GOVT 150W: NATIONALISM IN THE
BALKANS
Fall 2004, Tu. & Th.
Instructor: Paula M.
Pickering
pmpick@wm.edu; 221-3038
Office: Morton, Rm. 29
Office Hours: Mon:
This course examines the
interplay between nationalism and political transition in the Balkan states
that experienced Communist rule after WWII.
Do culture and history doom the diverse peoples of the Balkans to perpetual
violence and non-democratic regimes?
What role do politicians and institutions play in manipulating
ethnicity? How can we explain the
violence and the peace that have occurred in different places and at different
times in the Balkans? The conflict that
has occurred in parts of the Balkans has been the most severe violence that
COURSE GOALS. The
main goal of this course is to improve the ability of students to formulate
clear and logical written and oral arguments that are supported by convincing
evidence. This course also encourages students to think critically about
readings. And finally, this course seeks
to expand the student’s knowledge of political developments in the Balkans and
of the ways in which politicians manipulate ethnicity. The philosophy of this course is that
students learn most by doing. So we will write often and organize class
time to allow for students to convey their analyses. In the research paper, we will emphasize the process of writing by working on several stages of this process: the development of a
thesis and a research plan, the writing of a draft, and the editing of a draft
into a final paper. The writing of a
draft and a final paper gives students the opportunity to receive feedback and
to respond to it through the crafting an improved paper.
EXPECTATIONS. Students
are expected to attend class and to participate actively in discussion. This means that students should come to class
having completed, and having thought critically about, the required
readings. Specifically, students should be prepared to
discuss the authors’ arguments, the evidence the authors provide, how well the
authors’ arguments hold up against alternative arguments that you have
encountered, and how the readings relate to other course readings. Students
will be expected to offer specific evidence to support their arguments. As a
result, students should bring readings to class. Student preparation is also critical because
the course is a small seminar that features
discussion; this is not a lecture course.
I also encourage students to ask questions. In addition to active and informed class
participation (18%), grading will be based on the written assignments described
below.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS.
·
Each student will
prepare three reaction papers (two pages each) that critically and creatively
reflect on readings for that day. While
they should include a brief (one paragraph) summary, reaction papers should be
much more than summaries. These are
analytical pieces; they are NOT opinion pieces.
These papers should raise interesting ideas and/or questions for class
discussion and demonstrate that you have thought critically about the
readings. In your reaction, you might
critically evaluate an argument or several by drawing on the work of an author
or two.
The strongest papers have some comparative aspect. They either compare an argument in one
reading to that of another reading in that week, a previous week, or even
another class (citation required). Or,
they compare one author’s argument to a discussion that we have had in class or
to a recent news analysis. Issues that
can be addressed include, “Does he or she marshal convincing evidence to
support the thesis?” Another possibility
is trying to apply some theory to a particular case to see if it is
adequate. Or, you might try to raise a
discussion question by: 1) expressing what is known about the
issue/concept/puzzle based on the reading(s), 2) identifying something about
the issue that needs to be clarified, re-considered, or analyzed further, and
3) possibly attempting to offer your own “fix.”
These will be spread throughout the course; a sign up sheet will be
distributed at the beginning of the course.
Each student will choose one reaction paper to present in class. Several
examples will be posted on blackboard. These papers are due to me 24 hours before
class. These papers and ONLY these
papers may be submitted by e-mail.
However, the student should not consider the paper to have been
successfully received until he/she receives an e-mail confirmation by the
instructor. Otherwise, the student must
submit it to Professor Pickering’s office by the deadline. (24%)
·
A one-page,
in-class commentary on the film, “We are all Neighbors, ” (5%)
·
An article pulled
from the internet or a newspaper concerning: ethnicity in the Balkans, and/or
democratization in the Balkans and a one-page commentary concerning the extent
to which this material supports or undercuts arguments made in course texts
about ethnicity, nationalism, or democratization. Due 11/30
(6%)
·
A 10-12-page
research paper in which the student conducts original research that deals with
one of the major themes covered in this course.
This paper must contain a thesis that is supported by empirical evidence
and logical argumentation. The writing
of the research paper includes: a one-paragraph proposal (due 10/5; 5 %) a full
first draft (due 11/9, 17%), and a full revision (due 12/15, 25%). The final
paper, which is in lieu of a final exam, must represent a significant revision
of the draft that takes into serious consideration the instructor’s comments on
the draft.
No
student may pass this class without satisfying each and every segment of the
above requirements. Any student who
receives a “C-” or better in this course will have satisfied the lower-division
writing requirement. Please read and
follow the Honor Code: http://www.wm.edu/SO/honor-council/. To ensure fairness, I will not accept late
papers. I may make minor adjustments to
the syllabus in order to improve the course.
I encourage students to come
talk with me during my office hours to discuss material; request sources for
research topics, alert me to special learning needs, or pose any questions
about readings, lectures, or assignments.
Good
web sites for staying informed on current developments in South-Eastern Europe:
1) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: www.rferl.org/newsline/ and 2) Transitions On Line: www.tol.cz/
Required texts:
·
Jasmina
Tesanovic, The Dairy of a Political
Idiot:
·
A reading packet
available for copying at Staples, on
Recommended:
·
Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses,
and Dissertations,
Thurs., Aug 26
·
Introduction to
the course
Week 1.
Tues., Aug 31, “WHAT ARE THE
BALKANS?”
·
Find a map and
locate the Balkans
·
Gale Stokes, “Eastern
Europe’s Defining Fault Lines” in Three
Eras of Political Change in Eastern Europe, New York: Oxford University
Press, 1997, pp. 7-22.
Thurs., Sept 2, “INTER-COMMUNAL
RELATIONS BEFORE NATIONS”
·
Mark Mazower, The Balkans: A Short History,
·
Sarah Skwire and
David Skwire, Writing with a Thesis, 9th
ed.,
Week 2
Tues., Sept 7, “POLITICAL
CULTURE”
·
Ian McLean, "Ethnicity," in The Concise
·
Thomas Remington,
“The Dynamics of Political Culture,” Russian Politics,
·
Joseph Rothschild
and Nancy Wingfield, "The Interwar Background," in Return to Diversity, 2000, pp. 1-22
Thurs., Sept 9, “FASCISM AND
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNISM”
·
Rothschild and
Wingfield, “The Communists Come to
Power”, pp. 75-78; 106-123.
·
Bogdan Denitch, “Violence
and Social Change in the Yugoslav Revolution,” Comparative Politics, pp.
465-478.
Week 3
Tues., Sept 14, “APPROACHES
TO THE NATIONAL QUESTION”
·
John McGarry and
Brendan O’Leary, “The macro-political regulation of ethnic conflict,” in The Politics of Ethnic Conflict Regulation,
Thurs., Sept 16, “STATE
SOCIALISM IN THE BALKANS”
·
Barbara Jelavich, “The
Communist governments 1950-80,” 1983, pp. 336-352; 364-405.
Week 4
·
Gale Stokes, “The
Glorious Revolutions,” in The Walls Came
Tumbling Down,
·
Slavenka Drakulic, “How We Survived Communism,” How We Survived
Communism and Even Laughed, pp. 179-89.
Thurs.,
Sept 23, “THE VIOLENT DISINTEGRATION
OF
·
Gale Stokes, “The
Devil's Finger: The Disintegration of
Week 5
Tues., Sept 28, “BUILDING CIVIL SOCIETY”
·
Slavenka
Drakulic, “My Father’s Pistol,” in Balkan
Express,
·
Thomas Carothers
and
·
Steven Sampson, “The
social life of Projects: Importing civil society to
Thurs., Sept 30, , “ETHNICITY
AND TRANSITION”
·
Katherine Verdery,
“Nationalism and National Sentiment in Post-Socialist
Week 6
Tues.,
Oct 5 “MANIPULATING THE PAST”
·
Bette Denich, “dismembering
Thurs.,
Oct 7, “GENDER, NATIONALISM, AND VIOLENCE”
·
Slavenka
Drakulic, “Women Hind Behind a Wall of Silence,” in eds. Rabia Ali and
·
Nikolic-Ristanovic,
Vesna, “Sexual Violence,” in Nikolic-Ristanovic, ed., Women, Violence, and
War,
·
Slavenka Drakulic,
“Dead Silence of the City,” Balkan Express, pp. 22-27.
FALL BREAK
Week 7
Thurs., Oct 14, “RELIGION”
·
Lenard Cohen, “Prelates
and Politicians in
·
Xavier Bougarel, “Islam
and Politics in the Post-Communist Balkans,” Manuscript, pp. 1-18.Fall
Break
CASES OF POST-SOCIALIST TRANSITION IN THE BALKANS
Week 8
Tues., Oct 19,
·
Lenard J. Cohen, “Embattled
democracy: post-communist
·
Donald Horowitz, “Ethnic
Parties and Party Systems,” in Ethnic
Groups in Conflict, 1985, pp. 291-298.
·
Marina Ottaway
and Gideon Maltz, “
·
Slavenka Drakulic, “It’s hard to kill a man,” Balkan
Express, 1993, pp. 60-67.
Thurs,
Oct 21, “COMPETING CLAIMS OVER
·
Steven Burg, “Bosnia
Herzegovina: a case of failed democratization,” in Karen Dawisha and Bruce
Parrott, eds., Politics, Power, and the
Struggle for Democracy in
Week 9
Tues., Oct. 26, “FROM
CO-EXISTENCE TO ATROCIES IN FORMER
·
Anthony Oberschall, “The Manipulation of Ethnicity: From Ethnic
Cooperation to Violence and War in
·
Zlata Filipovic, Zlata’s Diary,
Thurs., Oct 28, “THE WEALTHIEST
AND THE POOREST IN FORMER
·
Anton Bebler, “
·
Isa Blumi, “Kosova:
From the Brink—and Back Again,” Current
History, November 2001, pp. 369-374
Week 10
Tues., Nov 2, “COPING WITH
DIVERSITY?”
·
Duncan Perry, “
·
Carter Johnson, “Remarkable
Peace: Democratic Transition in the Balkans,” manuscript, 2001, pp. 2-25.
Thurs., Nov 4, “MARGINALIZED
PEOPLES”
·
Zoltan Barany, “Living
on the Edge: The East European Roma in Post-Communist Politics and Societies,” Slavic Review 53, 2, Summer 1994, pp.
321-344.
Week 11
Tues., Nov 9, PAPER
DUE
·
Eric Gordy, “The
Destruction of Political Alternatives,”
The Culture of Power in
INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION
Week 12
Tues., Nov 16, “ORDINARY REACTIONS
TO AUTHORITIARIANISM AND NATO BOMBING”
·
Jasmina
Tesanovic, The Dairy of a Political
Idiot:
Thurs., Nov 18, “PROMOTING
PEACE IN
·
Elizabeth Cousens, “Missed Opportunities to Overcompensation:
Implementing the
·
Susan Woodward, "
Week 13
Tues., Nov 23, “PROMOTING
‘JUSTICE?’”
·
Vojin Dimitrijevic,
“Justice Must be Done and be Seen to be Done: The Milosevic Trial,” East
European Constitutional Review, Vol. 11, Nos. 1-2, 2002, pp. 1-5.
·
Read from the International
Criminal Tribunal on the Former Yugoslavia’s website:
THANKSGIVING!
Week 14
Tues., Nov 30, “EXPANDING
·
Heather Grabbe, “The Implications of EU Enlargement,” in White, Batt,
and Lewis, eds., Developments in Central and East European Politics,
Thurs., Dec 2, “TOWARD
SMALLER OR LARGER UNITS, WAR OR PEACE?”
·
Scott Anderson, “The
Curse of Blood and Vengeance,” New York
Times Magazine,
·
Brendan O’Leary, “Peace
in Our Time?”