Russian Youth Policy: Shaping the Nation-State's Future

Blum, Douglas W.

doi:10.1353/sais.2006.0027

Cited by 30 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…However, even though youth have played an important role in many political struggles, for instance in the 'Color Revolutions' in Central Europe and in the former Soviet Union countries (Kuzio 2006;Laverty 2008a), youth political activism in Russia has attracted little attention until very recently (However, see Pilkington 2002;Omel'chenko 2005). The existing studies on youth political activism in Russia have mainly dealt with the pro-Kremlin youth movements, such as the Nashi (Atwal 2009;Lassila 2011a;Lassila 2007;Blum 2006;Hemment 2009), while youth opposition activism has been studied less thoroughly (however, see Gromov 2009a;Loskutova 2008;Horvath 2011;Robertson 2009;Sperling 2012;Lyytikäinen 2011;. My research contributes to this discussion by showing how youth are also actively organizing against the current government and how Russian oppositional youth activist practices are diverse and constantly evolving.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Blum (2006) argues that official nation-building in Russia relies on the 'right' socialization of the populace and especially of its youth. Omel'chenko (2005) on the other hand, suggests that the idea of youth as a resource of state-building and an object of state policies continues in contemporary Russia.…”

Section: Soviet Youth Activism the Komsomol And Youth As Constructorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pro-Kremlin movements, such as Nashi, Molodaia Gvardiia of the United Russia Party and the Young Russia movement (Rossiia Molodaia) as well as the Locals (Mestnye) represent state ideology and the state's 'official anti-fascism', and are officially supported by the state (Atwal 2009;Blum 2006;Hemment 2009;Lassila 2011a). Within a few months of the Nashi movement's founding, its membership increased up to 120 000 people.…”

Section: Youth Activism In Contemporary Russiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Youth participation in Russia is often described as 'state-managed' because the government has provided considerable administrative and financial resources to enhance the mobilization of the pro-government youth (Blum 2006;McFaul 2003;Heller 2008). …”

Section: Youth Activism In Contemporary Russiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Until recently, only a small number of people have engaged in opposition activism and protests in Russia, and their activities were seen as dangerous because of the strong police suppression of protest events. Several commentators have seen passivity and apathy as emblematic of Russian society as a whole (Rimskii 2008, 14-15;Petukhov 2008) and, until recently, Russian youth has often been portrayed as apathetic and cynical (Blum 2006;Horowitz et al 2003;McFaul 2003). In December 2011, the Russian opposition got a boost of strength when tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets of Moscow to protest the recent parliamentary elections that they saw as falsified in favor of the United Russia Party.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Performing Political Opposition in Russia

Lyytikäinen¹

2016

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Russian civil society is often described as weak and Russians as politically apathetic. However, as a surprise for many, tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets of Moscow to protest the fraud in the parliamentary elections in December 2011. Nevertheless, this 'awakening' did not last for long as Vladimir Putin took hold of the Presidency again in 2012. Since then, the Russian State Duma has passed new legislation to restrict civic and political activism. This, together with the fragmentation of the opposition movement, has hindered large-scale and sustained mobilization against the government. In 2013, the number of protests has plummeted when the risks of demonstrating are high and the benefits to participate in political activism appear non-existent.Why is it impossible for the Russian opposition to find a common voice and to sustain contentious action? This book analyzes how political opportunities and restrictions in contemporary Russia have affected the opposition activists' activities at the grassroots level. The book examines Russian civil society, contemporary activist strategies, and democratization from the perspective of the young activists participating in the liberal youth movement Oborona (Defense) in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Before its dissolution in 2011, Oborona was an active participant in the Russian opposition movement, and thus it is an interesting case study of the living activist traditions in Russia.The research illustrates how the Soviet continuities and liberal ideas are entangled in Russian political activism to create new post-socialist political identities and practices. In Russia, the group of dissenters is small, and the political elite in power do not leave much room for voices of dissent in order for the opposition to grow and diverge. However, the study argues that one of the reasons of Oborona's demise came from inside the movement: The group's solidarity was based on personal ties instead of political connectedness. Furthermore, the movement suffered from the lack of common ideological goals and leader-centeredness. The research suggests that these problems can be found in Russia's liberal opposition in general and explain why it is inefficient to mobilize large amounts of people for public demonstrations and to sustain protests.The research draws on sociological theories on identities, social performance, and politicization as well as class, gender and generation studies. The data is derived from thematic interviews and ABSTRACTThis book examines Russian civil society and democratization from the perspective of the oppositional youth activists in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It takes the Russian youth movement Oborona (Defense) as its case study. Before its dissolution in 2011, the movement was an active participant in the 'non-systemic' opposition, and thus it is an interesting case study of the 'actually existing' activist traditions in Russia. The book analyses how youth activists use the tools applicable in today's Russia to resist and reinterpret the cultura...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Soviet Youth Activism the Komsomol And Youth As Constructorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Youth Activism In Contemporary Russiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Youth Activism In Contemporary Russiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Performing Political Opposition in Russia

Lyytikäinen¹

2016

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“Colour Revolutions”: Democratic Breakthrough or Authoritarian Regime Reproduction?

Stykow

2010

Polit Vierteljahresschr

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L i t e r at u r b e r i c h t Zusammenfassung: Die dominante interpretation der "bunten revolutionen" sieht in ihnen Demokratisierungsschübe in postsozialistischen Ländern, in denen die transformation in den 1990er Jahren zum Stillstand gekommen war. Sie bietet neoinstitutionalistische Deutungen elektoraler revolutionen, modelliert das Zusammenspiel endogener und exogener Faktoren und gibt empfehlungen für die Demokratieförderung. alternativ dazu werden die bunten revolutionen auch als instabilitätskrise und reproduktionsmodus (semi-)autoritärer regime verstanden, womit beiträge zur vergleichenden autoritarismusforschung geleistet werden. Die unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen eröffnen auch unterschiedliche Perspektiven für die postsozialistische regionalforschung. Schlüsselwörter: Wahlen in autoritären regimes · revolutionen · Demokratisierungsforschung · Postsozialismus · DemokratieförderungAbstract: the bulk of the debate on "colour revolutions" interprets them as instances of democratic breakthrough promoting the democratization of postcommunist "laggards". it contributes to democratization studies delivering neoinstitutionalist interpretations of electoral revolutions, models of the interplay between international and domestic factors, and implications for democracy assistance. there is, however, an alternative interpretation of the "colour revolutions" as instances of authoritarian regime instability and reproduction. it provides insights into the dynamics of post-Soviet (semi-)authoritarian regimes which are related to the ongoing debate on comparative authoritarianism. the different perspectives on "colour revolutions" also offer various prospects for postcommunist area studies.

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Ruling by Other Means

Eckiert¹,

Perry²,

Yan³

2020

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Russian Youth Policy: Shaping the Nation-State's Future

Cited by 30 publications

References 0 publications

Performing Political Opposition in Russia

Performing Political Opposition in Russia

“Colour Revolutions”: Democratic Breakthrough or Authoritarian Regime Reproduction?

Ruling by Other Means

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