Introduction: youth political participation in a transition society

This special issue of Studies of Transition States and Societies focuses on youth political participation in Estonia. The articles explore different dimensions of participation, providing examples of how politics is practiced by young people in a society that has undergone a relatively recent and substantial social, economic and political transformation: the shift from being an integral part of the Soviet Union to full membership of the European Union. This transition is reflected in changing patterns of activism among Estonian youth and the nature of the issues with which they engage, with participation influenced by, one the one hand, the legacies of the communist period and, on the other, the challenge of living in contemporary Europe. While rooted in established theoretical frameworks, this discussion is informed by a strong empirical evidence base. We concentrate on discussing fi ndings from a recently completed European Commission funded study entitled Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement (MYPLACE). As its title suggests, this four-year project, conducted during 2011-2015, looked at youth political activism and civic engagement, integrating research teams from 14 diff erent regional contexts across Europe, including Estonia. While the contributions that follow concentrate on the Estonian context, a closing article refl ects on the meaning of our results within the broader framework of European society, building on the work of our international colleagues. We begin, however, in this introduction with an outline of what we regard as some of the key theoretical perspectives on political participation and signifi cant features of our Estonian research context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contextualising participation in a transition society

This special issue of Studies of Transition States and Societies closes with a concluding discussion that aims to contextualise some of the key findings from the preceding articles. To do so, we use comparative level evidence drawn from other regions included in the MYPLACE consortium, identifyng contrasts and commonalities in how youth politics is practiced across different European regions. The basic approach is one of assessing the extent to which patterns of participation in Estonia diverge from activism elsewhere, thus locating Estonian youth within a broader analytical framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobility, education and employability in the European Union: inside erasmus

This book takes an in-depth look at the European Commission’s Erasmus programme. In its current Erasmus+ format, the programme supports international exchange visits among students, trainees, volunteers and academic members of staff with a view to enhancing employability and encouraging intercultural understanding. Against the backdrop of the 30th anniversary of Erasmus, the authors explore the successes of the programme, most prominently the undergraduate exchange programme, as well as areas of on-going development, including the incorporation of short duration mobility projects focused on specific social issues into the initiative. Through integrating perspectives from authors in a number of European countries, all of whom have knowledge regarding various aspects of Erasmus, the book provides insight into the challenges facing the programme as it moves into its fourth decade. Mobility, Education and Employability in the European Union: Inside Erasmus will be of interest to students and scholars from a range of disciplines, including geography, sociology and European politics

Drinking terms and concepts: their meaning and use

This article explores the complex relationships that exist between the consumption of alcohol, the terminology used to describe consumption patterns and their effects, and the various frames of meaning through which these inherently related activities are perceived and understood. A particular focus is on the cultural meaning ascribed to terms and expressions commonly associated with alcohol consumption in different national contexts, something that has implications for an increasingly integrated EU survey approach. Data were collected by way of 12 focus group discussions conducted in four European countries (Estonia, Hungary, Poland and the UK) during the course of the Standardising Measurement of Alcohol Related Troubles (SMART) project. The focus groups produced a rich data set of qualitative material and provided insights into the variable interpretations of many concepts and terms and the difficulty sometimes encountered when seeking ‘equivalent’ translations. Discussion of the main findings to emerge from the research is centred around four main themes: how participants interpret and perceive the concept/activity of ‘drinking’; what/how much is ‘a drink’; the perceived relationship between ‘heavy drinking’ and alcoholism; and how the concept of ‘drunkenness’ is understood. Analysis of the different narratives that emerged from the focus groups points towards significant variation in the usage and meaning associated with these terms within and across the participating countries. Contrasts and commonalities are explored across the data set and the views of participants are considered in relation to the existing literature