Returning Back or to Self: Reluctance and Compatibility of Third space and EU Enlargement to the Inner Other

AK M. A., ARI C. T.

Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/14782804.2025.2589812
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Contemporary European Studies
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Humanities Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Croatia, Cultural hybridity, Europeanization, identity, Serbia, third space
  • Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study delves into the third space, profoundly shaped by the radical cultural turn and poststructuralist ethos of the 1970s, functioning as a liminal, intermediary zone between binaries such as self/other, center/margin, in/out, and colonizer/colonized. Beyond the realm of multiculturalism, cultural hybridity emerges as a metamorphic process within the dichotomy of ‘modifier’ and ‘modified’, introducing a new paradigm of identity transformation. The intensity of intervention into the ontological fabric of local identities, or the response of local identities to such intrusions, fundamentally determines the impact of cultural hybridity. By exploring the concepts of reluctant and compatible hybrids, this study elucidates the complexities of transitioning to the third hybrid space within the framework of EU integration. The primary inquiry examines the extent to which Serbia and Croatia will, or will not, conform to the European identity throughout the EU integration process, offering insights into the dynamic interplay between local and European identities.