Politics of Fear: Patterns of Political Disengagement Among Russian Migrants in Democracies
Emerging Russian Diasporas and Anti-war Movements Research Network (ERDAM)
18 December 2024, 12:00–13:30 CET, online
In the wake of the partial mobilisation announced in September 2022, an estimated 700,000 Russian citizens left the country to seek refuge in safer, democratic countries. Despite their new surroundings, many of these exiles have refrained from engaging in anti-war activism, raising questions about why Russian migrants in democratic countries often disengage from civic and political activities. This talk is based on a research paper co-authored by Amelie Tolvin (University of Toronto), Mikhail Turchenko (Northwestern University, Illinois), and Margarita Zavadskaya (FIIA, Helsinki). It examines the factors driving demobilisation among Russian migrants, drawing on a collection of semi-structured interviews. The researchers focus on two main explanations: resource constraints and fear of transnational repression. We categorise migrant engagement into four types - activists, passive individuals, mobilised individuals and disengaged individuals - in order to assess the effects of both pre- and post-exit conditions on political behaviour. Drawing on theories of resource mobilisation and repression, we propose two hypotheses: that resource limitations and concerns about transnational repression significantly reduce the likelihood of post-exit activism. The presented study contributes to the broader discussion on political engagement and diaspora studies by highlighting how external constraints and fear shape activism, even in safer political contexts.
Speaker
Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya (Finnish Institute of International Affairs)
Discussant
Dr. Tatiana Golova (ZOiS)
Moderation
Prof. Dr. Susanne Bygnes (University of Bergen)
The online event can be accessed via this Zoom link (no registration required): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84545263416?pwd=IUWwCiTf21lg9iYHcqukDrXUzZJJz1.1
For further questions or information, please contact domas.lavrukaitis(at)zois-berlin(dot)de.