International Conference “Politics of Enmity: Can Nation Ever be Emancipatory?”

5th International Conference

of the Group for Social Engagement Studies

 Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University in Belgrade

 

 

POLITICS OF ENMITY: CAN NATION EVER BE EMANCIPATORY?

 

http://enmitypolitics.instifdt.bg.ac.rs/

 

 

Belgrade, 26-28 September 2016

 

 

Confirmed speakers

Rogers Brubaker, University of California, Los Angeles

Florian Bieber, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz

Jasna Dragović Soso, Goldsmiths University of London

Montserrat Guibernau, Queen Mary University of London

Nuria Sánchez Madrid, Complutense University of Madrid

 

 

Nation and nationalism are in many ways peculiar and elusive concepts that could very easily be interpreted as being both ’banal’ and infinitely complex; primordial and modern; imagined and real. Since belonging to a specific national group can be seen as an important source of collective strength for many, solidarity of these collectives may serve as the basis for action to further strengthen these (imagined) bonds. The process itself, more often than not, assumes the existence of another, equally potent, equally solidary collective – most often irreducibly distinct from ours. This positioning which comes part and parcel with the idea of the nation – more so with nationalism – seems to centre around the idea of enmity: the antipode of solidarity among those who belong to ‘Us’. Enmity, as well as solidarity, is thus one of the cornerstones of the ‘practicing of nation’, something which shapes and perpetuates nation as a political identitary framework.

 

PROGRAM

 

http://enmitypolitics.instifdt.bg.ac.rs/program/