Marju Lauristin

Marju Lauristin ( born April 7, 1940 in Tallinn) is an Estonian politician and social scientist. From 1992 to 1994 she was Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia.

Life and work

Marju Lauristin is the daughter of John and Olga Lauristin. John Lauristin 1940-1941 was head of the puppet government set up by the Soviets during the first Soviet occupation of Estonia.

Marju Lauristin studied at the State University of Tartu journalism and sociology of mass communication and completed her studies in 1966. In 1976 she received her doctorate in Moscow with a thesis on the content analysis of newspaper articles.

Her professional career began as a journalist at the Estonian Radio. From 1970 to 1988 she worked at the Laboratory of Sociology at the State University of Tartu (Estonian: Tartu Riikliku Ülikooli sotsioloogia laboratoorium ), most recently as its director.

In 1988 she founded the sign of glasnost and perestroika together with Edgar Savisaar the Rahvarinne ( Popular Front ), the first major independent political movement in Estonia since the occupation of the country. From 1990 to 1995 was Lauristin deputies of the Estonian Social Democratic Party ( Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Party) and at the same time party chairman. In 1990, she was Deputy Speaker of Parliament. From October 21 1992 to September 20, 1994 Lauristin was Estonian Minister of Social Affairs in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mart Laar. From 1999 to 2003, she sat for the Social Democratic People's Party - The Moderates ( Rahvaerakond Mõõdukad ) in the Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ).

1995 to 1999 Lauristin returned to the University and worked as a professor of social policy in Tartu. In 2003 she was Professor of Social Communication. She is now Professor Emeritus. Since 2004 she is member of the Council of the United Nations University, in addition she is involved in numerous international scientific publications and institutions. 2006 awarded her an honorary doctorate from the University of Helsinki.

Publications (selection )

• Return to the Western World. Tartu: Tartu University Press, 1997 ISBN 9985-56-257-7.
• The Challenge of the Russian Minority: Emerging Multicultural Democracy in Estonia, Tartu: Tartu University Press, 2002 ISBN 9985-56-633-5. .