Poverty in the context of societal transitions in Estonia
Kuupäev
2011-07-19
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Abstrakt
Doktoritöö keskendub vaesuse kui sotsiaalse nähtuse ja probleemi ligi kahekümne aasta pikkuse arenguloo selgitamisele taasiseseisvunud Eestis siirdeühiskonna kontekstis. Doktoritöö eesmärgiks on avardada seniseid teadmisi vaesuse avaldumisvormidest, struktuurist ja dünaamikast, mis võimaldab paremini mõista sotsiaalsete probleemide geneesi ning planeerida ja rakendada senisest tõhusamaid sotsiaalpoliitilisi lahendusi. Väitekiri tugineb viiele siirdeperioodi erinevaid arenguetappe käsitlevale iseseisvale uurimusele. Nimetatud uurimuste tulemused kinnitavad vaesuse kui sotsiaalse probleemi strukturaalsest iseloomust, kuid samal ajal annavad tunnistust ka Eesti sotsiaalse arenguparadigma jätkuvast individualiseerumisest. Individualiseerumine kui Eesti siirdeperioodi arengut kokkuvõttev märksõna on neoliberaalse maailmavaate radikaalse elluviimise otsene tulem. Neoliberaalne šokiteraapia on olnud edukas majanduskasvu stimuleerijana, luues vajalikud ressursid suhteliselt efektiivse vaesuse vähendamisele suunatud marginaalse heaolusüsteemi välja¬arendamiseks. Siiski ei ole taoline süsteem piisav ühiskonna sotsiaalse jätkusuutlikkuse ja sidususe tagamiseks sellisel määral, mis vastaks Euroopa sotsiaalse mudeli põhimõtetele ning tänapäevase heaoluriigi moraalsetele standarditele.
The aim of the dissertation was to contribute to in-depth understanding of poverty as a social phenomenon in Estonia in the context of post-communist transition. Five independent studies address different empirical evidences about this multifaceted phenomenon in the period of 1992–2007, the introductory article of the thesis presents conceptual and contextual framework to these studies. The dissertation concludes that poverty in Estonia as in any Central and Eastern European country is a structural social phenomenon and one of the main social costs of the transition, which should extensively be tackled by macro-economic and socio-political means. The dissertation also reveals that the main characteristic feature of the social development in Estonia during the period of societal transitions has been an ‘individualisation of the social’. Individualisation as a generic developmental feature of the Estonian society springs from the neoliberal paradigm introduced by the economic and political elites in the form of shock-therapy from the very beginning of the transition. The strategy of the neoliberalism has been successful in promoting macro-economic growth and ensured solid material basis to build-up sustainable system of last-resort social assistance, protecting the population from experiencing extreme and long-term poverty. Nevertheless, this has not been sufficient to achieve the level of solidarity and social inclusion, required for meeting the criteria of the European Social Model, moral standards of the modern welfare state, and last but not least to ensure social sustainability and competitiveness of the Estonian society.
The aim of the dissertation was to contribute to in-depth understanding of poverty as a social phenomenon in Estonia in the context of post-communist transition. Five independent studies address different empirical evidences about this multifaceted phenomenon in the period of 1992–2007, the introductory article of the thesis presents conceptual and contextual framework to these studies. The dissertation concludes that poverty in Estonia as in any Central and Eastern European country is a structural social phenomenon and one of the main social costs of the transition, which should extensively be tackled by macro-economic and socio-political means. The dissertation also reveals that the main characteristic feature of the social development in Estonia during the period of societal transitions has been an ‘individualisation of the social’. Individualisation as a generic developmental feature of the Estonian society springs from the neoliberal paradigm introduced by the economic and political elites in the form of shock-therapy from the very beginning of the transition. The strategy of the neoliberalism has been successful in promoting macro-economic growth and ensured solid material basis to build-up sustainable system of last-resort social assistance, protecting the population from experiencing extreme and long-term poverty. Nevertheless, this has not been sufficient to achieve the level of solidarity and social inclusion, required for meeting the criteria of the European Social Model, moral standards of the modern welfare state, and last but not least to ensure social sustainability and competitiveness of the Estonian society.
Kirjeldus
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.
Märksõnad
Eesti, sotsiaalne areng, sotsiaalprobleemid, üleminekuühiskond, vaesus, Estonia, social development, social problems, transition society, poverty