Identity as a Geopolitical Border in South-East Europe

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/UJND2687

Rezumat: Collective identity frequently serves as a foundational pillar in state-building and institutional consolidation. We consider forms of ethnic, religious, linguistic, or even cultural identity. The state and its borders are not placed at the center of our analysis. The purpose of this research is to analyze the identity cleavages that lead to geopolitical borders within the societies of South-East Europe. Ours hypotheses are: 1. the development of societal divisions in these states leads to geopolitical fragmentation and the construction of geopolitical borders within the society; 2. identity cleavages lead to geopolitical borders and vice versa, geopolitical cleavages lead to identity borders. Methodologically, this study relies on a qualitative, analytical, and comparative framework. The conceptual and theoretical paradigms are empirically anchored through targeted case studies, cross-referenced with public perception metrics and descriptive quantitative data. We propose the development of case studies on three countries in South-East Europe: 1. The Republic of Moldova; 2. North Macedonia; 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dynamics of Republika Srpska.