210082 SE G5 (Engl.): Politics and Society in Slovakia (2006S)

After a brief overview of the basic lines of historical developments on the territory of current Slovakia , the first part of the course is concerned with the findings and ideas about events and connections in the past of the country, which present-day historians consider most important for the analysis and interpretation of Slovak society and politics. Each of the main historical periods is examined, with particular attention given to the inter-relation between politics and economics and between the institutions and political culture. The second part of the course focuses on the developments in Slovak society after the end of communist regime. All the major Slovak policy areas are covered, but particular attention is given to those identified as central to the processes of democratization and European integration. Finally the course addresses the theoretical approaches which seek to explain the process of political and societal consolidation, and assesses their relevance and explanatory powers in the European context. A part of the course is the issues of sovereignty and changing relationship between the nation state and the EU.