Russian-Speaking Diaspora In Finland As A Public Diplomacy Tool

Maria A Pitukhina,Irina Chernyuk,Oleg V Tolstoguzov

doi:10.24057/2071-9388-2018-31

Abstract

The article deals with complex studies of the Finnish case particularly migrants’ inclusion analysis into local cultural and political environments (as conditions to cultural and political environment stability) as well as public diplomacy impact evaluation of an important «soft power» tool where migrants role is rather high. Authors scrutinize migrants’ interaction with the environment, outline cause-and-effect links of this interaction, and unveil external factors that influence the respondents’ political behavior. The research method is based upon interviews, which result in respondents’ typology development, political information channels were defined, and the influence of education and social inclusion upon political communication was characterized. This method helps to perceive migrants’ integration policy at example of Finland, the fourth most attractive country in the world in accordance with the Migrant Integration Policy Index. Finnish experience could be highly useful for Russia in terms of both national migration policy development. The resulting characteristics of migrants’ political communication might be of high interest in terms of migration policy regulation and understanding the issue of migration quotas, help to predict structural changes in society, also to provide the basis for making decisions on the effective use of public diplomacy tools.

Highlights

In 2017 the number of migrants reached 258 million people
The goal of the article is both to research on problems dealing with the Russian-speaking diaspora in Finland as well as public diplomacy tools aimed at migrants’ integration policy upgrading in local communities. (J.Nye) (E.Ravenstein 1889; S.Stoufer 1940; E.Lee 1966; J.Nye 1989)
Nowadays the research is not enough devoted to migrants’ political communication.In particular, in Russia political communication isscrutinized in the following areas: power as a political communication (Timofeeva 2010), political communication theory (Timofeeva 2012), sociology of political communication (Diligensky 1994), psychological aspects of political communication (Zimichev 2010;Olshansky 2001;Shestopal 2002;Yurev et al 2005), information security impact on political communication (Panarin 2012), political communication as a way to deploy political order events (Anohina andMalakanova 2001); political communication as an independent phenomenon not as a function, but as a process (Solov’iev 2002); use of information and communication technologies (Zazaeva 2012)

Summary

Introduction

In 2017 the number of migrants reached 258 million people. Over the past 17 years the total number of migrants has increased from 173 million by 49% according to the International migration report (Un.org 2017). The growth of migrants’mobility and the impact of migration flows on almost all countries’ development include the international migration issue. Migrants’ studies (including surveys) are highly important in terms of migration policies analysis in the European countries. They are performing migrants’ surveys regularly for accessing migrants’ living conditions, political preferences etc. The best foreign practice has shown that migrants’ studies are highly important in terms of society structural changes projection

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Discussion

Conclusion