To those who were born after the dissolution of Yugoslavia the idea of a state has stayed relatively stable since then. There is not a question of whether how a state got there as for the most time they have just been there. While many former republics in Yugoslavia were able to find statehood and join the international order, there was one that has been entrapped in its history causing it to fall behind others and be recognized internationally as its neighbors. The state of Kosovo in the Balkans region of Europe now sits in a place of “what’s next” after their self-determination in 2008 led them to leave the UN interim administration they were under and declared themselves an independent state. Throughout my research, I want to explore the complexity of Kosovo and how they got to where they are today. From this process, I hope to understand more about the idea of a modern state that struggles to be globally recognized. I also am hoping to explore more behind the concepts of self-determinism.
As we start to get into the research process one of the first things have I started to inquire about was what I want to examine. I can see myself going towards the direction of examining self-determination, unrecognized states, and how Kosovo will be examined within the future. The direction I am going in feels correct, but I need a way to connect everything I want to do together more cohesively. I am also curious to if there are any other states similar to Kosovo that could provide me another opportunity to look at essentially another region of the world and see how the concepts about the conception about the constitution of a state applies to them.
The one puzzle I am dealing with is understanding the complexity of the relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. My interest in Kosovo came from all primarily self-taught information I took upon myself as I literally have never had it taught to me in a formal environment. One of the biggest things I would like to do is find more ways to understand this relationship that deals a lot with the order of Kosovo for the future internationally.
One source of information that sparks my interest is the Republic of Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs website which states that “International recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Kosovo will remain a priority to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” (). This source has always intrigued my interest as I believe it defines the interests of the government of Kosovo for what they want in the future.
“International Recognitions Of The Republic Of Kosovo – Foreign Policy.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Republic of Kosovo. Accessed August 31, 2018. http://www.mfaks.net/?page=2,224.
lf5995a says
Griffin,
I found your topic very interesting. I actually learned a little bit about the history regarding the Balkans region in my Writing class last semester. Specifically, we looked at the Bosnian War. I think it’d be very interesting if you considered how the Bosnian conflict shaped the making of Kosovo’s statehood. I know most countries in this region were impacted negatively by this conflict. Perhaps you should consider this when you begin to draft your research paper.
hb7176a says
Griffin–
I applaud you for taking on a topic that you have largely taught yourself! I think this will translate into a more authentic research process, as your preconceived notions on the topic are likely more limited than they would be if you had taken a class, or something similar, on the issue. It sounds like you are in the right track as far as primary source material goes; perhaps your interest in the ministry’s website could shape your research to focus on the government’s own narrative on the conflict.
Dr. Boesenecker says
Griffin — you are off to a good start here with some good thoughts on the potential directions that your research could take. As you think about the general topic area, what have you read recently in the topic area? What kind of general or conceptual problems are at stake here? Starting to investigate scholarship on your broad/general topic area is a good next step since identifying the debates among scholars (debates about what we understand / what we don’t understand) is one important part of identifying your own specific research puzzle. I look forward to seeing how the research develops!
Milena Bozovic says
Griffin —
Your topic sounds incredibly interesting to me, both because our projects center around the same region of Southeastern Europe, and because I am a Serb. Your topic, like you said, does seem a little vast, as statehood and Kosovo’s history are both expansive topics. I’m not exactly sure how to remedy this, as I am still struggling with the same specification of my own project, but it could be interesting to look at the relationship between Kosovan recognition and the Bosnian wars in the 90s. How, or did, the global focus on Bosnia during that period affect the pathway to Kosovan independence from Serbia? Also, since you said you’re mostly self-taught about the topic, you could look into Serbian scholarship on the roots of its kinship with Kosovo. Historically, Kosovo was a religious and cultural epicenter for Serbs. There are many Serbian songs that refer to Kosovo as the “heart of Serbia” because of its enduring importance to its identity. You should look into this as explanatory as to why Serbs are so strongly against the recognition of Kosovo. Another thing I can say, just by virtue of being Serbian, is that many Serbs don’t view the Kosovan state as legitimate because they say it is the only state whose constituents have two countries–Albania and Kosovo. Those two peoples are ethnically the same (both Albanians and Kosovans say this too), and yet they have two countries. You might want to explore this and its affect on Serbian (and other allies’) perceptions on notions of statehood. I hope this helps in some capacity, if anything just to give you some recommendations on background reading you can do to get a fuller picture of the Kosovan context in Serbia.