Doctor of Philosophy / Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Lothar F. Weyher / This dissertation explores the case of emigration from Latvia towards the West after collapse of the Soviet Union. It takes the perspective of a particular cultural structure that came to dominate post-Soviet Latvia and adopts the vantage point of the state-society relationships this structure has cast. The central question of this study examines: what is the relationship between the cultural structure in post-Soviet Latvia and emigration towards the West? This study answers this question by contrasting Latvia’s civil discourse with emigrants’ and those who remain in Latvia personal narratives through the lens of cultural sociology that emphasizes the role of the symbolic realm, meaning making, and emotions. Research findings suggested that the post-Soviet cultural structure was dominated by "symbolic codes" (Alexander and Smith, 1993) or sharp divides such as West vs. East/Soviet, Right vs. Left, and Developed vs. Underdeveloped. Notably, symbolic codes of West, Right and Developed were constructed as “sacred” while their opposites were pushed out of "sacred" and ridiculed. These divides originated from such particular emotions as shame, confidence/pride and fear. Their meanings in the dominant transformation discourse and emotional origins were formative to the identity and modern state craft, and subjectivities in post-Soviet Latvia. These sharp divides between what is "sacred" in a community and what is not, came with "unintended consequences" (Weber, 2002). These divides and how they shaped the transformation discourse trumpeted misguided notion of the West, post-Soviet Latvia so eagerly wanted to resemble and belong to. Given this distorted notion of the West, the ruling elite fashioned environment where people not only lost hope for their better future in Latvia but began to lose their self-confidence - an important emotion for one’s "willingness to act" (Barbalet, 2004, p.83); and, as such, were more prone to emigration. Emigration for my respondents provided the space where West and Left were experienced as compatible despite their construction as incompatible in post-Soviet Latvia. Amidst confidence over their better future in their receiving countries, this gave to emigrants also a feeling of comfort, sense of self-confidence and empowerment.

Memoria or the medieval remembrance of the dead is integral to our understanding of medieval society. However, memoria was not just a liturgical practice intended to lessen purgatorial suffering, but a ‘total social phenomenon’ that impacted every aspect of life. This thesis follows in the tradition of the German Memoriaforschung school, especially the concepts formulated by Otto Gerhard Oexle. These concepts are here particularly applied to memoria as a group phenomenon. A particular contention of this thesis is that memoria was socially constitutive and thus not only a vehicle to remember the past but a means to create and maintain social groups. Therefore this thesis takes the form of series of case studies drawn from late medieval Livonia (present day Latvia and Estonia) c. 1400-1525. The groups chosen –associations of the urban elites, non-elite brotherhoods, the clergy and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order – reflect both the strength of the surviving source material and the particular characteristics of the region. Each case study is considered through a series of research questions. How did memoria constitute and shape social relationships? How did memoria create and sustain groups? In what ways was memoria used for political purposes? How did groups use their past to maintain their identities in the present? What role did charity and the poor play? In addition to exploring the above themes, this thesis particularly argues that memoria was used to legitimize power by urban governments and by the Teutonic Order and the archbishops of Riga. This thesis also shows that memoria created the cultural memory of the Teutonic Order and the Rigan church. Memoria sustained the identities of urban elite groups and was essential to creating relationships between the urban elites and non-elite groups.

<p>This research addresses the issues of identity and culture in Latvia in the context of the upcoming European Union enlargement in 2004. Political self- determination of Latvia was historically indebted to culture. The phenomenon of cultural identity, so important 12 years ago when Latvian independence was regained, is largely ignored by politicians in the upcoming enlargement process. This is especially worth attention since the 8-th parliamentary elections took place in October 2002. The obvious lack of interest in cultural issues on the part of politicians is compensated by the apprehensions in the society (reflected in mass media) to loose Latvian specific culture and identity when joining the big European family. The external political course of the government has one aim on the agenda: joining the EU, with no more alternatives for the future development of Latvia. From the point of view of Foucault’s post-modern theory the opportunities of the enlargement looked forward to by the authorities are viewed as operations of power with information about the pluses and minuses of the membership. Economic and political opportunities for Latvia in the EU and the security issues solvable under the European roof are explained by the transition of Latvian modern political discourse into the post-modern modality. Post-modern deconstruction strategies concern culture in the EU to the greatest extent. Latvian public, traditionally conservative, treats the desubjectivation of culture with skepticism and fears of globalization.</p>

This research addresses the issues of identity and culture in Latvia in the context of the upcoming European Union enlargement in 2004. Political self- determination of Latvia was historically indebted to culture. The phenomenon of cultural identity, so important 12 years ago when Latvian independence was regained, is largely ignored by politicians in the upcoming enlargement process. This is especially worth attention since the 8-th parliamentary elections took place in October 2002. The obvious lack of interest in cultural issues on the part of politicians is compensated by the apprehensions in the society (reflected in mass media) to loose Latvian specific culture and identity when joining the big European family. The external political course of the government has one aim on the agenda: joining the EU, with no more alternatives for the future development of Latvia. From the point of view of Foucault’s post-modern theory the opportunities of the enlargement looked forward to by the authorities are viewed as operations of power with information about the pluses and minuses of the membership. Economic and political opportunities for Latvia in the EU and the security issues solvable under the European roof are explained by the transition of Latvian modern political discourse into the post-modern modality. Post-modern deconstruction strategies concern culture in the EU to the greatest extent. Latvian public, traditionally conservative, treats the desubjectivation of culture with skepticism and fears of globalization.

The purpose of this thesis was to from a Swedish perspective investigate the fantastic growth rates of Estonia and Latvia and why it became such a massive collapse when the world economy was slowing down. To build a theoretical foundation for the investigation several international macroeconomic theories such as the Mundell-Flemming model, the fundamental national income equilibrium, and international parity relations were used. The empirical section shows that Estonia and Latvia have based much of their growth on imports from their Baltic and especially their Nordic neighbours. At the same time they have been highly dependent on continuously growing Nordic stock markets and high risk appetite from investors to be able to keep the fabulous growth figures. The conclusions drawn are that it has been possible for Estonia and Latvia to grow at fast rates, by running large current accounts deficits, as long as the world was in a boom. But when the world economy is slowing down they are now forced into the very painful process of re-establishing a more balanced current account.

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Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

The main goal of the diploma thesis is to provide comprehensive analysis of investment climate in Latvia. It includes evaluation of current demographic, political as well as economic development. The thesis contains analysis of economic relations between Latvia and Czech Republic and is also aimed to evaluate current opportunities of Czech exporters on the Latvian market.

The Latvian music does not have a long history. It goes back to the seventies of the last century when one of the first educated teachers of Latvian origin Jänis Cimze (1814-1881) published his collection Dziesmu Rota [Adornment of song] for choir. Four of the eight volumes of this collection were Lauku pulJes [Field flowers]. Those were the first Latvian folk song arrangements. Folk song arrangements for choir have become really important for Latvians - starting with the pupils ofCimze at the teachers' seminar in Valka and lasting until today.

Both in practice and theory, the focus in architecture is often largely about growth. Architecture is, therefore, a tool that we largely use to accommodate growth. However, whilst many cities are experiencing growth, many are facing population decline. Latvia’s capital Riga is one example of this. So while architecture often fixates on growth, the discourse on decline does not normally involve architecture. With this project, I sought to investigate the question: ‘How can we use architecture as a tool to accommodate decline?’ Through the study of an empty site in Riga, in an area which has lost 60% of its resident population since 2000, the project envisages a building designed to slowly consolidate the functions of a shrinking city over an extended time span.  The proposal, a ‘House of Everything’ (Latvian: Viskautkā Māja) is developed in two main ways. First, through a strategy for the site, delineating the rules and parameters for the anticipated building and its functions. Second, with a detailed test, using the strategy to develop a completed building.