VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 TRANSFORMATION GROUP NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2010 GLASGOW UNIVERSITY Happy New Year! Another of our six-monthly roundups of what has been happening among those who deal in whole or in part with politics in the communist or formerly INSIDE THIS ISSUE: communist-ruled countries of Eastern Europe and the Far East.

CONFERENCE 1 P A P E R S CONFERENCE PAPERS

F I E L D W O R K 3 Vikki presented work focussing edge creation’, that was co- legal culture – such as breaking the on the methodological aspects organised by the universities law ‘in an emergency’, ‘in self- TRANSFORMA- 3 TION GROUP of conducting cross-cultural of Glasgow, Manchester and defence’, and ‘if they were unlikely S Y M P O S I U M research in November 2009. Helsinki. Vikki’s paper was to get caught’ or ‘would do no harm She attended the AAASS An- entitled ‘The tensions and to others’ (the J. S. Mill principle). At V I S I T O R S 3 nual Conference in Boston 12- contributions of conducting the other end of the scale, actions 15 November delivering an cross-cultural feminist re- such as ‘giving bribes under pres- G R A N T S 4 impulse paper, ‘Possibilities search: reflections from re- sure’ were at the ‘most country- for knowledge transfer and search on women’s human specific’ end of the scale. The paper impact in feminist research rights in contemporary Rus- also discussed how various ele- PUBLICATIONS 4 practice: reflections from con- sia’. ments of popular legal cultures var- ducting research across disci- ied across Europe – some conform- Bill reports as follows: AND 5 plinary and geographical ing to the familiar ‘east-west’ pat- ITS “IMAGES” boundaries’, as part of a 14 July: Presented paper to tern, others conforming to the less roundtable, entitled ‘Ideas that 2009 World Congress of Politi- frequently cited ‘core-periphery’ RUSSIAN STUD- 6 cal Science in Santiago, Chile. IES IN KOREA never meet? Navigating inter- pattern. disciplinary knowledge and My paper was: ‘Culture, Con- practice’, that she co- text and Behaviour: the Law- “CRISIS CON- 6 FERENCE”, 13- organised with colleagues breaking, Law-abiding Public’. 14 MAY 2010 from the Departments of Cen- The paper was based on ap- CONGRATULA- 7 tral and East European Stud- proximately 1000 interviews in T I O N S ies and Slavonic Studies at each of five countries: Eng- Glasgow. land, Norway, Poland, Bulgaria WHO WE ARE 7 AND WHAT WE and . Amongst other Vikki was also invited to de- D O findings it looked at eight sce- liver a keynote address in Hel- narios in which ‘generally law- sinki 26-27 November 2009 Above: “It’s been cold in Yakutsk as abiding people’ would at a postgraduate workshop well (courtesy of Katsu)” ‘knowingly break the law’. entitled, ‘Understanding Rus- Some of these proved to be sia: critical reflections on amongst the ‘most pan- method, practice and knowl- European’ elements of popular TRANSFORMATION GROUP NEWSLETTER Page 2

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In October Bill presented Plan: Rebuilding Social Pro- fucius Institute on 29 Octo- Cristian writes from Turin: ‘In another paper to the Norwe- tections for Stability and ber. November 2009 I took part Growth?’, at an international gian Research Council’s Stephen spoke (with Valen- to a conference in Livorno workshop on ‘Dealing with annual “Changing Europe” tina) at a day conference on about the 20th anniversary Economic Crisis: Chinese Russia in Hutcheson’s conference, at the NRC Approaches and Experi- of the events of 1989 and headquarters in Oslo. His ences’ organised by the Grammar School, Glasgow, the post Cold War world. I paper was: ‘Public attitudes Association for Social Sci- in September, and in Octo- presented a paper about towards European and Inter- ence Research on China at ber in Khar’kiv at the First Russian elite approaches national Standards in Law Trier, Germany, on 27-28 Congress of Ukrainian Soci- toward the West from the November – a very gener- and Law-enforcement’. The ologists, where he pre- late 1980s to the late ously hosted event that al- paper was based on the sented a paper on ’Coloured 1990s and the political de- lowed us to sample ancient same interviews. Amongst Roman cuisine and wines of Revolutions: Is there a Pat- velopment of post-Soviet other findings it concluded: the Mosel as well as visit tern?’ and took part in a Russia. It was instructive for (1) that a ‘predominantly- Karl Marx Haus (his birth- panel discussion on me to discuss this topic with European identity’ is a suffi- place). In November Jane ‘Independent Sociology: other experienced historians also gave a keynote lecture cient, but not a necessary Myth or Reality? and to present my paper to on ‘Health Reform and the condition for welcoming and such a large audience in- PRC Government’s Promo- In November he spoke at supporting European and tion of ‘Social Harmony’ at a the annual meeting of the cluding young students as International Standards; and conference on 'The Impact American Association for the well as experienced aca- (2) that a ‘predominantly- of the Global Economic Cri- Advancement of Slavic Stud- demics.’ Country identity’ is a neces- sis on Social Development: ies in Boston on ‘People and Politics in Post-Communist sary, but not a sufficient Social Policy Responses in Greater China', held at the ’, drawing in part on condition for rejecting the University of Hong Kong. our 2009 national survey. application of European and She combined this trip with

International Standards . a visit to an of post-1949 Chinese materials at the Jane presented a paper on Chinese University of Hong ‘China’s changing health Kong. governance’ at a workshop on Urban Governance in Jane also participated in a China at the University of cross-UK government strat- Turku, Finland, 12-14 Au- egy meeting, ‘Scenarios for gust, combining the trip with China in 2025 and their a wonderful family holiday in Helsinki and exploring the Implications for UK Defence, south-western archipelago. Diplomacy and Development She organised a panel at the Objectives’, organised by the APSA meeting in Toronto, 3- Cabinet Office, DfID, Ministry 6 September, at which she of Defence, London, on 6 presented a paper on November. She delivered a ‘Health Politics in China: lecture, ‘The China Chal- Explaining State Retrench- ment, 1978-2003’. She lenge: Models, Visions and presented another paper, on Global Futures’, at the Uni- Above: “Stephen, Grigorii Ioffe and Andrei Korobkov ex- ‘Economic Crisis and versity of Edinburgh & Con- plore Beacon Hill after the AAASS meeting in Boston” China’s 2009 Health Reform TRANSFORMATION GROUP NEWSLETTER Page 3

F I E L D W O R K

Sam has been carrying out coming months he will con- Smith Foundation Seedcorn colleagues from Helsinki fieldwork in for a tinue to locate documents Grant (£1200). The data and Glasgow. couple of months. He has for his thesis and complete generated from this study been working in the Library some interview work. Stephen was in Moscow forms the basis of several of the and the again in September 2009, Vikki began work on her new conference papers that have ‘Leninka’ or Russian State for library research and pro- project that explores Library as part of his thesis been accepted for presenta- ject-related discussions with which looks at the Russian women’s access to legal tion in 2010. Vikki will pre- Olga Kryshtanovskaya, and military in contemporary advice as one of a variety of sent at BASEES in March, at in Ukraine in October. He continued to visit the Johns politics. In addition to his means used by women to the British Sociological Asso- research, he has been dab- Hopkins Bologna Center access rights in 2009. She ciation annual conference in bling in the murkier depths during the autumn term as spent July in Ul’yanovsk April as part of a roundtable of Russian cuisine and Adjunct Professor of Euro- conducting fieldwork for her struggling to stay upright on on the ‘Sociology of rights’ pean icy pavements. As yet he pilot study entitled ‘Mapping with a colleague from the hasn’t bumped into Medve- access to legal advice in Sociology Department at dev or Putin but has seen at provincial Russia’, which Glasgow, and at ICCEES in least one ‘minigarch’. In the was funded by an Adam July on a panel with Studies.

TRANSFORMATION GROUP SYMPOSIUM

The Group organised a departmental symposium in November 2009. Stephen spoke on ‘Explaining “coloured revolutions”’, Sarah on ‘Politics and the Internet’ and Valentina on ‘Russia as a Normative Power’.

We expect to organise a second symposium later in the current term.

VISITORS

Visitors during the past six months included Kate Horner of the UK Cabinet Office, who was here in November to discuss cur- rent Russian elite politics with Stephen and Valentina. VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 Page 4

GRANTS

Valentina and Stephen were that the relatively small or even increased? How will We propose to examine awarded £3500 to assist in group that takes Russia's the silovik i and other strate- such matters on an annual organising a ‘crisis confer- key decisions is increasingly gic groups be distributed basis in successive cross- sections, from January 2008 ence’ in May 2010 (see composed of siloviki with a across the presidential ad- to January 2011 inclusive.’ below). Additional support military or security back- ministration, within a gov- was made available by the ground. This distinctive rul- ernment that will be chaired Centre for Russian, Central ing group faces a serious by a more influential prime and East European Studies, challenge as it seeks to minister, within the newly- courtesy of Richard Berry. manage a succession to the elected legislature, and in all-powerful presidency at the eighty-odd regions? How Stephen’s latest ESRC the end of 's will these strategic groups award began in September, second term. The central be represented within the entitled ‘The Putin Succes- question for the project is informal ‘court’ where the sion’ (£139,068, 2009- the changes that will take most crucial of all decisions 2012), and is based again place in the Russian political are made? What are the on collaboration with Olga elite as this succession pro- implications of their repre- Kryshtanovskaya. As the ceeds. We will ask, in par- sentation and known opin- abstract explains, ‘Previous ticular: Will the existing ions for Russia's domestic work by the present appli- level of representation of and foreign/security policy? cant and his Russian col- the silovik i be maintained, laborator has established

PUBLICATIONS

Vikki published a coauthored Gender, Work and Organi- versity Press). It includes a pattern?’. A separate book article based on findings from zation , published online 30 chapter by Sarah and Gillian version, coedited by her doctoral research on November 2009 and a vail- McCormick on the media Stephen and David Lane, women’s perceptions of hu- able at: http:// and political communica- will appear in due course. man rights and how the find- www3.interscience.wiley.co tion. Stephen also coauthored a ings relate to ‘western’ con- m/journal/123193808/ Stephen’s coauthored pa- short paper on ‘After Pi- ceptualizations of women’s abstract per with Ian McAllister on kalevo’ (with Visiting Profes- work life choices in the jour- ‘Rethinking the “Orange sor Olga Kryshtanovskaya) nal Gender, work and organi- Stephen’s coedited collec- Revolution”’ appeared in which appeared in Baltic zation. See Turbine, V. & tion came out in Decem- the Journal of Communist Rim Economies No. 5 Riach, K. (2010) ‘The right to ber: Stephen White, Rich- Studies and Transition Poli- (October 2009). A more choose or choosing what’s ard Sakwa and Henry Hale, tics 25: 2-3 (June- substantial paper, intended rights? Women’s conceptuali- eds., Developments in Rus- September 2009), and he to take further their discus- zation of work life choices in sian Politics 7 (Palgrave also contributed a conclud- sion of the role of the si- contemporary Russia’, Macmillan and Duke Uni- ing paper on ‘Is there a loviki , appeared as TRANSFORMATION GROUP NEWSLETTER Page 5

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‘The Sovietization of Russian come to dominate much of United States and Russia, Security Challenges pro- Politics’ in Post-Soviet Af- the political agenda in many while discussing why British gramme.’ fairs , vol. 25, no. 4 (October- countries in the wake of politics were relatively un- December 2009). 9/11. Terrorism, Elections, changed. The findings sug-

Sarah has just published and Democracy examines gest that the democratic Terrorism, Elections, and how the fear of terrorism intentions of elections can Democracy: Political Cam- affected how elections were be overwhelmed when politi- paigns in the United States, fought and won in 2004 and cians, journalists, and the Great Britain, and Russia 2005. The book finds origi- public focus on fear rather (with L.L. Kaid and M. Berry, nal and compelling evidence than politics in a campaign. Palgrave, 2009). She writes: for how security issues The data come from two ‘The politics of fear have dominated elections in the grants under the ESRC New

RUSSIA AND ITS “IMAGES”

Valentina’s thesis abstract is tive in the early 1990s, they search (elite interviewing national images in interna- as follows: became more negative to- and discourse analysis), the tional relations. wards the end of Boris Yel’t- study seeks to make a This study seeks to analyse sin’s presidency before three-fold contribution to the the impact of the perceived, reaching their negative academic literature. Firstly, projected and self-images of ‘peak’ during Putin’s second it is the first systematic ex- a state on its foreign and presidential term. The ener- amination of Russian foreign domestic policies. It ap- getic efforts of the Russian propaganda in the post- proaches this problem by authorities in the years of Soviet period. By analysing exploring the evolution of Putin’s presidency to pro- Russia’s attempts to im- international images of the mote a more favourable prove its image in the inter- Russian Federation in the image of the country provide national arena, the thesis ‘West’ in the years of Vladi- extremely rich material for contributes to the literature mir Putin’s presidency analysis, which has largely in the field of International (2000-2008) and by exam- not yet been utilised in the Political Communication that ining attempts by the Rus- academic literature. has already examined public sian authorities to improve diplomacy campaigns con- them with the help of foreign To facilitate the analysis of ducted by other, mainly propaganda. Russian politi- Russia’s perceived images Western, countries. Sec- cal elites have always been and the effectiveness of ondly, it aims to provide a very sensitive to perceptions foreign propaganda, the deeper insight into the role of Russia in Western Europe thesis includes two case of subjective, non-material and later in the United studies that examine the factors in Russian foreign States of America. Following issues at question in greater policy. Finally, it seeks to the collapse of the Soviet detail in the United Kingdom make a contribution to the Union, Russia’s images in of Great Britain and North- social constructivist IR litera- Western countries under- ern Ireland and the Federal ture by presenting a theo- went significant transforma- Republic of Germany. Based retical analysis of the role of tion. Although relatively posi- on extensive primary re- VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 Page 6

RUSSIAN STUDIES IN KOREA

Seongjin Kim completed his guage and Literature. The with the return of those who Sapporo, Japan in 2009; the PhD here in 2000, and had number of members of the completed their higher de- second will be held in Seoul, already begun to publish his Korean Association of Slavic grees in the UK, Germany, Korea in March 2010. work (for instance, in Pacific Studies has also increased and particularly Russia. Stephen White will be in atten- Focus and Regional and from a total of about 100 Russia Studies also receives dance as one of three emi- Federal Studies ) before he initially to some 300 in the its fair share of the research nent scholars (the others are had left. He writes as fol- social sciences and 350- funds provided by the Minis- Graham Gill and Peter Rut- lows: 400 in language and litera- try of Education. The author, land) invited as special Korea and Russia are cele- ture. About 60-70 of these for instance, has recently guests. brating the 20th anniversary members in the social sci- received a grant to conduct Unfortunately not all of the of the normalization of diplo- ences and 50 in literature/ public opinion surveys on news is good. Difficulties in matic relations after the language are research ac- migration issues in the Rus- securing an academic position long confrontation of the tive (i.e. having produced sian Far East. Such funding are no longer a surprise at all Cold War. The end of the more than three publica- contributes, of course, not in Korea and this has become Cold War also normalized tions during the last five only to a dramatic increase a prime obstacle in recruiting studies in this field: re- years). Not surprisingly, all in publications, but also to postgraduate students and search on the of those who undertook academic exchanges the next generation of Rus- was strictly controlled for their doctoral studies at the (attendance at conferences, sian/Slavic specialists. In- much of the Cold War due to under research trips etc). deed, a growing number of the anti-communism of the supervision of Stephen The East Asian Conference young scholars are exploring South Korea’s authoritarian White fall into this category. of Slavic Studies, jointly the new frontier of Central regime. The educational background organized by the Korean, Asian studies in the hope of In terms of volume Russian of the researchers has also Chinese, and Japanese as- breaking through on the job Studies has grown during changed markedly. The pro- sociations, is an important market. the last 20 years: there are portion of US PhD-degree development in the interna- now around 30 undergradu- holders (traditionally domi- tionalization of Slavic Stud- ate departments in Russian nant numerically) has de- ies in Asia. The first EA Con- Studies, and Russian Lan- creased since the 1990s ference was held in Sap-

CRISIS CONFERENCE, 13-14 MAY 2010

Coorganised by Stephen and PANEL 1 [2.-3.30] Neil Robinson (Limerick), PANEL 2 [4-5.30] Valentina, and intended to ‘The limits of authoritarian Richard Rose (Aberdeen), ‘How David Lane (Cambridge), Important are Economic give rise to a double special developmentalism in Russia: ‘Global economic crisis and Evaluations for Political Atti- issue of the Journal of Com- patrimonial capitalism and tudes?’ (provisional) the CIS’ munist Studies and Transi- the global credit crunch’ Phil Hanson (RIIA London), tion Politics (and a subse- Robert Bideleux (Swansea), Richard Sakwa (Kent), ‘The ‘Russia: Crisis, Exit quent edited book). The ‘Contrasting Responses to politics of krizis ’ and...Reform?’ provisional programme is the global crisis in the CIS Elizabeth Teague (FCO Lon- appended below; all will be and the new EU member don), ‘The Politics of Crisis and welcome to attend. states’ Russian Workers’ TRANSFORMATION GROUP NEWSLETTER Page 7

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PANEL 3 [Friday 9.15-11] path towards European inte- UCL), “The implications of PANEL 6: ROUNDTABLE [4- gration’ the global recession for the 5.30] Mikhail Korostikov (MGIMO), Belarusian economy: reveal- ‘The Russian and Chinese Vlad Mykhnenko/Adam Marie Mendras (LSE/Paris) ing cracks in the economic Leaderships and the Crisis’ Swain (Nottingham), model” Roy Allison (LSE) ‘Depression, devaluation Olga Kryshtanovskaya and divergence: The burst- Alena Kropacheva Peter Duncan (SSEES/UCL) (Moscow), ‘Krizis i tandem ing of the Orange bubble (Hamburg), ‘Presidential [The crisis and the tandem]’ Margot Light (LSE) and Ukraine’s space- Elections in Ukraine and

Valentina Feklyunina/ economy’ Foreign Policy Choices’ Stephen White (Glasgow), Marco Bocjun (London Met- Christian Haerpfer ‘Reading the Krizis in Rus- ropolitan), ‘International (Aberdeen), and sia’ economic crisis and the the crisis Ian McAllister (Canberra)/ 2010 presidential elections Stephen White, ‘The Crisis, Christian Haerpfer in Ukraine’ the Public and the Parties’ (Aberdeen), Moldova and Elena Korosteleva the crisis PANEL 4 [11.30-1] (Aberystwyth), ‘Financial Nat Copsey (Aston), ‘The Crisis and Belarus’ Foreign effect of the global eco- Policy’ nomic crisis on Ukraine’s Yulia Korosteleva (SSEES/

CONGRATULATIONS WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

To Valentina on successfully To Stephen , on becoming The Transformation Group was established in 2004 as a passing her PhD viva in De- coeditor of the Journal of framework for cooperation among those in the Department cember 2009! The internal Eurasian Studies , based in of Politics, University of Glasgow, who work wholly or in sub- stantial part on political change in Eastern Europe, the For- examiner was Sarah, and South Korea and published mer USSR and China. It includes staff members of the De- the external Dr Peter Dun- by Elsevier (the first issue partment in various capacities, and research students. Its can of the School of Sla- will appear in 2010). co-convenors are Professor Stephen White and Professor vonic and East European Jane Duckett. The other members and associates are:

Studies/UCL, himself a Glas- Staff: Dr Tom Lundberg, Prof Bill Miller, Prof Sarah Oates And to Valentina again, on gow PhD. The award was an and Prof Chris Thornhill and Dr Vikki Turbine ‘A’ (unconditional). the wonderful news that she

has just been appointed to a To Elena , on an Aberystwyth Lectureship in Politics at Research staff: Tanya Biletskaya and Valentina Feklyunina Teaching Excellence Award Newcastle University! Graduate students: Daniel Hammond, Ariel Ko, Sam Robert- (July 2009), and Higher Edu- shaw, Anke Schmidt-Felzman and Alison Swain. cation Academy/ BISA rec- Associates and former staff and students: Dr Katsuto Furu- ognition of Teaching Excel- sawa, Dr Caroline Hoy, Dr Derek Hutcheson, Dr Tom John- lence in International Poli- son, Dr Elena Korosteleva, Dr Yulia Korosteleva, Dr Chris tics (December 2009) Lamont and Dr Guohui Wang