Research

The current ENM is a contemporary research institution, covering a wide array of different research subjects and combining different disciplinary approaches in our studies. Research atthe ENM covers the following areas: Estonian ethnology (Estonian traditional and contemporary culture and socio-cultural processes, ethnic groups and minorities, Estonian diaspora, practices of remembering and identity, history of ethnology), Finno-Ugric ethnology, museology and museum communication (museum organisation, museum audiences, heritage politics and heritage, digital technologies and heritage communication).

To a large extent, the aim of the ENM’s research activities have been linked to the interpretation and communication of knowledge related to cultural heritage: objects, archive and AV materials at the Museum. Research is associated with contemporary society, corresponding to the principles of the European cultural policy in developing multicultural diversity and cultural identity. New tasks are related to the dynamics of folk culture, the analysis of historical-social context, but also to sociocultural processes in contemporary information society. Research includes the study of material culture and the study of everyday life in the historical and contemporary perspectives. The research on Finno-Ugric peoples is connected to the rich museum collections.

A relatively wide scope of topics is related to the museum’s needs – dissemination of research results not only on the scholarly field but also communicating it to the audiences through popular publications as well as exhibitions. Research work is based on collaboration with other research institutions in Estonia, especially the University of Tartu. It is becoming increasingly international and interdisciplinary and aims toward a balanced development by connecting research development with applied research. Despite not being a higher educational institution, the ENM’s researchers are lecturing at Estonian universities. ENM researchers participate in research projects and act as experts in various commissions, working groups, financing bodies and coordinate various museum projects.

In October 2016, the ENM opened the new museum building and two permanent exhibitions Estonian exhibition Encounters and Finno-Ugric exhibition Echo of Urals, which introduce the research work of Estonian scholars from all major research institutions.

Over the recent years, the museum has been changing its agenda to provide participatory opportunities and information to all audiences rather than the target audience from the beginning of 1990s and thus trying to take an active role in the re-imagining of the nation in a particular way, rather than simply being a site of social memory. The ENM activities are directed to supporting active citizenship by its activities and museum aims to become a centre of knowledge transfer, where cultural experts meet with entrepreneurs.

The current focus in research is increasing the capacity particularly in two academic fields of responsibility – museum communication (audiences, media use, participatory culture, technology use and design, educational technologies) and food heritage studies (food as a part of cultural heritage, tradition and innovation in food heritage, food culture in the framework of environmental history).

Recent research has involved:

I Estonian ethnology

a) Research on older folk culture and folk art;

b) Research in environmental history;

c) Research on food culture

d) Contemporary and recent society and culture

• Soviet everyday life with a special emphasis on the adaptation into Soviet society. Research and extensive fieldwork in this area forms a basis for large-scale systematized supplementation of the ENM’s Soviet collections;
• The role and nature of memory in Estonian culture during the second half of the 20th century, as reflected in the biographical narratives;
• Estonia from 1990s

II History of Estonian ethnology;

III Research on Finno-Ugric peoples

IV Museum communication.