Princeton University

Sociology 346: PUBLIC OPINION IN TODAY'S RUSSIA

Fall Semester 1996

Professor Boris Grushin (Moscow, Russia)

SYLLABUS TO THE UNDERGRADUATE LECTURE COURSE

(Mondays, Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:50, 2-N-5, Green Hall - Lectures)

Structure and content of the course:

Introduction.

Lessons 1, 2. Some preliminaries. September 16 and 18.

Part One. The Specifics of Public Opinion in the Modern Russian Society

Lessons 3-5. What is going on in today's Russia? September 23, 25 and 26.

Lessons 6-8. The state of mass consciousness in time of cardinal historic transformations. September 30, October 2 and 3.

Lessons 9-11. Public opinion in today's Russia: does it exist and how can it be found out and interpreted? The main obstacles in the way of public opinion studies (if it exists). October 7, 9 and 10.

Part Two. Views and Moods of Russians in Relation to Current Processes and Events in the Country

Lessons 12-14. Collapse of the socialist economy and emergence of private property. October 14, 16 and 17.

Lessons 15-17. Movement towards the market economy. October 21, 23 and 24.

Lessons 18-20. Collapse of the Soviet political system and emergence of a new State. November 4, 6 and 7.

Lessons 21-23. Movement towards democracy. November 11, 13 and 14.

Part Three. Public Opinion and the Problem of National Identity

Lessons 24-26. Attitudes towards pre-Soviet and Soviet history. November 18, 20 and 21.

Lessons 27, 28 and 31. Image of the multinational State. Views on the NIS. Russia in the World. November 25, 27 and December 5.

Lessons 29, 30 and 32. Search for a new global ideology (the Russian national idea). December 2, 4 and 9.

Conclusion.

Lessons 33, 34. Some results of the course. December 11 and 12.

List of readings to Precepts (discussion sessions) and to Midterm and Final exams

1. Vladimir Shlapentokh, Soviet Public Opinion and Ideology. Mythology and Pragmatism in Interaction (Praeger Publishers, 1986). To lessons 5, 8 and 11.

2. Martin E. Malia, The Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia, 1917-1991 (New York: Free Press, 1994). To lessons 5, 14 and 20.

3. Economic Transition in Russia and the New States of Eurasia. Editor: Bartlomiej Kaminski (M.E.Sharp: Armonk, New York; London, England, 1995). To lessons 14, 17 and 31.

4. Political Culture and Civil Society in Russia and the New States of Eurasia. Editor: Vladimir Tismaneanu (M.E.Sharp: Armonk, New York; London, England, 1995). To lessons 20, 23 and 31.

1. Daniel Yorgin and Thane Gustaffson, Russia 2010 - and What It Means for the World (1993). To lessons 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 31 and 34.

Examinations

The grades are based on the following:

Midterm exam = 20%

Class participation = 40%

Final exam = 40%

The Midterm exam is a paper (4-5 pages), based on the readings of the aforementioned V. Shlapentokh's and M. Malia's books (it should be prepared to October 23).

The final examination is a take-home exam that consists of several short essays (4-5 pages each) based on the readings of the three last books, listed in p. B.