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Title [en]
Livelihood strategies and sense of control/agency among Estonian single mothers
Abstract [en]
The aim of this project is to study the strategies which Estonian single mothers use to manage their social protection (both formal and informal). Social protection has been defined as people’s strategies to cope with social risks in capitalist economies such as unemployment, health and education. In the case of Estonian single mothers, migration will be studied as one of the strategies for social protection. The project hence focuses on both, Estonian single mothers that have stayed in Estonia and those that have moved to Sweden and Finland (among those both the commuters and permanent migrants will be studied). Furthermore, the study will not only focus on the strategies of social protection such as migration, but is also interested in the sense of agency of these single mothers. It therefore aims to compare if migration has had any effect on how capable these single mothers feel they are in handling those very social risks. Acknowledging the subjective nature of social risks has been a blind spot for the research on transnational social protection so far. Furthermore, studies on transnational social protection tend to be more empirically oriented, which has led to undertheoretization of the field. By combining research on social risks and agency with the research on social protection, this project aims to further the theoretical discussions in the field. Furthermore, single mothers as well have been a neglected group in European migration studies, which have mostly focused on male migrants. Hence most of the literature has so far seen women as dependents and focused on their role as care-takers and not as single providers. Furthermore, migration research as well often assumes the existence of nuclear family which is problematic when trying theorize the social protection of other groups. The project will use in depth interviews with single mothers and these interviews will be analyzed by using an adaptation of grounded theory method and qualitative data analysis tool AtlasTi. Such strategy helps in focusing on a more specific topic, but nevertheless discovering multiple connections within the topic.
Publications (1 of 1) Show all publications
Saar, M. (2020). Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Estonian Citizens Abroad. In: Jean-Michel Lafleur; Daniela Vintila (Ed.), Migration and Social Protection in Europe and Beyond (Volume 2): Comparing Consular Services and Diaspora Policies (pp. 161-176). Cham: Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Estonian Citizens Abroad
2020 (English)In: Migration and Social Protection in Europe and Beyond (Volume 2): Comparing Consular Services and Diaspora Policies / [ed] Jean-Michel Lafleur; Daniela Vintila, Cham: Springer, 2020, p. 161-176Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This chapter describes how the Estonian state’s diaspora policy has moved away from being purely culture-centred towards a more business-focused initiative. The policy has undergone few changes during the last decade and still does not focus on social protection. The state does offer basic social protection and consular services by agreement with a few countries, such as the Russian Federation. The lack of Estonian state provided social protection to nationals abroad is counteracted, in some countries, by localized national organizations which the Estonian state may or may not fund. However, an important shift is taking place in the provision of Estonian language courses and cultural programmes to support returnees and their non-Estonian family members. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cham: Springer, 2020
Series
IMISCOE Research Series, ISSN 2364-4087, E-ISSN 2364-4095
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-44869 (URN)10.1007/978-3-030-51245-3_9 (DOI)2-s2.0-85101550683 (Scopus ID)978-3-030-51244-6 (ISBN)978-3-030-51247-7 (ISBN)978-3-030-51245-3 (ISBN)
Projects
Migration and Transnational Social Protection in (Post)Crisis Europe (MiTSoPro)
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 680014The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 34/2017
Available from: 2021-04-07 Created: 2021-04-07 Last updated: 2025-10-07Bibliographically approved
Principal InvestigatorSaar, Maarja
Coordinating organisation
Södertörn University
Funder
Period
2018-01-01 - 2019-12-31
Keywords [sv]
Östersjö- och Östeuropaforskning
Keywords [en]
Baltic and East European studies
National Category
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Identifiers
DiVA, id: project:1905Project, id: 34/2017_OSS