Suchergebnisse

This paper questions the importance & usefulness of identifying, through theoretical analysis & empirical study, a historical moment when a nation comes into being. In the first part of our study, we discuss briefly the theoretical background of the question "when is the nation?." The second part addresses this question with reference to the Greek case. We first look at the process of consolidation of Greek national identity during the first two decades of the 20th century. The role of Turks, Bulgarians, & other neighboring countries in the development & crystallization of Greek nationhood is highlighted. We show that although the Greek nation-state was established in 1829, the Greek nation has been in the process of becoming through the 19th century until the 1920s, when its ethnic & territorial components were brought together & irredentism was abandoned. However, as we show in the section that follows, the Greek nation has been further reshaped through its interaction with the Muslim minority of western Thrace, its fundamental "Other within" during the 20th century. In the concluding section, we look at more recent developments, such as the Greece-FYROM controversy, which have further influenced the definition of the Greek nation. By analyzing the dynamic & constantly evolving nature of nation formation as a socio-political process, we show that fixing an historical moment when a nation comes into being is an analytic exercise for which there is little empirical grounding. Rather, we argue, scholarly research should concentrate on "how" is the nation. Adapted from the source document.