L'Europa sudorientale e la storia comparata europea

Abstract

South-eastern Europe and comparative European history suggests new research perspectives on Southeast European history, envisaging it as a comprehensive part of European history. The debate about mental map of the as negative alter ego of West (Maria Todorova), on one hand, and construction of Balkans as a historical space sui generis (Holm Sundhaussen), on other, provide framework for reflections presented here. The article proposes following methodological lines for inclusion of Balkans in European history writing: 1) research in social history, based on solid empirical evidence, informed by cultural history, and embedded in European history by including comparison, transfer, and entanglement; 2) research that focuses on perspectives of actors, as opposed to hitherto dominant research on structures and collectives; 3) research that enquires into life worlds, i.e. milieu, networks, and other micro-situations, that make possible a more thorough examination of how, in given social contexts, meaning was conferred and constructed.