Anu Masso

(Re)Construction of Collective Identities after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The Case of Estonia.

The paper will focus on the structures of collective identities of the Russian-speaking population of Estonia.1 Particular cultural and political orientations held by individuals and frequencies of self-categorization as Russian, ex-Soviet, citizens of Estonia, etc. have been discussed extensively.2 Much less attention has been paid to the structures of self-identification, which draw out people’s thinking patterns. The paper is based on the methodological premise that analysisand interpretation of the disposition of different types of self-categorization is worth the effort, as it helps to elucidate the general meta-structures behind people’s interpretation of different identification narratives and provides an opportunity to make prognoses about future scenarios. The first section discusses the different public identity narratives and social prerequisites for their internalization. The second and third sections provide an overview of the methodology and data of the study. The fourth section presents the main findings regarding the frequencies and structures of self-identification both today and 15 years ago.

‘Welcome to the virtual state’: Estonian e-residency and the digitalised state as a commodity:

In this article, we examine the reconstruction and commodification of the national space through digital technologies by using the case of Estonian e-residency. E-residency or ‘virtual residency’ is an initiative of the Estonian government which gives foreigners global access to Estonian e-services via state-issued digital identity. We explore the ways in which the ideas of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ have been employed for purposes of nation branding and national reputation management, and how the different logics of nation branding and nation building combined in the concept of e-residency have been negotiated in the national context. The study draws on a qualitative textual analysis of the official website of e-residency directed at foreign audiences and the national media coverage of the project addressing domestic publics. The analysis indicates that while the imagery constructed around the notions of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ makes it possible to turn the national space into a commodity, presented outwards as a globally extensible and open transnational space, domestically it makes it possible to appeal to ‘intact national space’ and to legitimise e-residency as a ‘socio-culturally safe’, digitally mediated internationalisation of the society. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding Special Issue.

LIFEWORLDS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPE

ABSTRACT This article analyses the personal spatiality of people with different economic and cultural backgrounds, using Estonia as an example of a ‘new’ EU country and Sweden as an example of an ‘old’ one. On the basis of survey data, the contacts, interest and feeling of cultural closeness of different cultures and the connections of these with socio-demographic variables, societal trust, and regional identities are analysed. The results show that personal spatiality is spread homogeneously over social groups in Sweden. In Estonia, personal spatiality differentiates socio-demographic groups and is related to general social trust. The society is separated into a personally ‘globalised’ group and a group that feels uncertainty in connection with EU enlargement and globalisation. In the new member states of the EU, cultural adaptation without overcoming transition trauma may cause cultural isolation, even xenophobia. Avoiding resistance against transcultural communication patterns contributes to the development of common values and interregional economic cooperation between EU member states.

The Formation of Imagined Borders in Post-Soviet Estonia: Diaspora or Local Community?

Abstract This paper focuses to the development of the collective identity of Russian diaspora in transformational Estonia after dissolution of Soviet Union. The case represents the situation in which not only the previous state borders but the the whole political system have changed. The paper analyzes the acceptance and rejection of the collective identification categories. The results indicate limited acceptance of the identification ideologies suggested by Estonian Republics or by Russian Federation. For the people who do not feel strong allegiances towards the state ideologies and surrounding ethno‐cultural groups, the regional‐cultural self‐designations offer a possibility to maintain ones positive distinctiveness.