Nationalism and Territory - Constructing Group Identity in Southeastern Europe

Why do nations come into conflict? What factors lead to the horrors of ethnic cleansing? This timely book offers clear-eyed answers to these questions by exploring how national identity is shaped by place, focusing especially on Serbia, Hungary, and Romania. Moving beyond studies of nationalism that consider only the economic and geostrategic value of territory, George W. White shows that the very core of national identity is intimately bound to specific places. Indeed, nations define themselves in terms of spaces that have historical, linguistic, and religious meaning, as Serbs have clearly demonstrated in Kosovo. These territories are concrete expressions of a nationOs identity, both past and present. With his detailed analysis of the places that define national identity in Southeastern Europe, White convincingly shows why territorial disputes so often escalate into war.

List of contents

Chapter 1 List of Figures Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Place Name Terminology Chapter 4 1. Introduction Chapter 5 2. The Nation in its Spatial Context Chapter 6 3. Southeastern European Nationalism in its Temporal and Spatial Context Chapter 7 4. Hungary and the Hungarians Chapter 8 5. Romania and the Romanians Chapter 9 6. Serbia and the Serbs Chapter 10 7. Conclusion Chapter 11 Selected Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

About the author

George W. White is assistant professor of geography at Frostburg State University.

Summary

Why do nations come into conflict? This text offers answers to such questions by exploring how national identity is shaped by place. Focusing on Serbia, Hungary and Romania, it moves beyond studies of nationalism to show that the very core of national identity is bound to specific places.

Product details

• Authors: George W White, George W. White, White George W.
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 22.03.2000
• EAN: 9780847698080
• ISBN: 978-0-8476-9808-0
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 235 mm x 24 mm
• Weight: 549 g
• Series: Geographical Perspectives on t; Geographical Perspectives on the Human Past; Geographical Perspectives on the Human Past; Geographical Perspectives on t
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Nationalism, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / European, Southeast Europe, Nationalism and nationalist ideologies and movements