Struggle over Identity: The Official and the Alternative "Belarusianness"

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 PART I. NATION IN THEORY Chapter 1 Nation-Formation Strategies in Contemporary Nation-Studies 13 Chapter 2 State and Nation 27 Chapter 3 Nationalism, Capitalism, Liberalism: The East European Perspective 33 Chapter 4 Nationalism and Socialism: The Soviet Case 41 PART II. THE RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE BELARUSIAN NATIONAL IDEA Chapter 5 The First Belarusian Nationalist Movement: Between National and Class Interests 53 Chapter 6 Byelorussian Republic within the Soviet State 69 Chapter 7 Post-Soviet Conditions for Independence 79 PART III. BELARUSIAN POST-COMMUNISM Chapter 8 The Election of the First Belarusian President as a Mirror of Belarusian Preferences 85 Chapter 9 “Labels” of the Belarusian Regime 93 Chapter 10 “Triple Transformation” and Belarus 99 Chapter 11 Prerequisites of Democratization and Authoritarianism in Belarus 121 PART IV. ARGUMENTS AND PARADOXES OF WEAK BELARUSIAN IDENTITY Chapter 12 Belarus as an Example of National and Democratic Failure 133 Chapter 13 The Russian Factor in Belarusian Self-Perception 139 Chapter 14 The Paradox of “National Pride” 145 Chapter 15 Paradoxes of Political and Linguistic Russification 151 Chapter 16 Lack of Religious Basis for National Unity 157 PART V. THE STRUGGLE OVER IDENTITY Chapter 17 Two Ideas of “Belarusianness” 163 Chapter 18 Belarusian-Specific Nature of the Public Sphere: “Invisible Wall” 169 Chapter 19 Belarusian History: The Alternative and Official Historical Narrations 179 Chapter 20 Political Discourses of the Alternative Belarusianness 197 Chapter 21 National Ideology of the Belarusian State as a Political Articulation of Official Belarusianness 211 PART VI. CULTURAL MANIFESTATION VERSUS SOCIAL REIFICATION Chapter 22 Two Approaches to the Politics of Identity 223 Chapter 23 Belaruski Globus: An Encyclopedia of What Existed before Communism 227 Chapter 24 The Belarusian National Film Misterium Occupation: Distancing Themselves from Soviets and Russians 229 Chapter 25 The “Free Theater” or the Alternative Belarusianness on Stage 235 Chapter 26 Independent Rock Music: Critical Reflection and Protest 241 Chapter 27 Medieval Reenactors: A Manifestation of Belarus’s European History 253 Chapter 28 The Official Politics of Identity: Social Reification Strategy 261 Conclusion 277 Bibliography 283 Index 303 ...