The title of this book, “Playing second fiddle?” is intentionally revealing. The starting point f... more The title of this book, “Playing second fiddle?” is intentionally revealing. The starting point for the question posed is whether the European Union has become a second-tier player in the global arena. The phrasing of the question itself suggests a fair share of Euro‐centrism. The obvious counterquestion would be, and in 2015 it is posed almost with a knee‐jerk reaction: What indicators imply that the EU can challenge the United States and China and take a position as a true global powerhouse? In all honesty, not that much. Has the train then already left the station for what is still a very unique experiment, “the European Union”? This is what this book is about.
The paper discusses the dynamics of local ethnic, racial and social relations in a traditionally ... more The paper discusses the dynamics of local ethnic, racial and social relations in a traditionally multi-ethnic Central European small town that has been heavily influenced by the establishment of a ...
Using enemy images and securitization as theoretical points of departure the paper discusses and ... more Using enemy images and securitization as theoretical points of departure the paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threats as made up of traditional, militarily defined threat perceptions and the looming specter of an invasive migrant Other. The paper uses a two-fold analytical focus. Firstly, the last decade or so has seen a notable return of hard security thinking to the Swedish political debate, particularly in relation to a resurgent Russia. To illustrate this, the paper analyzes political discussions surrounding the establishment of the Gotland Regiment, situated on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The regiment became operational by January 1, 2018, following a political near-consensus that the Swedish preparedness for military defense against Russia needed to be strengthened, not least in the wake of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The old regiment on Gotland was dismantled in 2004, and the decision about its reestablishment had significant s...
We Don’t Do Area Studies : Reflections on the Development of the Genre of Research from a Politic... more We Don’t Do Area Studies : Reflections on the Development of the Genre of Research from a Political Science Perspective
Putin has built his popularity on two incongruent myths: that Russia is an eternal great power an... more Putin has built his popularity on two incongruent myths: that Russia is an eternal great power and that the country is beset by cyclical periods of weakness. Putin’s popularity stands in contrast to the lack of legitimacy within Russia’s overall political system. Recently, Putin has used Ukraine to revive his popularity as his term in power stretches well beyond a decade, but it remains unclear what the cost of these actions will be. Russia as a Great Power Speaking about the purportedly poor condition of state museums in Crimea, which in mid-March 2014 had been annexed to the Russian Federation by almost unanimous votes in both houses of the Russian parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin lamented on April 10, “Ukraine has its own problems; it even had its own ideology of development or, on the contrary, obliterating some of the common pages of our history. But what is entirely clear is that they need to be revived.”1 On the same day, marking the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation, Putin issued a greeting to residents of the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa and to surviving WW II veterans there: “The President of Russia expressed his conviction that centuries-old traditions of good neighborliness and mutual support will continue to unite Russians and Ukrainians. He stressed that their common duty is to cherish the memory of the 1 <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7001> (accessed 16 April 2014). past war, to thwart any attempt to rewrite history and to bring up the younger generation on the high ideals of patriotism and pride for our Great Victory.”2 Seen in the context of the generally tense situation between Russia and Ukraine, Putin’s words could certainly be interpreted as ominous. The small components of the language he used, such as “the common pages of our history” that “need to be revived,” “unite Russians and Ukrainians,” “thwart any attempt to rewrite history” (what parts of history?) and “pride for our Great Victory” all had the same connotations: scarce recognition by Russia of the sovereignty of Ukraine, and instead profuse references to Ukraine as destiny-bound to community with great-power Russia. In this article I argue that Putin’s strong promotion of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and his hardline stance against Ukraine are highly consistent with the basic 2 <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7000#sel=3:1,3:64> (accessed 16
... Edited by: Jussi Laine Bo Petersson Sergei Prozorov Helena Rytövuori-Apunen CFE Conference Pa... more ... Edited by: Jussi Laine Bo Petersson Sergei Prozorov Helena Rytövuori-Apunen CFE Conference Papers Series No. 1 ... Editors: Jussi Laine, Bo Petersson, Sergei Prozorov, and Helena Rytövuori-Apunen Layout: Jussi Laine Cover design: Niklas Bernsand ISSN: 1654-2185 ...
•This article explores how the image of the USA has developed in two major Russian daily newspape... more •This article explores how the image of the USA has developed in two major Russian daily newspapers, Izvestiya and Komsomolskaya Pravda, in a time period comprised of a total 20 weeks’ of study in the years of 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2009. For Russia this time span was dramatic: it moved from seemingly stable superpower in the 1980s, over the chaos after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, to the partial comeback to great power status at the beginning of the 21st century. While telling the story of how the image of the USA has evolved, the article also describes how Russian self-images have developed. The image projected of the USA was Manichean in the 1980s, whereas the most benevolent images were found in the 1990s. The examples from 2004 and 2009 reflect an assertive Russia that is back on the world stage. The USA is here again often criticized, but also — as before — comprises the scale against which Russia itself is measured. •
Kategorisering Och Integration Om Forestallda Identiteter I Politik Forskning Media Och Vardag Rapport Fran Integrationspolitiska Maktutredningen Sou 2004 48, 2004
President Vladimir Putin’s claim and policies to resurrect Russia as a great power have been a co... more President Vladimir Putin’s claim and policies to resurrect Russia as a great power have been a cornerstone for the construction of the hegemonic position of power that he has for so long successful ...
I svensk debatt utmalas Danmark som ett faste for framlingsfientlighet och for en snal och stelbe... more I svensk debatt utmalas Danmark som ett faste for framlingsfientlighet och for en snal och stelbent behandling av invandrare. Det populistiska Dansk Folkeparti satter tonen och de etablerade politiska partierna foljer av opportunistiska skal mer eller mindre med i dansen. A andra sidan beskrivs Sverige i dansk debatt som mangkulturalismens faste i Norden, ett land dar den politiska korrektheten sitter i hogsatet, och dar det politiska etablissemanget, anfort av svensk socialdemokrati, lagt locket pa debatten sa att gemene mans asikter om invandring inte tillats komma fram. Sa kan atminstone huvudlinjerna i de offentliga samtalen sammanfattas. Men ar det egentligen sa har enkelt? Bortom stereotyperna? speglar den angelagna samhalleliga forskning om invandring, nationell identitet och mangkulturalism som finns i Sverige och Danmark. Det ar en volym dar alla langt ifran ar eniga om allt, vilket skapar spanning och dynamik. Tematiskt famnar den over ett vitt falt, med saval generella di...
The authors analyse how pro-federative representatives of the European Commission exploit the tem... more The authors analyse how pro-federative representatives of the European Commission exploit the temporal dimension of identity construction within the EU. The paper shows, through the analysis of speeches and statements by Commission members, how efforts are made to construct a common past and visualise a common future to enhance common identities within the EU. The common past is invoked through recurrent claims that Europe is on the point of being reunified, and, most prominently, through references to the words and deeds of the Founding Fathers of the EU, notably Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman. This near past seems to make up the affective glue most counted upon to promote common identifications. Furthermore, the temporal dimension is used to invoke visions pertaining to the near future, here labelled the common near. Most often, these visions relate to the favourable and harmonious conditions expected to arise once the forthcoming enlargement is completed. 4 CFE Working paper seri...
The title of this book, “Playing second fiddle?” is intentionally revealing. The starting point f... more The title of this book, “Playing second fiddle?” is intentionally revealing. The starting point for the question posed is whether the European Union has become a second-tier player in the global arena. The phrasing of the question itself suggests a fair share of Euro‐centrism. The obvious counterquestion would be, and in 2015 it is posed almost with a knee‐jerk reaction: What indicators imply that the EU can challenge the United States and China and take a position as a true global powerhouse? In all honesty, not that much. Has the train then already left the station for what is still a very unique experiment, “the European Union”? This is what this book is about.
The paper discusses the dynamics of local ethnic, racial and social relations in a traditionally ... more The paper discusses the dynamics of local ethnic, racial and social relations in a traditionally multi-ethnic Central European small town that has been heavily influenced by the establishment of a ...
Using enemy images and securitization as theoretical points of departure the paper discusses and ... more Using enemy images and securitization as theoretical points of departure the paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threats as made up of traditional, militarily defined threat perceptions and the looming specter of an invasive migrant Other. The paper uses a two-fold analytical focus. Firstly, the last decade or so has seen a notable return of hard security thinking to the Swedish political debate, particularly in relation to a resurgent Russia. To illustrate this, the paper analyzes political discussions surrounding the establishment of the Gotland Regiment, situated on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The regiment became operational by January 1, 2018, following a political near-consensus that the Swedish preparedness for military defense against Russia needed to be strengthened, not least in the wake of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The old regiment on Gotland was dismantled in 2004, and the decision about its reestablishment had significant s...
We Don’t Do Area Studies : Reflections on the Development of the Genre of Research from a Politic... more We Don’t Do Area Studies : Reflections on the Development of the Genre of Research from a Political Science Perspective
Putin has built his popularity on two incongruent myths: that Russia is an eternal great power an... more Putin has built his popularity on two incongruent myths: that Russia is an eternal great power and that the country is beset by cyclical periods of weakness. Putin’s popularity stands in contrast to the lack of legitimacy within Russia’s overall political system. Recently, Putin has used Ukraine to revive his popularity as his term in power stretches well beyond a decade, but it remains unclear what the cost of these actions will be. Russia as a Great Power Speaking about the purportedly poor condition of state museums in Crimea, which in mid-March 2014 had been annexed to the Russian Federation by almost unanimous votes in both houses of the Russian parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin lamented on April 10, “Ukraine has its own problems; it even had its own ideology of development or, on the contrary, obliterating some of the common pages of our history. But what is entirely clear is that they need to be revived.”1 On the same day, marking the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation, Putin issued a greeting to residents of the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa and to surviving WW II veterans there: “The President of Russia expressed his conviction that centuries-old traditions of good neighborliness and mutual support will continue to unite Russians and Ukrainians. He stressed that their common duty is to cherish the memory of the 1 <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7001> (accessed 16 April 2014). past war, to thwart any attempt to rewrite history and to bring up the younger generation on the high ideals of patriotism and pride for our Great Victory.”2 Seen in the context of the generally tense situation between Russia and Ukraine, Putin’s words could certainly be interpreted as ominous. The small components of the language he used, such as “the common pages of our history” that “need to be revived,” “unite Russians and Ukrainians,” “thwart any attempt to rewrite history” (what parts of history?) and “pride for our Great Victory” all had the same connotations: scarce recognition by Russia of the sovereignty of Ukraine, and instead profuse references to Ukraine as destiny-bound to community with great-power Russia. In this article I argue that Putin’s strong promotion of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and his hardline stance against Ukraine are highly consistent with the basic 2 <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7000#sel=3:1,3:64> (accessed 16
... Edited by: Jussi Laine Bo Petersson Sergei Prozorov Helena Rytövuori-Apunen CFE Conference Pa... more ... Edited by: Jussi Laine Bo Petersson Sergei Prozorov Helena Rytövuori-Apunen CFE Conference Papers Series No. 1 ... Editors: Jussi Laine, Bo Petersson, Sergei Prozorov, and Helena Rytövuori-Apunen Layout: Jussi Laine Cover design: Niklas Bernsand ISSN: 1654-2185 ...
•This article explores how the image of the USA has developed in two major Russian daily newspape... more •This article explores how the image of the USA has developed in two major Russian daily newspapers, Izvestiya and Komsomolskaya Pravda, in a time period comprised of a total 20 weeks’ of study in the years of 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2009. For Russia this time span was dramatic: it moved from seemingly stable superpower in the 1980s, over the chaos after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, to the partial comeback to great power status at the beginning of the 21st century. While telling the story of how the image of the USA has evolved, the article also describes how Russian self-images have developed. The image projected of the USA was Manichean in the 1980s, whereas the most benevolent images were found in the 1990s. The examples from 2004 and 2009 reflect an assertive Russia that is back on the world stage. The USA is here again often criticized, but also — as before — comprises the scale against which Russia itself is measured. •
Kategorisering Och Integration Om Forestallda Identiteter I Politik Forskning Media Och Vardag Rapport Fran Integrationspolitiska Maktutredningen Sou 2004 48, 2004
President Vladimir Putin’s claim and policies to resurrect Russia as a great power have been a co... more President Vladimir Putin’s claim and policies to resurrect Russia as a great power have been a cornerstone for the construction of the hegemonic position of power that he has for so long successful ...
I svensk debatt utmalas Danmark som ett faste for framlingsfientlighet och for en snal och stelbe... more I svensk debatt utmalas Danmark som ett faste for framlingsfientlighet och for en snal och stelbent behandling av invandrare. Det populistiska Dansk Folkeparti satter tonen och de etablerade politiska partierna foljer av opportunistiska skal mer eller mindre med i dansen. A andra sidan beskrivs Sverige i dansk debatt som mangkulturalismens faste i Norden, ett land dar den politiska korrektheten sitter i hogsatet, och dar det politiska etablissemanget, anfort av svensk socialdemokrati, lagt locket pa debatten sa att gemene mans asikter om invandring inte tillats komma fram. Sa kan atminstone huvudlinjerna i de offentliga samtalen sammanfattas. Men ar det egentligen sa har enkelt? Bortom stereotyperna? speglar den angelagna samhalleliga forskning om invandring, nationell identitet och mangkulturalism som finns i Sverige och Danmark. Det ar en volym dar alla langt ifran ar eniga om allt, vilket skapar spanning och dynamik. Tematiskt famnar den over ett vitt falt, med saval generella di...
The authors analyse how pro-federative representatives of the European Commission exploit the tem... more The authors analyse how pro-federative representatives of the European Commission exploit the temporal dimension of identity construction within the EU. The paper shows, through the analysis of speeches and statements by Commission members, how efforts are made to construct a common past and visualise a common future to enhance common identities within the EU. The common past is invoked through recurrent claims that Europe is on the point of being reunified, and, most prominently, through references to the words and deeds of the Founding Fathers of the EU, notably Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman. This near past seems to make up the affective glue most counted upon to promote common identifications. Furthermore, the temporal dimension is used to invoke visions pertaining to the near future, here labelled the common near. Most often, these visions relate to the favourable and harmonious conditions expected to arise once the forthcoming enlargement is completed. 4 CFE Working paper seri...
The Second Annual RUCARR Conference will be held at
Malmo University, Sweden, on November 22-23, ... more The Second Annual RUCARR Conference will be held at Malmo University, Sweden, on November 22-23, 2017. The research platform Russia and the Caucasus Regional Research’ (RUCARR) is an intellectual hub for scholars at the Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University. Established as late as in 2016, RUCARR builds on an established and wellrecognized area studies tradition at the University which connects with an extensive research networks nationally and internationally. As the name of the platform, suggests, Russia and the Caucasus are the geographical areas of primary concern. RUCARR’s research focus is on political, social, cultural, economic and other dynamics and processes of significance within its geographical delimitations. Areas of interest include, but are not restricted to, contemporary politics, history and nationalism, ethnic and national identity, security issues, democracy and civil society development, authoritarianism and post-authoritarian transition and transformations.
Welcome to the conference “Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival” hosted by RUCA... more Welcome to the conference “Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival” hosted by RUCARR at Malmö University, Sweden, November 23-24, 2017.
The aim of this conference is to focus on the ongoing Circassian revival or mobilisation following the international attention on the Circassians in relation to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games and the 150-year anniversary of the forced exile from the Caucasus in the same year. This importantly included a mobilisation of youth and a stronger use of the Internet in these processes. This is significant, especially among the diaspora, where many belong to the first generation that have lost the Circassian language, perhaps the most important part of Circassian identity. During the last ten years, Circassian associations have been supplemented by a new form of NGO’s using different methods in promoting Circassian revival and survival, including use of new Internet and social media related tools, including many cases of new cross-border linking and cooperation. It is the aim of this conference to take stock of these developments among the Circassians as a geographically highly dispersed people in a increasingly volatile region.
We invite presentations on the following interrelated subthemes:
– Homeland and Diaspora – Minority Conditions. Status, Trends, Perspectives. – Circassian civil society mobilisation and organisation. – Survival of Circassian Culture and Traditions in the Era of Globalisation. – Circassian language. The role of language in contemporary Circassian revival
Abstract submission Please, submit an abstract by September 22 of no more than 400 words (word count not including references) by email to caucasus.studies@mah.se. Include a title, authors, affiliations and contact email addresses and submit the abstract both as a Word document (Unicode fonts) and a pdf file. Language: English.
Venue: Malmö University campus (close to Malmö Central Station) Organizing committee: Prof. Karina Vamling, Prof. Bo Petersson, Dr. Lars Funch Hansen.
We would like to invite you to this year’s RUCARR conference, November 22-23, that will have its ... more We would like to invite you to this year’s RUCARR conference, November 22-23, that will have its specific focus on ethnicity, ethnic conflict, and nationalism issues. On this topic, we are very happy to great Dr. Paul Goode, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bath (http://www.bath.ac.uk/polis/staff/paul-goode/) as our keynote speaker with the presentation Nationalism, Patriotism, and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Russia.
The program will start at 1 pm on November 22 and end at noon, November 23. In connection with this year’s special focus, RUCARR organizes a thematic conference, directly following the Second Annual Conference: Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival – in the homeland and diaspora, November 23–24, 2017 – read more.
Organizing committee: Prof. Bo Petersson, Prof. Karina Vamling, Dr. Derek Hutcheson Venue: Malmö University Campus (close to Malmö Central Station) Sign-up form
Looking forward to seeing you in Malmö in November!
The Second Annual RUCARR Conference will be held at Malmo University, Sweden, on November 22-23, ... more The Second Annual RUCARR Conference will be held at Malmo University, Sweden, on November 22-23, 2017. The research platform Russia and the Caucasus Regional Research’ (RUCARR) is an intellectual hub for scholars at the Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University. Established as late as in 2016, RUCARR builds on an established and well-recognized area studies tradition at the University which connects with an extensive research networks nationally and internationally.
As the name of the platform, suggests, Russia and the Caucasus are the geographical areas of primary concern. RUCARR’s research focus is on political, social, cultural, economic and other dynamics and processes of significance within its geographical delimitations. Areas of interest include, but are not restricted to, contemporary politics, history and nationalism, ethnic and national identity, security issues, democracy and civil society development, authoritarianism and post-authoritarian transition and transformations.
This year’s conference will have its specific focus on ethnicity, ethnic conflict, and nationalism issues. On this topic, we are very happy to great Dr. Paul Goode, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bath (http://www.bath.ac.uk/polis/staff/paul-goode/) as our keynote speaker with the presentation Nationalism, Patriotism, and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Russia.
For the paper sessions contributions all across RUCARR’s sphere of activities are warmly welcome. In connection with this year’s special focus, RUCARR organizes a thematic conference, directly following the Second Annual Conference: Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival – in the homeland and diaspora, November 23–24, 2017
The Swedish Network for European Studies (SNES) conference will take place at Malmö University, S... more The Swedish Network for European Studies (SNES) conference will take place at Malmö University, Sweden on 10-11 March 2016.
SNES connects academics, including graduate students, from across Sweden and Europe.
As the aftershocks of recent years' events continue to reverberate, the SNES 2016 theme deals with ‘Europe’s New Dividing Lines’.
We welcome papers that deal with the European dimensions of security, integration, freedom of movement, economic crisis and the rise of populism arising from these new dividing lines (and new constellations and cleavages that emerge from them). The focus may be on particular case studies or wider pan-European dynamics, and should contribute to the theoretical development of the discipline.
Keynote speakers: Mathias Albert & Sergei Medvedev
Migration-related events have received overwhelming attention in mainstream media coverage within... more Migration-related events have received overwhelming attention in mainstream media coverage within Europe over the past months. This paper investigates the metaphorical framing of migration issues by comparing dominant discursive patterns of two daily national and two regional newspapers in Sweden and Germany. Drawing on qualitative content analysis, the spotlight falls on metaphors prevalent in media headlines and articles published during the days of the EU Valletta Summit on migration held in November 2015. Our paper is inspired by Lakoff and Johnson's classical piece Metaphors We Live By, according to which metaphors are components of everyday language with a pervasive influence on thoughts and action. Adhering to this logic, metaphors become the most powerful when taken for granted and therefore slipping readers' attention. After tracing naturalized metaphorical narratives in mainstream Swedish and German media discourses, this paper discusses their possible impact on readers' perception of migration-related issues and policies.
"For a variety of political, climatic, ecological, security-related and other reasons, the Russia... more "For a variety of political, climatic, ecological, security-related and other reasons, the Russian summer resort of Sochi by the Black Sea would seem a most unlikely candidate for the Olympic Winter Games. Despite this, the Games will be held there in February 2014, and the Russian leaders regard the Games as a highly prestigious project underlining Russia’s return to a status of great power in the contemporary world. This book conducts a thorough inventory of the contexts, characteristics and challenges facing the Sochi Games. It deals with the problems from Russian, Georgian, Abkhazian and Circassian perspectives and makes in-depth analyses of profound challenges related to matters such as identity, security, and ethnic relations. The book brings together an international group of eminent scholars representing different disciplinary perspectives, including political science, sports science, ethics, ethnology, and Caucasian studies."
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Sochi Winter Olympics: Walking Tightrope?
– Bo Petersson and Karina Vamling
Part I: Olympic Perspectives
1 Snow, Ice, and Vertical Drops: What is different about the Sochi Olympics?
– Raymond Taras
2 The Sochi Winter Games: Marketing and Sustainable Development—Or Neither Nor?
– Karin Book
3 Environmental Ethics and the Olympics: On the Reconstruction of Nature for Sport
– Kutte Jönsson
Part II: Identity Matters
4 Olympism and Empire: The Olympic Myth in the Contestation of the Caucasus
– Emil Persson
5 Sochi as a Site of Circassian Long-Distance Memorialisation
– Lars Funch Hansen
6 The Sympols of Sochi 2014: Searching for the Visual Signs of New Russian Political Identity
– Sergei Akopov and Vitalii Volkov
Part III: Internal Order and Security
7 Russia's Olympic Discourses: Effects of Unification and diversification
– Andrei Makarychev
8 Securitization in the North Caucasus on the Eve of the Sochi Games
– Uliana Hellberg
9 The terrorist Threat Against Sochi 2014
– Jakob Hedenskog
Part IV: Caucasian Knots
10 Security of the Winter Olympics in sochi from a Georgian Perspective
– Alexandre Kukhianidze
11 Abkhazia and the Preparations for the Sochi Games
– Revaz Tchantouria
12 Disputed Frontiers: Abkhazia in Russia's Sochi 2014 Project
– Helena Rytövuouri""
In her new book The Return of Ideology Cheng Chen argues that as a nation makes the transition fr... more In her new book The Return of Ideology Cheng Chen argues that as a nation makes the transition from Communism to democracy or something else, its regime must construct a new political ideology that can guide policy and provide a sense of mission and national togetherness. This is needed for engendering legitimacy among the populace as well as the support of domestic political and economic elites, and is a precondition for the regime’s long-term viability. In the book, Cheng Chen compares the Russian Federation after 1991 and post-Deng China during roughly the same period, and investigates the degree of success of the ideology-building projects in the two great powers.
USSH-KAS Conference, ”Cooperation and Integration in the Baltic Region and Southeast Asia: A Comparative Perspective”, Hanoi 18 April, 2019., 2019
The paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threat perceptions as made up ... more The paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threat perceptions as made up of traditional, militarily defined threats, increasingly emanating from Russia, and the looming specter of an invasive migrant Other.
The paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threats as made up of traditio... more The paper discusses and analyzes the landscape of Swedish security threats as made up of traditional, militarily defined threat perceptions, increasingly emanating from Russia, and the looming specter of an invasive migrant Other.
Uploads
Papers by Bo Petersson
Malmo University, Sweden, on November 22-23, 2017.
The research platform Russia and the Caucasus Regional
Research’ (RUCARR) is an intellectual hub for scholars at the
Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University. Established
as late as in 2016, RUCARR builds on an established and wellrecognized
area studies tradition at the University which
connects with an extensive research networks nationally and
internationally.
As the name of the platform, suggests, Russia and the
Caucasus are the geographical areas of primary concern.
RUCARR’s research focus is on political, social, cultural,
economic and other dynamics and processes of significance
within its geographical delimitations. Areas of interest
include, but are not restricted to, contemporary politics,
history and nationalism, ethnic and national identity, security
issues, democracy and civil society development,
authoritarianism and post-authoritarian transition and
transformations.
The aim of this conference is to focus on the ongoing Circassian revival or mobilisation following the international attention on the Circassians in relation to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games and the 150-year anniversary of the forced exile from the Caucasus in the same year. This importantly included a mobilisation of youth and a stronger use of the Internet in these processes. This is significant, especially among the diaspora, where many belong to the first generation that have lost the Circassian language, perhaps the most important part of Circassian identity. During the last ten years, Circassian associations have been supplemented by a new form of NGO’s using different methods in promoting Circassian revival and survival, including use of new Internet and social media related tools, including many cases of new cross-border linking and cooperation. It is the aim of this conference to take stock of these developments among the Circassians as a geographically highly dispersed people in a increasingly volatile region.
We invite presentations on the following interrelated subthemes:
– Homeland and Diaspora – Minority Conditions. Status, Trends, Perspectives.
– Circassian civil society mobilisation and organisation.
– Survival of Circassian Culture and Traditions in the Era of Globalisation.
– Circassian language. The role of language in contemporary Circassian revival
Abstract submission
Please, submit an abstract by September 22 of no more than 400 words (word count not including references) by email to caucasus.studies@mah.se. Include a title, authors, affiliations and contact email addresses and submit the abstract both as a Word document (Unicode fonts) and a pdf file. Language: English.
Venue: Malmö University campus (close to Malmö Central Station)
Organizing committee: Prof. Karina Vamling, Prof. Bo Petersson, Dr. Lars Funch Hansen.
Nationalism, Patriotism, and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Russia.
For the paper sessions contributions all across RUCARR’s sphere of activities are warmly welcome: http://wpmu.mah.se/rucarr/research/secondannualconference/call-for-papers/
The program will start at 1 pm on November 22 and end at noon, November 23.
In connection with this year’s special focus, RUCARR organizes a thematic conference, directly following the Second Annual Conference: Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival – in the homeland and diaspora, November 23–24, 2017 – read more.
Organizing committee: Prof. Bo Petersson, Prof. Karina Vamling, Dr. Derek Hutcheson
Venue: Malmö University Campus (close to Malmö Central Station)
Sign-up form
Looking forward to seeing you in Malmö in November!
The research platform Russia and the Caucasus Regional Research’ (RUCARR) is an intellectual hub for scholars at the Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University. Established as late as in 2016, RUCARR builds on an established and well-recognized area studies tradition at the University which connects with an extensive research networks nationally and internationally.
As the name of the platform, suggests, Russia and the Caucasus are the geographical areas of primary concern. RUCARR’s research focus is on political, social, cultural, economic and other dynamics and processes of significance within its geographical delimitations. Areas of interest include, but are not restricted to, contemporary politics, history and nationalism, ethnic and national identity, security issues, democracy and civil society development, authoritarianism and post-authoritarian transition and transformations.
This year’s conference will have its specific focus on ethnicity, ethnic conflict, and nationalism issues. On this topic, we are very happy to great Dr. Paul Goode, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bath (http://www.bath.ac.uk/polis/staff/paul-goode/) as our keynote speaker with the presentation Nationalism, Patriotism, and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Russia.
For the paper sessions contributions all across RUCARR’s sphere of activities are warmly welcome.
In connection with this year’s special focus, RUCARR organizes a thematic conference, directly following the Second Annual Conference: Circassians in the 21st century: Identity and Survival – in the homeland and diaspora, November 23–24, 2017
SNES connects academics, including graduate students, from across Sweden and Europe.
As the aftershocks of recent years' events continue to reverberate, the SNES 2016 theme deals with ‘Europe’s New Dividing Lines’.
We welcome papers that deal with the European dimensions of security, integration, freedom of movement, economic crisis and the rise of populism arising from these new dividing lines (and new constellations and cleavages that emerge from them). The focus may be on particular case studies or wider pan-European dynamics, and should contribute to the theoretical development of the discipline.
Keynote speakers: Mathias Albert & Sergei Medvedev
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Sochi Winter Olympics: Walking Tightrope?
– Bo Petersson and Karina Vamling
Part I: Olympic Perspectives
1 Snow, Ice, and Vertical Drops: What is different about the Sochi Olympics?
– Raymond Taras
2 The Sochi Winter Games: Marketing and Sustainable Development—Or Neither Nor?
– Karin Book
3 Environmental Ethics and the Olympics: On the Reconstruction of Nature for Sport
– Kutte Jönsson
Part II: Identity Matters
4 Olympism and Empire: The Olympic Myth in the Contestation of the Caucasus
– Emil Persson
5 Sochi as a Site of Circassian Long-Distance Memorialisation
– Lars Funch Hansen
6 The Sympols of Sochi 2014: Searching for the Visual Signs of New Russian Political Identity
– Sergei Akopov and Vitalii Volkov
Part III: Internal Order and Security
7 Russia's Olympic Discourses: Effects of Unification and diversification
– Andrei Makarychev
8 Securitization in the North Caucasus on the Eve of the Sochi Games
– Uliana Hellberg
9 The terrorist Threat Against Sochi 2014
– Jakob Hedenskog
Part IV: Caucasian Knots
10 Security of the Winter Olympics in sochi from a Georgian Perspective
– Alexandre Kukhianidze
11 Abkhazia and the Preparations for the Sochi Games
– Revaz Tchantouria
12 Disputed Frontiers: Abkhazia in Russia's Sochi 2014 Project
– Helena Rytövuouri""
togetherness. This is needed for engendering legitimacy among the populace as well as the support of domestic political and economic elites, and is a precondition for the regime’s long-term viability. In the book, Cheng Chen compares the Russian Federation after 1991 and post-Deng China during roughly the same period, and investigates the
degree of success of the ideology-building projects in the two great powers.