WHAT IF THEY FORGET WHO I AM? FEARS OF ESTONIAN CONSCRIPTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE

Abstract

The paper analyzes the fears that conscripts have during their conscription period. The analysis is based on the conscript survey in the human resources research project started in the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) in 2016. As civilian life and the life that young men experience under the compulsory draft differ quite drastically, our research focuses on the question of what fears conscripts have in connection with the service. In this paper we analyze the open (free text) answers to the aforementioned question where the participants could elaborate on the fears they experience. The results are evaluated in relation to life-course theories and in context of societal changes in Estonia. The analysis also allowed us to examine the congruence between the conceptualization of Estonian conscription and the life goals of young men in the context of Estonian society. The results of the analysis show that the predominant fears that young men experience during their conscription period are connected to a loss of agency and status but also being away from their loved ones and not being able to continue with the plans for their life.