FSI researchers work to understand continuity and change in societies as they confront their problems and opportunities. This includes the implications of migration and human trafficking. What happens to a society when young girls exit the sex trade? How do groups moving between locations impact societies, economies, self-identity and citizenship? What are the ethnic challenges faced by an increasingly diverse European Union? From a policy perspective, scholars also work to investigate the consequences of security-related measures for society and its values.
The Europe Center reflects much of FSI’s agenda of investigating societies, serving as a forum for experts to research the cultures, religions and people of Europe. The Center sponsors several seminars and lectures, as well as visiting scholars.
Societal research also addresses issues of demography and aging, such as the social and economic challenges of providing health care for an aging population. How do older adults make decisions, and what societal tools need to be in place to ensure the resulting decisions are well-informed? FSI regularly brings in international scholars to look at these issues. They discuss how adults care for their older parents in rural China as well as the economic aspects of aging populations in China and India.
This study seeks to understand the conflict and tension arising from a territorially divided nation with a strong legacy of ethnic homogeneity, using the Korean case for consideration. In doing so, the authors rely on a recent development in social identity theory to explore the dynamics and conflict inherent in intra-group social identification.
Hostage to Revolution makes an important contribution to the understanding of a timely and significant subject. It deals with the aspect of the final years of Soviet policy most directly relevant to American security, and relevant today as the foundation on which present and future Russian policy is being built.
Blacker shows the integral nature of Soviet internal and external policy, and of Gorbachev's new thinking on security and attempt to reform the economy and transform the society. Remarkably successful in bringing the Cold War to an end, Gorbachev's security policies - and Gorbachev, and even the Soviet Union - ultimately fell victim to the failure of perestroika to bring about the reformation of the Soviet system. It is a fascinating story, told with clear analysis and in a clear language. (Raymond Garthoff, The Brookings Institution)
The development of thermonuclear weapons marked one of the major turning points in the history of Soviet-American strategic arms competition. In his book The Advisors Herbert York enhances our understanding of this turning-point by showing that the first Soviet thermonuclear device, which was exploded on 12 August 1953, was not a superbomb but had a different configuration and a substantially lower yield. York's analysis is important because it makes it possible to assess more accurately the progress of the Soviet nuclear weapons development in the 1950s, and to understand more clearly the nature of Soviet-American strategic arms competition.
The object of this note is to make public a document which gives more detailed information about Soviet nuclear weapons test in the 1950s. The data given here support York's analysis.