New book teritorial identities, edited by Bulgarian geographer

Territories and identities in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (Edited by V. Mihaylov). Instytut Geopolityki, Częstochowa, 2014, 364 pp.

In this volume the reader will find a diversity of approaches to the appraisal of territory as a source and stable marker of human identity as well as of power of consciousness in making symbolic or political divisions of the geographical space. Taking into account these multidirectional theoretical bases for the study of identity in a geospatial aspect, and inviting colleagues from different countries to take part in this book project, with papers’ topics of their own choice, the editor wanted to achieve three ambitious purposes: 1. Presentation of chosen theoretical and methodological concepts developed by authors from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, corresponding to the matter of consciousness and identity on a geospatial scope. 2. Discussion of the results from selected empirical investigations of territorial consciousness and identity on various spatial scales – from the local, to regional, national, and up to the supranational. 3. Encouraging exchange of viewpoints – in some aspects controversial and contradictory – of scientists from different national schools, concerning geopolitical and ethnopolitical dimensions of territorial identity. For that purpose, chapters which include examples of what the inhabitants of investigated countries, regions and metropolitan areas think of themselves and of the position and significance of their own place in the world are especially relevant.