Russia as Civilization: Ideological Discourses in Politics, Media and Academia [Hardcover]

Analyzing the use of civilization in Russian-language political and media discourses, intellectual and academic production, and artistic practices, this book discusses the rise of civilizational rhetoric in Russia and global politics.

Why does the concept of civilization play such a prevalent role in current Russian geopolitical and creative imaginations? The contributors answer this question by exploring the extent to which discourse on civilization penetrates Russian identity formations in imperial and national configurations, and at state and civil levels of society. Although the chapters offer different interpretations and approaches, the book shows that Russian civilizationism is a form of ideological production responding to the challenges of globalization. The concept of civilization, while increasingly popular as a conceptual tool in identity formation, is also widely contested in Russia today.

This examination of contemporary Russian identities and self-understanding will be of particular interest to students and scholars of Russian area studies and Slavic studies, intellectual and cultural history, nationalism and imperial histories, international relations, discourse analysis, cultural studies, media studies, religion studies, and gender studies.

Introduction: Russian Civilizationism in a Global Perspective  1  Nation and Civilization as Templates for Russian Identity Construction: A Historical Overview  2 From Socio-Economic Formations to Civilizations: Seeking a Paradigm Change in Late Soviet Discussions  3 Russia between a Civilization and a Civic Nation: Secular and Religious Uses of Civilizational Discourse during Putins Third Term  4 Civilization in the Russian Mediatized Public Sphere: Imperial and Regional Discourses  5 Clash of Masculinities ? Gendering RussianWestern Relations in Popular Geopolitics.  6 Re-ImaglÓU