Ferroconcrete cases, sausage migrants, and Santa Barbara: self-reflexive metaphors among Russian-speaking refugees in Estonia

Astapova, Anastasiya

doi:10.1080/01629778.2019.1623277

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…It establishes many intercultural exchanges beyond language classes and allows the majority population to hear about the minority group’s experiences, which are less known to them due to the existing segregation. The influx of many other foreigners, including refugees, is also significant, as for many, Keelegrupp is their first opportunity to encounter a refugee, listen to that person’s story, and understand what refugees’ lives are like, which is highly beneficial in the context of the high rates of ethnic intolerance against them in Estonia (Astapova 2020). Keelegrupp also allows Russian speakers and other participating foreigners to identify positively with their mother tongue and to have this identification respected by Estonians.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Slight improvisations on the topic guarantee that a speaker makes only a few mistakes and completes the speaking part successfully. As it often happens with other integration policy requirements (Gogonas and Michail 2015; Astapova 2020), the exam structure encourages people to use special strategies to pass the hurdle, rather than motivating them to acquire the skills being tested.…”

Section: Why Does Ethnic Segregation Persist In Estonia?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the state is now not the only major actor working on immigrants’ integration: due to the growing economy and EU project funding for different initiatives, Estonia has experienced a general increase in civic engagement (OECD 2018), which was also reflected in immigration-related civic initiatives. Following the so-called “Refugee crisis” in 2015, which brought fewer than 300 quota refugees to Estonia after all (Astapova 2020), a variety of NGOs and non-state actors have started to offer solutions to the challenges related to ethnic intolerance and language socialization. They have been organizing meetings of migrant groups with Estonians in various forms, such as ethnic cuisine cooking classes, workshops on braid-making by refugees from Africa, and lessons on various folk cultures, where Estonians can introduce their culture to the migrants in return (Saame tuttavaks n.d.).…”

Section: Why Does Ethnic Segregation Persist In Estonia?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Estonian-Russian Language Club as a Venue for Grassroots Ethnic Integration

Astapova

2021

Nationalities Papers

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One third of Estonian residents identify Russian as their mother tongue, and despite having lived in Estonia for decades, many of them are not fluent in the Estonian language and choose to remain stateless rather than obtain Estonian citizenship by passing the state language exam. Ethnic segregation in Estonia continues to be a matter of bitter political debate, not least in the context of tensions with neighboring Russia and pressure from the EU to solve the problem. While a lot of state resources are being spent on what the Estonian-speaking public often perceives as vain attempts at integration of Russophones, several civil society initiatives have recently emerged to provide platforms for informal language socialization. In this article, I focus on the case study of the Keelegrupp (Language Group) which provides a venue for interaction between Estonian and Russian speakers, to analyze what makes this informal organization more successful at responding to the challenges of language-based segregation than professional, state-funded initiatives. Ethnographic documentation and analysis of this initiative is essential given that its experience and structure are highly applicable for and transferrable to many other states with similar situations of ethnic segregation, not the least the neighboring Baltic countries.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Why Does Ethnic Segregation Persist In Estonia?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Why Does Ethnic Segregation Persist In Estonia?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Estonian-Russian Language Club as a Venue for Grassroots Ethnic Integration

Astapova

2021

Nationalities Papers

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Anti-Immigrant Eurosceptic Worldview in Estonia: a Comparison of Russian-Speaking and Estonian-Speaking Communities

Tambi

2024

Sravn. polit.

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This article analyzes the transformation of the attitude of the Russian-speaking and Estonian-speaking communities of Estonia towards the reception of refugees from the 1990s until the present day. A comparison is made of the attitude towards immigrants of various origins (African, Asian, Ukrainian refugees, entrants from Russia) by ethnic Estonians with the perception of them by local Russian-speaking residents of this Baltic state. The author examines the reasons for the negative and positive perception of Estonians towards immigrants of various origins. It is noted that there is a direct connection between the current perception of immigrants in Estonia and the historical past of this country. The paper describes the sharp increase in Euroscepticism in Estonia after the start of the European migration crisis in 2015, as well as the serious joint opposition of the state’s authorities and its residents to the refugee distribution quotas imposed by the European Commission. In addition to the similarities in the approaches of the two largest communities on the issue of refugees, the author also identified a number of significant differences on this topic, which is sensitive for all Estonians. The paper concludes that the refugee crisis and anti-immigrant Eurosceptic worldview have largely united ethnic Russians and Estonians living in Estonia in the face of a “common threat”. It is also justified that the present warm and hospitable attitude of ethnic Estonians towards Ukrainian refugees in the medium term may be replaced by “fatigue” and apathy towards them.

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Conspiratorial Thinking among Russian Speakers in Estonia: From COVID-19 to the War in Ukraine

Astapova

2023

Journal of American Folklore

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This research stems from ethnographic interviews about COVID-19 conspiracy theories that uncovered that the interviewees (members of the Russophone minority residing in Estonia) perceived a significant connection between the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. I analyze major themes that bring two conspiracy theories together, one theory about the pandemic and the other about the war in Ukraine—and other narratives that tend to gravitate toward them to form a system of vernacular knowledge. I also explore the reasons and vulnerabilities behind this group's beliefs in conspiracy theories.

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Ferroconcrete cases, sausage migrants, and Santa Barbara: self-reflexive metaphors among Russian-speaking refugees in Estonia

Cited by 3 publications

References 21 publications

An Estonian-Russian Language Club as a Venue for Grassroots Ethnic Integration

An Estonian-Russian Language Club as a Venue for Grassroots Ethnic Integration

Anti-Immigrant Eurosceptic Worldview in Estonia: a Comparison of Russian-Speaking and Estonian-Speaking Communities

Conspiratorial Thinking among Russian Speakers in Estonia: From COVID-19 to the War in Ukraine

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