VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

THE TRANSFORMATION GROUP: WHO WE ARE AND INSIDE THIS ISSUE: WHAT WE DO

The Transformation Group Dr. Jane Duckett and Prof.

was established in 2004 as a Stephen White framework for co-operation THE FIRST LENIN The Transformation Group MONUMENT among those in the directory contains full infor- 2 Department of Politics, mation about the members of , who by Stephen White the Transformation Group. If work wholly or in substantial you wish to obtain an elec- part on political change in tronic copy of the directory Eastern Europe, the Former please contact Dr Derek USSR and China. It includes Hutcheson at staff members of the ANNOUNCEMENTS: [email protected] Department in various

capacities, and research stu- · Publications dents. Its co-convenors are

· Grants TERRORIST THREAT AND ELECTIONS: HOW MUCH · Study Groups DOES FEAR MATTER AT THE POLLS? 3-4 · Presentations

· Visitors to the In 2002, I was casting what about the effect of elec- borders. What is the role around for new ways to think tions and television on de- of terrorism threat in Department about the media, elections mocracy in a broader context? elections? While citizens · Field Trips and politics in a comparative have little choice but to Just at this time, I found · Postgraduate Student perspective. I had spent sev- observe international out about the New Security eral years looking at Russian diplomacy and even News Challenges grant programme election campaigns and me- invasions in crises, they at the ESRC. I decided to ex- dia, but I was beginning to feel can vote for different amine security threat as an- that I had reached a satura- options? other crisis point for media tion point. The central result of and democracy. In particular, these studies, which included this had become an important an ESRC grant with Stephen Continued on page 2 issue for the Russians in White and John Dunn, was terms of Chechnya and for that television had effectively Americans in the wake of ‘tuned out’ the growth of de- 9/11. Both were facing their mocracy, particularly strong first major elections since the political parties, in Russia. But escalation of terrorism in their

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TERRORIST THREAT AND ELECTIONS: HOW MUCH DOES FEAR MATTER AT THE POLLS?(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)

What role will it play in tion issues, fear and con- a surprising amount of doubt, While the British public is the campaign? How will it cern over the Chechen fear and introspection about quite familiar with terror- be ‘spun’ on television? Do situation dictated a great the causes of terrorism that ism connected to North- citizens vote emotionally or deal of their political may provide some surprising ern Ireland, this is a rationally when it comes to choices. The general cli- findings. broad transformation of international security con- mate of fear and hatred the issue. How will the Will a surge of national- cerns? In 2003, I received has led to a broader ac- political parties, the me- ism continue in the British £44,000 to look at these ceptance of both Presi- dia and electorate re- elections that should be held issues in the Russian Duma dent Vladimir Putin as a spond to this change? in May 2005? I received an elections (2003), Russian more repressive leader – The project will analyse additional £46,000 from the presidential elections and a return to an au- the actions of parties, the New Security Challenges pro- (2004) and the 2004 U.S. thoritarian style of media news coverage and the gramme in 2004 and I will presidential elections. I management and news reaction of the electorate examine the British elections taped and directed content reporting. I was fortunate via a dozen focus groups in the same vein. When I analysis on Russian elec- to find U.S. research part- in Scotland and England. started the project in 2002, tion news as well as ran ners through Prof. Lynda As with the Russian and Britain felt far removed from focus groups after the presi- Lee Kaid at the University U.S. elections, I await the particular struggle be- dential elections in 2004. of Florida. U.S. scholars some interesting findings tween the U.S. and the Mid- conducted nine focus -- and plan a book to tie The results showed that dle East. Now these British groups soon after U.S. the three case studies while the election news and elections will be contested, elections. The results are together. the voters did not focus in to a degree, on issues stem- still being compiled, but in particular on terrorism and ming from international ter- Sarah Oates the pilot group and oth- security concerns as elec- rorism and the war in Iraq. ers, Americans expressed

THE FIRST LENIN MONUMENT

As some of you will artist, Lev Kerbel, who was of Moscow. The sculptor know, I've been pursuing an born on 7 November was F. P. Kuznetsov, a lo- interest for some time now 1917!), to Marshal Zhukov, cal worker. The work itself in political iconography, and recently to Andropov (illustrated) presumably particularly the statues and and Dzerzhinsky (a great once stood in the centre of monuments of the commu- friend of orphans, appar- the square in front of the nist period - the ones that ently...). In this connection, railway station, and now it have remained, the ones I got to see the very first still remains but on the that have been taken down, Lenin monument that was edge rather than in the and the ones that have put up in Russia after the middle. It shows Lenin as been replaced. There are death of Lenin. In fact, liter- he really was, short and new ones as well - and to all ally a day afterwards; they with a disproportionately kinds of people, including must have worked fast, or large head. the 'Kursk' submariners more likely had started

who lost their lives in Au- some time beforehand. It's gust 2000 (I've met the in Noginsk, on the outkirts Continued on page 3

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THE FIRST LENIN MONUMENT (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)

There are other exhibitions pieces of rolling stock. The of the monuments of the late literature, I see, often dis- communist period all over the cusses them in terms of region - I came across one re- 'symbolic capital', which cently in Poland, and the House seems a promising way for- of German History in Bonn held ward. I'd be glad to receive any an exhibition of them last year; in references to this kind of sub- Moscow itself there's a Lenin ject that you might come without a nose, and one in a rail- across at any time. way station made of bits and Stephen White

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GRANTS

Stephen White was successful in the first round of the ESRC's New Security Challenges competition with a proposal on 'A Common Security Space? East and West since 9/11', and has put in an appli- cation (with Derek Hutcheson and Elena Korosteleva) for the second and final round. Decisions will be taken in May.

PUBLICATIONS VISITORS TO THE DEPARTMENT

Stephen White's latest book POSTCOMMUNIST , The Department hosted a visit by Nikolai coedited with Elena Korosteleva and John Lowenhardt, was pub- Kaveshnikov, of the Institute of Europe of lished in December 2004 by Rowman and Littlefield (though he the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Novem- hasn't yet seen a copy). It stemmed from his 'Outsiders' ESRC ber-December 2004 (with TACIS funding), grant, but also includes some evidence from the 2004 Belarus and a visit by Olga Kryshtanovskaya, director survey that was conducted in connection with his current of the elite studies department of the Insti- 'Inclusion without Membership?' project. tute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in January 2005 (principally to Spring 2005 should also see the publication of Derek S. discuss the final conclusions of her project Hutcheson and Elena A. Korosteleva (eds), The Quality of Democ- with SW on the Putin elite). racy in Post-Communist Europe (London: Routledge, 2005— forthcoming). Based on the 2004 special issue of the same name Rutger von Seth (who is an honorary re- of the Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics (Vol. search associate of the department working 20, No. 1), it includes contributions by other Glasgow scholars on the analysis of Russian media texts in including Prof. Stephen White, Prof. Bill Miller and Dr Clare association with SLW and SAO) arrived for a McManus-Czubinska. further visit in January 2005, and Sirke Makinen (from Finland and author of a cou- A new, sixth edition of Stephen White's coedited volume ple of recent contributions to Europe-Asia DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIAN POLITICS will appear in the late end of spring (Palgrave and Duke; Sarah Oates also contributes a Studies) will be with us from the chapter). March.

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Page 4

PRESENTATIONS

Jane Duckett gave a explaining retrenchment convention in Boston, nar, the SSCEES Directory paper on ‘Local govern- and inequality under and in January 2005 2003-05 (edited by Dr ance, health finance, and Communist Party rule’ at hosted a presentation in Hutcheson) was launched changing patterns of ine- the Department of Social Glasgow for a delegation formally. It is now available quality’ at the workshop Policy, University of Edin- from the Ministry of De- online under "http:// ‘Paying for Progress: Pub- burgh, on 5 November fence on the conclusions www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ lic Finance, Human Wel- 2004. of his 'Putin Elite' project, Slavonic/2003- fare, and Inequality in which is now completed. 2005Directory.htm" Stephen White gave China’, held at the Insti- presentations in Novem- Derek Hutcheson Stephen White took part tute for Chinese Studies, ber 2004 on politics and gave the inaugural re- in a Chatham House Study University of Oxford, 21- propaganda in the early search seminar of the Group at the end of January 23 May 2004. This paper Soviet period to a Scot- School of Slavonic, Cen- 2005, designed to ventilate is to be published in a tish Universities Art His- tral and East European some of the findings in volume edited by Profes- tory Study Day, and on Studies on 2 December. which he is engaged with sors Vivienne Shue public attitudes to NATO The topic of the presenta- Margot Light and Roy Allison (University of Oxford) and in Russia, and tion was "Fifteen Years on the implications for Rus- Christine Wong Belarus at a conference On: Political Participation sia, Ukraine and Belarus of (University of Washing- in St Andrews. In Decem- in Post-Communist EU and NATO expansion. The ton, formerly with the ber he chaired a panel at Europe Since 1989", and draft chapters that were World Bank). Jane also the American Association it focused in particular on presented will be published presented a paper on for the Advancement of Russia and Eastern Ger- later in the year as a Chat- ‘Health Policy in China: Slavic Studies annual many. At the same semi- ham House paper.

STUDY GROUP

Members of the group will be participating in a two-year, £2,000 UACES study group which started on 1 Janu- ary. Co-ordinated by Derek Hutcheson and Elena Korosteleva (formerly at Glasgow and now at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth), the group will examine EU and post-Soviet relations under the topic of “The 'Outsiders' and the EU: Is there a values gap”? In addition to the co-ordinators, others included in the study group include Stephen White and Julia Korosteleva, and Glasgow postgraduates Anke Schmidt-Felzmann and Katsusato Furusawa.

POSTGRADUATE STUDENT NEWS

Congratulations to Atsushi has also had an his PhD in the Department in Shandong Province, Atsushi Otgushi for pass- article accepted by the in 2002) has recently China, since November ing his dissertation viva JOURNAL OF COMMUNIST signed a contract with the observing village elections on 21 January 2005. The STUDIES AND TRANSITION University of Florida Press as part of his fieldwork for title of his dissertation POLITICS, on financial as- for a book derived from his his doctoral dissertation was ‘The Disintegration of pects of demise of the thesis, which dealt with on village self-governance. the Communist Party of CPSU, which will appear in Soviet-Cuban relations up He returned to Glasgow in the ’ and his June 2005. to 1991. early February. supervisor was Stephen. Mervyn Bain (who took Wang Guohui has been

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