H365: Who is a Greek? Politics of National Identity in Modern Greece Spring Semester 2017 Kostis Karpozilos (PhD U of Crete) Director of the Contemporary Social History Archives kostis.karpozilos@gmail.com Hours available: M/W 14:30-15:15 Class Meetings Day: M/W Hours: 15:30-17:10 Classroom: AC-5 Course Description Who s a Greek? In different times Greece has offered conflicting responses to this simple, yet perplexed, question. The revolutionary constitutions of the 19th century, following the War of Independence, placed emphasis on religion, whereas gradually Greek nationality law was based on a single principle: origin or in legal terms ius sanguinis. This principle reflected the desire of the newfound Modern Greek state to embody the legacy of the past and to position itself as the sole heir of classical antiquity. The recurring theme of being on the margin between the West and the East and the geographical expansion of Greece in the early 20th century added additional layers of complexities. Throughout the 20 th century the question of who s a Greek became intertwined with the forced assimilation and/or expulsion of minority groups, the future of the multiethnic communities of the late Ottoman Empire, the handling of Orthodox populations arriving in Greece, and the withdrawal of citizenship as a penalty for political dissent. In recent years, following the mass arrival of immigrants and refugees, the question has risen once again: is one born a Greek or one can become a Greek? This course aims to explore the historical trajectory of this question illustrating how political and social priorities shaped diverse responses over time. The main goal is to understand that being a Greek, and the criteria that confirmed this over time, is not a strict legal category, but rather a flexible ideological concept. Therefore, it aims to discuss Greece as a thought-provoking paradigm where national identity is conflated with perceptions of the ancient past, novel challenges and shifting geopolitical and social realities. The overall goal is to provide students with a deep understanding of the politics of identity and citizenship in the Balkan Peninsula and allow them to rethink on how we conceptualize social, political and cultural transformations over time. In order to do so the course is designed to encompass readings on theories of nationalism and identity, sources relating to Modern Greek history, and activities (visits, walking tours etc.) that illustrate how the contemporary debate regarding the future of European nation-states is interrelated with historical legacies. This is not solely a Greek story. The course will address the downfall of the multiethnic Ottoman Empire, the rise of nationalism, the border realignments in the Balkans and their impact on minority populations and multiethnic communities. Moreover, we will discuss the perceptions of Greek identity across Europe and the role of 19th century Western intellectuals and scholars in the shaping of the Modern Greek state. In a similar context we will discuss the construction and evolution of national consciousness, the effort of the Greek state to achieve linguistic and religious homogeneity, the interplay between political dissent and the politics of un-greekness. Finally, the course will address the population movements that have shaped and reshaped the Balkans spanning from the 19th transatlantic immigration and the mass population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s to the recent arrival of immigrants and refugees. Page 1 of 8
Course Resources and Activities The multifaceted dimensions of this course require active participation and teamwork. Readings (scholarly works and primary sources) will allow us to explore and historicize the different and diverse responses to the core question of who s a Greek. In addition to this the course includes a number of activities that offer insights in the contemporary debate regarding the refugee crisis and the future of Greek/European citizenship in the 21st century. The scheduled walking tours in different Athenian neighborhoods will help us discover and explore the city s multifaceted ethnic and social fabric. In this context, the tours will illustrate the living presence of historical events, such as the mass arrival of refugees in the 1920s, and the transformations of the urban landscape following the recent arrival of immigrants and refugees. Invited speakers and our visits to institutions, academic groups and organizations involved in the shaping of the public debate on national identity will allow students to have a first-hand experience of the inner world of civil society in Greece and engage with the challenges and questions regarding the future of national identity in light of the common European project and the recent transformative impact of the refugee crisis. Learning Objectives By the end of the course you should be able to have an overview of Modern Greek history and at the same time discuss and handle topics relating to the construction and development of national consciousness and identity politics in Greece and the Balkans. This will allow a critical reflection on how societies address questions relating to citizenship, nationalism, and the Other over time. At the same time the course will challenge preconceived perceptions of how historical consciousness operates and the necessity of revisiting the way we study social, political and cultural transformations in any given national/international setting. In this context, you will be encouraged, and assisted, to discover the shifting social and cultural landscape of Athens and draw links with historical legacies and memories. Therefore, this course will provide important insights into your overall CYA experience. Course Requirements a) Participation/Readings As this is a course designed to enhance active participation, it is evident that it is necessary to engage with the weekly readings and in-class discussion. b) Oral Presentation Each week, one student will be in charge of leading the discussion by offering a critical reading of the primary/secondary sources/readings to the rest of the class. These presentations will last about 15 minutes. Students should avoid offering lengthy summaries of the readings and must focus, instead, on positioning the issues discussed within a broader context. c) Poster Students will work in groups and prepare a poster (A0 size) to be exhibited within the CYA facilities. It should consist of 2/3 images and illustrations and 1/3 text. You can choose any topic you prefer, other than Page 2 of 8
the one you choose for your research essay. On a certain day and time, you will be requested to stand next to the poster and answer any questions by interested parties. d) Writing This course involves a mid-term exam and a final paper.. Midterm Exam A mid-term exam: questions will allow you to demonstrate how your own academic interests are in dialogue with the themes discussed in class and at the same time address key-issues of Modern Greek history.. Final Paper 5.000 words final paper: the final paper will address one of the core issues linked to the course. You are expected to make use of the available readings and in-class experience. Due dates: Draft*: Monday, April 19, 2017. * 2-3 page working outline that explains the context, the problem, your tentative recommendations, and a partial bibliography. This helps you give order to note taking, listing the topics and subtopics that will be discussed. Deadline: Monday, May 15, 2017. Grading and Evaluation Class Participation: 15% Poster: 15% Oral Presentation: 20% Midterm Exam: 20% Final: 30% Grades are intended to give you a sense of the quality of a particular piece of work: roughly speaking, a B means that you have done a good job with the writing, the ideas, and the organization of the work; a C conveys that the work lacks some important qualities and has some problems, while an A means that the work is exemplary in some key ways: the writing is particularly clear, the ideas thoroughly treated, the organization of the presentation well considered and effective. Class Participation: Your attendance and in class writing and analysis is vitally important to your success in this course. Please see the following: Class Participation (15%) You will be expected to participate in the class discussion on a regular basis. We will be discussing different themes and our scheduled visits and tours are based on the idea of a vibrant debate around key themes discussed in class. I know that some people are less comfortable than others participating in class, so I will work to make the environment as comfortable for everyone as possible. This might entail debates structured on certain questions and discussion following the team presentations. I will meet each one of you at least twice during office hours over the course of the semester to discuss how you feel about the class and to listen to your ideas about its development. Poster (15%) You will work in groups and prepare a poster (A0 size) to be exhibited within the CYA facilities. It should consist of 2/3 images and illustrations and 1/3 text. You can choose any topic you prefer, other than the one you choose for your research essay. On a certain day and time you will be requested to stand next to the poster and answer any questions by interested parties. Oral Presentation (20%) Page 3 of 8
Each week, one of you will be in charge of leading the discussion by offering a critical reading of the primary/secondary sources/readings to the rest of the class. These presentations will last about 15 minutes. Midterm Exam (20%) You will have a midterm exam in this course. Questions will allow you to demonstrate how your own academic interests are in dialogue with the themes discussed in class and at the same time address keyissues of Modern Greek history Final paper (30%) The 5.000 words final paper will address one of the core issues linked to the course. You are expected to make use of the available readings, primary sources (in English) and in-class debate. It will involve a research question, argumentation and above all originality of thought. We will have the opportunity to discuss the writing assignments in full detail and I am more than willing to follow and help in the development of your individual writing projects. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the proposed timeline (see above). Week/Class Day/Date Topic/Readings/Assignments 1-1 Jan 30 Introduction to the course This is an introductory meeting. We will go through the readings and assignments, while discussing the main themes of the course. Nationalism and Nations In the following two meetings we will discuss theories of nationalism, placing particular emphasis on the role of historical legacies, religion and language in the rise of nationalism in the 19th century. 1-2 Feb 1 Nationalism and Nations I Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, Verso: London, 2006, pp. 9-36 and 67-82. Eric Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Program, Myth, Reality, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992, Introduction 2-3 Feb 6 Nationalism and Nations II Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Ethnicity and Nationalism: Anthropological Perspectives. London: Pluto Books, 2002, pp. 117-146. *** East or West? In the following two meetings we will discuss how the idea of a Greek independent state come into existence. We will position the Greek War of Independence (1821-1830) within the context of the rising nationalisms that challenged the multiethnic Ottoman Empire. How did the War of Independence address the question of who is a Greek and who is not? 2-4 Feb 8 East or West? The birth of the Modern Greek State Page 4 of 8
Sukru Hanioglu, A brief History of the late Ottoman Empire, Princeton University Press, 2008 2-5 Feb 13 East or West? The birth of the Modern Greek State Gallant, Thomas. The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, 1768 to 1913: The Long Nineteenth Century. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015, *** 3-6 Feb 15 «Athens shall rise again»: the burden of antiquity What was the role of the ancient past in shaping both Greek and European imagination regarding the newly found Greek State? Hamilakis, Yannis. The Nation and its Ruins: Antiquity, Archaeology and National Imagination in Greece, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, 57-123. 3-7 Feb 20 Who s a Greek? (1831-1912) This meeting will be devoted to the efforts of the newly found Greek State to address the issue of citizenship and national identity. We will study the constitutional provisions and discuss the ideological concept of Greater Greece and the role of «unredeemed» Greeks in national imagination. Primary Sources (in translation) 4-8 Feb 22 A Macedonian Salad: Balkan Wars and Minorities The Balkan Wars (1912-1913) signaled the rise of competing nationalisms in Macedonia and a quest for succession of the declining Ottoman Empire. At the same time the border realignments and downfall of the Empire brought forth the question of ethnic minorities in the region. Mark Mazower, The Balkans: a Short History. London: Modern Library, 2002. Anastassia Karakasidou, Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood: Passages to Nationhood in Greek Macedonia, 1870-1990, University of Chicago Press, 1997. 5-9 Mar 1 Language, religion, history: becoming a Greek This meeting will be devoted to the efforts of the Greek state to achieve linguistic and ethnic homogeneity in Macedonia and Thrace following the Balkan Wars and the final realignment of borders in the region. We will discuss the impact of these policies in the every-day life of minority groups, and the importance of language, religion and history in the Greek national project. Richard Clogg (ed.), Minorities in Greece: Aspects of a Plural Society, Hurst, 2002. Philip Carabott, The politics of integration and assimilation vis-à-vis the Slavo-Macedonian Minority of inter-war Greece, in Peter Mackridge & Eleni Yannakakis(eds.), Ourselves and Others. The Development of a Greek Macedonian Cultural Identity since 1912, Oxford: Berg, 1997, pp. 59-78. Konstantinos Tsitselikis, Old and New Islam in Greece. From Historical Minorities to Immigrant Newcomers, Leiden: Brill, 2012 5-10 Mar 3 Salonika: City of Ghosts In this lesson we will discuss Thessaloniki (Salonika), the capital of Greek Macedonia, as an example of a forgotten multiethnic and multi-religious Greek past. Thessaloniki illustrates the complicated ethnic realities of interwar Macedonia and the priorities of the Greek state. Mark Mazower, Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews. New York: Vintage Books, 2006. Fleming, Katherine. Greece: a Jewish History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. 5-11 Mar 6 Changing Places: Greek-Turkish exchange of populations Page 5 of 8
The Asia Minor Expedition (1919-1922) marked the terminal defeat of the Greek nationalist project and signaled a new period in Greek-Turkish relations. The outcome was an unprecedented organized exchange of population between the two countries and the arrival of one million refugees in Greece. How were the newcomers seen in Greece and what was the policy regarding their citizenship and nationality status? Mazower, Mark. Dark Continent: Europe s Twentieth Century. London: Penguin Books, 1998. Hirschon, Reneé. Heirs of the Greek Catastrophe: The Social Life of Asia Minor Refugees in Piraeus. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Bruce Clark, Twice a stranger. How mass expulsion forged Modern Greek and Turkey, London, 2006. 6-12 Mar 13 Walking tour: Refugee Neighborhood (Kaisariani) We will be visiting a neighborhood shaped by the arrival of refugees in the 1920s and explore the ways their settlement marked the Athenian landscape. Our goal is to trace visible remnants of the interwar period and discuss the social realities surrounding the arrival and integration of refugees in the Greek setting. 6-13 Mar 15 Invited Speaker: Lampros Baltsiotis: Minority Groups esearch Center, Greek Ombudsman (Human Rights) Lampros Baltsiotis has been one of the pioneering academics in the study of minority groups in Greece and a founding member of the Minority Groups Research Center. In his talk he will focus on the challenges surrounding scholarly research of contested subjects, as in the case of ethnic minorities. 7-14 Mar 20 Midterm Exams 7-15 Mar 22 Un-Greeks: political dissent in the Cold War The end of the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) was marked by a conscious project of the Greek State to withdraw the nationality of communists and to label political dissent as un-greek. We will discuss the internal mechanisms of this process and its repercussions in the shaping of postwar Greece. Loring Danforth & Riki van Boeschoten, Children of the Greek Civil War: Refugees and the Politics of Memory, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2012. 8-16 Mar 27 Diaspora, Immigration and Greeks abroad In this meeting we will address the politics of identity concerning Greeks abroad: immigrant and diasporic communities were perceived as integral parts of the Greek nation, but at the same time their members were confronted with assimilation in the national context of their respective countries. Angelos Dalachanis, The Greek Exodus from Egypt. Diaspora politics and emigration: 1937-1962, Berghan Books, 2016. Loring M. Danforth, How can a woman give birth to one Greek and one Macedonian?. The construction of national identity among immigrants to Australia from Northern Greece, in Jane K. Cowan (ed.), Macedonia: the politics of identity and difference, London, Pluto Press, 2000, pp. 85-103. 9-17 Apr 3 Invited Speaker: Dimitris Christopoulos, President:International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) Dimitris Christopoulos was elected in August 2016 president of the International Federation of Human Rights. His talk will focus on the transformation of the concept of human rights over time, his work in FIDH, and his involvement in the redrawing of the Greek nationality/citizenship laws between 2006 and 2015. 9-18 Apr 5 Born in Greece: immigrants and refugees (1990-2010) The downfall of the Berlin Wall had an unprecedented impact on Greece: for the first time in its modern Page 6 of 8
history the country received thousands of financial immigrants from the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. We will discuss how their arrival transformed the debate over who s a Greek, the exclusionary politics of the Greek state and their struggles for social and political rights. Marc Morje Howard, The politics of citizenship in Europe, Cambridge University Press, 2009. 10-19 Apr 19 Visit: Hellenic League of Human Rights (HLHR) The Hellenic League of Human Rights is the oldest (founded in 1936) human rights organization in Greece. We will visit the HLHR headquarters and have the opportunity to discuss on the recent campaign for citizenship rights for children that were born in Greece after 1990. 11-20 Apr 24 Yannis Antetokounmpo: the paradoxes of Greekness The principle of origin (ius sanguinis) in the Greek nationality law meant for thousands of young people born in Greece that they did not enjoy equal political and social rights. The case of Yannis Antetokounmpo became a seminal example of a young man born in Greece who had no travel documents and political rights. How was it possible for Yannis to play for Milwaukee Bucks? Dimitris Christopoulos, Country Report: Greece, EUDO Citizenship Observatory, 2013 11-21 Apr 26 Refugee or Reception crisis? The recent refugee crisis is one of the major transformative events of our times: it illustrates the interconnections between different areas of the planet and the significance of population movements in the shaping and reshaping of history. For Greece and the European Union the refugee question is a major challenge that has already shifted the public agenda to questions regarding the future of Europe and the changing nature of citizenship and national identity. Last but not least, the cautious response of European nations to the requests of the refugee populations brings forth an alternative viewpoint: is this a refugee crisis or a reception crisis? Matthew Carr, Fortress Europe: Inside the War Against Immigration. London: Hurst, 2015. 12-22 May 3 Walking tour: Downtown Athens (Agios Panteleimonas) We will be visiting a neighborhood that hosts a growing number of refugees and immigrants in downtown Athens. Our goal is to the see how the city has changed and to explore the new social and cultural landscape that in turn generates paradigms of tension and co-existence within a novel multiethnic setting. 13-23 May 8 Greek/European: dual identity In this last in-class group discussion we will address the future of national identities within the shifting landscape of border realignments, supra-national structures, and significant population movements. The European Union case provides a springboard for discussion: how did the European nations tried to overcome divisions of the past, how did the E.U. strived to promote a common European identity and where do we stand right now? Bibliography Anderson, Benedict R. O'G. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso, 2006. Carabott, Philip. "The Politics of Integration and Assimilation Vis-à-vis the Slavo-Macedonian Minority of Interwar Greece." In Ourselves and Others: The Development of a Greek Macedonian Cultural Identity since 1912, edited by Peter Mackridge and Eleni Yannakakis, 59-78. Oxford: Berg, 1997. Page 7 of 8
Christopoulos, Dimitris. Country Report: Greece. Report. EUDO Citizenship Observatory, 2009. Clark, Bruce. Twice a Stranger: How mass expulsion forged Modern Greek and Turkey. London: Granta, 2006. Clogg, Richard, ed. Minorities in Greece: Aspects of a Plural Society. London: Hurst &, 2002. Dalachanis, Angelos. The Greek Exodus from Egypt: Diaspora politics and emigration: 1937-1962. Berghan Books, 2016. Danforth, Loring M. "How Can a Woman Give Birth to One Greek and One Macedonian? The Construction of National Identity among Immigrants to Australia from Northern Greece." In Macedonia: The Politics of Idenitty and Difference, edited by Jane K. Cowan, 85-103. London: Pluto Press, 2000. Danforth, Loring M., and Riki Van. Boeschoten. Children of the Greek Civil War: Refugees and the Politics of Memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012. Fleming, Katherine. Greece: a Jewish History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. Gallant, Thomas. The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, 1768 to 1913: The Long Nineteenth Century. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015. Hamilakis, Yannis. The Nation and its Ruins: Antiquity, Archaeology and National Imagination in Greece, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Hanioglu, Sukru. A brief history of the late Ottoman Empire. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. Hirschon, Renee. Heirs of the Greek Catastrophe: The Social Life of Asia Minor Refugees in Piraeus. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Hobsbawm, Eric. Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Program, Myth, Reality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Howard, Marc Morje. The Politics of Citizenship in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Karakasidou, Anastasia. Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood: Passages to Nationhood in Greek Macedonia, 1870-1990. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Mazower, Mark. Dark Continent: Europe s Twentieth Century. London: Penguin Books, 1998. Mazower, Mark. Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews. New York: Vintage Books, 2006. Mazower, Mark. The Balkans: a Short History. London: Modern Library, 2002. Tsitselikis, Konstantinos. Old and New Islam in Greece: From Historical Minorities to Immigrant Newcomers. Leiden: Brill, 2012. Page 8 of 8