Analytics, Education and Science, History, Latvia, Society

Researcher Mara Laizane at a presentation today explained that minority youth believe the content of history books to be "more like propaganda than a source of information, or the result of factual research."

The information space of minority youngsters is a combination of news heard at school, and that heard after school – at home. Laizane also pointed out that their primary source of information is Internet, including Latvia's Russian language news portals, The survey has the respondents underlining a critical attitude towards news sources and the necessity of verification.

The surveyed school children say they feel "particularly alienated" from the political process in Latvia, calling politics "dirty, corrupt", and politicians – "persons who don't care about the people." A considerable number of minority youth admit "total apathy."

A majority mention the Harmony party as their political choice; many are disgruntled that it is shut out from the government, but just as many are skeptical whether Harmony has the ability to fully function as a leader, or would it "merely deal with ethnic issues."