Who Owns the Past The Politics of Time in a ‘Model’ Bulgarian Village

Deema Kaneff, "Who Owns the Past: The Politics of Time in a ‘Model’ Bulgarian Village"
English | 2006 | pages: 237 | ISBN: 1845452984, 1571815341 | PDF | 5,8 mb
In the decades since the collapse of socialism in eastern Europe, time has been a central resource under negotiation. Focusing on a local community that was considered a "model" in the socialist period, the author explores a variety of state-sponsored and unofficial pasts – history, folklore, and tradition – and shows how they "fit" together in everyday life. During the socialist period, the past was a central dimension of local politics and village identity. Post-socialist development has demanded a revaluation of temporality – as well as public and private space. This has led to fundamental changes in social life and political relations, reduced local resources, threatened village identity and transformed political activity through the emergence of new political elites.