Soviet State and Society, 1917-1991

Code

HIST2024

School

History

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Autumn UK

Summary

This module examines political, social, cultural and economic transformations in the Soviet Union from the October Revolution of 1917 to the collapse of the state in 1991. The course will look at the Soviet Union both from the top down (state-building strategies; leadership change; methods of political rule; economic and social policy) and from the bottom up (societal developments and the changing structures and practices of everyday life). It will pay particular attention to moments and sites of interaction between state and society.

Target Students

Studentsmust have taken HIST1001orHIST1002. Also available to exchange students hosted by the Department of History.

Classes

• One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
• One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks

Assessment

• 50% Coursework 1: Piece of individually assessed coursework
• 50% Coursework 2: Piece of individually assessed coursework

Assessed by end of autumn semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

a. Knowledge and understanding of: 
• the complexity of the relationship between socio-economic and political change in the Soviet Union  
• the motives, ideologies and objectives of various social, political and economic actors and interests existing in the Soviet Union  
• the multiplicity of different historians' responses to and interpretations of the development of Soviet state and society between the October Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Regime 
• the nature of history as a discipline 

b. Intellectual skills. 
By the end of the module students will be able to: 
• think critically and imaginatively about the course of Soviet history  
• engage with the key problems arising in the area of Soviet socio-economic, cultural and political history  
• read and evaluate critically primary source documents  
• assess and evaluate competing historical explanations put forward in the literature  
• construct coherent and independent arguments on the subject matter 

c. Professional/practical skills. 
The module will develop students' ability to:
• analyse information and arguments from a range of primary and secondary sources  
• provide appropriate footnotes and a bibliography in their essays  
• use IT to complete written assignments, and use the university Intranet to access the library catalogue 

d. Transferable skills: 
The module will also develop the students' ability to: 
• manage large, incomplete and disparate bodies of knowledge  
• develop oral and written communication skills  
• work with other students on the module researching in primary and secondary sources  
• take responsibility for their own learning  
• improve IT skills in word processing 

Conveners

• Dr Abigail Karas