Ethno-Cultural Diversity in the Balkans and the Caucasus

Thede Kahl / Ioana Aminian Jazi

This book brings together studies from a variety of different fields in an attempt to illuminate current multidisciplinary comparative research on ethno-cultural diversity in the Balkan and the Caucasus regions. The articles cover a wide variety of topics and include studies mapping the ethnic identity, archaeology and linguistics of these two very diverse geographical areas. Particular attention is paid to aspects of ethnic identity, migration and contact between the different ethnic groups and to parallel processes resulting from the interactions between minorities and majorities in the two cultural regions. Comprehensive research dealing with the transformations of everyday culture (music, theatre, material culture) and social changes (the ratio of men to women, gender studies, socialist feminist politics, a return to patriarchal societies) has been scarce for these regions, since the focus of research was previously directed to more specific topics. The present volume aims to bridge this gap, in order to contribute to a better understanding of similarities, differences, and transformations that characterize these areas, and to encourage further in-depth comparative research.