Fall 2008 - The Johns Hopkins University Press

Russian EurasianismAn Ideology of EmpireMarlène LaruelleSince the dissolution of theSoviet Union, Russia hasbeen marginalized at theedge of a Western-dominatedpolitical and economicsystem. In recent years, however,leading Russian figures,including former presidentVladimir Putin, have begunto stress a geopoliticsthat puts Russia at the centerof a number of axes:European-Asian, Christian-Muslim-Buddhist, Mediterranean-Indian,Slavic-Turkic,and so on.This volume examines the political presuppositions andexpanding intellectual impact of Eurasianism, a movementpromoting an ideology of Russian-Asian greatness, whichhas begun to take hold throughout Russia, Kazakhstan, andTurkey. Eurasianism purports to tell Russians what is unalterablyimportant about them and why it can only be expressedin an empire. Marlène Laruelle discusses the impactof the ideology of Eurasianism on geopolitics, interior policy,foreign policy, and culturalist philosophy.“This book is an impressive achievement—wide-ranging yet sensitiveto context and careful to bring together the many varieties of Eurasianismthat have emerged over the 20th century.”—Willard Sunderland, University of CincinnatiMarlène LaruellE is currently a research fellow at the CentralAsia and Caucasus Institute of the Paul H. Nitze Schoolof Advanced International Studies at the Johns HopkinsUniversity. In Paris, she is an associate scholar at the FrenchCenter for Russian, Caucasian, and East-European Studiesat the School of Advanced Social Sciences Studies.Woodrow Wilson Center PressMigration, Homeland,and Belonging in Eurasiaedited by Cynthia Buckley and Blair A. Rublewith Erin Trouth HofmannMigration, a force throughout the world, has special meaningsin the former Soviet lands. Soviet successor countries,each with strong ethnic associations, have pushed some racialgroups out and pulled others back home. Forcible relocationsof the Stalin era were reversed, and areas previously closed forsecurity reasons were opened to newcomers. These countriesrepresent a fascinating mix of the motivations and achievementsof migration in Russia and Central Asia.Migration, Homeland, and Belonging in Eurasia examines patternsof migration and sheds new light on governmentinterests, migrant motivations, historical precedents, andcommunity identities. The contributors come from a varietyof disciplines: political science, sociology, history, and geography.Initial chapters offer overall assessments of contemporarymigration debates in the region. Subsequent chaptersfeature individual case studies that highlight continuity andchange in migration debates in imperial and Soviet periods.Several chapters treat specific topics in Central Eurasia andthe Far East, such as the movement of ethnic Kazakhs fromMongolia to Kazakhstan and the continuing attractivenessto migrants of supposedly uneconomical cities in Siberia.“This is a highly relevant book for scholars, policy makers, and governmentinstitutions, offering a glimpse at the myriad cross-countryissues that emerge regarding the problems and opportunities associatedwith the movement of people across borders.”—Kathleen Kuehnast, United States Institute of PeaceCynthia BucklEY is an associate professor of sociology atthe University of Texas, Austin. Blair A. Ruble is the directorof the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center.Erin Trouth Hofmann is currently a graduate student in theDepartment of Sociology at the University of Texas, Austin.Formerly, she was a program assistant with the KennanInstitute.Woodrow Wilson Center PressNovember 288 pages 6 x 9978-0-8018-9073-4 0-8018-9073-X $60.00(s) / £32.00 hccomparative PoliticsOctober 368 pages 6 x 9978-0-8018-9075-8 0-8018-9075-6 $65.00(s) / £34.00 hccomparative PoliticsTHE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS 1-800-537-5487 57