CRRC, ARISC and American Councils are pleased to announce the 9th talk of the Spring 2023 Tbilisi Works-in-Progress series!
This week’s talk will be virtual only through Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvduCvqzgpE9ZGfJpkZKgGXd2PRq1UIiD2
“The Reception of the Russian Exodus: Attitudes towards arrivals from Russia in Georgia”
Cynthia Buckley, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 18:30 Tbilisi time (10:30 am EST)
Altering the geopolitical, economic, and attitudinal relationships across Eurasia, the escalation of Russian military actions in Ukraine in February 2022 marks a period of increased outmigration of Russian residents (and private capital) into neighboring nations. Sizable spikes in the number of “guests of undetermined duration”, linked to Putin’s mobilization moves in September, accelerate concerns regarding both the socio-economic impact of this migration flow and the impact of growing Russian diasporas on political independence and security. This WiP presentation evaluates extant demographic data and media portrayals of the size, composition, and duration profiles of recent Russian travelers to Georgia. Employing data collected through CRRC national surveys in the fall of 2022 and early 2023, I examine the lines of continuity and change in Georgian public opinion concerning Russian travelers through three questions at two points in time: What social characteristics are tied to more negative attitudes toward Russian travelers? Are Georgians more accepting of Russians fleeing mobilization risk? Are attitudes towards Russian travelers linked to overall economic indicators? Findings inform fissures between public opinion and governmental responses during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Cynthia Buckley is a social demographer and Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois and an Adjunct Research Professor at the Population Studies Center of the University of Michigan. Her work focuses on the intersections between demographic change and social stability, most recently during times of armed conflict and crisis. This research is supported by her sub-award from the Minerva project, “Central Eurasian State Capacity Initiative” (Erik Herron (University of West Virginia), P.I.
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Works-in-Progress is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place office of CRRC at Liziko Kavtaradze St. 1 and online. It is co-organized by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, and the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). All of the talks are free and open to the public.
In observation of the spirit of the Chatham House Rule, the talks will not be recorded, and we courteously request that the other participants refrain from recording and/or distributing recordings as well. The opinions expressed in WiP talks are those of the speakers alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CRRC, ARISC or of American Councils.