Ourselves and Others

Also available in hardback, 9781859731338 GBP50.00 (March, 1997)

Assessing the development of a Greek Macedonian identity since 1912, this volume examines such areas as women of the family, women of the nation; the consolidation of Greek territorial gains in Macedonia through literature, 1912-1940; and the image of the Jew in the literature of Salonica.When it was incorporated into the Greek state in 1912, Greek Macedonia constituted a mosaic of populations who spoke different languages and shared different cultures and religions. The Greek state, the local authorities and the local intelligentsia strove to achieve the ethnic and cultural assimilation of all these populations -- in the end, with varying degrees of success. Long the site of fierce nationalist activity, Macedonia is a revealing microcosm of the ethnic divides that resist the homogenizing tendencies of nation-states throughout the world.This timely and interdisciplinary book brings together the work of specialists in various fields to spotlight the cultural processes of assimilation that have taken place in Greek Macedonia since 1912. It sheds new light on the old and complex socio-historical roots of this hotly contested area and of the Balkans in general, and will serve as a model for future studies on nationalism, ethnic identity and cultural heritage.