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Abstract
Interviews with refugees from Kosovo serve to elucidate the political significance of the concepts dealing with traumatic experiences. Both the Western world and its interventions executed during the Balkan War refer to the concept of trauma as a central topic. Any peace-restoring actions, therapeutic interventions and even military campaigns are legitimized by the core concept of trauma. Therefore granting asylum hinges essentially on this concept. Refugees must successfully convince the authorities of being painfully affected by their traumatic experiences, which serve as an asset towards a safer and just future. Clinging to the trauma and the unconscious attachment to the victim role hence create and affirm the national identity. Consequently, by resorting to trauma, the West is in danger of aggravating the tenuous issues of national identity and idiosyncrasy.
Notes
Notes
1. During the following in order to distinguish between the constructivist aspect of trauma and experienced catastrophe I will italicize trauma.
2. But what is the right or the wrong side? During the Second World War Albanians and Germans fought side by side in the SS Skanderbeg division. They both carried out executions of Serbs and Montenegrins, expelled 10 000 Slavic families from Kosovo and settled Albanians and North Albania in Kosovo (Poulton & Vickers, Citation1997, p. 147).