From the Greek as a person to a person as a Greek: An Anthropological investigation of the national identification process in Macedonia

Δεν διατίθεται περίληψη στα ελληνικάApplying a «Modemist» approach on nation-building this paper examines the national identification process in Macedonia of the late 19th-early 20th century. It is argued that in Macedonia, identification with a nationality during that period only partly overlapped with pre-existing cultural backgrounds.In Macedonia, during that period, the decision to adopt a national identity was taken inside the very specific environment of the nationalistic movements of that era. Such a decision was made at various levels, from the regional to the personal. The flexibility of the national identification process and the non correspondence between national groups and social categories (villages, parishes, patrigroups, families, etc.) indicates that the criteria applied were clearly political. Nationalities in Macedonia were political groups rather than ethnically or culturally homogeneous units. Ethnic origins and cultural background should have a limited value in our explanation of the national identification process as it took place in Macedonia during the initial nation - building period