Crossroads of Resistance: Exploring the Dynamics of Liberation and Authoritarianism through the Lens of Migration and Education

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel brings together a series of papers that explore the interplay between liberation and authoritarianism, focusing on migration and education. Each of the four papers offers a distinct perspective through which to view the broader themes of political engagement, resistance, identity formation, and the impact of authoritarianism on society. The first paper investigates the political engagement of new Russian immigrants, revealing a complex web of disengagement despite potential opportunities for activism. The second study contrasts intentional communities of Russians in exile, unpacking how activism is shaped by background, location, and political context. The third project scrutinizes the creeping influence of authoritarianism within Georgia's academic and cultural spheres, suggesting a worrying regression to Soviet-era patterns. Lastly, the fourth paper explores the Kremlin's use of educational policies to fortify Cossack identity, underscoring the strategic manipulation of education to support territorial claims. Together, these papers shed light on the multifaceted challenges and strategies associated with navigating the terrain between liberation and authoritarianism. They offer critical perspectives on how individuals and communities resist, adapt to, and are shaped by authoritarian influences, and how they understand and strive for liberation within authoritarian contexts.

Sub Unit

• Sociology, Public Health, Education

Papers

• Family, Fear, and Precarity as the Drivers of Silence: The New Russian Migrants’ Political Remittances and Emotional Extraterritoriality of Authoritarianism - Liudmila Listrovaya, U of Michigan

• Sustainable/Intentional Communities and Lifestyle Environmentalism in Exile - Maria Tysiachniouk, U of Eastern Finland (Finland)

• Creeping Authoritarianism in Higher Education and Research in Georgia: What a Difference a War Makes? - Sarah Elizabeth Slye, Independent Scholar

• 'For the Ancestors' Glory!': The Rebirth of Cossack Education - Richard Alan Arnold, Muskingum U

Discussant

• Konstantin Ash, U of Central Florida