Course description The course encompasses a variety of themes concerning the reconstruction of social identities in Central Europe after the fall of communism. The particular interconnected topics to be addressed in this course are: the political reconstruction of memories and identities in the conditions of cultural revolutions, the establishment of post-socialist hegemony in relation to cultural practices of nationalism, and the challenge of re-emerging forms of ethnic conflict and solidarity in the form of mythic and utopian imaginary communities. The basic approach of the course is to demonstrate various cultural patterns of continuity and change by means of theoretically framed case studies that compare pre-communist, communist and post-communist phenomena. Course requirements This course will include a written exam, one final paper as well as a short (cca. 10 min.) presentation based on readings. Workload: 26 contact hours, 499 pages seminar reading (99 hours), 233 pages final paper reading (47 hours), 3000 words academic writing (24 hours). Final paper assignment T The paper should be submitted to: 5918@mail.muni.cz Deadline: 14.05.2009 The final paper consists of critical interpretation of a book: Daphne Berdahl. Where the World Ended: Re-Unification and Identity in the German Borderland. (University of California Press, 1999). The paper should contain 3000 words (there is a tolerance from 2800 to 3200 words). The paper has to contain (a) a short recapitulation of a core ideas of a book, (b) an interpretation of these core ideas grounded in a wider theoretical context, and (c) a critical commentary based on a secondary literature. The final paper must follow the classic format: (a) The paper has a specific title related to its content and main thesis. Students put their name under the title. (b) The first part provides an introduction to the main thesis of the paper. (c) Then, in the main part of the paper, arguments and counterarguments are developed and illustrative examples and evidence for and against them are provided. (d) Finally, it restates the main thesis in the conclusion. (e) The paper ends with bibliography in ASA citation format: (http://www.calstatela.edu/library/bi/rsalina/asa.styleguide.html) Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and will constitute grounds for failing the course. Generally, students are expected to use their own words and develop their own arguments, but if they do borrow ideas or words from someone else, this must be acknowledged. All direct quotes must be in quotation marks. Both direct quotes and ideas from someone else that are paraphrased must be associated with a precise bibliographic reference in ASA citation format that in addition includes page numbers! Students can be asked by instructors to provide an evidence of their reading of all texts that are included in the bibliography. Time and location The class will take place on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11.40 a.m. at the Faculty of Social Studies, room U33. Teacher responsible for the course Csaba Szaló Office: Faculty of Social Studies, Joštova 10, Department of Sociology, room 367 Office Hours: Wednesday 14.30 – 16.00 e-mail: szalo@fss.muni.cz