| title: | A semiotic approach for explanation of public opinion on the EU integration |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6135 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Institute of International and Social Studies at TUES |
| head of project: | Raivo Vetik |
| duration: | 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The main objective of this project proposal is to elaborate and test empirically a novel theoretical approach for analysing public opinion about the EU integration in the context of the expanded EU. Focus of the project will be on Estonia, which has been the most Eurosceptic among the East European candidate states (see Vetik 2003 in this regard). The proposed study will test two theoretical explanations of variation in attitudes toward the EU integration. First explanation is based on the mainstream instrumental understanding of public opinion on the EU integration. Here a number of different approaches can be found, which all stress various pragmatic factors like economic gains, security issues etc. as the main independent variables determining public attitudes towards (see Ehin 2001, Grabbe and Hughes 1999, Gabel and Palmer 1995,). The second explanation departs from the idea that in new member states identity issues play much more important role compared to the pragmatic ones. A semiotic approach to test this idea has been proposed by Vetik in an article on Euroscepticism in Estonia (Vetik 2003) and further elaborated by the project team in a comparative study of six East European countries (Vetik, Nimmerfeldt, Taru, Kivimäe 2004). The hypothesis of the research project presumes that the mainstream instrumental explanations which are based on the experiences of old EU member states do not hold for the member states which joined the union in May 2004. Specific social and political context of these countries presumes novel theories to understand ongoing social processes. Remarkable difference in turnout in recent European Parliament elections between old and new member states supports such a proposition. We hypothesise that in the new member states the most important factors behind public opinion on the EU integration are not the cost-benefit calculations but identity issues. We will test the hypothesis using empirical data of Estonia gathered within this project and will expand the scope of the study in future if the hypothesis holds. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Raivo Vetik | Institute of International and Social Studies at TUES | Director | |