HISTORY 16:257
READINGS IN SOVIET HISTORY
SPRING 2003
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
The
purpose of this course is to prepare graduate students for a field in Soviet
history, or some aspect of Soviet history (such as Central Asian history,
or nationalities issues). Each week students will read a common article, plus
a book chosen in consultation with the professor. Every effort will be made
to select books that are both historiographically significant and in tune
with the student’s own research interests. The common readings have been selected
to expose students to some of the field’s most important authors, to a variety
of methodological approaches, and to both classic works of scholarship and
the latest trends. Not every article or author is particularly significant,
but taken together these readings give students a smattering of what’s out
there and the different ways historians are attempting to answer some basic
questions about Soviet history. By the end of the semester, students will
have the tools necessary to contextualize further readings and to build a
foundation for their own future teaching.