American Councils, CRRC and ARISC present the 17th talk in the Spring/Summer 2014 Works-in-Progress Series!

Eteri Tsintsadze-Maass, Notre Dame University
"Bullies: Why Great Powers Exploit Weak Neighbors"

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 6:15pm
EPF/CRRC-Georgia, Kavsadze St. 3, Tbilisi

Due to their great resources, great powers should be able to frame issues and set the tone for their relationships with their weak neighbors, but if this is so, then how can we explain the diversity in their treatments ranging from military interventions to mutual cooperation? This research considers asymmetric relationships as two-sided process and examines the relative importance of nationalism in dictating the form of asymmetric power relationships. Its main hypothesis is that the sources of nationalism in weak states have a significant effect on the dynamics of asymmetric power relations. Through case studies involving Russian relations with its post-Soviet neighbors, the paper traces the roles of several sources of nationalism in determining the course of neighborly (or not so neighborly) relations.

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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place at the Eurasian Partnership Foundation at Kavsadze St. 3. It is co-organized by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, and the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). All of the talks are free and open to the public.

The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.

Would you like to present at one of the W-i-P sessions? Send an e-mail to natia@crrccenters.org.