Description
Book SynopsisThe Western Balkan countries have been both a popular subject matter for diachronic analysis and a 1990s favorite. The significant changes that followed the most recent times of conflict in the region mostly evolve around the process of Europeanization. Despite the plethora of analyses, most approaches to the Western Balkans suffer from theoretical stagnancy, ex parte political practice, and detachment of politics from societal needs. This volume is the work of a team of theorists and practitioners who attempt a multidisciplinary approach to Western Balkans reality. An Agenda for the Western Balkans offers a critical view on issues that have been over-analyzed in mainstream terms and opens a discussion that will occupy researchers and practitioners for years to come. It addresses novel topics and engages in innovative approaches that cut across disciplines of social sciences (political science, international relations, sociology, historiography, geography, political economy) and levels of analysis (local, national, regional, European, global). This collection is a pioneer theoretical and practical guide towards a sustainable future for the Western Balkans.
Trade ReviewA fresh look at South East Europe exploring the region's tangled Europeanization process and its discontents. Highly recommendable to both scholars and practitioners drawn to the Balkan politics, at a time of complex changes in both Europe and the wider world." - Dimitar Bechev, Visiting Fellow at LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe, London School of Economics (LSE), and lecturer of international politics at Sofia University
The book 'An Agenda for the Western Balkans: From Elite Politics to Social Sustainability' edited by Nikos Papakostas and Nikos Passamitros is a welcome addition to recent attempts at a comprehensive understanding of the complex socio-political predicament in the Western Balkans. The premise of the volume is that both research and EU policies in the region will benefit from bottom-up approaches that creatively supplement elite-driven perspectives. The contributors in the volume, all young researchers and analysts, are well placed to offer refreshing new outlooks and insights. The volume spans different disciplines and cover as diverse themes as the promotion of green sectors in Serbia, heritage management and identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, state building in Kosovo or the changing political discourses in Croatia. Overall, the new edited volume offers plentiful food for thought for scholars and policy makers focusing on the Western Balkans and will make a good contribution to the recent literature on the region`s problems and prospects. -- Dr. Ioannis Armakolas, Head, South-East Europe Programme, ELIAMEP
