Re-visioning Europe

About this book

Questions about where and what 'Europe' is have featured prominently in the social sciences and humanities as well as in political discourse since 1989, not least in the US government's recent distinction between an 'old' and a 'new' Europe, the eastward expansion of the EU and the drafting of a European Constitution. Using journeys in pursuit of a vision as a metaphor, the book explores key issues for contemporary Europe and its future development from an interdisciplinary perspective grounded mainly in European ethnology, cultural anthropology, human geography, and political economy. In five substantive chapters, it offers a synthesis dealing with: migration within and into Europe; boundaries; heritage and tradition; socio-economic structures, processes and change; and, finally, the role of ethnology in education and cultural practice. The book is framed by personal reflections on changing visions of Europe, suggesting a fresh envisioning of a dis-placed continent.