Universität Wien

210092 SE BAK15: East European Studies (2021S)

Post-socialist trajectories in South-Eastern Europe. An introduction to comparative political economy (engl.)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
DIGITAL

Die Lehre wird im SoSe 2021 zu Beginn voraussichtlich digital stattfinden. Je nach Lage wird auf hybride oder Vor-Ort-Lehre umgestellt. Die Lehrenden werden die konkrete Organisationsform und Lehrmethodik auf ufind und Moodle bekannt geben, wobei auch mit kurzfristigen Änderungen gerechnet werden muss.

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Details

max. 50 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine

weekly ONLINE seminars on Monday morning from 09:45 to 11:15 on the following
dates:
08 March
15 March
22 March
12 April
19 April
26 April
03 May
10 May
17 May
31 May
07 June
14 June
21 June
28 June

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

The aim of this course is twofold. On the one hand, the course will introduce students to the political economy approach with a specific focus on the theories, methodologies and concepts used in the studies on the international political economy of South-Eastern Europe. Multidisciplinary in its research design and methods political economy has become one of the most vibrant perspective in the social sciences during the last decades and enjoy a significant attention also from scholars from the outside of the fields of Political Sciences or Economics. On the other hand, the course aims to demonstrate the explanatory power of the political economy approach by studying the trajectories of the countries from the South-Eastern European region. Here, a specific focus will be given to the understanding of the peripheral position of these countries within the European division of labor and its manifold socio-economic consequences and political impacts. The students will learn about the key similarities and differences between the peripheral development paths in South-Eastern Europe, and the factors behind the convergence and divergence dynamics.

Among the topics discussed in class are: transition vs. transformation debate, Washington Consensus; Varieties/Diversity of post-socialist capitalism; neo-Gramscian political economy; European integration and role of international multilateral organizations (Monetary Fund, World Bank), the role of foreign capital, uneven crisis exposure and vulnerabilities; geopolitical shifts and the rise of the far-right.

The course is based on the following methods:
- Reading of the texts
- In-class group work on the assigned texts
- Individual paper work

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

1) Regular presence and active participation in class work and discussions (15%)

2) Co-authored academic article report – team work (30%)

Students will be required to work in a group of 2 to 4 persons and choose one article from the proposed list of literature and make a short presentation of it. The aim here is not to make a summary of the paper, but to reconstitute its arguments and contributions and to reflect upon them. In this view, the chosen article should be situated and contextualized within the broader debates on the post-socialist development of Southeastern Europe. Then, students should discuss the key theoretical and methodological pillars of the article and present the main elements of its analysis/arguments. Finally, students should provide their own reflection on the article´s contributions, its analytical strengths and weaknesses.
The length of the paper is between 1400 and 1500 words, i.e., approx. 4.5 pages. The reports should be submitted by Tuesday 18 May.

3) Presentation of the academic article in class (15%)

Students are required to make a presentation on the chosen article in class, prepare a handout for other students and questions for the debate. The handout for other students should be max 1.5 pages and should contain the main arguments of the article and the key points of the analysis.

4) Co-authored research paper (40%)

Students are required to write in a group of 2 to 3 persons a shorter seminar paper on the chosen topic related to the development of capitalism in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The aim is to improve students` skills and methods in scientific research and writing, especially regarding the articulation of the research problem, the selection of an appropriate literature, the formation of the argument, and the organization of a research paper. The length of the research essay should be between 2200 and 2500 words.
The students should respect the following deadlines and assignments
- By Sunday, April 11, students should submit a research proposal on max 2 pages, containing a research question, students’ plan to answer it, i.e., research methods and theoretical framework, and the eventual answer to it, i.e., hypothesis.
- By Wednesday, 23 June, students should submit their final research papers.

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

No prior knowledge on economics, statistics or modelling is required or necessary to attend and follow the class.
The class will be held online. Students should prove their full presence by having their cameras on during the entire class.

Prüfungsstoff

Literatur

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Letzte Änderung: Mi 21.04.2021 11:26