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Looking Russian or Estonian: young consumers constructing the ethnic “self” and “other”

Looking Russian or Estonian: young consumers constructing the ethnic “self” and “other” This paper discusses how transnational consumer culture, specifically clothing fashion, is adapted for the formation of local inter-ethnic relations in Estonia and how this practice has changed over time, resulting in different repertoires on consumption in the Soviet era and today. Based on informant interviews with Estonian and Russian students, we analysed young people's reciprocal representations of clothing style, accessories, and brand choice, in particular how boundaries are constructed between ethno-linguistic groups. Our analysis revealed that in the Soviet-type “closed” society the elements from Western consumer culture were “monopolized” by one group (Estonians), and primarily taste categories were used in constructing status positions and borders with ethnic “others.” Today non-restricted information flows and a variety of styles offered by the transnational consumer culture provide both groups symbolic resources to compete for status positions, negotiate the taste monopoly and use categories leading to more courageous, even resistant, re-processing of global references. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Consumption Markets and Culture Taylor & Francis

Looking Russian or Estonian: young consumers constructing the ethnic “self” and “other”

Vihalemm, Triin; Keller, Margit
Consumption Markets and Culture , Volume 14 (3): 17 – Sep 1, 2011
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References (33)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1477-223X
eISSN
1025-3866
DOI
10.1080/10253866.2011.574829
Publisher site
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Abstract

This paper discusses how transnational consumer culture, specifically clothing fashion, is adapted for the formation of local inter-ethnic relations in Estonia and how this practice has changed over time, resulting in different repertoires on consumption in the Soviet era and today. Based on informant interviews with Estonian and Russian students, we analysed young people's reciprocal representations of clothing style, accessories, and brand choice, in particular how boundaries are constructed between ethno-linguistic groups. Our analysis revealed that in the Soviet-type “closed” society the elements from Western consumer culture were “monopolized” by one group (Estonians), and primarily taste categories were used in constructing status positions and borders with ethnic “others.” Today non-restricted information flows and a variety of styles offered by the transnational consumer culture provide both groups symbolic resources to compete for status positions, negotiate the taste monopoly and use categories leading to more courageous, even resistant, re-processing of global references.

Journal

Consumption Markets and Culture – Taylor & Francis

Published: Sep 1, 2011

Keywords: transnational/“glocal” consumer culture; boundary drawing; ethnic relations; post-Soviet; Estonia; interpretative repertoire

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