Journalists and policy-makers in the West have often assumed that the religious and ethno-national heterogeneity of the Balkans is the underlying reason for the numerous problems the area has faced throughout the twentieth century. The multiple and turbulent political transitions in the area; the dynamics of the interaction between Christianity and Islam; the contradictory and constantly shifting nationality policies; and the fluctuating identities of the diverse populations continue to be seen as major challenges to the stability of the region. By exploring the development of intricate religious; linguistic; and national dynamics in a variety of case studies throughout the Balkans; this volume demonstrates the existence of alternatives and challenges to nationalism in the area. The authors analyze a variety of national; non-national; and anti-national(ist) encounters in four areas Bosnia; Bulgaria; Macedonia; and Albania traditionally seen as hot-beds of nationalist agitation and tension resulting from their populations' religious or ethno-national diversity. In their entirety; the contributions in this volume chart a more complex picture of the national dynamics. The authors recognize the existence of national tensions both in historical perspective and in contemporary times; but also suggest the possibility of different paths to the nation that did not involve violence but allowed for national accommodation and reconciliation.
#6849352 in Books Egbert Forsten Pub 1994-01-01Original language:English 9.75 x 7.00 x 1.00l; .0 #File Name: 9069800594338 pages
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