Identificational integration: Conceptualisation and operationalisation on the example of second generation Russians in Estonia
Estonian studies are well underway
Organisers of Estonian language and culture clubs to be announced in May
Who and what is training on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia designed for?
Celebrate Mothers Day with students from the Latvian school in Tallinn
Azeri Sunday school to open its doors on the last day of April
Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance
Dissertations covering the field of integration
In recent years a number of important Doctoral dissertations involving the field of integration have been published which we plan to showcase for you in this and subsequent editions of the newsletter.
Identificational integration: Conceptualisation and operationalisation on the example of second generation Russians in Estonia
PhD thesis by Gerli Nimmerfeldt, defended in 2011, focuses on identity and identity building for the minority youth (second generation Russian youth) in Estonia. It does so by focusing on identificational integration which refers to the sense of belonging this group experiences on the national level. This identificational integration is based on the feeling of being at home and being accepted as a member of Estonian society. Feeling at home is important for the creation of social cohesion and unity in the society. For the second generation, it is often assumed that being born and growing up in a country is enough to create an emotional attachment and a sense of belonging to the country and society, however this is not the case. This thesis focuses on the factors that can influence identity, allowing better understanding identification integration.
Ethnic and national identifications are two important dimensions when talking about integration. One way of viewing integration refers to the declining of the ethnic identities and loyalties accompanied by a growing identification with the resident country, the society and mainstream culture. This view implies that only the national or the ethnic identity can be dominant, bordering on assimilation. Another view however does imply that identities can/are multiple and can allow both national and ethnic identification.
Results from the thesis show that among ethnic identity of young Estonian Russians is rather weak, ethnic identification is much stronger among Estonian respondents. 28% of the Russian respondents reported their sense of belonging to Russians to be very strong and 43% evaluated their affiliation to be strong, while 65% of Estonians respondents indicated a very strong sense of belonging to their ethnic group. The feeling of belonging among the Russians was stronger felt with groups on the basis of language (Russian-speakers), citizenship status (Estonian citizens), and groups composed of all people living in Estonia (Estlanders).
According to the second generation Russians, to be an Estonian you have to be born an Estonian. Estonian language is also often mentioned as a determining factor, specifically highlighting that to be accepted by the Estonians as an Estonian, it is required to speak the language as a native Estonian. The Russian youth feels that they can never become Estonians even if they would want to. However when they are outside of Estonia, they are considered to be Estonians.
Low identification with the majority group by the Estonian Russians may be explained by the exclusive nature of the Estonian national identity, constructed as an ethno-cultural group, united by native origin, common culture, history, national traditions, feelings, language, preservation of and pride in their culture and traditions, a deep connection with the Estonian territory and landscape.
If the sense of belonging is measured in a different way, with statements like ‘I love Estonia’ etc, a different picture emerges. 12% of the Russian respondents felt a very strong and 42% a strong connection to Estonia. 35% feel a weak and 11% a very week connection to Estonia.
For further reading go to: http://www.etera.ee/zoom/1963/view?page=3&p=separate&view=0,0,2067,2834.
Information about language and culture studies
Estonian studies are well underway
As at the end of March there were more than 1700 people around the country studying Estonian as part of the courses for which people registered on the Integration Foundation website last summer. The majority of this year’s groups commenced their studies in early spring so as to complete their courses before the summer holiday period.
The courses last for 100 academic hours, which means studies continue for around four months. Placement testing is conducted ahead of the courses, enabling people’s actual language level to be determined before they start studying and their subsequent progress to be measured. Five companies are carrying out this year’s courses: OÜ Keelepisik, OÜ Mitteldorf, the EDUKOOL Foundation, Folkuniversitetet Estonia and the NPO Atlasnet. The courses, which are offered to groups of 16 participants, are being held in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Ahtme, Tartu and Pärnu.
The first courses, involving 540 participants, started in autumn last year and earlier this year and will all be completed by Midsummer.Of those who commenced their studies in 2015, 370 had completed them by the end of March.
Currently, more than 1700 people are attending the Estonian courses. This spring the Integration Foundation will be launching a further procurement to find organisers for the courses for the next 2000 people who registered for the language studies in 2015. These courses are scheduled to commence this coming autumn.
All of those who registered on the Integration Foundation website in 2015 and have not yet taken part in a language course will get the chance to do so this autumn and in early 2017. The organisers will contact those accepted onto the courses personally.
The Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels being provided until 2020 are organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation using the resources of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.
For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
Organisers of Estonian language and culture clubs to be announced in May
Starting in June, the Integration and Migration Foundation will be working with clubs to organise linguistic and cultural immersion in a club format for long-terms residents of Estonia who speak a language other than Estonian as their mother tongue and whose integration to date has been limited. The language and culture clubs are designed primarily for those who speak Estonian at the B2 level as a minimum and who wish to improve or maintain their conversational language skills. Membership of the club will first be offered to those who have applied for Estonian courses at the B2 level via the Integration Foundation website and those who have taken part in B2 courses.
“Almost 600 people are taking part in the B2 courses being organised by the foundation at the moment, and it’s them who’ll be first in line when we start offering membership of the clubs in summer,” said Jana Tondi, the director of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation.“2201 people from all over Estonia registered for B2 studies last summer, and everyone whose Estonian is good enough and who’s interested will be given the chance to take part in the clubs.”
Tondi explained that up to 60 clubs would be established around the country in 2016 and 2017. “We’ll be focussing mostly on places in Ida-Viru County - Narva, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi and Ahtme - where people get fewer opportunities to speak Estonian and less exposure to Estonian culture,” she said.
The language and culture clubs are designed for people who are native speakers of languages other than Estonian who want to practise the national language and find out more about Estonian culture and what makes it unique. Native speakers of Estonian will be invited to club meetings to offer support in practising the language and to encourage the participants to use it. They will get the chance to talk to these mentors on a range of everyday topics, learning a wide range of phrases and expressions for use in common situations. The club members and leaders will get together at least once a week over a six-month period and take part in at least one cultural event or excursion each month. Each of the clubs will also contribute to a blog which is aimed at getting members to do things together and to share their thoughts and experiences.
Offers to find club leaders and organise activities around the country can be submitted to the Integration Foundation until the end of April. Information about the procurement can be found on the Integration Foundation website at or in the e-procurement register at https://riigihanked.riik.ee/register/hange/173036.
The activities of the ‘Linguistic and cultural immersion’ sub-programme of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project are financed from the resources of the European Social Fund. The activities of the language and culture clubs are being financed to a value of 850,002 euros in 2016 and 2017.
For further information please contact: Jana Tondi | Director of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@meis.ee.
Estonian citizenship
Who and what is training on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia designed for?
The first training courses on the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia commissioned by the Integration Foundation were conducted by the NPO Kodanikukoolitused in February. What impressions did the training leave with those who took part? What does the training involve? And who is the training meant for?
The courses are designed for people who want to know how the Estonian state works and what basic rights, freedoms and responsibilities people have. The training forms useful preparation for those wishing to take the Constitution and Citizenship Act exam. Estonian citizens who have had little exposure to the way the country is run and who want to find out more about it are also welcome to attend the courses.
The first two-day courses were held in Tallinn in February, with a further 10 courses taking place by the end of March not only in the capital but also in Kohtla-Järve and Sillamäe. The training will continue to be organised all over the country until November 2017. Each course ends with an excursion to a significant state institution such as the Bank of Estonia, the Riigikogu (parliament) or the Alarm Centre of the Rescue Services.
Two exams must be taken and passed in order to acquire Estonian citizenship: an Estonian language exam (minimum B1 level) and a citizenship exam. The results of the Constitution and Citizenship Act exam remain valid indefinitely, regardless of whether you take the language exam at the same time or a year or more later. So why not make the most of the opportunity to take and pass the citizenship exam with the help of the course?
One participant - a man with Belarusian roots - said that since he will have been living in Estonia long enough by this coming autumn to apply for citizenship and has already taken and passed the language exam, the citizenship exam is the only requirement he still has to meet. “People kept putting the fear of God into me that the laws were complicated and that the legal language was hard to grasp,” he revealed. “But the course helped me understand the details a lot better, and that makes it a lot simpler to remember everything.”
Another participant, a 65-year-old man, was also taking part in order to prepare for the citizenship exam. “There’s so much to see in the world, and travelling as an Estonian citizen makes that so much easier,” he said. “Now I’ll be able to go on trips with my daughter’s family, since she’s had an Estonian passport for ages already.”
During the training the participants learn, among other things, who the highest authority in the land is, what the role of the government is and who has the right to freedom and what is known as the ‘inviolability of the person’. They also discover a lot of useful information about how things work at the local level, as well as about traditions and customs. Knowledge of the law also engenders self-assurance and emboldens people to make decisions.
The trainers from NPO Kodanikukoolitused - Reet Valing, Anu Kihulane, Nady Vest and Jelena Ohakas - all boast many years of experience.
The courses are free for all participants.
Information on the courses is available in Estonian at http://kodanikukoolitus.edicy.co/kodakondsuskoolitus2016.
Information in Russian is available at http://kodanikukoolitus.edicy.co/grazhdanstvo, by calling Irina Oleinitš on +372 50 69 028 or by e-mailing koolitus@kodanikukoolitus.eu or irina@powertugi.ee.
The training is being conducted with the support of the Integration and Migration Foundation using funds from the ‘Integration training’ sub-activity of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.
Open-doors day at Sunday schools
Celebrate Mothers Day with students from the Latvian school in Tallinn
Between 10:30 and 13:30 on 7 May the Taurenis Latvian School will be giving a sample lesson at the City Centre Russian Upper Secondary School at F.R. Kreutzwaldi 25 in Tallinn. The theme for the lesson will be Mothers Day. Although marking Mothers Day is a relatively recent tradition, the mother as the main bearer of cultural heritage has been exalted since ancient times.
“During the first half of the lesson we’ll be offering everyone in attendance the chance to take part in a Latvian lesson which will be divided up into two age groups,” explained Dita Lince, the director of Taurenis. “In the second half both groups will get together to learn and take part in two traditional Latvian games. We’ll also be helping the participants make typical Latvian Mothers Day gifts. And since in our culture there’s no party without proper catering, we’ll also be offering traditional Latvian dishes for everyone to try.”
Those wishing to take part in the lesson are asked to register in advance by e-mailing dita@green.ee.
The Latvian school was established in 2008, but only gained its name and official status in 2013. Its objectives are to teach Latvian children living in Estonia the language, culture, traditions and history of their country of origin. Classes are divided into two age groups: a pre-school group (children aged 1-6) whose language and culture studies take place through the medium of games, songs and crafts; and a school-age group (children aged 7+) whose studies are organised as an academic process which integrates Latvian language and literature, folk dance, music, folk art and handicrafts and Latvian history and geography.
For further information please contact: Dita Lince | Director, Taurenis Latvian School | E-mail: dita@green.ee
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
Azeri Sunday school to open its doors on the last day of April
The Orhan Azerbaijani School will be hosting an open-doors day in room 307 of Tallinn University from 15:00-17:00 on 30 April. Azeris who want to introduce their children to the activities of the school and all those who are interested in the culture and traditions of Azerbaijan are welcome to attend the event.
Attendees will hear Azeri poetry and songs performed by children from the Sunday school and see a presentation about the amazing country, which is situated in the middle of the mountainous Caucasus region. Participants will find out about a national folk pattern called Buta and can try their hand at embroidering it under the watchful eyes of the teachers. Students from the school will demonstrate how to dance a local folk dance known as “Jally’s story” and everyone attending will have the chance to learn it for themselves. To take part in the event, please register by e-mailing sanam.aliyeva@gmail.com or calling +372 5595 6950.
“The people of Azerbaijan, who are known as Azeris, are renowned for their hospitality,” said Shahsanam Alijeva, the director of the Orhan School. “Sweets have a special place in our national cuisine, and making special treats is something for which every housewife is honoured. We’ll be treating everyone who attends our open-doors day with the best our cuisine has to offer - including, of course, our national cake, baklava.”
The Orhan School was established in 2010. It aims to support the teaching of the language, culture and history of Azerbaijan to children with Azeri roots living in Estonia and to champion the integration of Azeri children into Estonian society. The school provides language, literature, history and culture lessons. There is also a dance group which not only provides entertainment and dance classes but
Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance
A sample lesson will be given at the Kabardian Sunday School at Sõle 40-204 in Tallinn at 17:00 on 26 April which everyone interested in Kabardian culture is welcome to attend.
Moscow-based Anzor Shorov, who teaches language through the medium of dance, will be participating in the event. This innovative methodology, which allows people to understand another culture with the help of dance, will be showcased during the lesson. Anyone who wishes to will get the chance to try some Kabardian dances for themselves. Traditional sweets, bread, tea and coffee will be offered to participants.
Those wishing to take part in the open-doors day are asked to register in advance by e-mailing ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.
“It’s a great honour for us to have Anzor Shorov working with us this academic year,” said Ilona Thagazitova, the director of the Sunday school. “Anzor is a recognised artist, teacher and promoter of the Kabardian language in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. The kids at our school really enjoy his lessons. They’ve taken to the innovative teaching method he uses like ducks to water! He really cares about the kids and approaches every one of them individually.”
The Kabardian Sunday School was established in 2006. Its primary task is to preserve and pass on the culture of the peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. Without knowledge of customs, legal norms, history and rules of behaviour, culture cannot be understood, developed and preserved or introduced to others. The school is also charged with the task of language teaching. The Kabardian language is taught using a number of methods, both traditional (using sample texts and primers and compiling dictionaries) and more playful (making handicrafts and learning songs). In staging dance performances, the school introduces its students to folk music, teaches them typical dance steps, showcases costumes and national dress ornaments and teaches movement in Kabardian. Students and alumni of the school dance in the ensemble Terek, which has taken part in international competitions and won a number of prizes.
For further information please contact: Ilona Thagazitova | Director, Kabardian Sunday School | E-mail: ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee
lessons on the history of folk dance in Azerbaijan.
For further information please contact: Shahsanam Alijeva | Director, Orhan Azerbaijani School | Mobile: +372 5595 6950 | E-mail: sanam.aliyeva@gmail.com.
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
Kabardian Sunday school teaches language and culture through dance
A sample lesson will be given at the Kabardian Sunday School at Sõle 40-204 in Tallinn at 17:00 on 26 April which everyone interested in Kabardian culture is welcome to attend.
Moscow-based Anzor Shorov, who teaches language through the medium of dance, will be participating in the event. This innovative methodology, which allows people to understand another culture with the help of dance, will be showcased during the lesson. Anyone who wishes to will get the chance to try some Kabardian dances for themselves. Traditional sweets, bread, tea and coffee will be offered to participants.
Those wishing to take part in the open-doors day are asked to register in advance by e-mailing ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.
“It’s a great honour for us to have Anzor Shorov working with us this academic year,” said Ilona Thagazitova, the director of the Sunday school. “Anzor is a recognised artist, teacher and promoter of the Kabardian language in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. The kids at our school really enjoy his lessons. They’ve taken to the innovative teaching method he uses like ducks to water! He really cares about the kids and approaches every one of them individually.”
The Kabardian Sunday School was established in 2006. Its primary task is to preserve and pass on the culture of the peoples living in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. Without knowledge of customs, legal norms, history and rules of behaviour, culture cannot be understood, developed and preserved or introduced to others. The school is also charged with the task of language teaching. The Kabardian language is taught using a number of methods, both traditional (using sample texts and primers and compiling dictionaries) and more playful (making handicrafts and learning songs). In staging dance performances, the school introduces its students to folk music, teaches them typical dance steps, showcases costumes and national dress ornaments and teaches movement in Kabardian. Students and alumni of the school dance in the ensemble Terek, which has taken part in international competitions and won a number of prizes.
For further information please contact: Ilona Thagazitova | Director, Kabardian Sunday School | E-mail: ilona.thagazitova@mail.ee.
Kristina Pirgop | Director of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation | Telephone: +372 659 9024 | E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.
