Pluralism Anxiety. Acting Socially in Latvia

Abstract

Atomized society is a constant worry of the Latvian political elite. “Unity” as a key term of the political discourse exemplifies an ambivalent attitude to pluralism. The policy documents stipulate that “social cohesion” and “social integration" are the preconditions of civic activity of the population. At the same time Latvians are reluctant to engage in collective action formulating and protecting their plural individual and group interests. This book investigates the reasons of social passivity. Interpreting the empirical research data collected in representative opinion polls, fieldwork interviews, parliamentary corpus analysis, and legal documents analysis psychologists, sociologists, social anthropologists, and students of communication discuss the constraints and enablements of social action.