SUPPORTING LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN POST-SOVIET COUNTRIES BY YOUTH WORK (NON-FORMAL EDUCATION FOR YOUTH) THROUGH DEVELOPING EMANCIPATIVE VALUES IN YOUTH? The Case of post-soviet EU member Estonia

Abstract

This master thesis is inspired by the European Union’s new 2030 enlargement agenda to access new members, including post-Soviet nations Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as concerns about their alignment with EU core values and democratic development. Consequently, the research problem is focused on broadening the knowledge of the potential tools and mechanisms for promoting liberal democracy in post-Soviet countries. The study identifies Youth Work, a non-formal educational approach, as a potential instrument for liberal democratic development. It is grounded in Christian Welzel's Evolutionary Emancipation Theory (EET), conceptualised framework of which posits that intellectual resources foster emancipative values, thereby promoting liberal democracy. This thesis aims to analyse the perspectives of a wide range of actors involved in Youth Work in post Soviet Estonia on whether and, if so, how Youth Work develops emancipative values in youth that, according to the conceptualisation of Evolutionary Emancipation Theory (EET), leads to liberal democratic developments. Employing qualitative methods, the study gathers insights through semi structured interviews with representatives from Estonia’s Youth Work sector. Estonia serves as a compelling case study due to its unique status as a post-Soviet EU member with advanced liberal democratic practices and a well-established Youth Work system for individuals aged 7 to 26. The analysis of interviews reveals how Youth Work influences the development of intellectual resources and emancipative values in youth, along with its causal mechanisms. Findings indicate that Youth Work effectively cultivates these values. This thesis contributes to filling a gap in EET, which traditionally emphasizes formal education as the only source of intellectual resources, by demonstrating that Youth Work also significantly fosters emancipative values. Furthermore, the study uncovers unexpected findings on intellectual resources and causal mechanisms that significantly contribute to theory development. Consequently, the thesis demonstrates that Youth Work is a viable tool for promoting liberal democracy in post-Soviet Estonia, based on the principles of EET. Additionally, the findings from Estonia can be tentatively applicable to other post-Soviet EU candidates, suggesting that Youth Work could serve as a valuable tool for developing liberal democracy on their path to EU integration.