The Improvised State
Sovereignty, Performance and Agency in Dayton Bosnia
1st Edition
Published on 28. September 2012
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-4443-3699-3 (ISBN)
Description
The Improvised State provides a highly developed account of the nature and outcomes of Bosnian state practices since the Dayton Peace Agreement. Jeffrey presents new and significant theories, based on extensive fieldwork in Bosnia, which advance understanding of state building.
Provides a major contribution to recent academic debates as to the nature of the state after violent conflict, and offers invaluable insights into state building
Introduces the idea of state improvisation, where improvisation refers to a process of both performance and resourcefulness
Uses the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu to explore how powerful agencies have attempted to present a coherent vision of Bosnia and Herzegovina following the conflict 1992-5
Advances our understanding of the Bosnian state by focusing on the practices of statecraft fostered in the post-Dayton era
Research based on four periods of residential fieldwork in Bosnia, which allowed a detailed analysis of political practices in the country
Provides a major contribution to recent academic debates as to the nature of the state after violent conflict, and offers invaluable insights into state building
Introduces the idea of state improvisation, where improvisation refers to a process of both performance and resourcefulness
Uses the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu to explore how powerful agencies have attempted to present a coherent vision of Bosnia and Herzegovina following the conflict 1992-5
Advances our understanding of the Bosnian state by focusing on the practices of statecraft fostered in the post-Dayton era
Research based on four periods of residential fieldwork in Bosnia, which allowed a detailed analysis of political practices in the country
Reviews / Votes
"I really enjoyed the book. It provides an empirically-rich, methodology-cally-rigorous and conceptually-grounded account of the state 'in action'. It should prove to be essential reading for all those social scientists interested in the state but will also provide inspiration for all those interested in political geography, understandings of power and notions of performance." (Cultural Geographies, 27 December 2013)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Hoboken
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
431 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4443-3699-3 (9781444336993)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2012
Wiley
€41.00
Article not available at the moment
E-Book
07/2012
Wiley-Blackwell
€25.99
Available for download
E-Book
07/2012
Wiley-Blackwell
€25.99
Available for download
Person
Alex Jeffrey is a University Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Cambridge. His research has focused on the governance of post-conflict environments, particularly the former Yugoslavia, and the role of non-governmental organizations in fostering democracy. He is co-author, together with Joe Painter, of Political Geography: An Introduction to Space and Power (2009) and with Anoop Nayak on Geographical Thought: An Introduction to Ideas in Human Geography (2011).
Content
List of Figures ix Series Editors' Preface x
Acknowledgements xi
Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 States, Performance and Improvisation 4
1.2 Towards a Political Anthropology of the Bosnian State 7
1.3 Critical Geopolitics and Qualitative Research Strategy 13
1.4 Structure of the Book 16
2 The Improvised State 20
2.1 The State Idea 22
2.2 Performance and Performativity 26
2.3 Improvisation: Performed Resourcefulness 32
2.4 Improvising the State 38
3 Producing Bosnia and Herzegovina 41
3.1 Fault Line 44
3.2 Barrier 50
3.3 The Balkan Vortex 62
3.4 The General Framework Agreement for Peace 67
3.5 Conclusion 70
4 Performing Breko District 72
4.1 Breko District and Arbitration 75
4.2 Stability: Getting the Job Done 85
4.3 Security: Constructing Legality 91
4.4 Neutralization: Making People Think 97
4.5 Conclusion 102
5 Gentrifying Civil Society 107
5.1 Building Civil Society 111
5.2 Social Capital: The Autonomy of Civil Society 115
5.3 Cultural Capital: 'Don ' t Just Ask for Another Copy Machine!' 118
5.4 Beyond Gentrified Civil Society: Roma and Mjesne Zajednice 123
5.5 Conclusion 129
6 Enacting Justice 132
6.1 Spaces of Justice 134
6.2 Contesting the State 139
6.3 Enrolling Civil Society 145
6.4 Conclusion 153
7 Becoming European 156
7.1 Europeanization and the State 158
7.2 Nested Balkanism 162
7.3 Conclusion 166
8 Conclusion 169
References 179
Index 197
Acknowledgements xi
Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 States, Performance and Improvisation 4
1.2 Towards a Political Anthropology of the Bosnian State 7
1.3 Critical Geopolitics and Qualitative Research Strategy 13
1.4 Structure of the Book 16
2 The Improvised State 20
2.1 The State Idea 22
2.2 Performance and Performativity 26
2.3 Improvisation: Performed Resourcefulness 32
2.4 Improvising the State 38
3 Producing Bosnia and Herzegovina 41
3.1 Fault Line 44
3.2 Barrier 50
3.3 The Balkan Vortex 62
3.4 The General Framework Agreement for Peace 67
3.5 Conclusion 70
4 Performing Breko District 72
4.1 Breko District and Arbitration 75
4.2 Stability: Getting the Job Done 85
4.3 Security: Constructing Legality 91
4.4 Neutralization: Making People Think 97
4.5 Conclusion 102
5 Gentrifying Civil Society 107
5.1 Building Civil Society 111
5.2 Social Capital: The Autonomy of Civil Society 115
5.3 Cultural Capital: 'Don ' t Just Ask for Another Copy Machine!' 118
5.4 Beyond Gentrified Civil Society: Roma and Mjesne Zajednice 123
5.5 Conclusion 129
6 Enacting Justice 132
6.1 Spaces of Justice 134
6.2 Contesting the State 139
6.3 Enrolling Civil Society 145
6.4 Conclusion 153
7 Becoming European 156
7.1 Europeanization and the State 158
7.2 Nested Balkanism 162
7.3 Conclusion 166
8 Conclusion 169
References 179
Index 197