From communist control to glasnost and back?: Media freedom and control in the former Soviet Union

The last decade has seen dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union: the end of the Cold War with the West; the loosening of the Soviet Union's hold on part of Germany; movements for independence by regions in the USSR; and the public rejection of Communism by Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland, as well as by key leaders within the Soviet Union. Radical changes in political philosophy have been accompanied by transformations in mass media communication.These changes are inextricably linked to how public relations is practiced in these nations, many of which are attempting, to varying degrees, to adopt a democratic system of government. This article frames the role of public relations in a self-governing society; discusses three environmental factors that affect the practice of socially responsible public relations, reviews the historical media philosophy of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; and examines examples of media practice that have occurred during the region's transformation and their implications for media freedom and independence, and for the practice of public relations.     

Koreans in Central Asia – a different Korean nation

The main objective of this study was to illustrate the cultural changes that have taken place among Korean ethnic groups living in the Central Asian states of the former Soviet Union. Previous research on Korean minorities has demonstrated the impact of state intervention on the formation of ethnic identity. Despite a wide range of regional differences, those living in Korea in the nineteenth century belonged to one ethnic group. Once they left the northern part of the country for Russia, they began to adopt Russian culture relatively quickly. Following their deportation to Central Asia in the 1930s, they then experienced a largely Soviet model of inclusion into mainstream society. However, since the 1980s, when confronted with ‘original’ Korean culture, they now consider themselves to be dissimilar to other Korean groups. The differences are already so substantial that Koreans themselves now talk about belonging to different nations.     

Correlates of Depression Among the Soviet Jewish Immigrant Elderly

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study examined the prevalence rates of depressive symptoms among the elderly Soviet Jewish immigrants living in Southern California. Structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 50 self-identified Jewish elderly immigrants from the former Soviet Union, assessing their level of depression, health status, primary need areas, and family support. According to the results, 72% of the respondents reported mild to severe levels of depression. Age and satisfaction with the family assistance turned out to be significantly correlated with the level of depression among this group. Implications for human services practice with vulnerable older immigrant populations are discussed.     

The fertility of migrants before and after crossing the border: the ethnic German population from the former Soviet Union as a case study

Empirical data on persons of German ethnic origin migrating to Germany from the former Soviet Union are used to calculate their relative ferility levels before and after arriving in their new host country. Despite small numbers in the survey , a suitable method was used to effecitvely compare fertility before and after crossing the border with an index measure of national fertility rates. A relatively strong fertility decline was observed for German origin migrants ( Aussiedler ) from the former Soviet Union during their first years in Germany.
More interesting, we consider, is how and to what extent the change in living conditions affected reproductive behaviour after arrival in Germany.
Surprisingly, the fertility of this former high-fertility population fell to a level much lower than the already low German fertility. The extraordinarily high fertility levels of certain religious groups within the former Soviet Union fell even more rapidly after arrival in their new home country.
The results of the study may shed light on another development in Germany: that immediately after reunification the total fertility rate in the former GDR fell to the extremely low level of about 0.6 in 1993 and 1994. The experience of the former East German population is therefore similar to that of German-origin migrants from the former Soviet Union.     

The Macroeconomic Determinants of Remittance Flows from Russia to Tajikistan

Within the two decades of transition to market economy interdependence of the former Soviet Union countries is continuing. Labour migration between Russia and the former Soviet Union republics is one of the examples of this relationship. This paper defines the macroeconomic determinants of remittance flows from Russia to Tajikistan—the world’s top remittance-receiving country as a share of GDP. The paper demonstrates that the changes in the income available for the migrants and the possibility of migrants involvement in the labour market of the host country have a significant impact on their money transfers. Furthermore, remittance inflows are determined by the overall economic environment in the host and home countries as well as the global economy’s condition.     

The national historical archive of Belarus 1

This essay considers a new, troubling development in the former Soviet Union. It calls for historians to be attentive and thereby perhaps to forestall or minimise potential damage to Jews and Jewish interests in the former Soviet Union which might result from the use and misuse of history. The essay assesses recent statements from a former minister in Russia regarding Jewish agricultural settlement in Crimea during the interwar period. These statements echo monstrous antisemitic fabrications from the High Stalinist years and suggest that Jews in the former Soviet Union may still be vulnerable to the effects of old Soviet‐style habits of historical manipulation.     

Jewish marriages in the USSR: a demographic analysis

Marriage trends among Jews in the former Soviet Union are examined for the period 1979-1989. Consideration is given to intermarriage, the percentage of the population that is currently married by sex, and marriage age. Data are presented for the whole country and for selected republics.     

‘What can I do’? Child welfare workers’ perceptions of what they can do to address poverty

Within the field of child welfare, critical questions have been posed about the intersecting issues of child maltreatment and poverty. The study of the quality and nature of this intersection has continued relevance in light of evidence showing the increased likelihood of maltreatment of children living in poverty. Although child welfare workers interact directly with families involved with the child welfare system, the study of workers’ perceptions of whether or not they address families’ poverty and, if so, how they go about it has not yet been conducted. The study presented begins to address this gap. Analysis from individual interviews with 30 child welfare workers revealed that they differed in their perception of whether or not poverty should be addressed by child welfare and how. Findings suggest workers do what they can despite various barriers, including families’ limitations and the fragile US social welfare safety net. Based on the findings, current practice models and policies that impact poverty and child maltreatment reduction are discussed.     

Continuity and Discontinuity of Violent and Nonviolent Behavior: Toward a Classification of Male Adolescent Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel

Abstract

This article examines the perceptions of male adolescent immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and what accounts for their using or refraining from violence. A grounded theoretical classification of four groups relating to continuity and discontinuity of violent and nonviolent behavior is presented and reasons provided for these behaviors in the host country, compared with the country of origin. Each group is described and analyzed by inductive parameters relating to self-perception, immigration, attitudes toward violence, and identification and acceptance of norm differences. Findings are based on semistructured interviews with 40 male adolescents who immigrated from the FSU to Israel. Youth who have immigrated due to ideological reasons, had control over the decision to emigrate, or were able to identify norm differences between the two countries adjusted well and were nonviolent in the receiving country. Youth whose families immigrated due to pragmatic considerations, who had little or no control over the decision to emigrate, had difficulty adjusting, or preferred to live by the norms they were used to in the FSU tended to be involved in violent behavior. The findings are presented in a grounded theoretical model and discussed in the context of theoretical concepts of “uprooting of meaning” for the youth in each of the four groups.     

Causes of Poverty in Old Age,Not a Structural Failing?

The failures of many nations in Africa to include programs on aging into their national and developmental agendas have put more elderly people in the region at risk of poverty. Adult children are in many cases hampered from providing financial support to elderly parents due to waves of economic difficulties in many of the countries. The views of 36 elderly Nigerians were sought on causes of poverty in old age through key informant interviews. Despite awareness of structural causes, the results point to the direction of belief that individuals also have significant roles in determining their own economic fate in old age.     

Migration and Marital Distress:

Israel is experiencing a major wave of immigration from the Soviet Union. Thousands of families are relocating from a different country, a different culture and different values. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 families covering issues of importance in the life of the family. Topics included areas of difficulty, areas of strength of the family, relationships and communication among family members, the nuclear family and the extended family, support systems, and critical incidents before, during, and after the relocation experience. Qualitative analysis methods, namely, analytic induction and constant comparison strategies were used. Fidings will be discussed in terms of: (I) changes in family structure, family work pattems and income; (2) coping familial pattems and changes in closeness and distance, communication. role changes, and power in the family; (3) therapeutic interventions in family and marital issues.     

Solidarity and conflicts in coresidence of three-generational immigrant families from the former Soviet Union

The article presents findings from a qualitative study of three-generational immigrant families from the former Soviet Union living in Israel in shared households, exploring issues of solidarity and conflict. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 30 respondents from 12 families. Seven central themes reflecting different aspects of solidarity and conflict emerged: (1) division of household chores (reflects functional and normative solidarity), (2) money management, (3) economic and housing (reflect functional solidarity), (4) emotional support, (5) involvement with intimate relations of the other generation (reflect affectual solidarity), (6) space and privacy, and (7) education of children and value transmission (reflect normative solidarity). These themes reflect the dynamics of intergenerational family relations and represent the meaning systems that these families have worked out to make sense of their shared living experiences.     

Occupational closure and immigrant entrepreneurship: Russian Jews in Israel

The recent wave of Jews emigrating from countries of the former Soviet Union to Israel has created structural conditions for immigrant entrepreneurship. The large size of the migrant population and its spatial concentration create a demand for services and products that can be provided by immigrants. This paper investigates the factors associated with intentions to open a small business in a sample of Jewish immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union. It was found that intentions to open a small business are related to previous business experience, education, income, and length of residence in the country. Immigrants become interested in entrepreneurship after learning that their prospects of finding a job in their profession are meager and explain their motivation to open a small business as being to increase their income. The findings seem to support the disadvantage theory that conceptualizes entrepreneurship as an adaptive mechanism to structural barriers in the primary labor market that create an occupational closure for immigrants possessing low and middle levels of education and income.     

Managing the Dyad Between Independence and Dependence: Case Studies of the American Elderly and Their Lives With Pets

Abstract:  In this article, I research the dyad between independence and dependence in pet companionship for the American elderly, and how elderly pet owners treat pets as a tool to enable them to balance the adherent norms between independence and dependence in order to navigate a successful later life. First, I explore individual life with pets: independent lifestyle with pets, emotional dependence on pets, management of pet loss, and limitation in pet responsibilities. Second, I discuss family and social life with pets: relationships with children, grandchildren and pets; husband–wife interactions and pets; and neighbors and pets. I examine these subjects through in-depth interviews with five middle-class Caucasian and Asian elderly pet owners who live in Los Angeles and San Diego, California, conducted in July 2005. Pets greatly help the elderly pet owners to maintain a balance between independence and dependence. Both an independent lifestyle and emotional dependence on their pets are formed through pet responsibilities. Some of the informants treated their pets as if they were their children. The others appeared emotionally dependent on memories of former pets, which provided the elderly pet owners with a sense of security and calm. The informants managed pet loss effectively by treating their pet as a tool upon which they conferred replaceable meanings or roles depending on their situation. The elderly pet owners also used their pets to facilitate family and social interactions. Having a pet is one important way that American elderly people can achieve subjective manipulation of later life.     

Career Development in the Commonwealth of Independent States

The dramatic changes that have occurred in the former Soviet Union as part of its transformation from a communist command economy to a free-market economy are having a profound impact on the lives of its people. These changes are particularly important in the area of work and careers because these contrasting economic systems assign different meanings and valuations to these domains. Although the institutional and structural changes that are needed to make this transformation successful have been addressed extensively, the changes that are required in the career attitudes, values, and overall conduct of individuals have received little attention. This article applies a developmental-contextual approach to the analysis of changes that have occurred in the former Soviet Union and how they may affect individual career development.     

Corruption in the politicized university: lessons for Ukraine's 2010 presidential elections

This article argues that corruption is used on a systematic basis as a mechanism of direct and indirect administrative control from the state level down to local authorities and administrations of public and private institutions of higher education. Informal approval of corrupt activities in exchange for loyalty and compliance with the regime was commonplace in the former Soviet Union. This article explains how corrupt regimes maximize their position in terms of loyalty and compliance using the example of the 2004 presidential elections in Ukraine, which later became known as the Orange Revolution. The 2010 presidential elections and their aftermath pose new challenges to those aspiring to power. This article presents mechanisms by which political bureaucracies politicize universities in order to influence students and channel their electoral power during presidential campaigns.     

National policy approaches to social care for elderly people in the United Kingdom and Singapore 1945-2002

The authors compare policy approaches in the United Kingdom and Singapore on social care for older persons. The context of these approaches is discussed showing the development of policies, in each country from the aftermath of the Second World War to the present. Given that Singapore is a former British colony, it is of interest to scholars of social policy to examine its welfare approach as compared to the welfare state approach espoused by the United Kingdom. Both nations are faced with the challenges of an aging population, which necessitates handling similar problems with strategies that are in harmony with their respective economic, social, and cultural contexts. This paper considers their divergence of philosophies and policies, concluding with the recognition that the major difference lies in national and governmental expectations regarding the extent of the financial and regulatory responsibility for care for older people carried by the individual, the family, and the state.     

What happens during and after school: Conditions faced by working parents living in poverty and their school-aged children

Past research has not looked directly at how parental working conditions are affecting the lives of school-age children living in or near poverty. This study examines the effects that the working conditions faced by low-income parents have on the care their school-age children receive and on parental involvement in their children's education and development. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 74 families with school-age children, including 44 families living at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and 30 families living above 150% of poverty. Teachers at every public afterschool program in the city were interviewed. One out of two low-income working parents faced barriers to becoming involved in their children's education. Two out of five faced barriers to participating in school meetings, school trips, or school events. Many parents had difficulty finding any time to spend with their children, let alone time to assist them with their schoolwork. The difficulties they faced are described in detail. Implications for educational and labor policy are discussed.     

The value of the Display® campaign as a voluntary energy and environmental performance certification system of buildings for sustainable municipal energy management in Ukraine

Although the significance of sustainable municipal energy management has not yet been widely recognized in Ukraine, important steps to popularize this idea among local authorities have been taken through the introduction of the Display® campaign in 11 Ukrainian municipalities. This European voluntary energy and environmental performance certification system of buildings aims to encourage local authorities to publicly demonstrate the energy and environmental performance of their buildings and to thereby convince citizens to stop wasting energy and water. This paper analyzes to what extent the campaign has been valuable for sustainable energy management in those Ukrainian cities that have set an example of an active bottom-up approach to enhancing the integration of a former Soviet Union country in the European Union on account of their support of the associations Energy Cities and “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine”, as well as their own endeavors to implement EU climate protection policy.     

Social Support Networks and Loneliness Among Elderly Jews in Russia and Ukraine

The collapse of the Soviet Union had devastating consequences for the lives of its population, especially for older adults, many of whom became impoverished and were left with no social support. Using data from a survey of 2,579 elderly Jews in two of the largest countries of the former Soviet Union, Russia and Ukraine, we examine variables that affect their feeling of loneliness. Unmarried and childless elderly persons reported the highest feelings of loneliness. Married elderly persons who maintained frequent contact with their children felt least lonely. Moreover, married and unmarried elderly persons who did not maintain frequent contact with relatives or friends were lonelier than those who maintained such contact. The characteristics of social networks were significantly correlated with loneliness. The findings also showed that Jews in Ukraine had fewer social networks and felt lonelier compared to Jews in Russia.