|
Course for doctoral students doing research on present-day Russia, the Soviet Union, or the former East European state-socialist countries. Applications, together with a short CV and an abstract of current research to be sent by 31 March 2004 to: ira.janis-isokangas@helsinki.fi The course will be
held in Tallinn, Estonia |
This intensive course is aimed at doctoral students doing research on present-day Russia, the Soviet Union, or the former East European state-socialist countries. Twenty students from the Nordic countries and five from the Baltic States and north-western Russia are invited to participate, on basis of open competition. Participants of the course should do research mainly in fields of humanities and social sciences, or related disciplines.Lecturers and tutors come from Nordic and Baltic countries, and United Kingdom. The number given for the course will be 4 credits (6 ECTS, European credit transfer system). The course language is English. The course consists of lectures, workshops with presentations of participants’ papers, and roundtable discussions.
1.
Collective Action and Identities in Post-socialist Societies - examines the
characteristics and forms of different kinds of civic activism and explores
the preconditions for collective action and the ways collective identities are
constructed, claimed, represented and mobilised in post-socialist societies.
-aims to discuss how various theoretical approaches, such as 'third sector',
'social partnership' and 'civil society' conceptualise the field of collective
action and the relations between the state, society and the citizens. -considers
how distinctions such as class, gender, generation, and ethnicity manifest themselves
in and influence the formation of collective action in post-socialist societies.
2.
Gender Transformations: Identities de- and reconstructed - focuses on examining
how gender identities and relations are (re)negotiated at the symbolic, institutional
and individual levels in Russia and Eastern Europe. -explores how gender identities,
femininity and masculinity are produced, reproduced and challenged in the fields
of labour, social and political life, family, sexuality, literature, and media.
-analyses how gender is connected to the processes of re-defining the national
and ethnic identities. -ponder upon the role of transnational interaction (e.g.
global feminist movement) in shaping the gender order and gender identities
in the post-socialist societies.
3.
Immigration and Inter-ethnic Relations. Towards New Majority and Minority Identities.
-explores the specific nature of the emigration from the former Soviet Union
countries -focuses on the emigration from the former Soviet Union to 'the historical
homelands' (e.g. Soviet Jews have settled to Israel, Soviet Germans to Germany
and etc.) -tries to enlighten this process by increasing our understanding of
the questions like minority-majority identity, ethnic relations and immigration
policy.
4.
National/Trans-national Identities - enlightens the different aspects of the
complex nation-building process. -examines the use of power as an indirect channel
of influence in this process - distinguishes between the often overlapping notions
of state and nation, especially in the study of 'national identity', - asks
whether previous national identities became challenged by the Marxist ideal
of internationalism and now by the ideal of a 'united' Europe. Can we expect
a possible formation of a trans-national identity in the future that would overrule
the significance of the national identities?
5.
Identity of Europe from outside – approaching the 'Other' - analyses how Europe
with its contemporary EU boundaries is constructed, politicised and reinterpreted.
-examines the dichotomy of Europe vs. non-Europe. The idea of Europe is to be
studied from the perspective of Russia: the Other Europe and USA: the counterpart
for the 'Old Europe'.
"We were all so tolerant. The importance of the historical experience of multireligious tolerance for present day Eastern European political discussion", Professor David Gaunt, Södertörns högskola, Baltic and East European Graduate School, BEEGS.
"Borderlands, minorities and virtual history: Karjala, Kresy wschodnie and Erdely as history, myth and project for contemporary Finland, Poland and Hungary", Professor Kristian Gerner, University of Lund.
"Russian Identity as a dialogue. A historical view", Professor Peter Ulf Møller, University of Aarhus.
"Gender transformations: Women and Men in Russian Culture", Professor Arja Rosenholm, University of Tampere.
"Identity formation and changing frames of collective action", Professor Ilkka Liikanen, University of Joensuu, Karelian Institute.
"Civil society and patterns of mobilization in post-communist Baltic States", Professor Rein Ruutsoo, University of Tartu.
The course is funded by the Nordic Academy of Advanced Study (NorFA). The organizers will take care of the invited participants' travel expenses, accommodation and meals during the course period.
For more information, please
contact:
Ira Jänis-Isokangas,
Aleksanteri Institute
Phone + 358-9-191 28622
P.O.Box 42,
00014 Helsinki University,
Finland.