Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Theses and Dissertations by Author "Hessler, Julie"

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    Can the United States and Russia Cooperate? Analyzing the results of bilateral and multilateral cooperation on the Syrian conflict
    (University of Oregon, 2017-09-06) Ward, Peter; Hessler, Julie
    The discourse regarding US/Russia relations focuses intensely on the competitive nature between these two powers. Policy makers echo strategies of the past by making recommendations which embrace competitiveness and mutual mistrust as unavoidable characteristics for future relations. Although these perspectives are not entirely misled, they fall short of illustrating the finer nuances of relations. This paper offers an extensive analysis of three instances of cooperation between the US and Russia in Syria between 2011 and 2017 in order to offer concrete observations about how these antagonistic powers work together. The analysis shows that although the US and Russia are competitive and often have opposing agendas, this does not necessarily prevent them from cooperative engagement that produces substantive results. Their polarity can even contribute to more effective cooperation. This paper also draws conclusions about what circumstances improve the effectiveness of US/Russia cooperation and makes recommendations for future mutual efforts in Syria.
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    The Koreans' Migration to the Russian Far East and Their Deportation to Central Asia: From the 1860s to 1937
    (University of Oregon, 2012) Lee, Woosung; Lee, Woosung; Hessler, Julie
    From the early 1860s Koreans appeared in the Russian Far East. Beginning in 1864, Koreans who received approval of the Russian authorities had begun to establish Korean villages in this region. During the 1860s and 1870s, the Russian government favored the Koreans' immigration into this area in order to develop the inhospitable lands in the Far East. After the 1880s, Russia's contradictory tendencies of accepting the Korean immigrants or prohibiting them coexisted. Nonetheless, Korean immigration continuously increased until the mid 1920s. The number of Korean immigrants reached approximately 200,000 in 1937. During September and November of 1937 all Koreans living in the Far East were deported to Central Asia because of the potential suspicion that they would serve as spies for Japan.
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    Russia's Hybrid Warfare: The Prowess and Limitations of Putin's (In)Visible Hand in Estonia and Latvia
    (University of Oregon, 2017-09-06) Casselman, Rachel; Hessler, Julie
    Russia’s recent increase in acts of aggression against bordering nations is concerning. After Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, many wondered if the world should anticipate a Baltic intervention. This paper seeks to analyze this question through a comparative study of Russia’s recent interventions in Georgia and Ukraine, an analysis of the Estonian and Latvian Russian-speaking population, and an analysis of the NATO alliance’s strengths and weaknesses in deterring a possible Russian threat. From my analysis, I conclude that a conventional Baltic intervention is unlikely. However, I also conclude that the NATO alliance is not prepared to counter non-conventional acts of aggression and that these tactics could become more common in international conflicts. Therefore, I also conclude that a non-conventional Baltic intervention from Russia is possible and, consequently, the alliance should re-examine its framework.
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    Sex Education and Contraceptive Acceptance: From the Soviet Union to Russia
    (University of Oregon, 2014-06-17) Lipton, Miriam; Hessler, Julie
    In Russia today women use traditional forms of birth control at unusually high rates, whereas, conversely their use of modern contraceptives is unusually low. During the Soviet period, women's access to modern contraceptive methods may have been limited. However, one would postulate that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the nature of the new reforms that developed would have lent itself to an increase in modern contraception usage on par with other countries. In Russia today there is not a lack of availability of modern contraceptives. Yet, women are still not using modern contraception at a rate that is congruent with an increase in availability. What then is influencing Russian women's decisions? The contraceptive acceptance of Russian women today is shaped by cultural legacies of the Soviet Union surrounding both contraceptives themselves and sex and sex education.
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    The Paradoxical Interrelationship of Church and State in Post-Communist Russia: The Rise and Manifestation of Power via the Prism of LGBTQIA Rights
    (University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Zhdanov, Alekcander; Hessler, Julie
    The Russian Orthodox Church is seeking to reestablish a leadership role in the spiritual health of the citizenry in post-Communist Russia via a concerted effort to forge an alliance with the Russian government, regardless of the secular constitution. Commencing with perceived preferential legislation, the Church has risen to heightened influence that is subsequently being used to disenfranchise non-traditional sexual communities. This paper offers an extensive cross-examination of legislation and intersectionality that highlights the incongruities of this alliance via international, federal, and religious documents, legal case law, polling data and more to purport that the Church encompasses a higher degree of complexity than was previously assumed, including non-religious self-identification. Ultimately, this paper concludes that the Church, in its current form, functions more as an agency of the State than as a religious entity. Lastly, this paper neither defends nor anathematizes the merits of any theological tenet.