Understanding Migration: Decision-Making Activity: Russia

Section 4: Case Studies for the Advocate-Decision Making Activity

Section 4 is based around an advocate/decision-making activity, or "controlled debate." Instructions and worksheets are included, along with a series of case studies designed to be used in this activity. Each case study includes two pages of essential reading, along with supplemental materials that can be used, if time allows, or can be assigned as homework. We have made a conscious effort to use as many primary document sources as possible in order to help build critical reading and interpretation skills. The worksheets for Section 4 are included with each case study. Case Study: Should Russia continue to allow migration from the post-Soviet "successor states," regardless of the migrants' ethnicities? The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a loose confederation of 12 former Soviet countries or "successor states," including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1992, more than 25 million ethnic Russians living in the non-Russian republics suddenly found themselves part of a large diaspora community. Over the following years, both ethnic Russians and non-Russians migrated to Russia, for a variety of reasons, causing various problems in post-Soviet Russia. Students will read primary source documents to defend their position in the Advocate/Decision-Making Activity.