Ideology and utopia in Eastern Europe with a focus on Russia

Course content

This course aims to explore the major streaks of political thinking in Eastern Europe in historical perspective. Eastern Europe, which during the 20th century was the laboratory of communist utopias and in our days witness the emergence of illiberal ideologies as contenders to liberal democratic ideology, is the ideal case for understanding the colossal transformative power of political concepts. 

The course will examine the East European – especially Russian - conceptual matrix for thinking about such basic categories as freedom and order, people and power, community and individuals, space and time, church and faith, war and violence. Teaching will be thematically and problematically structured, and the relevance for the present-day politics will always be in the focus.

The students will be introduced to the interdisciplinary framework for studying ideologies and utopias through the prism of conceptual history, morphological analysis of ideology, critical discourse analysis, and the broad array of cultural studies methods. They will learn, how to compare the Russian and other East European cases with the internationally pertinent ideas of populism, fundamentalism, nationalism, and other ideologies. Furthermore, the students will acquire skills to identify the evolution of the political ideas against the background of the historical legacies and cultural contexts.

Education

Curriculum for the Bachelor's programme in Eastern Europe studies, 2019 Curriculum

Curriculum for the elective studies in Eastern European Studies The 2019 Curriculum

Curriculum for Master's programme in Eastern European Studies, the 2021 Curriculum

Curriculum for the elective Master's programme in Eastern European Studies, the 2019 Curriculum

Curriculum for the minor subjects in russian Master's programme, the 2019 and 2021 Curriculum

 

Learning outcome

BA Østeuropastudier 2019-studieordning:
Valgfrit emne Russisk (aktivitetskode HRUB01351E)
BA-projekt Russisk (aktivitetskode HRUB01361E)

BA-tilvalg i Østeuropastudier 2019-studieordning:
Valgfrit emne A (aktivitetskode HØEB10171E)
Valgfrit emne B (aktivitetskode HØEB10181E)

KA Østeruopastudier 2021-studieordning:
Fordybelsesemne – Rusland (aktivitetskode HRUK03431E)
Særligt studeret emne - Rusland (aktivitetskode HRUK03471E)
Fordybelsesemne – Polen (aktivitetskode HPLK03431E)
Særligt studeret emne - Polen (aktivitetskode HPLK03471E)
Fordybelsesemne – Balkan (aktivitetskode HBAK03431E)
Særligt studeret emne - Balkan (aktivitetskode HBAK03471E)

KA-tilvalg Østeuropastudier 2019-studieordning:
Fordybelsesemne (aktivitetskode HØEK13551E)
Særligt studeret emne A (aktivitetskode HØEK13591E)
Særligt studeret emne B (aktivitetskode HØEK13592E)
Særligt studeret emne C (aktivitetskode HØEK13593E)

KA-sidefag i russisk 2019-studieordning:
Særligt studeret emne - Rusland (aktivitetskode HRUK03471E)

Exchange students BA level:
Individually Studied Topic A (activity code HØEB10171E)

Exchange students MA level:
Individually Studied Topic A (activity code HØEK13591E)

 

Lectures, discussions, student presentations

To be announced in Absalon

Written
Oral
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
ECTS
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Type of assessment details
Se studieordning her: https:/​/​hum.ku.dk/​uddannelser/​aktuelle_studieordninger/​oesteuropastudier/​
Examination prerequisites

Curriculum in Danish:

Østeuropastudier – Københavns Universitet

 

Aid
Only certain aids allowed (see description below)
ECTS
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Aid
All aids allowed
Criteria for exam assessment

Individually Studied Topic A [BA]

15 ECTS

Activity code: HØEB10171E

Academic targets

At the examination, the student can demonstrate:

  • Knowledge and understanding of
  • a specifically studied topic within East European literature, history, society or culture. 

 

Skills in:

  • carrying out a systematic literature search for the chosen topic and assessing the quality and views of the literature found
  • analysing sources
  • adopting a critical approach to both sources and secondary literature
  • using terminology and research methodology appropriate for the topic chosen
  • writing a well-structured presentation of the subject matter based on a clearly formulated issue.

 

Competencies in:

  • processing complex material with a view to understanding correlations and solving problems within the subject area studied
  • communicating complex contexts in good and nuanced Danish or English.

 

Syllabus

The student compiles his/her own syllabus of at least 1,200 standard pages. The syllabus must be approved by the examiner. See deadlines and rules for the submission of the syllabus to the Student Counselling Centre under Examination - Find time and place and Examination -Type of examination and rules - Syllabus.

Teaching and working methods

Seminar, class instruction or individual supervision.

Exam provisions

Form of exam: Take-home assignment, optional subject.

Scope: 16-20 standard pages.

Assessment: Internal exam with a single examiner with assessment based on the 7-point grading scale.

Regulations for group exams: The exam can only be taken individually.

Exam language(s): Danish or English.

Permitted exam aids: All.

Make-up exam/resit: Conducted in the same manner as the ordinary exam.

Special provisions: The topic for the take-home assignment must be approved by the examiner. 

ECTS
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Aid
All aids allowed
Criteria for exam assessment

Individually Studied Topic A 

15 ECTS

Activity code: HØEK13591E

 

Academic targets

At the examination, the student can demonstrate:

  • Knowledge and understanding of
  • a significant historical, cultural, linguistic or social theme within the region comprising Eastern Europe
  • academic terminology and theoretical approaches to this theme

 

Skills in:

  • formulating an academically relevant issue
  • identifying and applying relevant sources and secondary literature
  • adopting an analytical and critical approach to the sources used and to secondary literature
  • producing an independent analysis of the issue in writing

 

Competencies in:

  • using the relevant academic terminology in an extensive analysis
  • communicating the analysis in a coherent, written presentation

 

Syllabus

The student compiles his/her own syllabus of at least 1,500 standard pages. The syllabus must be approved by the examiner. See deadlines and rules for the submission of the syllabus to the Student Counselling Centre under Examination - Find time and place and Examination -Type of examination and rules - Syllabus.

 

Teaching and working methods

Lectures and seminars with discussion.

 

Exam provisions

Form of exam: Take-home assignment, optional subject.

Scope: 21-25 pages.

Assessment: Internal exam by a single examiner with assessment based on the 7-point grading scale.

Regulations for group exams: The exam can only be taken individually.

Exam language(s): Danish or English.

Permitted exam aids: All.

Make-up exam/resit: Conducted in the same manner as the ordinary exam.

Single subject courses (day)

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 84
  • Preparation
  • 328,5
  • English
  • 412,5

Kursusinformation

Language
English
Course number
HØEK0126EU
ECTS
See exam description
Programme level
Bachelor
Bachelor choice
Bachelor’s minor subject
Full Degree Master
Full Degree Master choice
Duration

1 semester

Placement
Autumn
Schedulegroup
See link below
Studyboard
Study Board of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Contracting department
  • Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Contracting faculty
  • Faculty of Humanities
Course Coordinator
  • Mikhail Suslov   (14-736f716e676f7234797b7972757c466e7b7334717b346a71)
Teacher

Mikhail Suslov, mikhail.suslov@hum.ku.dk
Ismar Dedovic, isde@hum.ku.dk

Saved on the 07-03-2025

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