Performing Political Opposition in Russia The Case of the Youth Group Oborona The Mobilization Series on Social Movements, Protest, and Culture Series
Auteur : Lyytikainen Laura
Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Moscow and St. Petersburg among the political opposition?s youth group Oborona (Defence), this ground-breaking work brings forward a multifaceted and colourful image of the life of political opposition activists in a restricted political environment. Existing studies on youth political activism in Russia have mainly dealt with the pro-Kremlin youth movements, such as Nashi, while youth opposition activism has been studied very little. Lyytikäinen contributes to this gap by showing how youth are also actively organizing against the current government and how Russian oppositional youth activist practices are diverse and constantly evolving.
Theoretically this book contributes to discussions on activist identities, as well as to an understanding of social movements and protest by analysing political protests as social performances. The research illustrates how Soviet continuities and liberal ideas are entangled in Russian political activism to create new post-socialist political identities and practices. It also questions the idea of Russian democratization being tied to its totalitarian past, and that of western-type liberal democracy being the goal of this process. Instead, the book proposes that Russian political culture should be analysed on its own, and as an entanglement of various interacting systems of thought.
Introduction
1. Youth political participation and civil society in the Soviet Union and in contemporary Russia
2. Silencing disagreements - activist identities and group practices
3. ‘I love my country but hate the state’ - Oborona activists interpreting civil society, state and democracy
4. Performing opposition: political protests as social performances
Conclusions
Appendices
References
Index
Laura Lyytikäinen is Post-doctoral Researcher in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Turku, Finland.
Date de parution : 06-2020
15.6x23.4 cm
Date de parution : 06-2016
15.6x23.4 cm
Thèmes de Performing Political Opposition in Russia :
Mots-clés :
Civil Society; National Bolsheviks; Russian Civil Society; United Russia Party; Young Men; Foreign Agent Law; Protest Events; Russian Political Culture; Russian Youth; Flash Mob; Sochi Olympic Games; Activist Identity; pro-Kremlin Groups; Non-violent Resistance; Vladimir Putin; Levada Tsentr; Sovereign Democracy; Unified Civil Society; Background Symbols; NGO Law; Foreground Scripts; Foreign Currency Mortgages; Collective Identity Work; LGBTI; Pa Rti