The Ambiguous Nation

This book takes Southeastern Europe as an ideal place to study the logic – and illogic – of nation-building. Focusing on Bosnian, Macedonian, Moldovan and Montenegrin nation-building after World War Two, the twenty authors of the collection discuss salient aspects of the invention, implementation, and negotiation of nationhood. They look into the role of intellectuals, the use of history, memory and popular culture, and the connections between nationalism and power struggles. A major goal of the case studies is to highlight the ambiguities, antinomies and paradoxes immanent to nation-building.