ‘Japhetic’ theory.
The topicality of our course lies in our focus on questions that concern how the intellectual society functioned and what it produced given the circumstances of dictatorship, state violence, political propaganda, censorship and ideological blackmail. All lectures are tangential to Stalin's politics, but neither Stalin nor the history of the richly theorised term ‘Stalinism’ are our main objects as such, although they will be introduced to students. The lectures focus on Soviet intellectual and cultural life – scholars and cultural theoreticians – during the Stalin era from a methodological perspective that distinguishes between Stalinism and culture, an outlook that forms one of the common threads of the course.
Teaching/Learning Methods:
Lectures are introductory and interactive. The students are assigned readings from recent scholarship on Stalin era, which are then discussed during the lessons. We invite students to ponder to what extent certain cultural phenomena and intellectual currents of the Stalin era were unique features that can be branded as Stalinist and why studying Stalinism matter to us. Furthermore, how does an international or global perspective shift our understanding of the phenomenon of Stalinism?
The course is intended for interdisciplinary students who preferably come from the fields of cultural/art studies, philology, history, social sciences and area studies. No prior knowledge of Stalin era Soviet history is required, but the student should possess the basic command of research methodology and academic writing. Online learning materials and educational technologies will be utilized in the course. In Moodle, the students can turn in their writing assignments and find video clips and side-readings. Flinga board might be used in some lectures to outline the classroom discussion. Moodle will contain a general discussion field in which students are free to pose questions and present constructive feedback about the course. There will be introductory lectures on different topics (theoretical and historical), giving the students some declarative knowledge. The rest of the teaching will be conducted in the form of “learning theatre”, i.e. interactive teaching based on students views on the pre-readings. Teachers provide pre-questions regarding the course-readings for the class discussion. Thus, most of the lessons of the course are organized in a form of Flipped Classroom that include pre-readings and pre-assignments, lecture introduction and classroom discussions.
Course Work, Materials & Assessment:
The student will pass the course by
1) answering to the pre-questions based on pre-readings prior to the class in the Moodle and writing a learning diary after each lesson
2) participating in a Group Essay (“Why should we study Stalin era Russia & three relevant approaches to Stalinism and culture”) and its presentation for the class (min. 8 pages plus bibliography, max. 12 pages plus bibliography with 1.5 spacing, typeface Times New Roman, size 12) and Learning Report (min. 5 pages, max. 10 pages. Bibliography is not required, but references to the relevant literature in footnotes is a plus).
The course materials consists of a selection of articles provided by different lecturers. The student will have to refer to these articles in his/her Learning Report (more info in the Moodle before the course). The Learning Report is based on learning diary, which the student forms along the course (short descriptions of the core ideas of each lesson accompanied by student’s own analytical thoughts). The student is asked to return the Final Group Essay and Learning Report within two weeks after the course via Moodle. The student is free to use books from the list of recommended readings to construct the course writings/essays. In the group essay writing, the students are asked to pay attention to the academic writing criteria (detailed directions will be in the Moodle). The pre-questions (FAIL/PASS), Group Essay & Learning Report (100 % of the final grade) is assessed from 1–5.
Schedule:
All classes take place on Fridays at 12-14.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 3.11.–15.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Pekka Kauppala
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Oppimistavoitteet
Tavoite on osanottajien perehdytys Ukrainan valtiolliseen periferiaan ja sen erikoisuuksiin sekä latentteihin ja aktuaaleihin konflikteihin. Tarkoituksena on itsenäisen kyvyn hankkiminen monipuolisten uusien aineistojen löytämiseen sekä poliittiseen analyysiin. Ukrainan ja sen läntisten naapureiden ulkopoliittisten ja identiteettikonfliktien ja niiden ratkaisuyritysten perusrakenteitten luonne ja nivoutuminen kansainväliseen politiikkaan tulee hahmottua selkeiksi. Mahdollisia aktuaaleja tapahtumia analysoidaan.
Kurssin sisältö
Ukrainan vähemmistökansa- ja kielipolitiikassa kiinnitetään lähinnä huomiota politiikkaan venäläisiä ja venäjänkielisiä kohti. Kuitenkin Ukrainan ei-slaavilaisilla vähemmistökansoilla on jo neuvostoaikana olleet monisäikeiset ja problemaattiset välit valtiovallan kanssa.
Itsenäisessä Ukrainassa tendenssinä oleva vähittäinen siirtyminen entistä unitaristisempiin positioihin vaikeuttaa ongelmien ratkaisua. Sotatila puolestaan voi lakaista ongelmia maton alle, mutta ei ratkaista niitä.
Ei-slaavilaiset päävähemmistöt ovat romanialais-moldovalaiset, unkarilaiset, krimintataarit ja juutalaiset. Politiikka niiden kulttuurien, kielten ja uskontojen kanssa on vahvassa yhteydessä näiden tukijavaltioihin Romania, Moldova, Unkari, Turkki ja Israel.
Suoritustapa
Luennot, oheislukemisto ja oppimispäiväkirja
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.9.–18.10.2023
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Urszula Chowaniec
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals:
This course aims at presenting and discussing the works of extraordinary Yiddish women writers, thinkers, philosophers and activists. Among authors the course wish to engage with are: Esther Singer Kreitman, Rokhl Brokhes, Fradle Schtock, Miriam Raskin, Dora Shulner, Irena Klepfisz, Malka Lee, Celia Dropkin, Rachel Korn, Blume Lempel, Chava Rosenfarb and Kadia Molodowsky. They are writers active both before and after WWII and from Eastern Europe writing originally in Yiddish.
Course outline:
This course aims at presenting and discussing the works of extraordinary Yiddish women writers, thinkers, philosophers and activists.They are writers active both before and after WWII and from Eastern Europe writing originally in Yiddish, translated into English.
Among the aims of the course is to learn about Jewish women’s literary heritage and to enjoy discussion about literature in various contexts, so apart from taking a role of the literary critics and informed readers, who will often use the feminist perspective, we will - at times - need to be historians, trying to understand ideological contexts of the works, at times – we will be the religious scholars, seeking the doctrinal contexts of the texts, or - at times - political commentators, using also the thought of philosophers like Hannah Arendt or Susan Sontag.
Among the main key concepts that are relevant to all the sessions are: women’s history and Jewish history (herstories), the Jewish women’s voices in the 20th-century literature, women’s Jewish literature from various part of the world.
Completion: Online lectures with discussions, reading and learning diary
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 10.10.2023 - 27.11.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Joni Virkkunen, Paul Fryer
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Even before the war in Ukraine, the image of Russia portrayed by the Western media usually has been that of a gigantic monolith that for the past 20 years has been dominated by the current president, Vladimir Putin, his circle of oligarchs and political and military supporters. However, Russian society remains diverse and multi-layered due to its vast size and, as a result of the efforts of many ordinary citizens and organisations, it has developed rapidly despite ongoing repressions. While some of these individuals or activists are opposed to the current regime in Moscow, many others are simply attempting to cope or make a positive impact on their lives and local environment. To see beyond the headlines and stereotypes, this course asks: what is the ‘alternative’ to the media images of Russia? Thus, the course examines Russia and Russian society through activists, civic groups, and local non-governmental organisations and networks, including online media, ethnic associations, small entrepreneurs, local environmentalists, gender and sexual minority activists, and other ‘alternative’ actors.
This course will provide students with a deeper understanding of Russian society, looking beyond official discourses at individual groups and movements and the ways that they engage with, adapt to, or challenge their state structures. By the end of the course, students will be able to better contextualise Russian official and foreign media representations of the country. This will, thus, improve students’ understanding of the Russian state and society in contemporary Europe.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.9.–18.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katalin Miklóssy et al.
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The Black Sea is situated at a crossroad where Eastern, Western and Southern influences have mixed, and great power interests had clashed for centuries. We rely on an analytical framework, which is combining strategic culture and in-between-ness. Wars have been fought around and over the dominance of the Black Sea always, and some of the wars brought about a paradigm shift. Geopolitical in-between-ness had affected the understanding of threats and security, In our reading, it is not exclusively about military security but a wider notion of security (societal development, social security, energy security, identity, nationhood, etc.).
Lectures
Completion: Lectures and seminars, reading, reflection paper (1 500 words) about a current event regarding the Black Sea, presented in the seminars, debated and discussed by peers.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.–17.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katharina Kunter
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The Russian war against Ukraine is a historic turning point in recent European history. In the course we will look at how the churches reacted to the outbreak of the war and the Russian invasion and what different positions were expressed (e.g. on peace, arms supplies, but also solidarity with Ukraine). We will interpret the texts as historical sources and at the same time analyse and critically evaluate them according to their temporal and political content.
Texts and literature will be announced and distributed during the course.
Assignments: regular class participation, small assignments during the course, a detailed source analysis.
The course will be held in English (perfect English is not expected, we want to communicate).
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 31.10.–14.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Kaarina Aitamurto, Brendan Humphreys, Jouni Järvinen, Anna Tarasenko, Katalin Miklossy
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course focuses on the interaction of the state and the society as well as the responses to societal changes and challenges. The lectures address such themes as, for example, civil society, nationalism, gender and religion.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 1.11.–15.12.2023
Wed and Fri 14:15-15:45 Metsätalo lecture hall 25
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anna-Liisa Heusala, Katalin Miklóssy, Sherzod Eraliev
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The students learn about circular, material and immaterial processes and flows that take place in the Eurasian post-socialist space. The students gain an understanding of the significance of such processes for the development of the area´s societies. The lectures may include such topics as global migration.
The course introduces the students to a selected global process or several global processes which have a major impact in the Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European societies. The lectures may include such topics as global migration in the Eurasian space.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.9.2023 – 8.12.2023
The course will be taught in the autumn term 2023 as an intensive course. The course is taught in Tampere (no hybrid option).
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Galina Miazhevich
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course considers the key notions related to the global news production and current media ecology, covers a range of texts that reflect on the historic, political and socio-cultural contexts of Belarus and Russia, as well as provides an overview of the methods used for the visual analysis. The course will introduce the key notions such as media ecology, international broadcasters, crisis reporting, news values, news production, protest reporting, gender, resistance, imagery, framing.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to interpret visuals with the help of semiotic, framing and discourse analysis. They will be familiar with the academic debates on the topic of media ecology, news production and with the relevant works from the area studies. The students will be able to apply their knowledge to understand contemporary processes in other former Soviet Union states. Students will be able to utilize and cite research literature in accordance with the ethical principles, prepare a written analysis of pre-selected images and a group project presentation.
On successful completion of the course, the students will be able to: (i) contextualise contemporary news selection within relevant academic debates; (ii) construct arguments, in writing and orally, about the framing of the news by transnational media organisations; (iii) critically reflect upon and evaluate news reports with a specific focus on the analysis of the imagery.
The evaluation
The marking is within 5-point scale where 5 is the 100% (or maximum grade). The grading will take into account the following
If you missed a class, it will be necessary to complete additional tasks based on the materials of the lecture or seminar. Additional tasks are assigned by the teacher on an individual basis.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 8.9.–20.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anton Kotenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Course outline
The course is a survey of history of Ukraine since the early modern period until 1991. While placing the past of Ukrainian territory and its multinational population in the context of a broader Eastern European history, it familiarises the students with history of Ukraine and its historiography. The main emphasis of the course is made on the long nineteenth century and Ukraine’s history in the Russian empire. In particular, it explores how the concept of modern Ukraine appeared and investigates its competition with other national projects.
Lectures
Completion: Lectures, reading, presentation, and final essay
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.-13.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Simo Mikkonen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The Russian war in Ukraine has already had several far-reaching implications ranging from the level of international politics into personal tragedies. It has also had a major impact on the work of historians. In the study of Eastern European history, the focus has dominantly been in Russia. The other major problem has been the strong tendency to emphasize the point of view of nation states. The situation is complicated by the history politics, the use of history to justify political decisions from internal politics to foreign affairs.
This course will offer an overview of the complex history of the area, discuss how the history has been politicized and look into the future of Eastern European history. Few countries wish to be portrayed as being part of the East Europe, rather emphasizing their position in Central, Northern or South-Eastern Europe.
The course has three main aims: to introduce students to the complex history of Eastern Europe, to explore the politicized concept of Eastern Europe and look into its use and abuse, and finally, discuss how Eastern European can be better integrated into the broader European history.
The key question in the course is: What is Eastern Europe and how its definition is historically influenced and changes as a result of contemporary politics.
Completing the course requires participation in the lectures, reading the given materials and passing the final exam.
The lectures will not be recorded.
Workload: About 12 lectures and readings.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.–12.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) N.N.
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson suoritettuaan opiskelija tuntee liettualaisen kulttuurin eri kehitysvaiheet Liettuan historian kontekstissa. Hän tuntee Liettuan kulttuurin tärkeimmät saavutukset ja erityisesti tärkeimmät liettualaiset kirjailijat ja osaa nimetä heidän keskeiset teoksensa.
Lisätietoa / More information Huom! Kanditasoinen kurssi. Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 7.9.–19.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katri Pynnöniemi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The inter-disciplinary lecture course will explore Russia’s war against Ukraine in the context of contemporary military and political theory. The combination of lectures and list of readings seek to advance knowledge on Russia's war against Ukraine, in particular, Russian military strategy, on Ukraine’s military power (including the role of volunteers), the political context of warfighting and the future of European security. The lectures will also advance knowledge on contemporary European security and Russia’s future role in it.
The students are required to attend all the lectures, write a lecture diary and to read additional literature assigned for the course.
The lecture topics include the following: from Soviet to Russian armed forces; theory of war and Russia's war against Ukraine, the military reform in Ukraine, Russian military strategy and the war against Ukraine, the political framing of the war and its consequences for Russia, the role of volunteers in post-Euromaidan Ukraine, Ukraine and Kremlin's worldview: ideological and conspirational assumptions.
The lectures are well-known researchers from the leading universities and research institutes in Finland, Ukraine, and the US, for example senior researchers Pentti Forsström and Simo Pesu (NDU, Finland), Associate professor Ilmari Käihkö (Swedish Defence University); professor Bettina Renz (the University of Nottingham), Senior Fellow Mike Kofman (Carnegie Endowment), Senior researcher Jussi Lassila (FIIA), Associate Fellow Kateryna Zarembo (New Europe Center, Kyiv) and Chair of International Relations Maksym Yakovlyev (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy).
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.11.–15.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Zea Szebeni
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.9.–20.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Eugenia Pesci, Mirzokhid Karshiev, Anna-Liisa Heusala
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The student gains an understanding of how norms and views on ethics have been produced, disseminated and contested in the REEE area, and their implications for societal transformation. The student gains skills and knowledge to analyze and situate governance trajectories in a global context.
The student identifies normative and ethical questions that are connected to state and societal development in Russia, Eurasia and Eastern Europe. The lectures may include such topics as the rule of law, historical development of government, institutional change.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.9.–11.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Silvio Cruschina
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson suoritettuaan opiskelija pystyy lukemaan ja analysoimaan keskeistä romaniankielistä kirjallisuutta. Hän tuntee Romanian kirjallisuudenhistorian pääpiirteet. Lisäksi hän on perehtynyt muutaman keskeisen nykykirjailijan tuotantoon niin muodon kuin sisällön kannalta ja tuntee jonkin verran Romanian kirjallisen elämän ajankohtaisia aiheita.
Opiskelija osaa myös ymmärtää Romanian kulttuurin historiallista kehitystä ja nykypäivää.
Lisätietoa / More information Note! Bachelor-level course. Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.9.–17.10.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anton Kotenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Course outline
The course introduces students to a special methodological direction in studying the past, which is spatial history. To familiarise them with this approach and its historiography, the course provides an overview of recent studies and key themes in spatial dimensions of the history of East Central Europe in the long nineteenth century (1750s–1920s). Structured around Henri Lefebvre’s triad of physical- mental-social space, the course will enable students to actively engage with spatial dimensions of the past.
Lectures
Completion: Lectures, reading, learning diary and final essay
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.11.–7.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Arseniy Svynarenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
The aim of this course is to present and overview of social and cultural aspects of the nation building and political processes after renewal of Ukraine’s independence in 1991.
Lectures
Completion: Lectures, discussions in the class, group assignments, discussions on presented topics in Moodle, and learning diary
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.9.–11.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Outi Tanczos
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Suoritettuasi opintojakson hallitset Unkarin maantuntemuksen perustiedot ja omaksut unkarin kielen ja kulttuurin eri osa-alueiden keskeisimpiä kohtia.
Unkarin maantuntemuksen perustiedot sijoitamme itäisen Keski-Euroopan kontekstiin. Unkarin maantuntemuksen keskeisimmistä asioista nostamme esille mm. seuraavat: Unkarin maantieteelliset alueet, historia ja nykyaika, unkarin kieli menneisyydessä ja nykyään, unkarilaisen kulttuurin tärkeimpiä tekijöitä.
Lisätietoa / More information Kanditasoinen kurssi; linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 6.9.–13.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Outi Tanczos
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Tunnistat unkarilaisen kulttuurin, historian ja yhteiskunnan erikoispiirteitä ja niiden vuorovaikutusta.
Opintojaksossa keskitytään kulttuurin, historian tai yhteiskunnan erikoiskysymyksiin tai näiden välisiin yhteyksiin.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 30.10.–14.12.2023
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Ira Jänis-Isokangas, Sari Autio-Sarasmo
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opiskelija tunnistaa Venäjän historiaan ja kulttuuriin liittyviä ominaispiirteitä. Opiskelija tunnistaa Venäjän historiaan liittyviä kehityskulkuja sekä jatkumoita menneisyydestä nykypäivään.
Lisätietoa / More information Kanditasoinen kurssi; linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.9.–11.12.2023
Ma 12-14 Metsätalo, B524 (sali 26)
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson jälkeen olet hankkinut perustiedot Viron yhteiskunnasta ja kulttuurista. Osaat tulkita virolaisen kulttuurin ilmiöitä ja analysoida yhteiskuntaa kuulumisen käsitteen avulla. Tunnet Viron historian keskeiset vaiheet ja tapahtumat ja osaat tarkastella Viroa ja virolaista kulttuuria alueellisessa kontekstissa. Osana opintojaksoa olet harjoitellut argumentaatiotaitoja.
Opintojakso tarjoaa katsaukseen Viron kulttuuriin ja yhteiskuntaan laajassa merkityksessä. Opintojakson teoreettisena ja käsitteellisenä kehyksenä toimii kuuluminen. Opintojakso jakautuu kolmeksi temaattiseksi kokonaisuudeksi: Viron asukkaat ja kuuluminen, kulttuuri ja kuuluminen sekä Viron alueellinen kuuluminen.
Lisätietoa / More information Kanditasoinen kurssi; linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 8.-20.4.2024
Teaching will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Iryna Zbyr
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course is designed to offer an overview of Ukrainian literature from the 18th century to contemporary times. It will provide knowledge about Ukrainian literary heritage while discussing the philosophical, aesthetical, and political worldviews of individual poets and writers. The course will discuss Ukrainian literature in the context of Ukrainian history and society, while it will also address the styles and directions of European and world literature to show their influence on the development of Ukrainian literature. The course will also discuss screen adaptations of some of the best-known works of Ukrainian literature.
Course programme
Learning outcomes
After completing the course students will
Course requirements:
Active participation in teaching and final paper. The final paper will be turned in Moodle after the course.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 13.3.–6.5.2024
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Atina Nihtinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 22.1.–26.1.2024
Hybrid lecture course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Visiting lecturers
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course has three visiting international teachers:
Keywords: Identities, ethnicity, gender, conflict nationalism, religion, family
Learning goals
Lectures
Mon 22.1.2024
10:15-11:45 Rewriting Ethnic identities in post-Soviet Ukraine: Art, Literature and the Intellectual Debate (Marco Puleri)
16:15-17:45 From Russianness to Russophonia: Understanding the impact of the war on the framing of ethnic identities in post-Soviet Ukraine (Marco Puleri)
Tue 23.1.2024
10:15-11:45 Conflicts, Ethnicity, Nationalism and Religion in the Caucasus : Grounding the Region [Part I]. (David Matsaberidze)
16:15-17:45 Studying Ethnic and Gender Identities in Caucasus region, part I (Medea Badashvili)
Wed 24.1.2024
10:15-11:45 Conflicts, Ethnicity, Nationalism and Religion in the Caucasus : Grounding the Region [Part II] (David Matsaberidze)
16:15-17:45 Studying Ethnic and Gender Identities in Caucasus region, part II (Medea Badashvili)
Thu 25.1.2024
10:15-11:45 Politicization of History and Ethnicity in the Caucasus (David Matsaberidze)
16:15-17:45 Gender, Family and Religion in post-socialist environment (Medea Badashvili)
Fri 26.1.2024
10:15-11:45 Politicization of History and Ethnicity in the Caucasus (David Matsaberidze)
16:15-17:45 Politics of Global Health: Social determinants of Health and social inequality in health care (Medea Badashvili)
Moodle course area including a link to an online meeting room will become available for students on the starting day of the course.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.3.–29.4.2024
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Justyna Pierzynska
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 12.3.–23.4.2024
The course is organised in a hybrid format. The lectures in Helsinki will be conducted in person and simultaneously broadcast on Zoom. Each lecture contains a 45-30 minute component reserved for discussion, where initially the students divide into smaller groups to deliberate, with the expectation that they then share their insights with the rest of the class.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Karoliina Pulkkinen and Sari Autio-Sarasmo
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course maps the trajectory of the modest circumstances of science and technology in late Imperial Russia towards a substantial science system that the Soviet Union was known for. By tracking the influence of the WWI experience and Bolsheviks’ early science policy, we gain insight on how pure and applied research was organised into a vast network of research institutes, where these developments paved the way for space travel and military applications of unforeseen scope. After providing a closer look into chemistry, physics, geography, and biology, students are encouraged to examine the relationship between science, society, and politics in a context where science and technology simultaneously enjoyed both tremendous state support and ideological interference.
Learning outcomes
Examination
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 13.-2.5.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Eemil Mitikka
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
”Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis for Area Studies and Social Sciences” provides students of humanities and social sciences an opportunity to learn and update their quantitative data analysis skills. The course offers also a beginner-friendly introduction to the programming language R. During the course, students learn how to perform the data analysis process from beginning to end independently with R using real datasets relevant to area studies and social sciences. Students will also get ideas on where to find quantitative data relevant to their research work and gain insights on how to apply these data in practice. This course is a suitable introduction to those who have no previous experience in R and/or analyzing quantitative data, and are interested in enhancing these skills.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to perform data analysis with R independently. In practice, this process includes the steps of
Since this is an introductory course for students with little to no experience with quantitative methods and R, modeling is left out of the scope of the course. However, after taking this course and knowing the basic data analysis workflow, students will be ready to take R courses covering this and other more advanced topics.
Timetable of the course
Instructions for completing the course
The course consists of 13 lectures. About half of these are thematic and the other half workshop-oriented lectures. Thematic lectures introduce new topics and give assignments related to these, and workshop lectures are used to go through and troubleshoot the assignments together. To successfully pass the course, students must return all the assignments given during the course.
The course can be taken entirely either in the online format, by partly attending the contact teaching and partly online (hybrid model), or by participating only in contact teaching.
Before the first lecture, students are expected to install R and RStudio to their personal/study computer and to perform a small warm-up of task. R and RStudio are open-source and free technologies, and they can be installed also to University of Helsinki computers. More detailed installing instructions will be given on the Moodle page of the course for the registered course participants.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 16.1.–27.2.2024
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Heli Reimann
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.3.–15.4.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marina Vituhnovskaja-Kauppala
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
-
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 16.1.–27.2.2024
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Inna Häkkinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.3.–3.5.2024
Online course
18.03.2024 13.00 - 14.00 Online Course Orientation
20.03.2024 09.00 - 11.00 MS306 Lecture
22.03.2024 09.00 - 11.00 MS306 Lecture
05.04.2024 12.00 - 14.00 Online Lecture
09.04.2024 13.00 - 15.00 Online Lecture
16.04.2024 13.00 - 15.00 MS306 Seminar
18.04.2024 13.00 - 15.00 Online Lecture
03.05.2024 09.00 - 12.00 Online Lecture, Seminar
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Jussi Kauhanen, Sohaib Khan
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Through this online course, students will obtain basic understanding of various regional health-related changes and trend that have followed the collapse of the Soviet Union since early 1990s. Main focus is in Russia and other former Soviet states, but some of the content covers also the larger geopolitical region in which Soviet Union had immediate influence until 1980s. Post-change trends in public health are reviewed, as well as challenges of current population health and future public health prospects in the region. Public health implications of the Russian war and aggression against Ukraine is one of the topics/modules during the course.
Foundations of public health, such as food safety, health systems, and environmental health in the region are visited. A general goal is to underline the link between social, political, economic, and cultural changes on one hand, and public health on the other. The course will help students with little prior experience in health sciences to independently examine public health data and reports. More advanced students of public health may develop their skills in updating health-related data on different macro-regions, for which the former Soviet Union makes an interesting historical example. The Russian-instigated war in Ukraine makes a brutal but also and interesting public health case of study for this course. Generally, the course aims at students finding out not only data on health problems in the region, but also encouraging them to look for possible policy suggestions and solutions of how to tackle existing and emerging challenges.
Generic skills: A multidisciplinary look into the specific social and public health development in Eurasian macroregion that was once known as the Sovien Union and its immediate sphere of influence. One of the courses in which digital health data sources become familiar.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 17.1.2024–24.4.2024
Opetus järjestetään hybridiopetuksena.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anna Kyppö
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opiskelija tutustuu slaavilaisiin kieliin ja kansoihin. Kurssilla tutkitaan eri slaavilaisten kielten rakenteita vertaillen lähisukukieliä (esim. länsislaavilaisia, etelä- ja itäslaavilaisia kieliä). Kurssilla tutustutaan slaavilaisten kansojen historiaan ja kulttuuriin slaavilaisten kielten puhujien näkökulmasta. Kurssi sopii myös muiden kielten sekä humanististen tieteiden opiskelijoille.
Suoritustavat
Luennot ja harjoitukset, ryhmätyöskentely, slaavilaisten vieraiden esitelmät omasta maasta, kielistä ja kulttuurista, reflektiivinen oppimispäiväkirja.
Kurssin käytyään opiskelija kykenee
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivuille
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.1.-22.3.2024
The course will take place in the spring term 2024. The course will be organized by Tampere University and University of Helsinki.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anatoly Pinsky
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course examines the essays, speeches, and other texts of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian political leaders, and does so using the tools of several disciplines: history, literature, and political science. Our focus will be on texts on empire and the national question, as well as on Ukraine wherever possible. The course will be discussion-based; each week students will closely read and discuss one or more texts by a Soviet or Russian leader. In the first, introductory session the instructor will set the stage with a lecture on the role of political oratory and writing in the tsarist period as well as in the wider global context. Each subsequent session will be devoted to the texts of a single political leader, beginning with Vladimir Lenin. In discussing the readings we will pay close attention to continuity and change as regards central themes and the genres in which they are expressed, e.g., the journal article, speech, published diary entry, and so on. We will close with a discussion of texts by Vladimir Putin, including the two speeches he delivered, on February 21 and 24, 2022, on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Our goal in this course will be not only to provide context with which to better understand Putin’s words, but also to reveal the historical significance of political oratory and writing in the Soviet Union, Russia, and beyond.
Learning outcomes
This course aims to be of value to two sets of students: those who seek to pursue academic careers and those who seek to pursue non-academic careers (e.g., to work in government, for cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations, etc.). Students who wish to become academics in the Russian/Eurasian field will be introduced to important questions scholars ask of key periods in twentieth-century Russian/Eurasian history and of classic primary sources. Students who seek to pursue careers in policy, culture, and so on, will be trained in habits of mind useful for all professionals, including how to make sense of data that tells a variety of stories, professionally work through difficult questions with colleagues, and clearly and concisely express one’s arguments in writing.
Lecture titles
For all meetings (except the first, introductory session) students will read roughly 50 pages. Shortly following the final session students will be required to submit a short essay, described at the end of the schedule below.
Final Essay
Shortly after the last session students will be required to submit an essay of 1,000–1,200 words, roughly the length of an opinion piece, in reply to the following question: To what extent may Vladimir Putin’s speeches of February 21 and 24, 2022, be seen as in continuity with earlier patterns of Russian and Soviet history? Students may respond in different ways; they may take a middle road, pointing to both continuity and change, or they may argue more forcefully for one or the other. The essays should draw in detail on course readings, although outside texts, both primary and secondary, may be used as well.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 9.1.-20.2.2024
Kurssin opetus pidetään 9.1.2024 alkaen tiistaisin klo 14-16.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Reeta E. Kangas ja Jenniliisa Salminen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Kurssilla tutustutaan sodan ja rauhan tematiikkaan venäjänkielisessä kirjallisuudessa sekä tarkastellaan venäjänkielistä kirjallisuutta laajana käsitteenä, johon sisältyy venäjänkielisiä kulttuureita myös nykyisen Venäjän valtion rajojen ulkopuolella, kuten Ukrainassa ja Valko-Venäjällä. Tematiikkaa tarkastellaan osana kirjallisuuden eri lajeja, kuten kertomuksissa, romaaneissa, runoissa ja sarjakuvissa. Kirjallisuusesimerkit ajoittuvat aina 1800-luvulta nykypäivään ja sijoittuvat entisen Venäjän keisarikunnan ja Neuvostoliiton alueille.
Osaamistavoitteet:
Kurssi tutustuttaa opiskelijoita venäjänkieliseen kirjallisuuteen sekä valmentaa heitä pohtimaan kirjallisuuden tematiikkoja erilaisissa historiallisissa, yhteiskunnallisissa ja kulttuurisissa konteksteissa. Kurssilla käsiteltävä kirjallisuus avaa opiskelijoille näkymiä venäjänkielisen kirjallisuuden alueelliseen laajuuteen ja venäjän kielen merkitykseen kielenä, joka on elinvoimainen myös Venäjän federaation ulkopuolella. Opiskelijat syventävät osaamistaan jäsentää ajatuksiaan kirjallisesti tieteellisiä konventioita noudattaen ja harjaantuvat kriittisen keskustelun käymisessä.
Aikataulu:
Kurssi järjestetään kevätlukukaudella 2024, 3. periodin aikana. Kurssi käsittää 7 hybridiopetuksena toteutettavaa luentoa, mikä mahdollistaa myös etäopinnot. Luentoihin liittyy oheislukemistoa. Opiskelijat kirjoittavat kolme pienimuotoista kirjoitelmaa kurssin tematiikkaan liittyvistä aiheista. Kirjoitelmat palautetaan kurssin aikana.
Suoritusohjeet:
Opetukseen osallistuminen (paikan päällä tai etänä), oheislukemiston lukeminen ja 3 pienimuotoisen kirjoitelman laatiminen. Kurssin voi suorittaa joko lähi- tai etäopintoina. Kurssin opetuskielenä on suomi. Kurssin oheislukemisto on alkuperäiskieleltään venäjänkielistä, mutta opiskelijoille tarjotaan materiaalista suomen- tai englanninkieliset käännökset. Oheislukemisto julkaistaan kurssin alussa.
Kurssin arviointi:
Kurssisuoritus arvioidaan opiskelijoiden kirjallisten töiden pohjalta. Osallistumisaktiivisuus tunneilla voi vaikuttaa arvosanaan korottavasti.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place Spring 2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Mari Pajala ja Pia Koivunen + guest lecturers
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Since its beginning in 1956, The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has been entangled with the history of Europe. Originally a Western European event in the context of the Cold War, the ESC has expanded to include former socialist countries of Eastern Europe since the 1990s. Eastern European countries have used the ESC to represent themselves to an international audience and negotiate their place in Europe. At the same time, political struggles and tensions within Europe have played out in the ESC: shifting relations between East and West Europe, questions about LGBTQ+ representation, and international conflicts have all been debated around the ESC. Currently, Russia’s war in Ukraine is reshaping the contest, with Ukraine’s overwhelming win and Russia expulsion from the contest in 2022. Over the past two decades, research on Eurovision’s cultural and political significance has developed in many disciplines, including history, media studies, musicology, area studies, gender and sexuality studies, and others.
The course examines the ESC in the context of history and media studies, asking how have the politics of Eurovision in Eastern Europe developed from the Cold War era to the current era of conflict between Russia and the “West”, and from the era of television to the era of online media. The course brings together scholars working on the Eurovision Song Contest and Eastern Europe, focusing on themes such as Eurovision and nation branding, LGBTQ+ rights, the role of new media technologies in transnational media events and the strategic use of Eurovision in e.g. Ukraine and Russia.
The course consists of lectures as well as group work where students work on case studies of their own building on the themes of the lectures.
Learning outcomes:
After completing the course, a student understands the political significance of mega-events and popular media culture in contemporary Europe. The student can analyze cultural, social and political meanings of major cultural events and gains understanding of the long-term development of one of the best known and popular cultural events in Europe.
Programme:
Assignments: Group work & structured learning diary
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.1.–22.2.2024
Online course
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Heta Hurskainen and Teuvo Laitila
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
Upon completing the study unit, a successful student will:
Course description
The course deals with church–state relations and the state’s religious policy in the Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, and other Eastern European countries from 1917 to 2023, with particular emphasis on the post-Soviet period. The history of Russian and Soviet Jewish policy, the Holocaust in Ukraine, and antisemitism in post-second world war times, particularly in Ukraine will be discussed at the course.
Lectures
Completion
Lectures including discussions, assignments (written reflections on lectures and what has been learnt), written assignment (Two to five different themes will be given, and students can choose one of these topics) and reading (approx. 300 pages)
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place Period IV, 2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Lina Klymenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The students will explore the manifold ways of how political actors shape foreign policy through references to past events. By taking examples from Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Baltic countries, Central Europe and Southeast Europe), we will discuss a number of mechanisms that shed light on the link between memory practices and foreign policy in a complex and reciprocal way, and we will link the memory concept to the notions of security, language, gender, identity, trauma, justice, law, and the like.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 17.1.–28.2.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katja Kahlina
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning goals
The students will learn about the recent rise of anti-gender politics in CEE and Southeast Europe and its complex relationship with right-wing populism. In addition to learning about key strategies and discourses used by anti-gender actors, the students will gain insights into transnational links among actors from Eastern and Western Europe, USA, and Russia. They will learn to grasp the interactions across the West/East divide and to see anti-gender politics as a wider transnational phenomenon.
Course outline
The course will explore the current rise of anti-gender politics in Eastern Europe and beyond. It will provide a detailed insight into the strategies and discourses used in opposing LGBTI+ rights and the concept of gender. At the same time, the aim of the course is to critically examine transnational networks of anti-gender actors across the West-East geopolitical divisions and their links with contemporary right-wing populist politics. Special attention will also be given to the recent use of anti-gender arguments in legitimizing Russian war of aggression against the Ukraine.
The course consists of 20 contact hours divided in 7 meetings (one per a week):
Completion: Attending to lectures, mandatory reading for each lecture, discussions, final exam
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 12.3.–25.4.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Kristiina Silvan
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.01.2024 - 22.02.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Teuvo Laitila, Heta Hurskainen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course deals with church–state relations and the state’s religious policy in the Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, and other Eastern European countries from 1917 to 2023, with particular emphasis on the post-Soviet period. Each year possible lecture examines a variety of changing topics regarding religion and politics in an about Ukraine.
Upon completing the study unit, a successful student will:
Generic skills that will be learnt in this course include Internationality, Ethics, Interaction and communication, knowledge processing, reflection, and argumentation.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 16.1.–30.4.2024
Ti 10-12 Päärakennus, U3040
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson jälkeen sinulla on perustiedot sosialistisen yhteiskunnan eri vaiheista Virossa. Olet perehtynyt virolaiseen arkikulttuuriin ja jokapäiväiseen elämään Neuvosto-Virossa. Osaat tarkastella kriittisesti neuvostovirolaisen yhteiskunnan ristiriitoja eri aineistojen ja lähteiden perusteella. Osana opintojaksoa olet harjoitellut argumentaatiotaitoja.
Opintojakson yhteydessä perehdytään arkikulttuuriin ja jokapäiväiseen elämään Neuvosto-Virossa. Siinä käsitellään virallisen ja epävirallisen tason ristiriitoja sekä analysoidaan tekstien ja käytäntöjen avoimia ja piileviä merkityksiä. Opintojakson aikana tarkastellaan kansalaisten ja muiden yhteiskunnallisten toimijoiden kokemuksia, valintoja ja toimintaa Neuvosto-Virossa.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 9.4.–3.5.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marianna Muravyeva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Would you like to know about gender and anti-gender movement? What makes Eastern European countries resist human rights of women and LGBTQI+ peoples' rights? Come and join the discussion
This course asks how do gender (in)equalities work in Russia and Eastern Europe? What are the main challenges to implementation of human rights of women and LGBTQI+ people in these countries? What are the reasons for strong anti-gender movements and gender-sensitive policy backsliding? These and more issues will be discussed using feminist lenses and localised gender studies theories and frameworks. Therefore, this course examines the main tenets, methodologies, and controversies in gender development of Russia and Eastern Europe including the meaning of equality, the intersection of race and law, the public/private divide, concepts of objectivity and neutrality, and how gender is central to reproducing hierarchies while also having the ability to contribute to significant social change. We will also analyse debates regarding essentialism, women’s sexual agency, masculinity, and concepts of the family and basic rights of citizenship.
Using these methodologies we then examine a number of areas of gender development including equal protection, reproductive rights, the sex trade, work family issues, and violence. The goal of the course is to think broadly and critically regarding the interaction of law, society, and gender taking into account regional diversities and different post-Soviet choices.
Attendance is compulsory at 75%: first and last class attendance is required.
Conduct of the course
The course involves problem-based learning and suggests active student involvement and preparation to each class. The structure of the class is: introductory lecture following discussion and group-based activities for students to be able to apply lecture material to problem-solving. The course also includes project-based work towards the final reflection paper.
The course finishes with Final reflection paper (30% of the grade):
Final paper on most acute gender-related issue in Russia and Eastern Europe: Students will be required to complete a final reflection paper (not more than 4,500 words including footnotes and references) analysing the problem in depth.
Assessment criteria: The final grade will be calculated based on meeting the course requirements. Submission of the final research paper is compulsory to pass the course. The grading scale of the course is 0-5. The highest grade is 5 and the lowest passing grade is 2.
In addition to class presentations and various video and audio materials, two main texts are to be a compulsory read:
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 10.01.2024 – 23.02.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Rinna Kullaa
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course consists of lectures. We study historical works and historians of Ukraine published in English language or in English translation as well as additional primary sources written by experts. The course addresses core questions of how Ukraine´s statehood and identity was formed and cemented. We discover how Ukraine´s history has been impacted by economic, political, societal and international relations developments and begin our examination from the 17th century onwards. The course deals with the emergence of post-imperial Soviet Union from the perspective of Ukraine´s development and also the contribution Ukrainian historical figures made towards the USSR. We examine the post-Soviet transition towards democracy. Key topics including the Orange Revolution (2004-2005) and Euromaidan (2013-2014) uprisings as well as Nato´s 2008 Bucharest summit to shed light on the nature of development of Ukraine as a regional and international actor. We consider the relationship between Ukraine´s post-Communist development and the European Union and international politics. We examine the ongoing Russia´s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.2.–1.3.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marianna Muravyeva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Learning outcomes
This course introduces students to human rights protection in the Global East with the focus on post-Soviet countries from an interdisciplinary perspective. During the course, we will examine how human rights can still be protected in the situations of authoritarian governments and conflicts in the region. We will particularly focus on three main issues: 1. how human rights lawyers and activists give legal aid to victims while facing legal obstacles to their work; 2. how post-Soviet countries have built national human rights institutions; 3. how post-Soviet countries has interact with international human rights institutions within the region and, especially, with the EU (such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe) and UN (mostly UNDP).
The course will enable students to critically reflect upon a) the relation between political reform and human rights violations and b) the strategies of human rights defense in a semi-authoritarian political systems and alternatives in transitional rule-of-law states. Students of law will learn to analyse key human rights issues through theories of social change, activism, public interest litigation, and social movement theory. The course will furthermore enhance students’ understanding of how lawyers make difficult choices: whom to represent when funding is scarce and how to deal with harassment and legal obstacles. Students will also learn how familiar legal strategies such as strategic litigation, international litigation, and legal mobilisation operate within the post-Soviet context. Through class discussions students should develop a critical understanding of human rights practice versus human rights law. The final essay will enhance the students’ ability to write a critical essay about a current human rights issue.
Content
The course consists of lectures. Each lecture focuses on one of the major human rights issues in Russia today. Students are expected to read a selection of journal articles in preparation of each lecture.
Learning materials
In addition to legislation, policy documents and reports, literature:
Completion methods
Contact teaching (28 hours). Participation is based on engagement in classroom discussion and attendance.
Each student should write research paper as a final exam, using the obligatory reading material and academic literature. The essay should be driven by a research question. Each student will propose their topic to the instructor.
The research essay should be 14-15 pages (12 pt. times new roman, 1,5 spaced, 4000–5000 words).
Activities and teaching methods in support of learning
The course is based on problem-based learning and suggests active student involvement and preparation to each class. The structure of the class is: introductory lecture following discussion and group-based activities for students to be able to apply lecture material to problem-solving. The course also includes project-based work on the gender expertise paper to learn specific policy skills to assess policy and legal documents. The course is skills-based and focused on students learning via problem-solving and critical thinking methods.
Assessment practices and criteria
Class participation 30%
Assignments (quizzes and small essays): 40%
Research project 30%
Assessed on the general scale.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.3.–3.5.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katri Pynnöniemi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content -
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 23.1.–22.2.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Jarno Hänninen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 17.1.–24.4.2024
Ke 10-12 Metsätalo, B402 (sali 18)
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson suoritettuasi olet perehtynyt kulttuurisen muistin käsitteeseen ja merkitykseen Virossa. Osaat tarkastella Viron kulttuurista muistia laajemmassa alueellisessa ja yhteiskunnallisessa kontekstissa ja analysoida Viron menneisyyttä suhteessa kulttuuriseen muistiin. Kykenet analysoimaan Viron kulttuurista muistia eri muistivälineiden kuten kirjallisuuden, elokuvan ja rituaalien pohjalta. Osana opintojaksoa olet harjoitellut argumentaatiotaitoja.
Opintojakso rakentuu kulttuurisen muistin käsitteen ympärille. Viron kulttuurista muistia tarkastellaan laajemmassa alueellisessa ja yhteiskunnallisessa kontekstissa sekä analysoidaan suhteessa Viron menneisyyteen. Opintojakso lähestyy kulttuurista muistia Virossa eri muistivälineiden kautta. Käsitteellistä pohdintaa havainnollistetaan käytännön esimerkkien avulla. Kulttuurisen muistin välineinä analysoidaan esimerkiksi kirjallisuutta, elokuvaa, rituaaleja ja kulttuuriperintöä.
Lisätietoa / More information Linkki kurssisivulle
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.1.–1.3.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Daria Kondakova
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
tba
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.1.–3.5.2024
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) N.N.
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson suorittanut opiskelija on saanut yleiskuvan Romanian historiasta ja yhteiskunnasta. Hänellä on valmiudet laajentaa tietojaan näistä aiheista ja seurata ajankohtaisia tapahtumia Romaniassa.
Lisätietoa / More information Note! Bachelor-level course. Link to the course page
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.1.–29.4.2024
Ma 10-12 Metsätalo, B312 (sali 9).
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakson jälkeen tiedät Viron kirjallisuuden kehitysvaiheet, perusteokset ja keskeiset kirjailijat eri aikakausilta. Osaat analysoida Viron kirjallisuuden kehitystä laajemmassa kulttuurikontekstissa ja yhteiskunnallisessa kontekstissa. Olet lukenut erilaisten kirjailijoiden tuotantoa ja harjaantunut pohtimaan lukemaasi.
Opintojakso tarjoaa kronologisen katsauksen Viron kirjallisuuden kehitykseen, käsittelee keskeisiä kirjailijoita, heidän teoksiaan ja niihin liittyvää kirjallisuuden tutkimusta. Opintojakson aikana luetaan ja analysoidaan eri aikakausien kirjailijoiden kaunokirjallisia tekstejä.
Lisätietoa / More information Kanditasoinen kurssi, Linkki kurssisivulle