Mobilization Under a Dissident Nationalist Discourse
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Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. GEORGIAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND THE POST-SOVIET GEORGIAN STATE: MOBILIZATION UNDER A DISSIDENT NATIONALIST DISCOURSE By Courtney M. Nero Submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service American University In partial fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of M aster o f Arts In International Affairs Comparative and Regional Studies, Russia and Central Eurasia ineider. Chair M ark C. W alker ImlQ) M Louis W. Goodman, Dean Randolph B. Persaud Sr r r iA A - f cX jQ o * Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 1401042 Copyright 2000 by Nero, Courtney Michael All rights reserved. UMI* UMI Microform 1401042 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT by Courtney M. Nero 2000 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. GEORGIAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND THE POST-SOVIET GEORGIAN STATE: MOBILIZATION UNDER A DISSIDENT NATIONALIST DISCOURSE By Courtney M. Nero ABSTRACT This thesis explores how the combination of the Soviet Communist legacy and an ethnic nationalist discourse produced a volatile political society, unstable social movements, and an imploding state system in post-Soviet Georgia. Specifically, the dissident experience under the Soviet system nurtured organizational skills and networks that were not suited to overt social movement mobilization. The thesis also examines the mobilizing power of the ethnic nationalist discourse in the Georgian context, borrowing Kathryn Manzo’s elaboration of “nationalism as religion” and introducing insights on the teleology of nationalism. These elements together highlight what I call the “messianic teleology” of ethnic nationalism. The thesis elaborates how the personalized politics and distrust engendered from the Soviet experience and the “messianic teleology” of ethnic nationalism were antithetical to the necessary acceptance of “uncertain outcomes” that characterize democratic consolidation (according to Adam Przeworski (1991)). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE This thesis is the culmination of a program of graduate study focused on two major topics. First. I have an abiding interest in how the embedded Soviet state and social system affects different spheres of life in the post-Soviet context. Scholars must rely on the social and political experiences of the Soviet era to gather clues to illuminate the multiple paths of post-Soviet transitions. Second. I have an equal interest in applying the growing social movements literature to the unique Soviet and post-Soviet context. Social movements, in Michael Urban's words, occupy the “seam between civil and political society” (Urban, 1994: 128). The engaging questions of the social movements literature—on protagonists and antagonists, on free-riding, on mobilization strategies, on tactical innovations and adaptations, on political opportunity structure and framing—become truly fascinating when applied to a region in which the authoritarian state did its best to keep the "social" from "moving.” In this context, Georgia presents an interesting object of study. This Master's thesis therefore seeks to use the literature on social movements as a tool to assess the course of political and social transition in Georgia during the late-Soviet and Post-Soviet periods. I hope to add value to the study of Georgian social movements by assessing their behavior under the unique conditions of the Soviet implosion. In addition, the insights offered on “nationalism as religion” should add another tool to the arsenal of those seeking to grasp how and why certain Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. communities mobilize. This perspective views nationalism as a sacred identity, with the appearance of immutability, from which a political community glorifies its past and justifies its future. Future research will be able to improve upon this Master’s thesis in several ways. To assess Georgian social movements into the 1990s and up to the present requires field study in Georgia. In addition, the academic works with the most information on individual Georgian social movements were published in the early 1990s (Aves. 1992: Suny, 1988: and Jones, 1993) and lack information on the movements' membership composition, resources, the conditions of their emergence, and their objectives. As I and other scholars continue to research Georgia’s political experience, and as the World Wide Web puts more information at the disposal of the academic community, many opportunities will become available to improve upon this w ork. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my wife Sabrina, my parents and siblings, and all my family for the support, forbearance, and encouragement extended to me throughout my graduate study. Pursuing the Master’s program on a part-time schedule while working full time has meant that some aspects of family and social life have been cut short, if not curtailed. I appreciate your understanding and constant confidence in the end-time rewards of this endeavor. I’d also like to thank my first child, who. as of this date, is still in the womb but nonetheless provided a significant incentive to finish this thesis during the Spring 2000 semester. My thesis committee of Dr. Cathy Schneider (chair). Dr. Mark Walker, and Dr. Randolph Persaud provided encouragement, guidance, and intellectual challenge in equal amounts and to them I am very grateful. Dr. Schneider’s “Comparative Social Movements" course in the Spring 1997 semester exposed me to the social movements literature. Her course and subsequent guidance have played a primary role in honing my academic research agenda. Dr. Walker’s white board has hosted many of my incomplete thoughts and concepts; his guidance helped to sharpen the ideas presented here (though any errors are completely my own). Dr. Persaud's dedication to critical thinking challenged me toward more dynamic interpretations of history, systems, and society during my graduate study. For collaborative guidance and probing theoretical challenges. I thank Larry Markowitz. Your questions have helped me form many, many answers. Thanks also to Sheila Wise and the SIS graduate office. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. VI I'd also like to thank the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, DCI Counterterrorist Center, the Directorate of Intelligence Council of Intelligence Occupations, and the Office of Transnational Issues, who, each in turn, provided funding for me to pursue the American University graduate program. I am eternally grateful for this crucial support, without which I could not have completed the program . Last but certainly not least, I must thank Deborah, Fran. Larry, Karen, and all the staff of the Office of Support Services. Your dedication to maintaining a truly first- rate Library, in addition to your cheerful greetings, have played a significant role in this final product. I can not overstate how much you all have helped me through almost five years of study. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract..........................................................................................................................................................................ii