The “Motherland” in the practices of political mobilization Cover Image

«Родина-мать» в практиках политической мобилизации современной России
The “Motherland” in the practices of political mobilization

Author(s): Tatjana Borisovna Riabova
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Cultural history, Political history, Government/Political systems, Social development, Social Theory, Sociology of Culture, Post-Communist Transformation, Social Norms / Social Control, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Ивановский государственный университет
Keywords: the “Motherland”; political mobilization; the mobilization appeal; symbolic politics; the post-Soviet Russia; Iraklii Toidze’s poster “The Motherland calls!”;

Summary/Abstract: The article dwells upon the role of the symbol of the Motherland in the practices of political mobilization in the post-Soviet Russia. In the first section of the article the author demonstrates how political scientists study the phenomenon of political mobilization, its subjects, resources, types, and mechanisms. The next section focuses on the role which a symbol in general and the maternal symbol in particular plays in the practices of political mobilization. The final section deals with the problem of using the symbol of Motherland by the agents of mobilization in contemporary Russia. The author takes as an example the maternal image of the country from Iraklii Toidze’s famous poster “The Motherland calls!” which serves as one of the most prominent case of visualization of mobilization appeal. The representatives of various political forces exploit the image in multiple forms appealing to voting, to participate in anti-government actions, to support a certain candidate, to defend the Motherland against external and internal enemies. The author makes the conclusion that various political actors will employ the maternal symbol of the country on the parliament (2016) and presidential (2018) campaigns in Russia

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 3-4
  • Page Range: 124-137
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Russian