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Belonging and Identity in the European Border Towns: Self-Centered Borders, Hetero-Centered Borders

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  • Alberto Gasparini

Abstract

This paper investigates the complexity specific to the concept of belonging and identity at the European border area level. These issues are explored by a research on European border cities, within which factorial meanings are identified. There are five of such meanings: feelings of security and community, contents of the originality, negative soul of ethnic cosmopolitanism, aesthetics of time, and border town evoking marginalization. These meanings are used to identify clusters of borders, which are: central European borders, central-northern European borders, borders where negative meanings are prevalent, the Polish-Belarus-Lithuanian borders, border towns where being a town is worth more than being on a border. These perspectives allow for verification of how borders are either hetero-centered or self-centered. Hetero-centered borders project their own belongings and identities to the cities which are located beyond the border. Self-centered borders project belongings and identities to their own national city, region, nation. The paper ends by identifying self-centered and hetero-centered borders individually in their capacity to express cooperation among cities located on both sides of the border.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Gasparini, 2014. "Belonging and Identity in the European Border Towns: Self-Centered Borders, Hetero-Centered Borders," Journal of Borderlands Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 165-201, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rjbsxx:v:29:y:2014:i:2:p:165-201
    DOI: 10.1080/08865655.2014.916067
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    Cited by:

    1. Halyna LYTVYN & Andriy TYUSHKA, 2020. "Rethinking the Governance-Governmentality-Governability nexus at the EU's Eastern Frontiers: the Carpathian Euroregion 2.0 and the future of EU-Ukrainian Cross-Border cooperation," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 11, pages 146-183, November.
    2. Henrik Basche, 2021. "Exploring Determinants of ‘Mental Distance’ in Cross‐Border Contexts," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 112(3), pages 288-303, July.
    3. PhD Candidate Eftiola Pojani & Erida Nelaj & Associate Professor MD Alban Ylli, 2017. "Overview of the Immunization Situation in Albania," European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 2, ejms_v2_i.

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