| Unit name | Russia and the World, 1991 - present |
|---|---|
| Unit code | RUSS30083 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Connor Doak |
| 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 | Department of Russian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit examines Russia’s place in the contemporary world in terms of culture, politics, and international relations. What does it mean to be ‘Russian’ today? What, if anything, went ‘wrong’ in the 1990s, and how is the legacy of the 1990s seen in Russia today? To what extent is contemporary Russian culture an extension of government policy, and is there room for a critique of the government? What motivates contemporary Russian foreign policy, including the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022? How have other countries in the orbit of the Russian Federation sought to deal with the legacy of Russian imperial and Soviet power? You will aim to answer these questions through explorations of set texts including literary texts, films, documentary, and memoirs. This unit treats national identity, political systems, and international relations holistically in relation to literature, culture, and film. The unit, therefore, will require you to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries to understand Russia today. Moreover, you will also think beyond national borders, as you consider Russia as a transnational actor, and recognize and de-construct the boundary work that underlies notions such as ‘Russianness’.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit provides an in-depth interdisciplinary study of contemporary Russia, from a cultural and political (and to lesser degree social and economic) perspective. The unit builds on themes discussed and skills acquired in our Y2 units, particularly in terms of national identity and Russia’s relationship with the wider world. It also provides a natural extension to your Year Abroad, providing you with an intellectual language to process and discuss your experiences in Russia. The unit dovetails nicely with Russian Language 3, where you will learn about contemporary Russia in the context of the advanced language classroom.
An overview of content
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, many thought it historically inevitable that Russia would follow the lead of the West. Francis Fukuyama spoke of ‘the end of history’, signalled by the global triumph of capitalism and liberal democracy. Yet many Russians experienced the 1990s as a decade of chaos, with growing inequality, social deprivation, and humiliation on the world stage. As one observer quipped, the ‘shock therapy’ of capitalism had resulted in ‘too much shock, not enough therapy’. El'tsin’s unexpected resignation in 1999 created an opportunity for Putin, his named successor, to lead Russia in a different direction. At home, Putin tamed the oligarchs, clipped the wings of his state media, and bolstered the power of the presidency, reinventing a strong national identity for Russia under authoritarian leadership. Abroad, he antagonized the West, carved out a Eurasian – rather than European – destiny for Russia, and developed a belligerent foreign policy, which culminated with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In this unit, you will explore Russian culture, politics and society during this tumultuous period. Each week will be organized around a different topic. Topics will vary from year to year according to your interest / current events, but may include ‘Russia and the West’, ‘Russian National Identities’, ‘Minoritized groups in Russia’, ‘the Ukraine War’, ‘LGBTQ+ Russians’, ‘Russia and the Age of (Dis)Information’. Each of these topics will be studied through a combination of primary sources. A mixture of approaches from literary/cultural studies, history and politics will be used. You will also examine the legacy of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union across the post-Soviet space, especially the Baltics, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, where you will have spent your Year Abroad.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Studying contemporary Russia from the vantage point of the West makes for a fascinating journey. This unit gives you an opportunity not only to look critically at Russia, but also to see your own society and culture through Russian eyes. You will also reflect on the enduring influence of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union on the surrounding states beyond Russia, and explore how many of these societies have sought to deal with this influence, a process of undoing that can be explored through the decolonial paradigm. In short, this unit equips/encourages you to become reflective, adaptive global citizens who are informed about the world around you and able to navigate cultural difference.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Each week, you will have a two-hour class that will include, broadly, four types of learning: lecture, discussion, student presentations and workshop.
Lectures: Lectures equip you with foundational subject knowledge. Far from being a passive mode of learning, lectures help you build critical analysis and evidence-gathering skills by modelling textual interpretation and posing key questions related to the discipline.
Discussion: Discussions are a student-centred mode of learning. In pairs or small groups, you will discuss key questions about the texts, developing, sharing and defending your own arguments.
Presentation: All students will deliver a presentation on one of the topics. Through participation in presentations, both as a presenter and an audience member, you will become familiar with the key critical debates on the topic, and learn to engage with and critique existing ideas. You will also sharpen your presentation skills.
Workshop: Workshops are dedicated to a specific skill, such as academic writing or giving a presentation. Workshops are held occasionally, usually in advance of assessment.
Beyond the classroom, you will devote much time to primary and secondary reading and viewing. You should expect to read a large number and variety of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include literary fiction, memoirs, political speeches, etc. Secondary sources will include books and scholarly articles. Reading is sometimes misunderstood as a ‘passive’ activity, but engaged reading is an active process, as you will not only be expanding your subject knowledge, but developing your sense of empathy and judgement.
In total, you will have 22 hours of class teaching and 178 hours of independent learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
(1) Preparation for summative assessment 1. Students will meet in groups to plan their radio broadcast, receiving instructor input as well as peer feedback.
(2) Preparation for summative assessment 2. Students will prepare an introductory paragraph, including a thesis statement, and a bullet point plan for their final essay. Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback during a workshop.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The radio broadcast assignment and accompanying reflection is completed individually, but individuals will get some peer feedback from other students in the class when planning the assignment.
A list of possible topics will be provided.
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. RUSS30083).
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.
