| No 189
|
Nationalism, Postsocialism, and Space in Eastern Europe |
| Institution |
Department of Anthropology; Johns Hopkins University: Baltimore, MD 21218 |
|
Publication (Journal) |
Social Research 63 no. 1 (spring 1996): 77-95 |
| Published in |
USA, 1996 |
| Language |
English |
| Abstract |
The significance of territory and ideological conceptions of homogeneity in the nationalist conflicts of postsocialist Eastern Europe is discussed. In those states formerly characterized by collective land policies, the collapse of communism has sparked conflict concerning property rights and ownership. Modern states are based on the control of territory, and it is argued that leaders have generally strived for a homogeneous population to ensure unity, especially between leaders and the ruled. Therefore, the division of large states such as the former Yugoslavia into smaller ethnonational states demands the segmentation of territory based on ethnic/racial populations. Under these circumstances, ethnic cleansing may be promoted as a means of maintaining control over territory through the elimination of minorities, or even majorities, with a claim to the land. |
| Discipline(s) |
cultural anthropology
, political sociology
|
| Source(s) |
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