Papers by Christian Dons Christensen
The National Revivals in Moldova
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The appearance of national revivals all over the USSR made many Western laypeople as well as scho... more The appearance of national revivals all over the USSR made many Western laypeople as well as scholars aware of the existence of nation-groups which they had never heard of before. The Gagauz of southern Moldova was one such example. Thus, the case of Moldova provides a relatively rare instance of no less than three simultaneous national revivals in a rather small territory. Yet, although Moldovans, Slays, and Gagauz initiated national revivals, and although these revivals led not only to a separation of the Moldavian SSR from the USSR but also to a de facto partition into three political-territorial units and violent conflict between the Moldovans and the Slays, the Western media did not pay any particular attention to these events. The national revivals among the Baltic nation-groups and among the nation-groups in the Balkans received much more attention. Nevertheless, due to the afore-mentioned characteristics of the case of the national revivals in Moldova, we think these national revivals and their causes deserve a closer examination.
The National Conflicts: Comparison and Conclusions
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
In order to obtain generalizable knowledge about the causes of national conflict intensity, the p... more In order to obtain generalizable knowledge about the causes of national conflict intensity, the preceding separate accounts of theories and cases have to be compared and evaluated. This is the task of the present chapter.
The National Conflict in Czechoslovakia
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
In the wake of the regime change in 1989, the Czech-Slovakian conflict became an example of a nat... more In the wake of the regime change in 1989, the Czech-Slovakian conflict became an example of a national conflict that was solved peacefully. In contrast to the marriage between the south Slavic Croats and Serbs which ended in a violent row, the conflict between the west Slavic Czechs and Slovaks thus ended with a subdued divorce.
Explanations of National Revivals
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The microsociological theories presented in the preceding chapter offer different interpretations... more The microsociological theories presented in the preceding chapter offer different interpretations of the mechanisms that prompt the individual to join and remain loyal to ingroups while derogating outgroups. The ethnocentrism of groups, however, does not by itself generate national movements in those groups. For this to happen, the groups have to be mobilized, and mobilization is furthered significantly if certain structural conditions are present. The structural conditions for mobilization of national groups are the subject of this chapter on macrosociological explanations of national revivals.
The National Revivals in Moldova
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The appearance of national revivals all over the USSR made many Western laypeople as well as scho... more The appearance of national revivals all over the USSR made many Western laypeople as well as scholars aware of the existence of nation-groups which they had never heard of before. The Gagauz of southern Moldova was one such example. Thus, the case of Moldova provides a relatively rare instance of no less than three simultaneous national revivals in a rather small territory. Yet, although Moldovans, Slays, and Gagauz initiated national revivals, and although these revivals led not only to a separation of the Moldavian SSR from the USSR but also to a de facto partition into three political-territorial units and violent conflict between the Moldovans and the Slays, the Western media did not pay any particular attention to these events. The national revivals among the Baltic nation-groups and among the nation-groups in the Balkans received much more attention. Nevertheless, due to the afore-mentioned characteristics of the case of the national revivals in Moldova, we think these national revivals and their causes deserve a closer examination.
Explanations of National Conflict Intensity
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
In the preceding chapter we discussed some self-reinforcing processes of escalation that often oc... more In the preceding chapter we discussed some self-reinforcing processes of escalation that often occur in individuals and groups involved in conflict, and we directed attention to how certain actors of escalation can influence these processes of escalation as well as the context in which they occur. In this chapter, we turn to macrosociological theories that seek to explain the underlying reasons why some national conflicts escalate into violent conflicts while others remain non-violent.
Why Nationalism in Eastern Europe?
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
Although microsociological theories are not directly testable with the empirical evidence at our ... more Although microsociological theories are not directly testable with the empirical evidence at our disposal, there are other ways to take advantage of their insights. Their assertion is that social action must in some way lead to individual satisfaction. In this chapter, we pose the question of why the thought of joining or supporting exactly a national movement should be appealing exactly to the East European citizen of the late 20th century, and we answer it in terms of the individual’s situation and considerations as theorized in Chapter 2.
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
RESUMO-Neste artigo se teve por objetivo refletir sobre a contribuição da história oral nos estud... more RESUMO-Neste artigo se teve por objetivo refletir sobre a contribuição da história oral nos estudos sobre o patrimônio e as ações de educação patrimonial em fazendas históricas paulistas (São Paulo, Brasil). As questões aqui problematizadas fazem parte de uma pesquisa concluída em 2010, onde o patrimônio estava sendo explorado como espaço turístico educacional dentro de uma visão da educação não formal no contexto rural, voltado para o público idoso, de formações educacionais e classes sociais diversas. Esse processo foi realizado a partir de uma metodologia de caráter qualitativo (História Oral) com ênfase em duas técnicas: a entrevista aberta e o depoimento temático. A pesquisa sobre o patrimônio cultural rural paulista se tornou um trabalho sobre a utilização dos bens culturais como fonte de lazer e turismo, possibilitando um exercício de sensibilização para a valorização dos espaços rurais, a partir da análise das representações dos sujeitos e seus papéis, o imaginário rural, e da decodificação dos valores existentes naqueles espaços. Palavras-chave: Velhice; História oral; Turismo; Patrimônio. ABSTRACT-This article aims to reflect on the contribution of oral history in studies on equity shares and equity in education paulistas historic farms. Problematic issues here are part of a recently completed research, where the heritage is explored as an educational tourist space within a vision of non-formal education in the rural setting, facing the elderly public, educational backgrounds and different social classes. This process was carried out from a qualitative methodology (Oral History) with emphasis on two techniques: the open interview and the thematic statement. Research on the São Paulo countryside cultural heritage becomes a paper on the use of cultural property as a source of recreation and tourism, allowing an exercise in awareness of the value of rural areas, by analyzing the subjects' representations and their roles, the rural, and decoding of the existing values in that space imagery.
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are a small yet intriguing class of explosions whose spectra are charac... more Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are a small yet intriguing class of explosions whose spectra are characterized by low-velocity helium emission lines with little to no evidence for hydrogen. The prevailing theory has been that these are the core-collapse explosions of very massive stars embedded in heliumrich circumstellar material (CSM). We report optical observations of six new SNe Ibn: PTF11rfh, PTF12ldy, iPTF14aki, iPTF15ul, SN 2015G, and iPTF15akq. This brings the sample size of such objects in the literature to 22. We also report new data, including a near-infrared spectrum, on the Type Ibn SN 2015U. In order to characterize the class as a whole, we analyze the photometric and spectroscopic properties of the full Type Ibn sample. We find that, despite the expectation that CSM interaction would generate a heterogeneous set of light curves, as seen in SNe IIn, most Type Ibn light curves are quite similar in shape, declining at rates around 0.1 mag day −1 during the first month after maximum light, with a few significant exceptions. Early spectra of SNe Ibn come in at least two varieties, one that shows narrow P Cygni lines and another dominated by broader emission lines, both around maximum light, which may be an indication of differences in the state of the progenitor system at the time of explosion. Alternatively, the spectral diversity could arise from viewing-angle effects or merely from a lack of early spectroscopic coverage. Together, the relative light curve homogeneity and narrow spectral features suggest that the CSM consists of a spatially confined shell of helium surrounded by a less dense extended wind.
The National Revivals: Comparison and Conclusions
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
Up to this point Part One has provided an encompassing but separate account of a relatively large... more Up to this point Part One has provided an encompassing but separate account of a relatively large number of theories as well as empirical instances of national revivals. Theoretical discussions in Chapters 2 and 3 have reduced the number of relevant theories, and some of these have been tested on each specific case of national revival in Chapters 5 to 8.
The National Revivals in Croatia
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The national revivals among the Croats and the Serbian minority in Croatia constituted one of the... more The national revivals among the Croats and the Serbian minority in Croatia constituted one of the decisive factors of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and led to a bloody and violent civil war in Croatia. The events in Croatia and in the rest of Yugoslavia were covered intensively by the Western media. One of the most common explanations offered by journalists was that the end of communist rule took the lid off national aspirations and old hatreds. This chapter puts the popular imagery of ‘tribalism’ and ‘irrationality’ to the test and examines whether the national upheavals can be seen as the result of more rationally based strategies.
The National Conflicts in Moldova
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The case of Moldova provides an example of three simultaneous, strong national revivals. Yet, the... more The case of Moldova provides an example of three simultaneous, strong national revivals. Yet, the resulting national conflict between the Moldovans and the Slays escalated into extensive warfare while the Moldovan-Gagauz conflict remained much less intensive. This chapter examines the reasons why these two conflicts developed so differently.
The Proclivity for Nationalism
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
That the ideology of nationalism is ubiquitous in the present world is obvious. But how can the i... more That the ideology of nationalism is ubiquitous in the present world is obvious. But how can the ideology of nationalism come to command the loyalty of such large numbers of individuals? What induces the individual member of a nation-group to participate in or sympathize with a national movement? In this chapter, we examine two basically different types of answers to this question. One group of theories sees nationalism as resulting from, or at least building on, some kind of human predisposition, whereas the other group of theories sees nationalism as the result of a rational choice. Both groups are microsociological theories — that is, they take as their point of departure primarily the individual and group level of analysis.
The National Revivals in Czechoslovakia
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
The autumn of 1989 was a time of momentous change for the satellite states in Eastern Europe. Aft... more The autumn of 1989 was a time of momentous change for the satellite states in Eastern Europe. After more than 40 years of Soviet hegemony, national movements opting for democracy and market economy were able to gather thousands of people in demonstrations. The communist regimes were overthrown, and soon afterwards the most visible sign of Soviet dominance, the units of the Soviet army, were withdrawn. It was a time of great hope. People expected unification of Europe, a smooth transition to democracy, restoration of basic human rights, and improved living conditions. Yet, the realization of these expectations turned out to be troublesome. At the same time, national identity and the ideology of nationalism began to play a more significant role. As regards Czechoslovakia, for example, the West learned that it was not inhabited by Czechoslovaks but by Czechs and Slovaks. Later, the map of Europe had to be redrawn once again as Czechoslovakia was separated into two separate states.
National Revivals and Their Consequences
Mershon International Studies Review, 1998
Nationalism in Eastern Europe: Causes and Consequences of the National Revivals and Conflicts of ... more Nationalism in Eastern Europe: Causes and Consequences of the National Revivals and Conflicts of Late-Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe by Soren Rinder Bollerup and Christian Dons Christensen
List of Figures xiv List of Abbreviations xv Maps xvii 1 Introduction 1 Outline of the Analysis 2... more List of Figures xiv List of Abbreviations xv Maps xvii 1 Introduction 1 Outline of the Analysis 2 Methods 2 2.1 Definitions 2 2.2 The Comparative Method 3 2.3 Choice of Cases 4
The National Conflict in Estonia
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
Notwithstanding the Estonian national revival and subsequent secession, the presence of a relativ... more Notwithstanding the Estonian national revival and subsequent secession, the presence of a relatively large Russian minority in Estonia, and the overwhelming power of the Russian-dominated USSR and later of the Russian Federation, the national conflict in Estonia remained non-violent. Thus, the relationship between Estonians and Russians in Estonia illustrates that national conflicts do not necessarily escalate.
The Conflict Climate in Eastern Europe
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
Before we turn to a detailed examination of the explanations of national conflict intensity, we s... more Before we turn to a detailed examination of the explanations of national conflict intensity, we shall in this chapter explore the context in which the national conflicts in Eastern Europe developed. Our purpose is to determine whether some generalizable statements about the general opinion climate in Eastern Europe can be made. More precisely, we will assess whether the presence, support, and influence of important actors of escalation affected the general opinion climate in directions benign or malign with respect to the processes of escalation presented in Chapter 10. Or, in other words, we examine whether a conflict climate was prevalent in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Eastern Europe.
The National Revivals in Estonia
Nationalism in Eastern Europe, 1997
In the Soviet Socialist Republic of Estonia, some of the first organizations in the USSR aiming e... more In the Soviet Socialist Republic of Estonia, some of the first organizations in the USSR aiming explicitly at achieving national autonomy or independence were formed. Eventually, the formation and subsequent actions of the Estonian and the numerous other national movements led to the dissolution of the USSR.
Nationalism in Eastern Europe
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Papers by Christian Dons Christensen