HRUK00041U RUS, Borderlands: nation past and present in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova (F16)

This module will engage with the history and current affairs of the three states of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

The module will focus on the contemporary and historical political, military, economic and cultural aspects of these states, and on their relations with states and societies to the East and West of them, notably with Russia and with the states of the European Union.

One question on which the module will particularly focus concerns the national identities current and past within Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. The module will consider the multifacetted nationhood within these countries; the importance of the Soviet and post-experience for the confirmation, reconfirmation and reformulation of the nations contained within these countries. This debate will also include the question of whether it is analytically reasonable to view Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova as belonging to an Eastern, or a Western, community of nations. In this context, fundamental conceptual and empirical traits of nationalism and nationalism theory will be considered.

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a substantial depth and breadth of knowledge of the domestic and international affairs of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova with a particular emphasis on the development of nationhood within the three countries;

• Reflect on continuities and change in the domestic and international affairs of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, placing developments here in a historical context;

• Employ and evaluate relevant, key approaches within political science – in particular as these approaches relate to the topics of nationalism and nationhood.