On April 21, 2023, Lincoln South Rotary heard from Dr. Griffin Hathaway - Political Science Instructor at Southeast Community College as our speaker on the subject The Politics of the Conflict in Ukraine.
Dr. Griffin Hathaway started by providing some history of the Slavic area and Russia. He talked about pan-slavic proponents throughout history and how that has driven the various versions of the united area.
He pointed out that, though the physical area of Russia is mostly in Asia, most of the population was in the European area. The Slavic countries, though in the European area, were part of Russia at times. Throughout history there were times when Russia seemed to be week. But, with all of the Slavic countries and Russia united, Russia was strong and respected.
The current conflict started in the 2013-14 time frame. After about 25 years of Ukraine running their own affairs, there was some question internally about the future of the country. The President at that time, Viktor Yanukovych, wanted to unite with Russia. However, most of Ukraine did not agree. Yanukovych was ousted in February 2014 in a popular uprising against his government's turn away from the West and toward Moscow.
Dr. Hathaway explained that Putin does not see the conflict as an invasion - instead it was a return of territory that was part of Russia. Ukraine's desire to join NATO is at issue. Ukraine was making a point that they belong to the West and Russia does not want them to break away. The loss of territory has driven this conflict - some say much of it is for revenge.
Will either see victory? Victory looks different to everyone. Dr. Hathaway says that, if there is a settlement, it will be both parties giving up something. What they would accept in the future to end conflict may not be something that they would be willing to accept today.
To view some of the history of the region, view Dr. Hathaway's slides - click here.
You may recall that Lincoln South Rotary Club was visited by a delegation from Ukraine on in February, 2019. They shared that they were trapped between two worlds at that time. This was between the time that their President was ousted and the invasion from Russia.To view the story written at that time - click here.
BIO
As a new political science instructor at Southeast Community College, Dr. Griffin Hathaway wants to hit the ground running. He brings to SCC a wealth of knowledge from teaching at various academic institutions around the country, including the American University, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, among others. Discussing politics is his specialty, and he hopes to have some stimulating dialogue in his classes.
“I’ve always been drawn to the topic of politics,” Hathaway said. “Because of my parents, I have a deep sense of curiosity and wanting to understand things.”
A native of North Carolina, Hathaway got his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then earned his master’s in American Studies from the American University and finally his Ph.D. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. He hopes to get involved in student organizations.
“I hope to get involved, nurture and expand them,” he said. Currently he sits on SCC’s Global Education Committee and is looking forward to contributing his ideas and time.
“Dr. Hathaway has an impressive résumé and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to political science at SCC,” said fellow political science instructor, Nikki Isemann. “He has an entertaining and gregarious personality in the classroom. Students will have a memorable time taking his class and learning both content and curious anecdotes about our political system.”
Though Hathaway had never been to Nebraska prior to accepting this job, he does have a connection to the state dating back to more than 60 years ago.
“My father played pro baseball in North Platte in the 1950s for the minor league team of the Cleveland Guardians,” he recalled.
Meanwhile, he’s excited to be at a community college, where classes are smaller and there is more opportunity for dialogue and debate among students.
“It’s easy to get lost in a big lecture hall,” he said. “There’s a less-alienating aspect to it here, with the ability to reach students in a one-on-one structure and make it more personable. I enjoy talking about politics, and I’m a real zealot for not bringing up my preferences in my classes.”
Hathaway will be teaching at SCC’s Beatrice and Lincoln campuses. He can be reached at ghathaway@southeast.edu or 402-228-8174.