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Giorgi Babunashvili photo
Giorgi Babunashvili
3 Posts
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Giorgi is a Senior Researcher at CRRC Georgia.
A Georgian war veteran celebrating Victory Day in Tbilisi. Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
Analysis

Datablog | How Armenians and Georgians feel about the dissolution of the Soviet Union

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Caucasus Barometer 2021 data shows that a majority of Armenians feel that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was bad for their country, while almost half of Georgians feel that the collapse had a positive impact on Georgia.  Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia and Armenia have shared differing yet similar paths.  Both have experienced wars, revolutions, and economic upheaval, but political direction and public sentiment on major political issues has often diverged.  Data from

Men hold a poster reading ‘Propaganda of sodomy is the nation’s genocide’ in Tbilisi on 17 May 2022. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
Analysis

Datablog | Both religion and the county’s Soviet past contribute to Homophobia in Georgia

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According to recent research, homophobia in Georgia is not just linked to religiosity — but also to the country’s communist past. People’s values and attitudes are shaped by many factors, religion and historical experience being important among them.  A paper we recently published in the International Journal of Sociology suggests that Georgia’s communist past is associated with higher degrees of homophobia just as religiosity is.  However, the experience of a communist past also moderates

Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
Analysis

Datablog | Georgia may be the most homophobic country in Europe

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Recent events in Georgia have once again highlighted the extent of homophobia in Georgia, and survey data suggests that the country may be the most homophobic on the continent. On 5 July, a homophobic riot took place in Tbilisi. While the riot is a tragedy, it also reflects the fact that Georgia is the most homophobic in Europe for which data is available on the International Social Survey programme (ISSP) survey.  Given the participation of priests in the riot, one might expect more religio