the introduction critically discusses the sociological notion of Adriatic space of identity. Actually, in spite of the many metaphors that picture the Adriatic as a European lake, a sea of peace, a European corridor, a bridge, a gulf or a water highway, it seems that the stress on the natural and cultural unity of the Adriatic basin represents a typical substitution of the means with the goals. Even if the post-communist transition and the European integration process opened up new political scenarios, the symbolization of the space provides only a mean for establishing a social unity and shall not be confused with the expression of that unity (Augè : 1982). At the end of the day, the Adriatic cannot be thought so straightforwardly as a space of identity. At macro-regional level, the Adriatic space rests on the legacy of overlapping imperial imaginaries of unity that do not imply synchronized and internationally shared representations of the Adriatic cultural heritage or of its territory. At the nation-state level, the Adriatic sea is nowadays approached mostly in terms of sovereignty and state territoriality, while at local level the many and ambivalent roles played by the Adriatic sea within the identity making processes eventually reflect the scattered geography of a fragmented cultural space.
"The Adriatic Space of Identities" introduction to the special number of Narodna Umjetnost Croatian Journal of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Guest Editors Emilio Cocco and Bojan Baskar
COCCO, EMILIO
2006-01-01
Abstract
the introduction critically discusses the sociological notion of Adriatic space of identity. Actually, in spite of the many metaphors that picture the Adriatic as a European lake, a sea of peace, a European corridor, a bridge, a gulf or a water highway, it seems that the stress on the natural and cultural unity of the Adriatic basin represents a typical substitution of the means with the goals. Even if the post-communist transition and the European integration process opened up new political scenarios, the symbolization of the space provides only a mean for establishing a social unity and shall not be confused with the expression of that unity (Augè : 1982). At the end of the day, the Adriatic cannot be thought so straightforwardly as a space of identity. At macro-regional level, the Adriatic space rests on the legacy of overlapping imperial imaginaries of unity that do not imply synchronized and internationally shared representations of the Adriatic cultural heritage or of its territory. At the nation-state level, the Adriatic sea is nowadays approached mostly in terms of sovereignty and state territoriality, while at local level the many and ambivalent roles played by the Adriatic sea within the identity making processes eventually reflect the scattered geography of a fragmented cultural space.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
