POLS211 Черноморският регион: политика, потенциал, предизвикателства
Анотация:
COURSE ANNOTATION AND AIMS:
The Black Sea region is characterized by both large disparities in the political development of the states in the region and significant convergence in terms of economical and political goals. Due to its geographical location the region is of significant importance in the context of changing security and geopolitical challenges. The course thus investigates the political development of the states and regional initiatives in the context of contemporary trends in International Relations while trying to predict future developments.
The course aims to build a theoretical framework for assessing the processes of political development and institution building in the region building on the transitional theories. The course develops the basic notions of transition, institutional building, the mechanics and processes within the Black Sea Regions.
Building on that framework the course comparatively investigates the countries in the region outlining the basic factors of influence and trends within the region in Global and European context. By doing so the course tries to predict the future perspectives for political development in the context of the different regional initiatives.
The course aims to give the students a comprehensive and complete theoretical instrument for critical assessment of the processes of institutional and political development in comparative perspective.
The students are encouraged to critically apply the theoretical framework, to build upon it and to hypothesize with regards problems within the topic of regional development, political systems and International Relation.
Преподавател(и):
гл. ас. Любомир Стефанов д-р
ас. Христо Панчугов
Описание на курса:
Компетенции:
SKILLS
Students who successfully complete the course:
1) know:
• Major trends in the development of political processes in the Black Sea region.
• The main problems associated with the political development of Black Sea region.
• Major trends in international relations with the Black Sea region.
• Differences and similarities in the political development of the region.
• The main mechanisms for the study of International Relations
2) are able to:
• Critically apply the developed conceptual framework of the course in the study of problems related to political development of the Black Sea region.
• To highlight the main trends of development of international relations.
• To distinguish the different mechanisms in the analysis of processes of regionalization in the Black Sea region by comparing them with similar regional structures and organization
• Using theoretical models for the study of international relations.
• To make reasonable assumptions about development processes in the Black Sea region.
Предварителни изисквания:
Форми на провеждане:
Редовен
Учебни форми:
Лекция
Език, на който се води курса:
Английски
Теми, които се разглеждат в курса:
Course Syllabus:
1. Teories od regional analysis
2. Historical developments within the Black Sea region - Introduction
3. Regional organizations
4. EU and the Black Sea region
5. Russia and the Black Sea Region
6. Bulgaria and Romania in the politics of the Black Sea region
7. The former Soviet Countries and the Black Sea region
8. Turkey and the Black Sea region
9. The Black Sea region and the contemporary challenges to Security.
10. Central Asia and the Black Sea region.
11. Interactive Seminar: Debate on previously chosen topics.
12. Interactive Seminar: "Round Table" discussion "Between EU and Russia"
13. Interactive Seminar: "Round Table" discussion "EU and Turkey"
14. Presentation of the students course projects
15. Summary
Литература по темите:
Suggested Readings
1. George Castellane - "History in the Balkans XIV - XX Century."
2. G. Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering. An Inquiry into Structures, Incentives and Outcomes (Houndmills: Macmillan Press, 1994)
3. Alfred Stepan (1986), „Paths Toward Redemocratization” in Guillermo O’Donnell, Philippe C. Schmitter & Laurence Whitehead, eds., Transitions from Authoritarian Rule. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 64-84.
4. Samuel P. Huntington (1991-92), „How Countries Democratize” Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 106. No. 4. Winter, 579-616.
5. Juan J. Linz (1990), „Transitions to Democracy” Washington Quarterly, Summer, 143-164
6. Samuel P. Huntington (1991), The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century. Norman: Oklahoma University Press
7. Sten Berglund, Tomas Hellen & Frank H. Aarebrot eds. (1998), The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
8. Philippe C. Schmitter (1995), „Transitology: The Science or the Art of Democratization?” in Joseph S. Tulchin (ed.), The Consolidation of Democracy in Latin America. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 11-41.
9. „Juan J. Linz, Alfred Stepan & Richard Gunther (1995), „Democratic Transition and Consolidation in Southern Europe, with Reflections on Latin America and Eastern Europe” in Richard Gunther & Nikiforos Diamandouros, eds., The Politics of Democratic Consolidation: Southern Europe in Comparative Perspective. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 77-123.
10. Geoffrey Pridham (2000), The Dynamics of Democratization: A Comparative Approach. London: Continuum
11. Juan J. Linz & Alfred Stepan (1996), „Toward Consolidated Democracies” Journal of Democracy, Vol. 7. No. 2. April, 14-33.
12. Juan J. Linz & Alfred Stepan (1996), Problems of Democratic Transitions and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Средства за оценяване:
CONTROL DURING THE SEMESTER:
Evaluation requirements and control during the semester:
course project 30 % (date and topics to be announced during the semester)
seminar activity 20 %
written assignments 50 % (overall number to be defined during semester)
Students must submit in time their work. Students who score a grade from current semester evaluation of 5.5 or above are not required to attend the final exam.