RESEARCH OF BORDERS AND FRONTIER COMMUNITIES
(BORDER STUDIES)

Life and Cooperation in Border Towns
(March-May 2009)

Joint project with South Karelian Institute / Lappeenranta University of Technology.
Project coordinator: Virpi Kaisto, South Karelian Institute / Lappeenranta University of Technology.
This "organizational" project included a series of events focused on the completion of previous projects and the development of new ones. Staff members from CISR took part in the preparation of a future joint project related to research into Russian-Finnish border areas and the writing of an article on cooperation between two border towns, Imatra (Finland) and Svetogorsk (Russia).
Project participants from CISR: Olga Brednikova, Nadya Nartova.
Project supported by South Karelian Institute / Lappeenranta University of Technology.

Borderland Research School on Armenian-Iranian frontier
(the town of Agarak, Armenia; 22 September - 3 October 2008)

The research school was held in the Armenian town of Agarak (5000 people), which is situated on the borderland of Armenia and Iran. Traditionally, the idea of a borderland research school was to gather together qualitative empirical researchers who are interested in sharing their experience with colleagues. Participants were assisted in organizing and conducting pilot research for further preparation of an in-depth sociological study. The aim was to promote academic discussion on regional, rural, and border studies in the South Caucasus, to form a Caucasian-Russian social research network, and to stimulate the motivation for on-the-spot field studies. The researchers focused on the following topics: adaptive strategies of refugees forced to move from big cities to rural areas; informal border practices; transformation of identities, etc.
Fourteen researchers from Armenia, Georgia, and Russia participated, which each of them preparing a final essay. A final review conference was held in Erevan.
Organisation and financial support: CISR, the Institute for Advanced Social Studies (Erevan), and the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich-Boell Foundation.

Production Process of Transboundary Space
Summer school (Vyborg, 25-27 August 2008)

A project in collaboration with the South Karelia Institute at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).
This training course is an initial part of preparatory work for a prospective joint project.
The school syllabus includes pilot research, a choice of research topics focusing on the frontier town of Vyborg, and also the definition of general methodology, and creation of a research team. Topical research themes were: social production of borderland; places and policies of memory and identity; informal economy of the borderland; and tourism.
Russian participants: Olga Brednikova (CISR), Irina Olimpieva (CISR), Elena Nikiforova (CISR), Olga Tkach (CISR), Oksana Zaporozhets (Samara State University), Natalia Danilova (Higher School of Economy, St. Petersburg branch).
Organization and financial support: CISR and the South Karelia Institute at Lappeenranta University.

Crossroads: Ethnicity and Economics in theљLife of Transcaucasian Border Countries (Georgia/Armenia/Azerbaijan)
Research school (village Sadakhlo (Georgia), 19љAugust - 2љSeptember 2006)

Theљresearch school was held in Georgian community Sadakhlo, situated at theљborderland of three Caucasian states: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Theљschool was aimed at conducting of aљpilot research in order to prepare theљdeeper sociological project on theљstudy of theљregion. Within two weeks theљschool participants observed theљeveryday life of theљlocals of Sadakhlo and theљneighbour communities, and collected theљprimary empirical material. Theљresearchers were focused at theљfollowing topics: international relationships and problems of ethnic minorities in Transcaucasia; regional and border cooperation; official national projects and everyday life of borderlands; international and ethnic tension vs interpersonal relationships of theљlocals; everyday economy, survival strategies and life styles in theљcommunities: theљspecific of borderland. 16љresearchers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia, who are interested in theљfuture studying of Transcaucasia, participated in theљschool. Besides, several experts and invited lectures - specialists in theљnational and ethnic relationships in theљregion - took part in theљdiscussions. Theљdetailed empirical material (interviews, field notes, photo archive) had been collected, each participant prepared aљfinal essay.
Organisation and financial support: CISR, Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC, Georgia-Armenia-Azerbaijan).

TheљRussian-Abkhazian Border Zone: TheљEveryday in Unstable Conditions
Research school (settlement Veseloye (Russia) / city of Gagra (Abkhazia), 13-27љOctober 2005)

Organiser: CISR.
Theљgoal of theљresearch school was to generate aљwide range of sociological research on theљRussian-Abkhazian border zone. Theљfocus of theљresearch was theљeveryday life of residents of this border zone region, specifically: transborderism and "inverted" border zone economies; border institutions and theљformation of border zone identities; theљprocesses of nation-building in Abkhazia; tourism and others. During theљcourses, its participants studied everyday life, and gathered primary empirical material. Aљsecond task of theљschool was theљintegration of scholars from theљCaucasus and Russia into aљgeneral network of researchers interested in studies of theљborder in theљCaucasus and in assisting in theљresolution of theљcharacteristic political, ethnic and social problems introduced by, among other things, theљborder zone status of theљregion. Theљschool brought together 15љresearcher-participants from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia (Kazan, Krasnodar, Moscow, Samara, St.љPetersburg, Ulyanovsk). Aљrich archive of research materials was created. Each participant wrote aљfinal essay based on theљresults of theљresearch.
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation, theљCenter for Sociological Education (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) (with support of theљFord Foundation), and theљCISR (with support of theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation).

Exploring theљBorderlands
Sociological summer school (town of Kyakhta, Republic of Buryatia, 17љJune - 3љJuly 2003)

Organisers: CISR, Centre for Independent Social Research and Education (Irkutsk).
This summer school was theљfirst stage of theљresearch project "Russian-Mongolian Border: Prototype of Eurasiaregion?". Theљpurpose was to form aљcommunity of researchers that would allow for theљsuccessful realisation of this project as well as future long-term research projects devoted to border and borderlands problems. Theљschool was conducted in theљtown of Kyakhta; 5љyoung scientists from St.љPetersburg, 15љfrom theљBuryatia and Irkutsk region and 2љfrom Mongolia participated. Lectures, methodological workshops and discussions on theљresearch process and problems were conducted daily during theљschool. Theљparticipants also had anљopportunity to undertake some brief investigations in theљborderland town and put theљqualitative methods into practice.
Supported by theљFord Foundation.

Border Research Network
Workshop of researchers of borders (St.љPetersburg, 20-22љNovember 2002)

Theљworkshop initiated by theљKarelian Institute at theљUniversity of Joensuu (Finland) was organised and conducted by theљCISR.
Eighteen border-studies researchers from St.љPetersburg, Karelia, Estonia and Finland participated in theљworkshop. Participants discussed theљpossibility of establishing aљnetwork and of cooperating in theљfield of borderland research.
Supported by theљCentre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG, Warsaw).

Caucasian Borderland: Safety Zone
Workshop and summer school (villageљKuban and city of Krasnodar, 2-23љSeptember 2002)

Organisers: CISR, Centre for Anthropological Studies (Krasnodar).
Theљpurpose of theљsummer school was to establish aљcommunity of researcher-sociologists to carry out aљresearch project in theљfrontier region of theљNorthern Caucasus. Aљpilot research project conducted within theљframework of theљschool provided researchers theљpossibility to test their methodology and to discuss expected problems.
Supported by theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation.

Shifting Borders
International workshop (St.љPetersburg, 8-11љJune 2000)

Organisers: CISR and Sektion Ost- und Ostmitteleuropa-Soziologie (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Soziologie (DGS)/German Sociological Association (GSA)).
Scholars from Germany, Poland, Russia (St.љPetersburg), Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and Estonia contributed to theљworkshop. During theљworkshop theљdiscussion was focused on theљresults of empirical research dealing with shifting borders in East and Central Europe over theљlast 10 years. Special attention was paid to social consequences of changes in theљEast European borderland. Articles were issued (in particular: Olga Brednikova. Die letzte Feste. Ueber dieљStaatsgrenze in derљsowjetischen und postsowjetischen Literatur // Berliner Debatte - Initial. 2000. Noљ5/6. S.љ125-131) based on theљresults of theљseminar.
Supported by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung (Koeln).

Nomadic Borders
International workshop (Narva, 12-16љNovember 1998)

Organiser: CISR.
Forty scholars from Austria, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia (Irkutsk, Pskov, St.љPetersburg), Finland, Sweden and Estonia participated. Under discussion in theљcourse of theљworkshop were theљmethodological problems and theљresults of empirical research devoted to opening/emerging new borders in Europe over theљlast ten years. Special attention was paid to theљeconomic and social consequences of aљborder's existence for inhabitants of theљborderland, as well as to structural changes in borderland milieu, theљfunctioning of divided towns, etc. Theљcollection of reports was published in CISR Working Papers, Vol.љ7 (Nomadic Borders. Proceedings of theљSeminar Held in Narva (in Russian and English) / O.љBrednikova, V.љVoronkov (eds.). St.љPetersburg: CISR, 1999. 172љp.).
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation.

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