CEES Events 2013-14
7 Oct 2013: Reluctant donors? The International development policies of Central and Eastern European states
Time: 1pm
Venue: Adam Smith Building, room 916
Presenter: Dr Simon Lightfoot (University of Leeds)
All welcome
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
9 Oct 2013: National capitalisms versus international capitalisms: recent changes in economics and politics in Central Europe
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Adam Smith Building, room 916
Presenter: Prof Roderick Martin (formally of the Business School here at Glasgow, and now based at Central European University, Hungary)
Time: 5.30pm (tea and coffee from 5pm), Room 916, Adam Smith Building
"In 'Constructing Capitalisms' (OUP, 2013) I examined the changing structures of capitalism in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. A rhetoric of shareholder value coexisted with fragemented business systems. The presentation will take the discussion further by examining the relation between national and international capitalisms, before and after the financial crisis, primarily in Hungary and Poland: are peripheries powerless?"
All welcome
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
23 Oct 2013: Lithuanians? National Identity and (Re-)Constructions of Pre-Christian Baltic Religion?
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: CEES Seminar Room, 8 Lilybank Gardens
Presenter: Dr Dalia Senvaityte (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania)
The aim of this seminar is to explain the relationship between the construction of Lithuanian national identity and specific historical memory. Special attention will be given to the memories of ancient Lithuanian statehood that are commonly allied with ancient pagan religious practices. Attention will be placed on the process of modern Lithuania’s national revival in the 19th century, when memories of ancient Lithuanian statehood, as well as those of ancient pagan religion, were again evoked.
Afterwards, the period of Lithuania’s Soviet occupation will be discussed. The paper will explain the importance of ancient history, and why specific Lithuanian ethnic culture as well as of the pagan religion were evoked. Later on attention will be paid to the period after Lithuania regained its independency in 1990 and how the Popular Movements related with ancient paganism, lost their ties with Lithuanian national identification, and had to re-establish them anew.
The second part of the paper is intended to present the most popular (re-)constructions of pre-Christian Baltic religion. The sources of these (re-)constructions will be introduced, and the main problems of these reconstructions will be discussed. (Re-) constructions of the upper and lower ancient pantheon will be presented. Images of the ancient gods, their co-relations and functions will also be discussed.
All welcome.
The CEES Seminar Series is supported by the University of Glasgow MacFie Bequest.
30 Oct 2013: Challenges and Opportunities in researching LGBT Families in Ukraine?
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: St. Andrew’s Building, room 157
Presenter: Dr Tamara Martsenyuk (National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine)
In 2011-2012 I worked with a research team on the project ?LGBT Families in Ukraine: Legislative Regulations and Social Practice?. In this seminar I will share the main results of this research and discuss the challenges that I faced ?being in the field? both theoretically and methodologically. I will start by outlining the broader perspective of the state of the LGBT movement in Ukraine and attitudes towards homosexuality on the part of Ukrainian citizens, politicians etc. I will then present the findings of the project, and discuss their potential value for public sociology projects (i.e. I will discuss the possibility of changing the situation with regards to homophobia in Ukraine).
Publications on this topic:
1. Martsenyuk, ?amara (2013). Gender Roles in LGBT Families in Ukraine: Idealization and Reproduction of Heteronormativity, Manifold Angles of Gender: Georgia. Poland. Russia. Ukraine: Conference Materials [Heinrich Boell Foundation, Tbilisi], p. 79-84.
2. Martsenyuk, ?amara (2012). The State of the LGBT Community and Homophobia in Ukraine. Problems of Post Communism, Vol. 59, # 2 (March?April), p. 51-62.
All welcome. Tea and coffee from 5pm.
The CEES Seminar Series is supported by the University of Glasgow MacFie Bequest.
6 Nov 2013: Hungarian Wine, Slavic Brandy? Alcohol in Reform-Era Hungary
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 157, St Andrew's Building
Presenter: Dr Alexander Maxwell (Victoria University of Wellington)
Alcohol acquired important nationalist symbolism during the Hungarian Reform Era (1825-1848). Its symbolism derived partly from national self-glorification, but partly from the economic interests of Hungarian wine producers: patriots devoted great efforts to promoting the Hungarian wine industry. Yet while the production of brandy also grew during the Reform Era, Hungarian elites associated the characteristically Slavic tipple with drunkenness and disorder. Alcohol’s cultural symbolism thus reflected Hungary’s ethnic diversity: different alcoholic beverages associated with different ethnic groups inspired different attitudes from Hungarian elites.
All welcome. Tea and coffee from 5pm.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
13 Nov 2013: Reluctant donors? The International development policies of Central and Eastern European states
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 157, St Andrew's Building
Presenter: Dr Simon Lightfoot (University of Leeds)
This paper examines the international development policies of the central and eastern European states that joined the EU in 2004 onwards. The paper outlines the motivations and commitments that prompted these states to create international development policies, the domestic politics of aid and the links between aid and foreign policy. In particular, it examines CEE development engagement with post-Soviet states/Central Asia in light of the development-security nexus and foreign policy influence in the region. It also reviews the impact of the financial crisis on aid spending. The paper argues that for the most part we can see these states as 'reluctant donors', although recent events, such as the Czech Republic becoming a DAC member, highlight that some CEE states might be taking a different trajectory.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
27 Nov 2013 The challenge of stateness: citizenship in post-Soviet democratisation in the cases of Estonia and Ukraine
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: CEES Seminar Room, 8 Lilybank Gardens
Presenter: Olena Podolian (PhD Student, S”dert”rn University, Sweden)
The idea for this paper is generated by observation of an apparent inconsistency within trajectories of development of stateness within post-Soviet states, most of them running against earlier predictions. These states remain integral, stable, and, in most cases formally, democratic, as exemplified by contrasting cases of Estonia and Ukraine. It is argued that whilst a set of contingent factors, such as countries? inherited Soviet and quasi-state institutional design at the outset of regime change and post-Soviet political dynamics, are explanatory for state-building, impact of external link on the interaction of internal factors in constructing citizenship model must be analysed. The empirical evidence embraces legislation on citizenship, national minorities and language.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
4 Dec 2013: Historical cities of Russia: local identities and citizen involvement in the preservation of historical heritage
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: CEES Seminar Room, 8 Lilybank Gardens
Presenter: Dr Alexander Soldatkin (Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Russia)
In recent years, the theme of regional and local (especially urban) identities has become somewhat of an intellectual fashion in Russia. Not only it is quite widely discussed, but numerous practical actions are also undertaken in different places to introduce and promote local identity brands. At the same time, many Russian cities have a long history and significant historical heritage that influences the identities of their population, and can form the basis for perspective identity building.
The seminar is based on the results of a research project completed in 2011 in 7 historical cities of Russia (Great Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Kaluga, Kazan, Nizhni Novgorod, Irkutsk). The presentation will cover the following topics: perception of the cities? historical heritage by their population; types of popular attitudes towards local history; ways of involvement of the population in preservation and utilization of historical heritage.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
15 Jan 2014: Religion - State Relations in Azerbaijan: separation v cooperation in public education
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 915, Adam Smith Building
Presenter: Dr Rashad Ibadov (Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy)
This research seminar is aimed at discussing theoretical and practical aspects of the relationship of religion and the state in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It will provide, first, an introduction on the historical and modern periods of the secularization in Azerbaijan, which led to building of a secular government and the society based on the Islamic culture, second, explore the constitutional fundamentals of the religion ? state relations, describing a model for Azerbaijan and third, construe the place of religion in [public] education, emphasizing on the challenges and problems that arise out of religious claims.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
22 Jan 2014: Russia’s Wounded during the First World War: Medicine and Politics
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 915, Adam Smith Building
Presenter: Professor Peter Waldron (University of East Anglia)
The onset of war in 1914 created a social crisis for the Russian state and Russian society as hundreds of thousands of wounded men required immediate care during the autumn of 1914 and the spring of 1915. The paper discusses how both the state and public organisations responded to this crisis and suggests that the issue of the wounded was central in changing the political mood in wartime Russia.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
29 Jan 2014: The Electoral Tango: The Evolution of Electoral Integrity in Postcommunist Electoral Authoritarian Regimes
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 915, Adam Smith Building
Presenter: Professor Sarah Birch (University of Glasgow)
This paper provides a novel account of the evolution of electoral integrity in contemporary electoral authoritarian regimes. The main argument is that because in the 21st century the politics of electoral reform revolves mainly around the implementation of democratic electoral principles rather than around the principles themselves, electoral authoritarian leaders tend to employ forms of electoral abuse that entail giving unfair advantage to pro-regime electoral competitors, rather than excluding either voters or competitors from the electoral arena altogether. When such regimes become weakened, they tend to ramp up forms of manipulation that favour pro-regime political forces. This deterioration in election quality then serves as a focal point which mobilises both domestic and international pressure for electoral reform, as the erosion of established electoral rights generates grievances. Under the right circumstances, such mobilisation can lead to step changes in the quality of elections. Though in and of themselves none of these arguments is entirely original, their synthesis yields a new one-step-back-two-steps-forward model of electoral change which is in several ways quite distinct from existing understandings of the relationship between elections and democratisation. This model, which I term the 'electoral tango', has implications for how we evaluate and address electoral malpractice in the contemporary world.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
5 Mar 2014: On the frontline of Europe: The Geopolitics of Values (Lessons from Ukraine and Georgia)
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 915, Adam Smith Building
Speaker: Ghia Nodia (Ilia State University, Georgia)
It is a popular assumption in the West ? or at least in Brussels ? that while NATO is about geopolitics, that is competition for power, EU is something qualitatively different: this is a ?postmodern? phenomenon that by definition transcends the logic of geopolitics through refocusing the policy debate on issues of trade and democratic institutions. This is sometimes conceptualized as a dichotomy between geopolitics and values. The story of European Partnership, and especially the latest events in Ukraine, exposes this myth.
It also demonstrates the fundamental discrepancy between the western European or Brussels understanding of what 'Europe' stands for (the definition is based on EU institutions and loyalty to them, as well as on the project of overcoming nation-state in favor of a supranational 'postmodern' entity), and understanding of the same term on the frontline of Europe, where the term stands primarily for the 'European civilization', while the European choice and assertion of national independence are in a positive correlation.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
25 Mar 2014: The Impact of the Financial and Euro Crisis on Party Stances in Europe
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Room 915, Adam Smith Building
Presenter: Professor Stephen Whitefield (University of Oxford)
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
23 Apr 2014: Everything you always wanted to know about Ukraine but were afraid to ask
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Boyd Orr Building, room 709
Chair: Dr Anna Osypchuk (National University, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine)
A special question and answer session on the ongoing events in Ukraine. A sociologist and resident of Kiev, Dr Osypchuk will provide a first-person account and an academic assessment of the Ukraine crisis from both an international and domestic perspective. We welcome all participants who wish to find out more about events in Ukraine and envisage an engaging and open discussion.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.
7 May 2014: 'Eurasia' as strategic site: the enduring appeal of the 'Heartland'
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Boyd Orr Building, room 709
Chair: Dr Nick Megoran (Reader in Political Geography, University of Newcastle)
Few geopolitical ideas have been simultaneously so loved and loathed as that of 'The Heartland.' Coined by British geographer Halford Mackinder (1861-1947), it has proved remarkably resilient to repeated critiques, enjoying various revivals in 1930s Germany, 1950s Washington, 1970s Latin America, and post-Cold War Russia, USA, and Central Asia. Emphasising how Mackinder's ideas have been used in and about Central Asia, the seminar will trace how his ideas have travelled and changed between places over time.
All welcome.
The CEES West Coast Seminar Series is supported by the MacFie Bequest, named after Professor Alec MacFie, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University from 1945 to 1958.