Ellu Saar

Tallinn University | TLU · Institute of International and Social Studies

This chapter focuses on why two groups of disadvantaged young adults (the low-educated and those working in low- or medium-skilled occupations) participate—or do not—in job-related non-formal education and training. It suggests that, across occupational groups, job content is the core mechanism preventing young adults from participating. It also sh...

Drawing on retrospective data from the Estonian Family and Fertility Survey, this article examines the impact of grandfathers, who reached adulthood in the Estonian Republic before World War II, on their grandchildren’s educational attainment in the late Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia. The article argues that despite the Sovietization policies, the...

This article explores how parental resources work together to secure higher education for their offspring. It does so by, first, mapping the linkages between cumulative advantages and disadvantages of respondents’ parental resources and educational attainment across countries and cohorts. Second, investigating under which institutional setup of edu...

The aim of the paper is to investigate the patterns of multiple advantages and disadvantages of parental resources measured by educational attainment of both parents as well as parental cultural resources and their impact on the educational attainment of offspring across three cohorts in six European countries-the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany,...

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the effect of different educational orientations at the upper-secondary level on labour market outcomes across European countries. The study separates safety net effect and the diversion effect of Vocational Education and Training (VET). Using PIAAC data, we show cross-national differences in the early...

This article explores the multigenerational impact of Sovietization policies on the reproduction of educational inequalities in Estonia. Estonia provides an opportunity to assess the multigenerational effect under conditions of regime changes after transitioning from the independent Estonian Republic to Soviet Estonia and thence to the newly indepe...

The paper concentrates on the ways the interplay of parental economic , educational, and cultural resources in the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment has changed due to the marketization of post-socialist societies and educational systems. We combine two different approaches: a variable-based regression analysis and a case-bas...

There is a theoretical assumption that post-communist cofmanifesuntries would follow the Lipset and Rokkan's seminal model regarding electoral cleavages and thus class cleavage would become dominant in those countries as in the West. In this respect the post-communist Estonia is considered an interesting case. On the one hand, there are many enabli...

This research paper is one in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of how CVET is conceptualised in various international level policy documents and how it is referred to across countries. It discusses national conceptions of CVET, the provider...

This paper explores cross-national variations in the impact of education on labour market outcomes using the risk of unemployment and occupational status as the key dependent variables. The study applies a comparative perspective on eight EU countries (three from CEE), representing different relationships between the education system and the labour...

This article makes the case for using the concept of lifestyle migration to understand return migration. The key argument is that there are several advantages for engaging with lifestyle migration literature when analysing people's return, of which the prime reason is to draw attention away from the affective and emotional aspects of return migrati...

This article makes the case for using the concept of lifestyle migration to understand return migration. The key argument is that there are several advantages for engaging with lifestyle migration literature when analysing people's return, of which the prime reason is to draw attention away from the affective and emotional aspects of return migrati...

This research paper is the fifth in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). Based on comparative analysis of labour force survey data from 2014, the report analyses the vocational effect on labour market and education outcomes, asking whether any advantages conferred by vocational qualificatio...

The question of whether the potential short-term advantages of vocational qualifications are offset by disadvantages in later life is an important issue for policy debates. This paper analyses how the choice of vocational or general upper-secondary education affects future prospects of participation in non-formal education (NFE). It presents a comp...

This chapter provides a description of the basic features of the higher education system in Estonia in the historical perspective, paying special attention to the period during the Soviet time right before the USSR collapse and exploring the developments during the following period up to 2015. It is understood that both the social and political sys...

The disadvantages experienced by immigrants in education and labour markets have been of growing concern in many countries in recent years. However, little research has been undertaken on ethnic inequalities in labour markets in Eastern Europe, and especially in post-Soviet societies. This article considers the integration of the immigrant populati...

Our study investigates how gender inequalities in job opportunities evolved during communist and post-communist times in former state-socialist countries. Theoretical arguments (mainly based on studies referring to Western countries) led to the expectation of a surge in gender inequalities in these countries after the collapse of communism. Empiric...

This article explores cross-national differences in the intensity of perceived barriers to adult learning in Europe focusing on the barriers recognised by those not participating and having no intention to do so. This relatively large subgroup has received scant scholarly attention, yet exploring their participation barriers is critical for policie...

Ageing populations and accelerating economic change make it increasingly important to update the skill levels of populations over the whole life course. Adult education is believed to allow adults’ skills to adapt continuously to constantly changing economic requirements. Both research into adult education, and discussions on lifelong learning poli...

Estonia is an interesting country in which to study gender segregation, especially when comparing different historical periods. The main features of the Estonian situation during the Soviet period were the higher female educational level, gendered secondary education tracks, male concentration in the primary and secondary sectors, gender pay equity...

Estonia is an extremely fascinating case study for investigating the determinants of retirement. It has been shown to be one of the EU countries where the structure and size of the working age population are likely to be most problematic. Nevertheless, it is already now a forerunner in the employment rate among the elderly in Europe. The aim of thi...

In postcommunist estonia, the topic of inequality was considered " embarrassing. " The dominant popular assumption was that inequalities just happen naturally. Class and inequality discourse was effectively marginalized due to long-lasting success in focus-ing attention on nationalizing issues. A " transition culture " that lionized the capitalist...

In postcommunist Estonia, the topic of inequality was considered “embarrassing.” The dominant popular assumption was that inequalities just happen naturally. Class and inequality discourse was effectively marginalized due to long-lasting success in focusing attention on nationalizing issues. A “transition culture” that lionized the capitalist futur...

From the point of view of adult education, contemporary research accounts on formal education and lifelong learning is somewhat eschewed. First line of discussion, concentrating on VET or higher education, often completely forgets or marginalises its nontaditional, adult students. The second strand of current research deals thoroughly with learning...

The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of social origin on the transition from basic to secondary education and from secondary to tertiary education, comparing four cohorts born between 1935 and 1984. The analysis focuses on testing four hypotheses, which are mainly derived from the theses of maximally maintained inequality, effectively mai...

In most European countries, the proportion of adult students among both full-time and part-time workers has increased significantly over recent decades. Undertaking paid work is also increasingly common among traditional students. The opportunities to work while studying depend largely on the role of employers in promoting learning. However, both t...

This study focuses on institutional barriers that adult learners experience while participating in higher education programmes. We developed a holistic measure of diversification, accessibility, flexibility and affordability of higher education for adults. Based on pre-economic-crisis data across Europe we then explored the impact of macro-level in...

This study investigated subjective social position in 21 European countries using data from the social inequality module of the International Social Survey Programme 2009. Subjective social position shows people's self-location in a social hierarchy. Most studies on subjective social position have typically involved a few countries and neglected th...

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616696.2014.928737?journalCode=reus20

Raamatututvustus annab ülevaate artiklikogumikust "Higher education at a crossroad: The case of Estonia". Raamat keskendub muutustele, mis on Eesti kõrghariduses toimunud viimase paarikümne aasta jooksul, samuti eesseisvatele ülesannetele, mille need muutused on endaga kaasa toonud. Kogumik esindab multidistsiplinaarset koostööprojekti, sest uuring...

Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in a wide-ranging international comparative study, the book explores how far the EUs lifelong learning agenda has been successful and what factors have limited its ability to reshape national adult and lifelong learning systems. The chapters also look at adults’ participation in formal education, what...

This article considers the role of diverse institutions in framing adult learning systems. The focus is on institutional characteristics and configurations in different countries and their potential impact on the extent of adult learning, as well as on inequalities in access to adult learning. Typologies of education and training systems as well as...

Since the 1980s, growing globalisation and economic restructuring coupled with expansion of tertiary education contributed to tremendous change in the labour market entry process in Europe. Most previous studies have been quantitative, concentrated on the supply aspect and analysed the role of education as the explanatory variable of youth labour m...

A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good p...

The school to work transition in Central and Eastern Europe is a highlighted research topic because of the market transformation. The article investigates graduates from tertiary education from the perspective of their human capital investments, labelled as 'double status position' when students study and work at the same time and acquire work expe...

This paper investigates ethnic educational inequality in Estonia focusing on second-generation Russians. In Estonia, contrary to many other European countries, the overall educational attainment of second-generation immigrants has, compared to their parents, diverged from the educational attainment of the native population. Our results from logisti...

In this short essay, we try to assess the utility of class analyses for understanding the contemporary Estonian society. Erik Wright (2009) identifies three strands of class analysis: a stratification approach, a Weberian approach and a Marxist approach. We address the following questions: Which kind of class analysis is most present in Estonia tod...

The main purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of participation in non-formal learning in different European Union member states. The paper also seeks to extend analysis of the training gap by pursuing the distinction between the supply and the demand for skills. We use aggregate data from the Adult Education Survey (Eurostat) ca...

This important study analyzes the challenges faced by second-generation Russians in post-Soviet Estonia, and, in doing so, explores the interrelationships between ethnicity and social equality. It will be of great value to scholars of immigration, cultural assimilation, ethnicity, and nationalism.

Introduction According to EU policy documents, lifelong learning serves the following four purposes: enhancing or maintaining employability, promoting personal development, fostering social cohesion and developing active citizenship (European Commission, 2010). It is generally believed that – nowadays and in contrast to the humanistic approach of t...

L'articolo fornisce un quadro relativo all'ingresso nel mercato del lavoro da parte dei giovani in Estonia.: transizione scuola-lavoro, prima parte della carriera, formazione di una famiglia. Lo scritto compara le coorti di coloro che sono diventati adulti durante il periodo di stabilitŕ sovietico (anni '80), il turbolento periodo di transizione (a...

This chapter explores the impact of education on school-to-work transitions and on the early periods of careers in Estonia since 1980. It provides a temporal comparison between the Soviet and post-Soviet systems. Based on the data from the Estonian Social Survey (ESS) (2004, 2005), the analysis begins with a brief description of Estonian institutio...

After the breakdown of socialism in Central and Eastern Europe, the role of education systems in preparing students for the “real world” changed. Though young people were freed from coercive state institutions, the shift to capitalism made the transition from school to work much more precarious and increased inequality in early career outcomes. Thi...

After its annexation in 1940, Estonia was integrated both politically and economically into the former Soviet Union for 50 years. The country only regained its independence in 1991 and returned to democracy and to the market economy. In the following years, Estonia embarked on profound reforms touching upon all areas of politics, economy, and socie...

The aim of this paper is to analyse the interrelationship between the structural changes and personal destinies of people who worked in the secondary sector at the beginning of the transition period. The focal question is whether structural and institutional changes were brought about by a minimum of adaptations and fluctuations or a by maximum of...

Cross-nationally comparable measurement of educational attainment is vital for much comparative social science research. This study shows the effects of harmonising “indigenous” measures of educational attainment into various cross-national education variables using construct validation methods. The education variables are coded from national labou...

We concentrate on the following research questions: (1) Do the structure of the educational system and its interaction with the labour market affect the training gap between low‐skilled blue collar workers and high‐skilled white collar workers? and (2) Do the ways that institutional systems shape opportunities for lifelong learning differ between E...

We analyse intergenerational social mobility in Estonia comparing four cohorts born between 1930 and 1974. The article addresses three main research questions. First, how have absolute mobility rates changed in Estonia? Second, what have been the trends in social fluidity across birth cohorts? Third, what is the role of education in explaining chan...

This article examines the interplay between changes on the macro level and the destinies and decisions of individuals who worked in agriculture at the beginning of the economic changes in Estonia in the 1990s. The agricultural sector was hit most radically by economic reforms. Our main conclusion is that individual agency was strongly determined by...

During the 50 years after the 1940 annexation by the former Soviet Union, Estonia was politically and economically integrated into the Communist Bloc. It was not until 1991 that the country regained its independence and returned to democracy and a market economy. In the subsequent decade-and-a-half, Estonia experienced profound reforms in all areas...

For 50 years after the 1940 annexation by the former Soviet Union, Estonia was politically and economically integrated into the Communist Bloc. It was not until 1991 that the country regained its independence and returned to democracy and a market economy. In the subsequent decade-and-a-half, Estonia has experienced profound reforms in all areas of...

On the one hand, a self-employed worker may be a successful business owner exploiting new opportunities.At the other extreme, self-employed may be refugees from poverty and unemployment with few resources and few opportunities to earn high incomes. In this article, we address the question about importance of the `pull' and `push' factors into self-...

The article addresses three main research questions. (1) What attitudes do people entertain in post-socialist Estonia with regard to income inequality? (2) Do the unique formative experiences of different birth cohorts become imprinted in values, making them distinctively different in their evaluations of income inequalities, or do people from diff...

Theoretically, the central research question