Nationalism, Globalization, and Orthodoxy: The Social Origins of Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans

by Victor Roudometof

Overview

The rise of nationalism in the Balkans is viewed as part of a world-historical process of globalization over the last five centuries. Victor Roudometof delves into Balkan history and reveals how the efforts of Balkan states to achieve national homogenization produced interstate rivalry, forced population exchanges, and discrimination against minority groups. Yet, these problems are not confined to the Balkan states alone – Roudometof's multidimensional analysis of Balkan nationalism throughout history serves as a case study, interrogating the long-held belief in globalization as an instrument to resolve ethnic conflict and bring people together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765128541
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/27/2024
Series:	Contributions to the Study of World History
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Victor Roudometof is associate professor of sociology at the University of Cyprus. He has also held positions with Princeton University, the American College of Thessaloniki (Greece), Washington and Lee University, and Miami University. He is the author or editor of 17 books and edited volumes on culture, religion, nationalism, and globalization.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Roland Robertson
Introduction: Nationalism, Globalization, and Modernity in the Balkans: A World-Historical Perspective
A Multidimensional Analysis of the Balkan National Revolutions (Part I)
A Multidimensional Analysis of the Balkan National Revolutions (Part II)
The Pursuit of Citizenship
Invented Traditions, Symbolic Boundaries, and National Identity in Greece and Serbia 1830-1880
The Latecomers, Nationalism in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania
The Articulation of Irredentism in Balkan Politics 1880-1920
The Consequences of Modernity: National Homogenization and the Minority Question
The Balkans in a Global Age
Conclusions
Bibliographical Note
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Provides a welcome corrective to the stubbornly held view (even in some academic circles) that primordial attachments and 'ancient ethnic hatreds' have shaped much of recent Balkan history ... [a] scintillating conclusion draws the main threads of his thesis together with great lucidity.” —Nations and Nationalism

“Represents an impressive historical contribution in its multi-dimensional approach, incorporating economic, institutional and cultural variables. Greater still is its potential theoretical contribution, a potential which largely rests in the reader's efforts to glean lessons from the rich historical detail offered.” —Jourbanal of Southern Europe and Balkans

“There is a great deal of useful history and information on the Balkan puzzle in the book.” —Contemporary Sociology

“This book centers on the Balkans, yet uses them as a case study of something much larger-namely, the surprising fact that globalization, instead of melding peoples together, has done exactly the opposite. Roudometof's forte is his ability not only to range widely across various Balkan nationalities but also to make a forest out of his diverse trees. Thus the wealth of data he presents leads to clearly articulated conclusions about globalization's role-paradoxically through its corollary, nationalism-in marginalizing minorities, fostering assimilation, and producing ethnic conflict, which thus cannot be explained merely as a clash of rival religions. The book shows that an understanding of history can truly help us to comprehend current problems in the Balkans and elsewhere.” —Peter Bien, Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature, Dartmouth College, USA

“An excellent book ... His multidimensional approach to the subject is admirable.” —Traian Stoianovich, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University, USA

From the Publisher