CRISIS MANAGEMENT: SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATIVE EFFECTS Sergei Kruk, Riga Stradins University
(c) Gatis Šļūka
LATVIA S CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS Decline of social self-organization right after the velvet revolutions. Current membership in CSO is 17%. Most popular CSOs: religious (5%), artistic (4%). Mostly CSOs are non-political and elitist (Uhlin 2010). Political and media discourse cultivate an image of fragmented society and discourage collective action (Ījabs & Kruk 2008).
RECESSION Exposed the ineffectiveness of governance. Oligarch parties lost the extraordinary parliamentary elections in 2011. Since 2011, the liberals supportive of CSOs form the government coalitions. Rapid expansion of social media. Expected increase of grassroots activism ranging from setting up a public agenda to organizing collective movement.
METHOD Representative opinion polls in October 2013 and July 2014, N=1000 (stratified sample, interviews at respondent s home). Semi-structured interviews with 25 businessmen in summer 2014.
MEMBERSHIP IN CSOS, OCTOBER 2013 Various artistic 5.8 Religious 4.7 Trade Unions 2.9 Sports 2.8 Social aid 1.2 Professional 1.1 Political party 0.8 Youth 0.8 Environment protection 0.7 Women s 0.4 Health 0.4 Human rights 0.1 Other 1.7 No membership 81.2 N/A 1.9 Total 106.5
MEMBERSHIP IN CSOS, OCTOBER 2013 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 35% 26% 15% 27% 13% 36% 17% All TU Professional Social aid Artistic Religious 10% 9% 5% 4% 0%
LESSONS OF THE RECESSION Rely on yourself, don t trust others. 3-6% of respondents received a significant support from voluntary associations and Church. Every sixth Latvian (16%) does not rely on anybody.
CRISIS AND SOLIDARITY NA 13 Solidarity has deteriorated 59 Solidarity has not changed 21 Solidarity has improved 7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
CRISIS AND SOLIDARITY 80% 75% 70% 60% 50% 51% 48% 63% 64% 46% 66% 44% 60% 40% 30% 20% 10% 12% 5% 8% 5% 11% 6% 6% 9% 4% 0% Solidarity has improved Solidarity has not changed Solidarity has deteriorated
PREFERRED INFORMATION SOURCES IN PROBLEM-SOLVING Personal experience and observations 54 Discussing with friends and acquaintances 53 Hard to say / NA 20 None of the mentioned options 16 Consulting the Internet by key words 16 Considering the media information 13 Making a call or paying a visit to the pertinent institution 10 Reading home-page of the pertinent institution 10 Visiting business incubator, development centre 4 Asking for advise in social media 3 Considering pertinent policy documents and political declarations 1 Number of respondents selecting each alternative is multiplied by 33 for the third, 67 for the second and 100 for the first one. The results are summed up and divided by the number of respondents. 0 would mean that nobody has selected the alternative; 100 would mean that all selected the alternative as the first one.
DISCREPANCY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DISCOURSES, % Evaluation of tension between very high high not high none N/A ruling elite and ordinary citizens 39 35 13 5 9 rich and poor 29 38 19 6 8 managers and subordinates 12 34 35 7 12 Latvians and Russians 6 22 43 22 7 foreigners and locals 5 13 30 29 24 young and old generation 4 16 44 30 6 urban and rural population 4 14 36 37 9
SKEPTIC EVALUATION OF THE STATE GOVERNANCE, 2000-2013 POLLS Taxation system is unjust (64-77%). Taxes are spent inexpediently (65-84%). I prefer to pay the taxes now in order to get a decent pension and social security later: 40 31%. Working fairly one cannot make money (67-78%). Taken all round Latvia is going the wrong way 49-58% in 2000-2006 88% in 2009.
SKEPTIC EVALUATION OF THE PUBLIC OPINION, 2000-2013 POLLS Politicians pursue their private interests and there are few possibilities to control their work (70%). Politicians take good decisions (10%). Government does not respect the public opinion (75-88%). Society can press politicians for changing an unjust law (13%).
ACTING SOCIALLY Signing a petition (56%), Participating in protest actions (27%), Organizaing a protest action (6%), Collective protests are effective (34%).
USING MEDIA Main sources of information TV (55%) Internet portals (23%) Social media (6%) Regional press (3%) National dailies (2%) Radio (2%) Talking with peers (4%)
EVALUATING JOURNALISM In general journalists represent the government rather than the grassroots opinion (59%), Many events are difficult to understand because the context is missing (57%). Domestic politics is reported clearly (46%), Economy is reported clearly (32%). I recognize my experience in the media (29%). Journalism is too yellow (59%).
The least satisfied are self-employed, unemployed, workers, housewives, students, stateless persons, residents of economically backward Latgale and those with basic education and lower income.
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET 58% access the Internet every day. 28% no access during last twelve months Digital competence evaluated as high (50%).
PASSIVE USAGE OF THE INTERNET 63% of the users never wrote a blog, tweet, shared audio, video or photos, 5% share this information daily, 9% some time in a week. Commenting news 4% daily; 59% never.
PLURALISM IS NOT VALUED In general there are two categories of people: those who support justice and those who not (68%). Diversity of opinions is dangerous for a group (64%). Strong leaders can do more for the state than laws and negotiations (61%).
DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS IS DANGEROUS FOR A GROUP Bezdarbnieks / Unemployed Mājsaimniece / Housewives Students Pensionārs / Pensioners Individuālais darbs / Self-employed 57% 71% 68% 71% 55% Zemnieks / Farmers Strādnieks / Blue collars Speciālists, ierēdnis / White collars 59% 65% 64% Vadītājs / Managers 43% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT ABLE AT SELF- ORGANIZATION, THEREFORE THE STATE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THEIR INTERESTS 60% 50% 40% 45% 49% 48% 44% 49% Agree Disagree NA 30% 20% 10% 0% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-74
INDIVIDUALS HOLD MANY CONTRADICTORY OPINIONS THEREFORE A STRONG LEADER SHOULD TAKE CARE OF DECISION-MAKING 70% 60% 58% 61% 62% 50% 53% 54% Agree Disagree NA 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-74
BUSINESSMEN Mass media are one-sided and manipulated. Professional associations are inefficient. We just do our business, we do not have time to participate. The government hears out our opinion but ignores it in decision-making. Party sponsorship is a much effective channel of communication. The strategic public policy documents are not worthy.
BUSINESSMEN Daily communication on current business matters: the competences are fragmented among several officials who eschew responsibility on executive decision-making; co-ordination of documentation turns into a long saga.
REASONS FOR STANDING ALOOF
ROMANTICISM Individuals are estranged selfish beings. They require self-perfection first. It is an individual process of appropriation of textual culture which informs about values, norms. Language carries traces of the nation s development. Soliloquy is the interaction with the community. Conditions for the individual self-perfection are secured by the state
WHO NEEDS A PUBLIC SPHERE? Habermas: Public sphere is the meeting place of subjectivities seeking a compromise on their divergent interests. Romantic cultural nationalism: Reduction of subjectivities is the precondition for accessing the public sphere where the participants are expected to express the subjectivity of cultural nation which is consensual already.