{"id":111,"date":"2015-01-08T16:05:07","date_gmt":"2015-01-08T20:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/?page_id=111"},"modified":"2015-01-13T13:29:05","modified_gmt":"2015-01-13T17:29:05","slug":"course-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/course-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"COURSE REQUIREMENTS"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_117\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/Books-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-117\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/Books-Poster-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Rodchenko Knigi (&quot;Books!&quot;)\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/Books-Poster-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/Books-Poster.jpg 804w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alexander Rodchenko Knigi (&#8220;Books!&#8221;)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\" align=\"center\">I have a modest goal in this course. \u00a0I want to provide you with a <em>systematic<\/em> way of understanding the phenomenon of world communism from its genesis to its demise. \u00a0To this end, I will acquaint you with two themes:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>The theoretical issues in the study of communism. \u00a0Why did communist parties take hold in different locations? \u00a0What accounts for their diversity? Why did some communist experiments go terribly wrong? \u00a0Why did they ultimately fail?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The formative historical experiences of countries like the Soviet Union and China. My approach should enable you to interpret the history of any communist state in the Twentieth or Twenty-first century.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">We will cover a large swath of political history in this class, roughly 150 years. \u00a0\u00a0For this reason, I will ask you to read a lot. \u00a0Assignments will include both\u00a0primary and secondary sources.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">VERY IMPORTANT: \u00a0Be sure to follow the assignments on this Web Syllabus closely. The great thing about this syllabus format is \u00a0that it offers me the flexibility to mold the course as we go along. Thus, you should expect me to make changes on a regular basis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Books<\/strong>. There are five required books in this course as well as a small Reader which you can purchase in the Decio Copy Center.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<blockquote><p>Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, <em>The Communist Manifesto <\/em>(1848). At first glance, the <em>Manifesto<\/em>\u00a0seems like a brief exposition of a few revolutionary goals. \u00a0Yet this essay can reasonably counted among the most important works of modern times. \u00a0Read the <em>Manifesto<\/em> carefully. Devour its ideas, predictions, and revolutionary spirit.\u00a0Look for the big picture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<blockquote><p>Rosenberg and Young, <em>Transforming Russia and Chi<\/em>na. This book provides excellent historical background to all of the themes in the course. It is also one of the few successful comparative studies of Russia\u2019s and China\u2019s journey with communism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<blockquote><p>John Scott, <em>Behind the Urals<\/em>. \u00a0A fantastic first-hand account of the building of socialism in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. \u00a0How is Scott just like you?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<blockquote><p>Arthur Koestler, <em>Darkness at Noon<\/em>. One of my favorite books. Koestler provides a provocative answer to one \u00a0of the most important question before humanity: why do smart, educated people do evil things?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<blockquote><p>Vaclav Havel, <em>Open Letters: Selected<\/em> Writings.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_105\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-105\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/havel1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-105\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/havel1-300x247.jpg\" alt=\"Vaclav Havel\" width=\"300\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/havel1-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/files\/2015\/01\/havel1.jpg 460w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-105\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vaclav Havel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We will\u00a0read the long chapter entitled \u201cThe Power of the Powerless.\u201d This is a challenging but incredibly provocative essay. My students routinely report that Havel\u2019s ideas have shaped their lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"left\"><strong>Virtual Sources<\/strong>: \u00a0As the father of two Notre Dame graduates, I am acutely aware of the cost of textbooks. To save you money, I have posted many of our required reading assignments, as well as some nice videos, on this Syllabus. These articles and readings are as important as the books in the course. We will expect you to have read all of them. \u00a0Print the articles marked &#8220;Print and Read&#8221; and put them in a binder so that you can take copious notes on each of them. \u00a0You should bring all of the assigned readings to your discussion section. You do not have to print the other articles.<br \/>\n<strong><br \/>\nFilms<\/strong>: \u00a0\u00a0We will have at least one film.\u00a0 We will watch the first half of the film, \u201cThe Inner Circle\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cliomuse.com\/the-inner-circle-1991.html\">HERE<\/a>), during class on Wednesday, February 11. \u00a0To give you flexibility, we will then show the remaining segment of the film both that evening (Feb.11) and the following evening (Feb. 12).<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><strong>Your Performance:<\/strong> Your <em>performance<\/em> in this course will be evaluated on the basis of reflective writing assignments, and active, enthusiastic participation in discussion section and on Sakai. You will have three essays and multiple short paragraphs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\" align=\"left\"><strong>Essays<\/strong>:<br \/>\nFirst Essay Assignment 15 percent<br \/>\nSecond Essay Assignment 20 percent<br \/>\nFinal Essay Assignment 35 percent<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><strong>Discussion Sections<\/strong>:<br \/>\nParticipation, Paragraphs and Sakai discussions 30 percent<\/p>\n<p><strong>Attendance<\/strong>: \u00a0Class attendance is\u00a0MANDATORY if you want to pass the course. \u00a0Unless you are ill, please consult with me beforehand if you know you will miss a class. \u00a0If you are ill, please send me an email so that I do not worry about you. \u00a0University-approved absences are fine, but please tell me beforehand if you will be gone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><strong>Office Hours<\/strong>: I hold regular office hours after class on \u00a0Wednesdays, 10:45-11:45. \u00a0I also hold office hours on Thursdays, 1:30-3:30.\u00a0\u00a0If you absolutely cannot make those times, please ask me for an appointment. I enjoy meeting with all of my students. \u00a0Please feel comfortable visiting me. \u00a0I will be glad to discuss anything you want, not just the course. \u00a0 Here is an abbreviated list of the kinds of topics I like to talk about: \u00a0Notre Dame, politics, religion, music, $$$ you can get from the <a href=\"http:\/\/nanovic.nd.edu\/\">Nanovic Institue<\/a>, your personal calling, the meaning of life.<\/p>\n<p>My office is in 211 Brownson Hall in the Office of the <a href=\"http:\/\/nanovic.nd.edu\/\">Nanovic Institute for European Studies<\/a>, of which I am director.\u00a0 Brownson is located behind the Main Building.\u00a0 It is one of the few remaining original structures on campus that has not yet been replaced with a modern parody of Gothic architecture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>The use of electronic devices of any kind, including laptops, I-pads, cell phones, trap and trace tools, video cameras, broadcasts of &#8220;Serial,&#8221; and other personal digital devices, is prohibited in my classroom!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have a modest goal in this course. \u00a0I want to provide you with a systematic way of understanding the phenomenon of world communism from its genesis to its demise. \u00a0To this end, I will acquaint you with two themes: The theoretical issues in the study of communism. \u00a0Why did communist parties take hold in &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/course-requirements\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">COURSE REQUIREMENTS<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-111","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":356,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111\/revisions\/356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/communism-spring-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}