Anthropology 426 Prof. David Kideckel
Spring, 2006 Kideckel@ccsu.edu
TR 9:30-11; 2-3
COURSE OUTLINE
OBJECTIVES: Eastern Europe figures large in our lives, though small in our comprehension. Both World Wars began there, the region was the main focus of the now-defunct Cold War and many issues remain since the end of communism. Ethnic conflict has been waged between various peoples and NATO troops remain in the region. The region’s economic stability is also far from clear. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland are now in the EU, but have clear labor problems. Other countries like Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and most of former Yugoslavia struggle in post-socialism with political instability, out-migration, and other social and demographic issues. The parts of the region formerly in the Soviet Union range from highly dynamic Estonia to neo-Stalinist, impoverished Belarus. Ukraine just experienced its Orange Revolution but is still politically unstable. It is thus imperative for our own national project that we understand this region and its peoples; who they are, and what shapes them.
This course considers life in East and Central Europe in anthropological perspective. As an anthropology course, our perspective focuses on culture and the interaction of various levels of social organization- international, national, and local-as they shape the culture and lives of real people in real settings This approach contrasts with, say, that of political scientists or economists who mainly deal with macro-level structures and processes. Your research paper should emphasize an anthropological approach.
FORMAT: Classes will combine lectures, film, discussions of assigned reading, current events, and other relevant topics. Class content and assignments are available on WebCT via Campus Pipeline. You will also be expected to make use of WebCT for our threaded discussion (see below), for e-mail contact between you, your classmates, and the instructor, and access to a variety of other resources and tools.
TEXTS AND READING: There are different reading requirements for Graduate and Undergraduate students. We have three texts and assigned readings from them are required of both G and UG students. There are also a number of on-line reserve readings required of all denoted by (R) in the course outline. Finally, there are a number of readings that are optional for UG students but required of G students. There are denoted by (G) on the course outline.
You can access on-line reserves from the CCSU Library Home page > Search Library Catalog (Consuls)> Course Reserves (Search by Instructor Name) >Kideckel> Anth 426> Particular Reading> PDF icon> insert student number and PIN to call up reading on to screen.
Alphabetically by author our class texts are:
Daphne Berdahl, Matti Bunzl and Martha Lampland, Eds 2000 Altering States: Ethnographies of Transition in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Ann Arbor: U. Michigan Press. (BBL in Course Outline; Where “Berdahl,” “Bunzl,” or “Lampland” are indicated this refers to e-reserve readings).
David Kideckel, 2007 Getting By in Post-Socialist Romania: Labor, the Body, and Working Class Culture. Indiana U. Press. Forthcoming (DK in Course Outline; Where “Kideckel” is indicated below, this refers to e-reserve.)
Katherine Verdery, 1996 What Was Socialism and What Comes Next. Princeton U. Press (KV in Course Outline; Where “Verdery” is indicated below, this refers to e-reserve.)
REQUIREMENTS: Your grade will be based on a mid-term and final exam (each 25% or 50% total); one 15-20 page term paper (25%); two Internet-based assignments (5% each, or 10%); and class participation (15%), which includes participation in a WebCT class discussion thread on events in and perceptions of Eastern Europe. The first Internet assignment asks you to review and briefly comment on comparative information about the region’s countries. The second asks you to compile a list of Internet- related resources to aid your research paper. All class requirements and other things of which you need to take special note are indicated in Bold in the course outline.
WEEKLY TOPICS, EVENTS, AND ASSIGNED READINGS
Wk Date Topic and Reading
I 1-24 Eastern Europe in Anthropological Perspective
KV, Introduction; (R) Kathleen Kuehnast, Ethnographic Encounters in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan; (G) Eniko Magyari-Vince, Am I That White
II 1-31 East Europe: Is Geography Destiny?
(R) Okey, Ch. 1-2; (R) Verdery, Development of the Habsburg State
(G) Seton-Watson, The Peasantry
Internet map assignment due February 1 (5%)
III 2-7 Eastern Europe as Other?
IV 2-14 Socialist Society: Origins, Culture, and Organization
V 2-21 Socialism: Contradictions and Collapse
(R) Kideckel, Socialism Comes to the Olt Land
(R) Kideckel, Working for Self, Working for Socialism
(R) Creed, Introduction to Domesticating Revolution
VI 2-28 What is Post-Socialism?
VII 3-7 Privatization and Changing
KV 6, DK 2; (G) Elizabeth Dunn, The Road to Capitalism
VIII 3-14 Labor, Consumption, and Belonging
DK 3-5 (R) D. Berdahl, The Spirit of Capitalism;
(G) Jennifer Patico, To Be Happy in A Mercedes
Film: Days of the Miners
Week of 3-21 SPRING BREAK
IX 3-28 Civil Society
KV 5; BBL, pp 14-39; (R)
X. 4-4 Gender and Post-Socialism: Plus ça change?
KV 3, (R) Gal, Feminism and Civil Society
XI. 4-11 Gender and Post-Socialism: Implications
DK 6, BBL, pp. 70-95
XII 4-18 Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity
KV 4; BBL, pp. 40-69; (R) Stewart, Deprivation and the Roma
XIII 4-25 Memory and Culture
BBL, pp. 96-157
XIV 5-2 The Future of East Europe
DK 8-9; (R) Verdery, Beyond the Nation
XV 5-9 Summary and Discussion of Research Papers (Th)
No reading assignment
Papers due Tuesday, May 9 (25%)
Tuesday, May 16, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Final Exam (25%)