Shrinking Citizenship: Discursive Practices That Limit Democratic Participation in Latvian Politics

Review

The theme of ethnic problems and politics is neither new nor unexamined in Latvia, but this volume offers valuable material from media and parliamentary discourse that shows how and why ethnicity continues to be so central in Latvia s society and institutions. It should appeal to those who seek to better understand ethnic divisions in Latvia, as well as scholars with an interest in the ways in which the mass media both re ects and constructs popular societal and political discourses. in: Slavic Review, Vol. 71, No. 1 (Spring 2012)
The book s interdisciplinary basis, ranging from political sciences to sociology to history, makes it interesting for scholars of many different backgrounds. As the Latvian context is explained from its very foundations, the book can also be recommended to readers new to the topic. Inasmuch as the book provides many new aspects and fresh ideas it is also of interest to readers already familiar with the Latvian situation. in: Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 64, Issue 4, 2012"

"The theme of ethnic problems and politics is neither new nor unexamined in Latvia, but this volume offers valuable material from media and parliamentary discourse that shows how and why ethnicity continues to be so central in Latvia's society and institutions. It should appeal to those who seek to better understand ethnic divisions in Latvia, as well as scholars with an interest in the ways in which the mass media both refl ects and constructs popular societal and political discourses." - in: Slavic Review 71/1 (Spring 2012) "The book's interdisciplinary basis, ranging from political sciences to sociology to history, makes it interesting for scholars of many different backgrounds. As the Latvian context is explained from its very foundations, the book can also be recommended to readers new to the topic. Inasmuch as the book provides many new aspects and fresh ideas it is also of interest to readers already familiar with the Latvian situation." - in: Europe-Asia Studies 64/4 (2012)

Product Description

The book, based on research results from a three-year study of parliamentary and media debates in Latvia, analyses the discourses of Latvian politicians and the media about nation, citizenship, cultural diversity, history and the nation-state. This is the first large-scale study of political debates in a Baltic State from the perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Separate chapters, by researchers from Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and the UK, analyse the intersections between national identity construction, national mythmaking, concepts of citizenship, journalistic action, press ownership and questions of control of political and media discourses. All of these have impact on the fundamental questions of the relationship between individuals and the state. The authors conclude that even after the accession to the European Union in 2004, political pressures in Latvia, as also frequently on the political Right in other EU countries, promote ethnic membership as the guiding factor of state-building.