Migration, Tradition and Change in Georgia

Translated from the German by Hillary Crowe.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Georgia to protest against a new 'foreign agent' law, the first draft of which was approved by parliament on 17 April. Their worry is that legislation of this kind will silence regime-critical voices and strengthen anti-democratic structures, as has already occurred in Russia. The protests make visible a dilemma that has been causing tensions within Georgian society for some time: while some sections of the population decry the supposed decline in values resulting from Western influence, many Georgians, mainly the young, are looking towards the EU and signalling that they are receptive to change.

One factor which plays a role in this context is growing mobility – meaning foreign travel and, above all, migration to the West. When people migrate to a different country, their mindsets are often influenced by the culture of the host society. Interviews conducted by ZOiS with Georgian migrants in Germany confirm that they often start to reappraise their own values. For many family members who have stayed in Georgia, the new values espoused by their migrant relatives pose a threat to traditional beliefs. Yet at the same time, they appear to be open to incorporating their migrant relatives’ experiences into their own worldview.

Changing mindsets

One of the migrants who was interviewed describes her life in Georgia before migration as 'life in a lotus' – her metaphor for a collective sense of community in which anything new simply rolls off like water from a lotus leaf. But many of the respondents say that today’s Georgia is urgent need of change – not only in a political and legal sense, but also as regards social attitudes and responses towards diversity. For these interviewees, it is about overcoming the deep-rooted fear of the unknown in Georgian society, a fear which stems from the fact that Georgia has 'always had to fight for survival', as one interviewee explains.

The migrants surveyed point to a profound division within Georgian society – a division which, in their view, stems from differences in educational backgrounds and life experiences. This division is reflected in conflicting sets of values, particularly in attitudes towards politics, the Church’s role and LGBTQ+ issues. 'In Georgia, I always viewed the LGBT issue from a religious perspective and regarded same-sex relationships as a sin, in line with the teachings of the Church. But in Germany, I found myself asking for the first time whether what the Church says is actually correct.' The interviewees often draw attention to what they regard as the wrong themes highlighted in social protests. Livelihood issues are often neglected, they say, with non-critical topics foregrounded instead; for example, the Church organises anti-LGBTQ+ protests rather than mobilising against poverty or other pressing social problems.

For many migrants, the main problem is that traditional values are still passed down from generation to generation in Georgia. This particularly applies to traditional views of the family and gender roles. The Church plays a key role in promoting these values. However, many of the interviewees believe that challenging these traditional values and mindsets is a prerequisite for a fairer and more inclusive Georgia. They want a more progressive society based on education, critical reflection and social justice. As one of the interviewees underlines: 'Recognising and accepting certain aspects that actually enrich our faith, our values, our traditions and our diversity does not mean forfeiting our Georgian identity or denying our homeland.'

A growing awareness of self-care

Many family members who have stayed behind in Georgia have something of a 'wait-and-see' attitude towards change and emphasise the continuity of traditional values. At the same time, they recognise the need to rethink outdated attitudes. This is partly a result of their own reflections on their lives and priorities compared to those of their migrant children. They often describe their children as goal-oriented, with a clear set of life plans. As a result, they themselves develop more awareness of the need for self-care, personal priorities and an understanding of how important it is 'not to neglect oneself and not to be led too much by external influences'. In their view, this has encouraged them to give 'more consideration to personal needs and goals and thus find the way to a better balance and more autonomy in life'.

Young migrants, by contrast, express a desire to free themselves from Georgia’s cultural confines. They look back on their experience of life in their country of origin and see a set of internalised constraints on their individual freedom. As a result, they have a growing desire for independence and autonomy, with migration strengthening their confidence in their own abilities. The experiences gained in Europe are often perceived as a form of liberation from traditional social norms, 'because I don’t see any kind of framework that limits you in your actions', as one respondent underlines.

Between tradition and a new direction

For family members who have stayed in Georgia, the challenge is to reconcile recognition of cultural diversity with the preservation of traditional values. Despite the differences in the values held by many interviewed migrants in Germany and those of their relatives in Georgia, their relationships are often characterised by mutual understanding and acceptance. Many parents of migrants attach importance to their parental role and emphasise the need to recognise and respect their children’s opinions, even if they are not completely aligned with their own. Their mindsets reflect a complex mix of cultural traditions, willingness to change and family values. They are often criticised by their migrant children for clinging to their traditional beliefs. Yet at the same time, the children encourage their parents to critically challenge outdated norms and to recognise the need for independent thinking and behaviour.

In conclusion, then, it seems that migration leads to complex shifts in individual values and in the social discourses taking place in the country of origin. The reappraisal of identities and values by the interviewed migrants, but also by their parents in the country of origin, is an important part of the cultural dialogue. The migration-related generational conflicts that are observed underscore the need for Georgian society to analyse and understand the impacts of migration processes on various social groups. Migration can thus be a significance driver of social change in the countries of origin as well.

Diana Bogishvili is a researcher at ZOiS. For her PhD, she is studying the transnational lifeworlds of Georgian educational migrants in Germany and their families in Georgia.