Browsing by Subject "Russia"
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Item Cold War discourse in the post-Cold War media world: Articulations of global politics in Russian and US mainstream and alternative media(2015-06) Popkova, AnnaThis project examines the role that the Cold War discourse plays in informing and structuring the Russian and US mainstream and alternative news media narratives about international events and controversies that occur in the post-Cold War time but trace their historical roots to the Cold War geopolitical struggles and expose disagreements between Russia and the United States in the 21st century. This project also seeks to identify what other discourses of global politics and international affairs are interwoven in media narratives examined in this study and how their interactions with elements of the Cold War discourse work to create meanings for these media's audiences in the post-Cold War. Theoretically, the study brings together discourse analysis theory, Stuart Hall's theory of articulation and a set of concepts defining the debate on the forces of nationalism and globalization that shape the post-Cold War environment. The project is based on the combination of qualitative textual analysis and critical discourse analysis, and examines three case studies: the war in South Ossetia in 2008, the debate in the United Nations Security Council over the peace resolution in Syria in 2012, and the death of Hugo Ch�vez in 2013. The findings reveal that certain elements of the Cold War discourse continue structuring the narratives that different Russian and US media produce as they make sense of various events that occur in the post-Cold War time, raising critical questions about the persistence of powerful discourses, and about the ability of media both in Russia and in the United States to re-articulate discourses of global politics in the post-Cold War world.Item Containing Balkan nationalism: Imperial Russia and Ottoman Christians (1856--1912)(2008-08) Vovchenko, Denis VladimirovichThe dissertation is an analysis of the Russian relationship to Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire during the second half of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. As a methodological approach, it uses the concepts of irredentism, Orientalism, and multiple modernities. The dissertation focuses on the debate around the Bulgarian Church Question in Russia and Greek lands. The discussion developed among intellectuals, ecclesiastics, and diplomats from the Crimean War to the First Balkan War (1856-1912) and inspired several visions of a supranational cultural and political union of Russia and its "unredeemed" populations in the Near East. The study argues that in the period under consideration traditional Pan-Orthodox irredentism had to compete with the more modern ethnic-based Pan-Slavism. Based on those examples, the dissertation suggests that irredentism is a discourse of both similarity and difference. It helps consolidate the national identity of the core group by mobilizing it for the cause conveniently situated abroad. In line with Orientalist hallmarks, irredentism others and genders the unredeemed as helpless victims. In contrast to Orientalism, irredentist discourse others the purported Self and leaves more room for the agency of the unredeemed. The three responses to the Bulgarian Church Question can be broadly defined as "Pan-Slavism," "Pan-Orthodoxy," and "Greco-Slavic world/cultural type" theory as a synthesis of the first two. These visions sought to resolve tensions between ethnic and religious elements in the identity of significant segments of the educated Russian society. All three visions were examples of Orientalist production of knowledge connected with political power. They ultimately aimed at creating a non-Western civilization based on shared culture and centered on Russia. The existing scholarly literature considers the proponents of these visions as conservative, neotraditional, and "anti-modern" on the assumption that there can only be one liberal Western model of modernity. The dissertation uses the concept of multiple modernities to situate Russian responses to the Bulgarian Church Question within the broader context of "the invention of tradition" in fin-de-siecle Europe. It suggests the strength and evolution of traditional religious and dynastic identities and institutions on the eve of the First World War.Item Essays on tax policies and international trade.(2009-06) Tuzova, Yelena AndreyevnaAfter a decade of high growth, all segments of the Russian economy are experiencing a slowdown caused by the global financial crisis. To boost growth and living standards, and to ensure that Russia emerges from this global crisis, the need for a correct and comprehensive economic policy response is of high importance these days. This dissertation addresses two important economic issues in Russia: tax evasion and tariff reform. Though these topics have been studied intensively over the last century, there have been only a few attempts made in the economics field that give a direct estimate of tax evasion and tariff elimination for the Russian economy. The primary reason for preventing a direct estimate is a lack of reliable and representative data. This dissertation uses the most recent industry data from Russia not previous used and provides a theoretical and quantitative analysis of tax compliance and tariff reform in Russia. The first chapter of this dissertation starts with an assessment of the role of taxation as a macroeconomic tool. It then reviews the problematic issues facing the tax system of developing countries such as tax evasion and tariff liberalization. The second chapter explores tax compliance behavior of companies in Russia. I develop a static industry model of tax evasion with heterogeneous producers to investigate the key determinants that give rise to tax evasion in Russia. Assuming that the probability of detection depends on the level of production, the model explains why small firms evade taxes. My quantitative experiments allow me to estimate how much the model economy gains if the tax burden, penalties, and probability of detection were changed. The third chapter discusses potential effects of trade liberalization on the Russian economy. I construct a static applied general equilibrium model and perform a series of numerical experiments, such as a partial and complete tariff elimination scenario. I construct a social accounting matrix for 2003 for Russia. I find that tariff elimination reform has a positive effect in terms of trade diversification, but a negative effect in terms of consumer and social welfare.Item Loyal Critics: How Pro-Russian Bloggers Combined Embedded Journalism and Propaganda on Telegram During Russia’s War in Ukraine(2024) Klevanskaya, Nicole MarieThis study conducts a visual and textual analysis of over 700 posts to examine how three popular pro-Russian war bloggers used Telegram to share propagandistic and journalistic messages while embedded with Russian troops during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Findings reveal that the bloggers parroted and supported the narratives of Russian President Vladimir Putin by sharing examples of them allegedly happening on the frontlines. Similar to embedded journalists’ support of the American war effort in Iraq during the early 2000s, the bloggers aided in and participated in the Russian war effort. However, they challenged the roles of state propagandists by delivering surprisingly candid independent criticism of Russian army leadership while simultaneously supporting Putin’s war. This study answers scholarly calls for increased academic scholarship on the connections between journalism and propaganda. It also contributes an understanding of a newer Russian propaganda strategy that mixes criticism with continued loyalty to the war.Item National Democratic Institute: Political Party Program Country Context Analysis(Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2014-05-09) Diouf, Abdou; Khlebnikov, Alexey; Kawas, Rima; Shen, XiaoyunItem Nisaidie nif anye mwenyewe, Помоги мне это сделать самому:a comparative case study of the implementation of Montessori pedagogy in the United Republic of Tanzania and the Russian Federation(2010-09) Schnepf, Candy A.The system of education developed by Maria Montessori, noted Italian feminist, anthropologist and physician, is the single largest pedagogy in the world with over 22,000 public, private, parochial, and charter schools on six continents, enduring even as other teaching methods have waxed and waned. Despite its international diffusion and longevity, research into the pedagogy is glaringly absent from mainstream educational literature. The purpose of this study is, first, to explore Dr. Montessori's involvement in international conferences and examine how the exchange of ideas by participants may have influenced her pedagogy. Second, this study investigates the implementation of Montessori pedagogy in two countries, the United Republic of Tanzania and the Russian Federation, focusing on the interplay of teacher training, classroom practice, and culture. This comparative multiple case study was designed to differentiate what is universal in the Montessori pedagogy and what is country specific or culture bound. Observations in classrooms guided by a checklist of ten essential elements, interviews with teachers, trainers and leaders of Montessori associations, and historical and contemporary documents are the primary sources of data. The results of the data indicate that limited economic resources, the quality of training, government regulations and availability of Montessori books translated into the Kiswahili and Russian languages influence the implementation of Montessori pedagogy in the United Republic of Tanzania and the Russian Federation to a greater extent than culture. Montessori pedagogy as implemented in Tanzania is thriving and is providing much needed quality education for young children. Several factors influence its implementation, but poverty permeates through all the classrooms and is the most significant. Montessori pedagogy as implemented in Russia also is thriving, in spite of the challenge of consistent training. Impressive efforts such as the work of the Belgorod Montessori Study Center to develop the theoretical understanding and practical applications of cosmic education and Michailova Montessori School's experiment in integrating into a self-managed government school may determine whether Montessori remains on the periphery of pedagogy or moves to the center, influencing future policy.Item Russia's International Trade Policy and its Effect on Agricultural Development(Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 2009-12-14) Goodfellow, KristyAlthough the Russian government is introducing new agricultural strategies and increasing government expenditure with the intention to increase agricultural production and productivity, Russia’s international trade policy is preventing the sector’s ability to become internationally competitive, therefore crippling long-term development. In short, Russia’s trade policy is causing market distortion; preventing internal reform of trade regulations and agricultural-sector support; and slowing down technology transfer.