Shifting the perspective on identity discourse in Estonia

I argue that the post-socialist identity discourse in Estonia should be stu died as a result of the dialectic relationship between the international co ntext in which Estonia exists and the perceptions of history and culture th at elites deploy in the public discourse of Estonia's identity. Four major narratives that compose much of the identity discourse emerge from this dia lectic: Estonia as a reconstituted state and society; Estonia as European; Estonia as Finno-Ugric; and Estonia as Nordic. These narratives can be over looked if research relies simply on "East" and "West" analytic categories o r assumes that history and culture alone yield identity. Estonia provides a n excellent opportunity to examine this dialectic because of the internatio nal community's role in the country's transformation into a European Union applicant state.