Midterm exam
                                                       November 19, 2015

·         Assignment needs to be handed in until Saturday, November 21, 23:59

·         Do not send it by email BUT upload your paper (doc.) in the homework vault called
“midterm exam 19. 11. 2015”

·         Stay within the minimum and maximum word limit +/-   10%, excluding biography and
appendixes

·         Include a word count for each task  at the bottom your answer

·         For Cheating, Plagiarism and late penalties see syllabus

·         This assignment represents 30 percent of your final evaluation

·         Read chapters 8 and 18 of the book Balkan Express written by Slavenka Drakulic and use
its content to support your argumentation in answers of relevant questions. (your ability to
critically evaluate, put in theoretical framework and use it as a supportive material will be also
evaluated)

·         You can type directly into this paper


I. Frame narratives of the various characters presented at the documentary Two summers in Kosovo
and analyse them with the use of theoretical approaches to ethnicity you know. Support your
conclusion with quotations. Have a close look at minimum 2 different opinions. (700 words)

II. Gerd Baumann (1999) argues that ethnicity is often reified and essentialized as if it were one
thing beyond change. Explain what he means by this and give an example of ‘everyday primordialism’
(taken from newspapers, magazines, TV, film, song lyrics or else) and reflect on this by making use
of the course literature. Spend at least half of the paper on your ‘case study’. You can add your
‘case material’ as an appendix to the paper.  (700 words)


II. Analyse the documentary The Death of Yugoslavia and relate aspects of the Yugoslavia case as to
relevant concepts/theories/debates in course literature. Be selective! Do not apply all theory to
the entire documentary episode, but carefully select analytical perspectives and ideas from the
literature that you think are relevant to relate to specific fragments or scenes, actors,
interactions etc as shown in the documentary. Use examples coming from  at least three different
episodes. (700 words)


III. What is it “groupism?” Who introduced this term and for what purpose? How shouldn’t be used
and why? What is the way to overcome its risks? Demonstrate what it is on practical examples from
the course literature or documentaries. Spend at least half of the paper on your ‘case study’

(400 words)


IV. How differs primordial and constructivists approach toward ethnicity? How the way an issue is
approached at the most general level with the use of different theoretical perspective, consciously
or not, may affect the outcome of the real situation (conflict, war, reconciliation process)? (400
words)