International Workshop on «Post-Soviet Diaspora(s) in Western Europe, 1991-2017»

Description

International Workshop on «Post-Soviet Diaspora(s) in Western Europe, 1991-2017» ( English title )


Description:

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, millions of former soviet citizens crossed the national borders in search of better lives in new countries, in what was the biggest migration tide since the end of World War II. These Post-Soviet* migrants were diverse in origins, strategies and expectations. They often represented a challenge to the orthodox views of migration processes, since in most cases these flows could not be easily described and analysed following commonly accepted theoretical frameworks. Everybody seemed to be on the move: labour migrants, political refugees, cross-border traders, “tourists” planning to forget their return, ... and in a short period, they spread all over Western Europe. Twenty-five years later, who and where are these migrants? In this workshop, we would like to explore the different dimensions of their lives, their connections with the past, their involvement in the present and their expectations for the future. We invite the speakers to provide an in-depth and focused view of the lives and experiences of Post-Soviet migrants, considering (but not limited to) the following issues: - How do Post-Soviet migrants perceive and identify themselves? What is their connection with the Soviet past - is nostalgia still a shared experience, or just a fading memory? Is long-distance nationalism present in their lives? What about pendular mobility? Do social differences between these migrants draw lines more relevant than national divisions? Who are the "friends and foes" of the various communities? What are the relationships between the modern independent states and their diasporic communities? Can we already speak of post-soviet e-Diasporas? Regarding the second generations – how do they perceive and evaluate their family history? We hope the debates of our workshop will actually help to frame a better perception of the post-soviet Diasporas, and will add to the general knowledge on East-West migrations in our continent.

Keywords: Diaspora, Russia
Language: English

Date

Start date: 14-12-2017 09:30
End date: 15-12-2017 18:00

Location

Country: Portugal
City: Lisboa
Address: Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território - Universidade de Lisboa

Details

Organiser: IGOT - Universidade de Lisboa
Contact email: antonioeduardo@campus.ul.pt
Registration required: No