UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, 7th Annual International Postgraduate Conference

Inclusion Exclusion

16-18th February 2006

Saturday 18 February 12:00 – 1:30: Panel J1: Changing Identities

Plamen Ralchev (University of National and World Economy, Sofia): ‘Understanding inclusion/exclusion of fractured identities and realigned "selves" in security discourse’

Much of security studies and international relations scholarship has established a tradition in considering aspects of inclusion/ exclusion when conducting research on the politics of security. However, the attention is paid to inclusion/ exclusion of minority or other groups at large, not of individual identities. In my paper I argue that individual identities and culture that determines them have an increasing impact on security. I underscore specific transformations caused by globalization, which – in my view - has actually led to fragmented, diverse, unstable and culture-specific world(s), parallel/ fractured societies, and fractured identities. My research especially emphasizes these fractured identities and the stake their inclusion/ exclusion have in security.

Generally, fractured identities could be found in heterogeneous societies and polities, where such identities are, intentionally or not, a by-product of the complicated and multi-level interaction of diverse values and contexts. Basically, these are second or third generations of immigrants or of mixed parentage, born and raised in often contradictory family and societal cultural environments. There are quite many examples in contemporary Europe of fractured identities, to name but few - British Muslims of Pakistani origin, or Dutch Muslims of Moroccan origin. If we project this trend in the future, including the countries in Central and Eastern Europe after their accession to the EU and having in mind the levels of migration, we can foresee a growth of fractured identities in this part of Europe as well. Needless to say, there are such identities there even today. Most of the national minorities living in a country other than their kin-state, suffer such a complex.

Once fractured, the identities in question go down the way of fluctuating, realigning and fusion. Thus, I assume that the modern world is being characterized by multiple and multifaceted contexts and realigning ‘selves’.

What stands behind the notion of ‘realigning selves’? I ascribe this term to fluctuating identities, or to individuals and groups that change their identities (‘selves’) either because of, or irrespective of the cultural contexts they are situated in.

In my research I consider these fluctuating and realigning identities (‘selves’) as important agents in the security policy debate. I search the answer in two directions – what kind of recognition these identities have, if any, on one hand, and how their inclusion/ exclusion shape and inform the security debate, on the other.

In terms of milieu, I assume that realigning of ‘selves’ occurs at different levels – individual, group, societal, national, transnational and international. I highlight the priority of individual, group and transnational levels over the societal, national and international levels. And I also discuss how fractured, realigned and fused identities gain transnationality and what ramifications this may have in security aspect.

To illustrate all these theoretical insights, I discuss whether we can trace any connections between realigned, fractured and fused identities, their inclusion/ exclusion and their propensity to committing acts of gross violence, dubbed as terrorism.

Unfortunately, my reflections on these were triggered and stimulated after the recent terrorist bombings in London and the police revelations of British home-grown terrorists of mixed background. This illuminated in my mind the phenomena of realigned ‘selves’ being bred up in a specific mixture of given societal, group and family cultural contexts, being also influenced by transnational context and finally becoming a transnational ‘selves’ behaving in a destructive manner.