Following recent events in Eastern Europe, questions surrounding European identity seem more pressing than ever. This volume explores, through a series of ethnographic case studies, the construction and experience of identities in Western Europe. All of the case studies are based on fieldwork, and in geographical scope range from Wales to the Basque country; from Corsica to the Lake District. The peoples they look at are similarly diverse: nationalists and members of the Communist party; rural and urban populations. The essays illustrate the ways in which detailed ethnographic case studies...

This book examines the significance of music in the construction of identities and ethnicities, and suggests ways to understand music as social practice. The authors focus on the role of music in the construction of national and regional identities; the media and 'postmodern identity'; concepts of authenticity; aesthetics; meaning; performance; 'world music'; and the use of music as a focus for discursive evocations of 'place'. The chapters tackle a wide range of subjects including 16th century etiquette, Celtic music and Chopin. The volume will be of interest to social anthropologists,...