Social Engineering and Social Movements in Eastern Europe and Asia

Combining perspectives of political sociology and history, this course questions the respective roles of state policies and social movements in transforming societies. Explores concepts such as social engineering, violence, revolution, totalitarianism, social movements, non-violent resistance, collective action and many others in historically-informed case studies of: colonialism/anticolonial movements (passive resistance and nationalism) in India; revolutionary communism, socialist reconstruction of society, everyday resistance and collective dissent in the Soviet Bloc; authoritarian capitalism and dissent in the form of environmentalist and anti-corruption movements in post-Maoist China.