ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the aspect of national identity formation that is still understudied: the construction of national identity originating at the bottom level, where ordinary people play a role. It demonstrates that concepts of banal nationalism and consumer citizenship, mostly applied to Western societies, are pertinent to national identity formation processes in the post-Soviet context. The chapter focuses on how citizens who identify themselves with groups of different ethnic/language background can all participate in formation of one collective identity. It also explores aspects of inter-ethnic dynamics, and how different ethnic/language groups themselves relate to common national categories through consumer culture. The chapter presents a short literature overview that serves to frame the results of this research in both the worldwide and in particular post-Soviet debate on national identity formation. It reveals what food consumption practices and some food products tell about how belonging to Estonia is expressed and re-negotiated.
