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77972-01 - Proseminar: Post-Socialist Paradoxes. Everyday Life in Eastern Europe after the Cold War (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Anna Dobrowolska (anna.dobrowolska@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | What was post-socialism and did it ever end? This Proseminar explores the history of everyday life in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Drawing on a rich variety of primary source materials such as archival documents, visual media, biographical testimonies, and popular culture, the Proseminar will familiarise students with different approaches to studying the most recent history of the region. Departing from great political events – such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, up to the 2004 EU enlargement – and focusing on their implications on regular people’s everyday lives, this Proseminar encourages students to think critically about the relationship between macro- and microhistorical narratives, as well as the entanglements between cultural memory and contemporary politics. The course will also familiarise students with different methods of historical research, drawing on literature from disciplines such as history, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. Surveying a wide array of topics: gender, sexuality, food, consumerism, environment, health, entrepreneurship – the class offers a structured introduction into the social and cultural history of post-1989 Eastern Europe. |
| Bibliography | Massino, J., & Wien, M. (Eds.). (2024). Everyday Postsocialism in Eastern Europe: History Doesn’t Travel in One Direction. Purdue University Press. Betts, P. (2019). 1989 At Thirty: A Recast Legacy*. Past & Present, 244(1), 271–305. https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtz016 Dunn, E. C. (2015). Privatizing Poland: Baby Food, Big Business, and the Remaking of Labor. Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/j.ctvrf8ck6 Kligman, G., & Gal, S. (2000). Gendering Postsocialism: Reproduction as Politics in East Central Europe. In S. Antohi & V. Tismaneanu (Eds.), Between Past and Future The Revolution of 1989 and Their Aftermath (pp. 198–215). Central European University Press. Caldwell, M. L. (2004). Domesticating the French Fry: McDonald’s and consumerism in Moscow. Journal of Consumer Culture, 4(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540504040902 Hearne, S. (2025). AIDS and the End of the Soviet Union. Past and Present, 267(1), 276–309. https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtae020 |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende BSF Geschichte und BSG Osteuropastudien mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs der Geschichte. Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung ist obligatorisch. Die Teilnehmer:innenzahl ist auf 25 beschränkt. Bei Überbelegung werden Studierende, die noch kein Proseminar in dem Modul absolviert haben, bevorzugt zugelassen. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 18.02.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 25.02.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Fasnachtsferien |
| Wednesday 04.03.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 11.03.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 18.03.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 25.03.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 01.04.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 08.04.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 15.04.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 22.04.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 29.04.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 06.05.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 13.05.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 20.05.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Wednesday 27.05.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 4 |
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Neuere / Neueste Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: History) Modul: Basis Osteuropäische Geschichte (Bachelor's degree program: Eastern European Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |