Rahvusvaheliste suhete ja regiooni uuringute õppekava magistritööd – Master´s theses

Selle kollektsiooni püsiv URIhttps://hdl.handle.net/10062/56853

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Cultural diplomacy & the reproduction of identity and memory: the centenaries of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania
(Tartu Ülikool, 2019) Bélanger, Jessie; Pääbo, Heiko, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
In 2017 and 2018, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania celebrated the hundredth anniversary of their independence. Considering these countries have limited international visibility due to their limited resources, population density and territory size, such milestones represent an extraordinary opportunity to resolve the situation. The practice of cultural diplomacy within the realm of diplomacy continues to be underestimated. Since most of its understanding is still stained by the Cold War period and its research focus too USA-centric, the practice of cultural diplomacy continues to be misleading. Therefore, the thesis seeks to demonstrate the benefits of cultural diplomacy by applying its methods on concrete examples that have had considerable domestic and international reach. It also seeks to demonstrate its usefulness in situations where conflicts or tense relations are absent. Consequently, the cases of the centenaries of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Finland have been chosen to highlight the potential of cultural diplomacy for small countries, who have yet to grow on the international stage. As a result, the research has found that the practice of cultural diplomacy was noticeable in the planning, organization, and celebration of the Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, and Lithuanian centenaries, and that its impacts, along with identity and collective memory, on small countries were consequential.
Ethnic cleavage in politics and mnemonic tensions: an analysis of World War II commemorative practices in Latvia
(Tartu Ülikool, 2017) Braslava, Māra; Pääbo, Heiko, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
In Latvia, history and remembrance of World War II is a source of contestation between the ethnic Latvian majority and the Russian speaking minority. However, despite this prevailing idea of two conflicting positions, several studies on public opinion, suggest that the memory of Latvians and non-Latvians is more nuanced and different positons on 20th century history exist also within both ethnolinguistic groups. This thesis looks at commemorative rituals of the so called Legionnaire day on March 16, and the commemoration of end of World War II on May 8 and May 9 that represent mnemonic cleavages between Latvians and the country’s Russian speaking minority. Using Bernhard and Kubik’s (2014) theoretical framework of mnemonic actors and memory regimes, this study seeks to answer how the diversity of mnemonic positions within both ethno-linguistic groups is reflected in the political discourse. Next to that, opportunities of mnemonic reconciliation exist are examined. The overall conclusion is that both March 16 and May 9 present a fractured memory regime in Latvia. The mnemonic cleavages are drawn along ethnic lines but within the ethnolinguistic groups different positions were found as well. While May 9 is becoming a point of more intense mnemonic contestation and it is gaining more prominence, March 16 is increasingly abnegated by major political actors.
The politics of memory and commemoration: centennial anniversary in the South Caucasus
(Tartu Ülikool, 2019) Huseynova, Ilaha; Makarychev, Andrey, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
This study attempts to explore the alteration of historical narratives on centennial anniversary according to existent political situations in the South Caucasus. Drawing on the literature developed by several scholars of the politics of memory and commemoration, the thesis argues that coupled with national memory and cultural memory, political memory lead historical narratives to be impacted by states’ actions. What is more, national/collective memory, national/collective identity and political interest are interdependent, whereas foreign policy derives from the political interest. All things considered, the theoretical background brings to the conclusion of the possibility of narratives to be shaped by political situations. The thesis aims to dig into narratives provided and make a comparison with historical narratives to find out altered (highlighted or concealed) narratives. The research uses narrative analysis as a technique of qualitative method. Primarily based on chosen state-run media materials, as well as other primary sources of three countries of the region, narratives are being studied here for the first time. Some of the contributors here are celebratory speeches of countries’ officials and conducted elite-interviews of local experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The results show that all three countries shift their historical narratives owing to the political situation existent.
Quietly postcolonial: the impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on curation strategies in Estonia
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Ballance, Cosima; Gibson, Catherine, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituut
It is widely understood that moments of great geopolitical change have a profound impact on the manufacture and treatment of the past. Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not only revealed the politicisation and weaponisation of history and memory, but also prompted more intensive discussions among scholars and politicians about the application of postcolonial perspectives and methods in the states with an entangled history with Russia. Two years on from the onset of the full-scale conflict, this thesis seeks to examine whether postcolonial approaches have also had a wider impact on national narratives, as reflected in museum design and curation strategies. By utilising a single-case study of Estonian National Museum/Eesti Rahva Muuseum (ERM) and combining ethnographic observational analysis and five expert interviews with museum workers, this thesis analyses the state of Estonian national memory in the year 2024. Whereas most previous studies on memory and postcolonialism in the Baltic states have been confined to the twentieth century, this thesis broadens these empirics and utilises a longue durée approach to Estonia’s national master narrative in order to show the interconnectedness of the different layers of Estonia’s past, rather than treating its different elements in isolation. The findings revealed that, in contrast to the wake-up call that much of academia has experienced, ERM has rather been operating in a “quietly postcolonial” manner for some time, suggesting that this public-facing institution has been ahead of much of academia and political discourse.

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Sirvi Rahvusvaheliste suhete ja regiooni uuringute õppekava magistritööd – Master´s theses Märksõna "ajaloopoliitika" järgi