Crises, especially economic crises are an immanent element of modern market societies. While some research has been devoted to understanding the consequences of such crises on consumption, a systematic integrative approach to this problem is still missing. In this editorial we develop an encompassing model for the study of crises and consumption, to identify and connect the different elements important for understanding and explaining the relationship. Thereafter we present the papers of this special issue and discuss their contributions, based on the proposed framework. Suggestions for future research conclude the editorial.

This paper elaborates the concept of citizens' crisis-coping strategies, using data from a qualitative study of people who have experienced a real crisis plus discussions of simulated warning messages. The analysis results suggest that, to emotionally cope with a crisis, citizens may need more than institutionally framed warnings.They may either seek information from informal information networks or simply take their own response action.The paper concludes that the use of alternative sources and channels of warning messages would help people to cope, emotionally and cognitively, with crises. These alternatives would increase the efficacy of institutional crisis communication plans and consequently the public's response to crisis messages.

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The paper will focus on the structures of collective identities of the Russian-speaking population of Estonia. Particular cultural and political orientations held by individuals and frequencies of self-categorization as Russian, ex-Soviet, citizens of Estonia, etc. have been discussed extensively. Much less attention has been paid to the structures of self-identification, which draw out people's thinking patterns. The paper is based on the methodological premise that analysis and interpretation of the disposition of different types of self-categorization is worth the effort, as it helps to elucidate the general meta-structures behind people's interpretation of different identification narratives and provides an opportunity to make prognoses about future scenarios.