Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Bitter icons and ethnic cleansing 1

2002; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 13; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/02757200290002851

1477-2612

Jack Goody,

Balkans: History, Politics, Society

This article argues that 'ethnic cleansing' is not a new phenomenon and has been an essential feature in the formation of modern nation states. It argues there are two problems with the notion of ethnic cleansing. The first has to do with ethnicity; the second with cleansing. Ethnic is a description that has been adopted in too blanket a fashion to refer to any large grouping. Yet in the hands of contemporary social scientists, it rarely refers to religion. In many cases the ethnic elements of ethnic conflict or cleansing (such as differences of language, customs, etc) have often been minimal. One common thread has been a struggle between members of different religious congregations. Religious affiliation, despite the possibility of conversion (which is paradoxically often heavily patrolled), is more 'primordial' than nationality, and the autonomy of religion is often reflected in architecture and attitudes towards representation. Still today, 'ethnic cleansing' which has been fundamental to the establishment of many nation states, is in many (but not all) cases strongly motivated by religious factors. Such influences are not confined to the theological aspects but penetrate into the way we represent the material and consequently the immaterial, the spiritual worlds, including iconography.