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Understanding processes of ethnic control: segmentation, dependency and co–optation in post–communist Estonia[Note 1. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude ...]
Author(s) -
Pettai Vello,
Hallik Klara
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
nations and nationalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1469-8129
pISSN - 1354-5078
DOI - 10.1111/1469-8219.00063
Subject(s) - ethnic group , politics , estonian , post communist , communism , control (management) , political science , perspective (graphical) , sociology , dependency (uml) , political economy , economic geography , geography , economics , law , computer science , management , philosophy , linguistics , software engineering , artificial intelligence
Amidst an arguably exhaustive range of studies regarding ethno–politics in post–communist Estonia, this article sets out a new framework derived from Ian Lustick’s model of ethnic control. We argue that one of the key reasons for ethnic peace and stability in Estonia over the past ten years has been a considerable degree of control instituted by the Estonian political community over its sizeable Russian–speaking minority. We analyse this control using Lustick’s three main indicators of segmentation, dependence and co–optation. In addition, we differentiate within each of these categories between structural, institutional and programmatic levels of control measures. Our aim is to place Estonia into a better comparative perspective by bringing to light its particular configuration of control mechanisms. The article concludes with an assessment of what this configuration might mean for future ethno–political developments.