Courses

The goal of the course is to discuss different approaches to the study of developmental pathways in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in a broad historical perspective drawing on various approaches from political science, sociology and economic history.  Students participating in the seminars will get an overview on the various approaches to explaining divergence in political, social and economic developments between the Eastern and Western parts of Europe, and within the region. The course aims to establish a dialogue between three types of scholarships: one dealing with the pre-regime change developmental pathways in the region, another dealing with factors that could account for persistent post-communist and post- enlargement developmental divergence and a third one that deals with issues of backwardness and core-periphery relations in transnational and global perspective.

 The course starts with a discussion of broad historical perspectives on East-West divergence in Europe. The second bloc deals with the various great transformations in the region: the remaking of states, polities and economies. The third bloc is devoted to the discussion of the transnationalization of states and economies in the region. Finally, the forth bloc deals with hybrid regimes and problems of democratic backsliding in the region.