The ultimate objective of the minor ‘Russia in Comparative Perspective’ is to introduce both Russian and international students of HSE to the analysis of Russian political, social and cultural realities through the lens of comparative social sciences, i.e., to apply comparative theories to contemporary Russia and discuss both the generalities and specificity and possible deviations in its development.
The course aspires to:
- help the students develop and perfect skills of applying social sciences theories to the realities of a complex transitional society;
- allow the students of the major Russian university comprehend and learn to interpret developments of the country in which they receive their education in social sciences.
The course will combine different academic disciplines, including sociology, political science, social psychology and public administration and will cover diverse subjects, including institutions, values and culture, governance and social structure. Taken together, it will constitute a ‘thick description’ area study, but built on multidisciplinary approach.
The minor ‘Russia in Comparative Perspective’ builds upon the research and teaching experience of the Faculty of social sciences in four major areas. The faculty engaged in teaching the courses of this minor is international, which makes the promise of comparative perspective true in every respect. Firstly, students are introduced to the analysis of social structure of the Russian society, socio-demographic trends, civic activism, gender issues, employment and labor relations, criminality and practices of punishment, etc. Students are introduced to basic research tools in order to think empirically about the changing Russian society. Secondly, students are introduced to contemporary Russian politics. Students are offered an overview of major political institutions of the Russian state and political practices. The aforementioned institutions are analyzed through the lens of comparative political science using new institutional methodological approach, which allows to understand both the formal framework and actual performance of actors and institutions in Russia since the early 1990s. The second part of the minor aims at developing skills to interpret and analyze political phenomena and to engage meaningfully in professional and public discussion. Thirdly, issues of governance and administration in Russia are studied in a comparative perspective. Student are offered an overview of how modern societies are governed, how social processes are administered. Fourthly, students are introduced to the processes of value changes and identity formation in post-Soviet Russia.
In a radio broadcast in October 1939 Winston Churchill famously called Russia ‘riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’. This minor gives students valuable empirical insights to solve some of the puzzles, which Russia continues to supply in abundance.
Курсы майнора
- Contemporary Russian Society
- Continuity and Change in Russian Politics
- How Russia Is Governed: Public Policy and Administration
- Values and Identities in Russia
Трудоемкость: 20 кредитов
Ограничения для выбора: Нет
Минимальное число слушателей: 60
Максимальное число слушателей: 80 (3 группы)
Годы реализации: 2018–2020; реализуется впервые
Целевая аудитория: студенты 2017 года набора
| Contemporary Russian Society |
| Continuity and Change in Russian Politics |
| How Russia Is Governed: Public Policy and Administration |
| Values and Identities in Russia |