240128 VO+UE VM4 / VM5 - How Eastern Europe became White (2021S)

How can we understand and conceptualize racism (and whiteness) in Eastern Europe at the intersections of postcolonialism and postcommunism? While the study of racism in Eastern Europe has been often confined to the growing prevalence of populist nationalism and right-wing extremism, more current research engages with the contested history and presence of whiteness in Eastern Europe and furthers the understanding of the systemic nature of racism in the societies. The contradictions of whiteness have recently become visible for example by reports of Eastern Europeans becoming ‘targets of racism’ in Britain around the Brexit, while the adoption of a particular racialized articulation had earlier allowed these same people to seemingly integrate into British society as immigrants.
In order to understand the phenomenon of racism in the Eastern European context and how/why the debates surrounding it differ from Western (European) ones, it is necessary to (1) understand its ties to the contested idea of Europe, Eastern European identity and their historical changes, (2) engage with the history of the Holocaust and its impact on and meaning in Eastern European societies, (3) trace the relevance of the history of Soviet imperialism and the role of the communist state in the manufacturing of whiteness through both the discursive creation of an ideal ‘soviet citizen’ as well as concrete policies towards minorities and ‘guests’ from the ‘Third world’ and (4) – especially in the context of development – analyse the contradictory integration of Eastern Europe into the realms of ‘the postcolonial’ through, inter alia, development policy and discourse.
In the seminar, we will read selected theoretical texts on racism, whiteness and the intersections of postcolonialism and postcommunism and supplement them with readings on the aspects mentioned above as well as current case studies.
Students will develop an understanding of historical, political, social, and cultural factors influencing ‘Eastern European whiteness’ as well as current debates on and manifestations of racism in the region, with a special focus on the Visegrad countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary).