| Unit name | Communism in Europe |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL30001 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Allinson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
How do societies operate when they are dominated by a single ideology, narrowly interpreted by an all-powerful elite, and rigidly policed to maintain the status quo? This was the situation across eastern Europe from 1945 to 1990 when the Soviet Union imposed communist rule in the aftermath of the Second World War. Though it is more than thirty years since communism collapsed, its aftermath continues to shape countries throughout the region and beyond. Historical work also increasingly reveals a much more nuanced history than previously anticipated – so this unit is an opportunity to develop your research skills and to contribute to a field whose history is anything but settled. Building our understanding of communist states of the past is also a contribution to understanding the importance of democratic structures and the place of the individual in society, for our own times and the future.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit allows you to develop and apply your research skills to a significant period of 20th century history which impacted states across Europe and much of the world in the Cold War. It builds on your skills of close textual reading and analysis, across a broad range of media types. You will encounter historical, political and cultural themes, and as a finalist pursue your own questions about them. Many students bring insights from their year abroad experiences, and explore aspects of diversity in society. You may also choose to explore communist states in other parts of the world.
An overview of content
The assessments you will undertake in this unit allow you to focus on themes and countries which particularly interest you. The unit provides the framework and context against which you can undertake your own research. In the workshops we will explore the underlying ideology of Marxism-Leninism as applied in the Soviet Union and its allied states; the political and economic systems of established communist states; aspects of society; repression and dissent; the collapse of state socialism in the 1980s; post-communist transition. The precise focus will arise in part from the issues which the group is most interested in pursuing.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
In covering a range of countries and topics, you will expand your knowledge and understanding of contemporary history, its contexts and debates about European identities. The unit challenges you to set your own agendas, to identify and formulate the questions, and to develop a strategy to complete your research project successfully. The comparative approach enhances your ability to construct typologies, and to appreciate the complexity and diversity of society within a country and across state boundaries. The assessments will challenge you to research, present, explain and evaluate this complexity using analytical approaches which have a direct relevance to many graduate roles. You will develop your confidence to work as part of a team in creating a presentation, and in completing a self-directed project with support from the unit director.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
This is a student-centred unit. It is designed for you to set your own agendas and to discover and research the history of communist eastern Europe, with a focus on the themes which interest you most, based on a solid foundation in the key issues and events. You can also choose to extend your research to cover communist countries beyond Europe. The backgrounds and contexts are introduced and discussed in the weekly two-hour workshop and in the materials on the Blackboard site, which prepare you for each class and provide follow-up activities. Each week’s workshop focuses on a particular aspect of the history of eastern Europe under communist rule and is centred on debate and exploration which help to prepare the skill sets required in the commentary assessment, due around the middle of the term. Student presentations develop research and presentation skills, and may help you to identify topics you wish to explore further for your research essay, due towards the end of the unit. In most weeks you can complete optional short exercises to help prepare for both formal assessments, with quick turnaround feedback.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MODL30001).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
