COURSE UNIT TITLE

: BALKAN POLITICS

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
IRE 4116 BALKAN POLITICS ELECTIVE 3 0 0 5

Offered By

International Relations

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR ALI ŞEVKET OVALI

Offered to

Political Science and International Relations
International Relations

Course Objective

The aim of the course is to provide learners a basis for the analysis of political developments in the Balkans by focusing on the geo-political situation of Balkans, ethnic and national diversities of Balkan countries, the historical background of the region, the Balkan wars of 1990s and post-conflict processes.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Developing a geopolitical understanding to examine the current conflicts
2   Describe the historical process of the region from the Roman Empire to the 21st century in order to better understand the political, social and cultural foundations of contemporary Balkan politics
3   Review the collapse of Yugoslavia, the ensuing conflicts and the influence of foreign actors in conflict and post-conflict processes to assess contemporary international political dynamics relevant to the region
4   Reviewing Turkish-Greek relations as a part of its aim to identify the major political conflicts in the Balkans

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 The Geography of the Balkan Peninsula
2 The Greek and Roman Epochs The Byzantine Epoch
3 The Ottoman Epoch The Epoch of Liberation
4 History of the Balkans in the 20th Century
5 History of the Balkans in the 20th Century
6 Kosova crisis
7 Bosnia War Dayton Agreement and the Disintegration of Yugoslavia
8 Macedonia Conflict and Ohrid Agreement
9 The European Union in Search of Balkan Answers
10 The Role of NATO, OSCE and USA in Balkan Conflicts
11 Kosovo and Montenegro: New Nation States of the Balkans
12 Turkish-Greek Relations
13 Russian-Ukrainian War and the Balkans
14 Review

Recomended or Required Reading

1. Ferdinand Sghevill, A History of the Balkans From the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Dorset Press, New York 1991.
2. Tom Gallagher, The Balkans in the New Millennium: In the Shadow of War and Peace, Routledge Press, New York, 2005.
3. Mark Mazower, The Balkans From the End of the Byzantium to the Present Day, Phoenix Press, London, 2001. (Recommended)

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecture
2. Weekly readings
3. Class discussions

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MT Midterm
2 QZ Quiz
3 FN Final
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MT * 0.35 + QZ * 0.15 +FN * 0.50
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MT * 0.35 + QZ * 0.15 + RST * 0.50


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

The learners will:
1. clearly define Balkan countries in geo-political terms, outline the historical background of the region from Roman Empire to the 21st century, review the collapse of Yugoslavia and Balkan Wars and the influence of foreign actors in the region in conflict and post-conflict processes, and Turkish-Greek relations.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Attending at least 70 % of lectures is mandatory.
2. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action.
3. Learners should complete course readings before the class for which they are assigned.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

sevket.ovali@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced later.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 3 42
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Preparation for final exam 1 15 15
Preparation for quiz etc. 1 10 10
Midterm 1 1,5 2
Final 1 1,5 2
Quiz etc. 1 1,5 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 125

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13
LO.15
LO.25
LO.35
LO.45