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War and Well-Being in Transition: Russo-Georgian Conflict as a Natural Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Gunes Gokmen

    (New Economic School and the Center for the Study of Diversity and Social Interactions, Moscow)

  • Evgeny Yakovlev

    (New Economic School, Moscow)

Abstract

This paper assesses the effect of the Russo-Georgian conflict of 2008 on the well-being of minorities in Russia. Using the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), we first provide evidence that, on impact, the well-being of Georgian nationals suffered negatively from the conflict of 2008, both in comparison to their own well-being across time and to the well-being of the Russian majority. We also show that this negative effect of conflict does not have a long-term legacy that goes beyond 2008. Additionally, we demonstrate that the conflict has no direct effect on the livelihoods or the labor market outcomes of Georgian nationals. Therefore, we attribute the negative effect of conflict on well-being to more indirect channels such as fear, altruism, or sympathy. We also analyze the spillover effects of the Russo-Georgian conflict on other minorities that live in Russia. We find that while the well-being of migrant minorities who have recently moved to Russia is negatively affected, there is no effect on local minorities who have been living in Russia for at least ten years.

Suggested Citation

  • Gunes Gokmen & Evgeny Yakovlev, 2017. "War and Well-Being in Transition: Russo-Georgian Conflict as a Natural Experiment," Working Papers w0243, New Economic School (NES).
    • Handle: RePEc:abo:neswpt:w0243
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Well-being; happiness; transition; conflict; minorities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies

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