(Problems of Post-Communism) Abstract: The sudden onset of COVID-19 has challenged many social scientists to proceed without a robust theoretical and empirical foundation upon which to build. Addressing this challenge, particularly as it pertains to Eurasia, our multinational group of scholars draws on past and ongoing research to suggest a roadmap for a new pandemic politics research subfield. Key research questions include not only how states are responding to the new coronavirus, but also reciprocal interactions between the pandemic and society, political economy, regime type, center-periphery relations, and international security. The Foucauldian concept of “biopolitics” holds out particular promise as a theoretical framework.
Introduction
Rarely do major research themes spring upon a discipline so suddenly that scholars must proceed without a robust research foundation upon which to build, without widespread knowledge of relevant works that do exist, and without the time to consult thoroughly with peers to develop a common research agenda. Such a situation is all the more remarkable for topics that have the potential to impact virtually all aspects of politics in all countries of the world. Yet this is the challenge scholars face with the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
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Co-authors: Marlene Laruelle, Mikhail Alexseev, Cynthia Buckley, Ralph S. Clem, J. Paul Goode, Ivan Gomza, Henry E. Hale, Erik Herron, Andrey Makarychev, Madeline McCann, Mariya Omelicheva, Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, Regina Smyth, Sarah Wilson Sokhey, Mikhail Troitskiy, Joshua A. Tucker, Judyth Twigg, and Elizabeth Wishnick.
