37561 - National Political Movements in East-Central Europe

Learning outcomes

This interdisciplinary – sociology, political science and history – designed course Student is expected to deep and broad their understanding of core political and sociological concepts and available theoretical approaches concerning globalisation and nationalism. Student is expected to also learn how to explore sociological, political, economic, historical, cultural and ethical aspects of these two probably most salient phenomena of this era.

Course contents

Breakup of the Communist Bloc: the main actors and theoretical tools for its’ analysis. The main theoretical perspectives of collective action. Political opportunity, collective action frames, mobilizing structures, new social movements.Theories of nationalism. Unobtrusive practices of contention. Gorbachevian reforms. Perestroika in Lithuania. The beginning of Sąjūdis. Dynamics of political opportunity in Lithuania. Collective action frames. Sąjūdis: resource mobilization and forms of protest. Mobilizing structures: organizing Sąjūdis. Typology of the revolutionary processes. Current sociopolitical developments in the Baltic states.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Beissinger, M.R. (1996). How Nationalisms Spread: Eastern Europe Adrift the Tides and Cycles of Nationalist Contention // Social Research. 1996. Vol.63. No.1.
2. Berglund S. and Aarebrot F. (1997) The Political History Of Eastern Europe In the 20th Century. Cheltenham: Edvard Elgar.
3. Bianchini, S. (2015) Eastern Europe and the Challenges of Modernity, 1800–2000 Routledge
4. Bulota, R (2008) National Movements in Central East Europe Kaunas, Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas.
5. Bulota. R. (2011) “Soviet Lithuania:a Failed Conservative Experiment?”, Lithuanian Historical studies, No.15 , 2010, Lithuanian Institute of History, p.3-11.
6. Johnston, H. and C. Mueller (2001). Unobtrusive Practices Of Contention in Leninist Regimes // Sociological Perspectives. 2001. Vol.44. No.3.
7. Lapidus, G.W., V. Zaslavsky ir P. Goldman (eds.) (1992). From Union to Commonwealth: Nationalism and Separatism in the Soviet Republics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8. Lieven, A. (1994) The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the path to independence.
9. McAdam, D., McCarthy, J.D., Zald, M.N. (eds.) (1996) Comparative Perspectives on Social Movements Cambridge University Press
10. Norkus, Zenonas (2012) On Baltic Slovenia and Adriatic Lithuania: qualitative comparative analysis of patterns in post-communist transformation Vilnius: Apostrofa; Budapest: Central European University Press, 2012.
11. Piirimäe, K. and Mertelsmann, O. (eds.) (2018) Baltic states and the end of the Cold War Berlin: Peter Lang
12. Senn, A. E. (1995) Gorbachev's failure in Lithuania. New York: St.Martin’s Press.
13. Snow, D.A., Soule, S.A., Kriesi H. (eds.) (2007) The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements Wiley-Blackwell
14. Ulfelder, J. (2004) Baltic Protest in the Gorbachev Era: Movement Content and Dynamics // The Global Review of Ethnopolitics. 2004. Vol. 3. No. 3-4.
15. Vardys, S.V. and J.B. Sedaitis (1997). Lithuania: the Rebel Nation. Boulder: Westview Press.

Teaching methods

Introducing students to the processes of national revivals in the former Communist Bloc countries. Creating the synthetic theoretical perspective to analyze the uprising of nationalism and the breakup of the Communist Bloc. Theoretical and historical materials are presented at the lectures. Movies are being watched and analyzed. Students are receiving historical background of the processes in the former Communist Bloc and theoretical background in the theories of collective action and nationalism, getting analytical skills to use the synthetic theoretical perspective for explaining the national revival and the current developments in the Central East Europe.

Assessment methods

The research paper related to the course topics is to be prepared by the student.

Teaching tools

Microsoft teams.

Office hours

See the website of Rytis Bulota