Bachelor 2022/2023

Civil Society in a Comparative Perspective

Type: Elective course (Political Science and World Politics)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences

When: 3 year, 3, 4 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Dmitry V. Goncharov

Language: English

ECTS credits: 4

Contact hours: 32

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course is designed to provide students with the necessary theoretical and empirical background for study of the modern civil society. The focus of the in-class consideration and discussion is on civil spaces shaped by societal contexts resulted from the non-western, non-democratic historical past. Course will cover a broad set of issues including: conceptual history of civil society and discussion of the modern civil society theories; links between civil society, democracy, democratization and development; concept and practices of “illiberal” civil society; political implications of contemporary social movements; and dynamics of civil space in post-authoritarian, post-communist and post-colonial societies across the globe.

Learning Objectives

• The purpose of the course is to provide students with the comprehensive knowledge of the conceptual history of the civil society and its development in post-communist states.
• The purpose of this course is to provide students with better understanding of activities of various non-state and non-market actors and their role in modern societies.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the theoretical framework of comparative Civil Society studies and debate on Postcommunist civil society - the assumptions, 'tools' and limitations.
• Demonstrate how similar processes may work in entirely different social and institutional settings.
• Gain deep understanding of the civil society concept
• Understand and contribute to policy making debates, related to the Russian political process and governance.

Course Contents

• Civil society and modern political transformations in the post-Soviet region
• Civil Society in former Soviet Block states

Assessment Elements

• In-class participation
• Essay
  interim assessment includes a short essay that students are supposed to submit following the prescribed deadline. - Individual essay requirements: min 3000 words. The essay should be related to the topics discussed during the course and cover reading materials provided by the lecturer and some additional academic literature. Alternatively, students can work on the original piece of research. In the latter case, the essay is supposed to include a theoretical section, literature review, hypotheses derived from the theory, some methodological discussion, a model built on one of the cross-country datasets, and a results section.
• Presentations by students
• Exam
  Final examination is conducted in the form of the in-class written exam. Students are supposed to prepare an in-class written text of at least 800-1000 words addressing one of the questions (by their choice) that cover core topics of the course and are offered by the instructor immediately before the start of the examination.

Interim Assessment

• 2022/2023 4th module
  0.25 * Essay + 0.25 * In-class participation + 0.25 * Presentations by students + 0.25 * Exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Beichelt, T. (2014). Civil Society and Democracy Promotion. [Basingstoke]: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=786577
• Edwards, M. (2014). Civil Society (Vol. 3rd ed). Hoboken: Polity. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1102045
• McFaul, M. (1997). Transition without consolidation. Freedom Review, 28(1), 30. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=f5h&AN=9703216954
• Mercer, C. (2002). NGOs, civil society and democratization: a critical review of the literature. Progress in Development Studies, 2(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1191/1464993402ps027ra
• Sidney Tarrow, & Tsveta Petrova. (2007). Transactional and participatory activism in the emerging European polity. The puzzle of East-Central Europe. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.55FD0531
• Ziegler, C. E. (2015). Civil Society and Politics in Central Asia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=924879

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Boeri, T., Mishra, P., Papageorgiou, C., & Spilimbergo, A. (2018). Populism and Civil Society. [N.p.]: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1949177
• Tilly, C., & Tarrow, S. G. (2015). Contentious Politics (Vol. Second edition, fully revised and updated). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1046483
• Transactional activism without transactions: network perspective on anti-corruption activism in the Czech Republic. (2017). Social Movement Studies, 17, 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2017.1404904
• Ziegler, C. E. (2016). Great powers, civil society and authoritarian diffusion in Central Asia. Central Asian Survey, 35(4), 549–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2016.1228608

Authors

• GONCHAROV DMITRIY VLADIMIROVICH