essay

Of definitions and boundaries

discourse and the social life of meaningWashington, D.C. • Published In 1986 • Pages: 75-93

By: Herzfeld, Michael.

Abstract
This is a discussion of how the nation state appropriates the discourse of ethnicity and kinship, and fixes their terms in a process of naturalization and reification. The state creates a rigid identity and morality that lacks the indeterminate, variable, and shifting quality of the original discourse. Problems arise when a nation state defines itself in both racial and territorial terms, e.g., having to protect the rights of Turkish immigrants and deal with Cretan lawbreakers who claim to be truest of all Greeks.
Subjects
Cultural participation
Cultural identity and pride
Semantics
Tribe and nation
Citizenship
culture
Greeks
HRAF PubDate
2003
Region
Europe
Sub Region
Southeastern Europe
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2002
Field Date
1973-1981
Coverage Date
1728-1984
Coverage Place
Greece
Notes
Michael Herzfeld
Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-93)
LCCN
86042577
LCSH
Greece