Researchers Participate in the International Conference of the Latvian Academy of Culture

On 7 November, Liene Ozoliņa and Maija Spuriņa, Leading Researchers at the LAC Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies, together with researcher Iveta Ķešāne, participated in the international conference of the Latvian Academy of Culture, “Cultural Crossroads XIX,” with a paper entitled “Symbolic Codes and Memory in the Legitimation of Militarization in Latvia: The Discourse Justifying National Defence Education and the State Defence Service.”

The presentation outlined the principal findings of an analysis of Latvian public discourse (2013–2025) concerning the introduction of the State Defence Service (VAD) and National Defence Education (VAM). Drawing on the cultural-sociological approach developed by Jeffrey C. Alexander and Philip Smith, the researchers examined the symbolic codes employed by various actors to legitimise the incorporation of VAD and VAM into general education programmes, as well as the type of relationship between state and society reflected in this discourse.

Furthermore, applying Aleida and Jan Assmann’s distinction between political andcommunicative memory, the paper illuminated how contemporary militarisation policies are shaped by communicative memories of the Soviet Army.

Book of abstracts (in Latvian):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eWbMt5t40g_44LoN2uDMVRVKc0SsGLVq/view
Conference programme (in Latvian):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i8cK9ShsQVSRrQlamw1SR5qQR-0BoWw-/view