Antinationalism

To start, I have to say I enjoyed Jansen's dissertation very much. I've always been interested in the anti-nationalist current in the former republics of Yugoslavia, especially because it is not something that's usually discussed or even easily accessible for that matter. However, I took issue with parts of the author's narration of conversations he had with various citizens of the former Yugoslavia, in particular his argument that anti-nationalism was a refusal to articulate nationality into a moment of everyday life (85). I was puzzled by Jansen's preoccupation with this "moment in everyday life." I'm actually not so convinced by this point. Would such a definite articulation disrupt the notion of a benign, contented identity. I think that the common denominator in these accounts was that being a Yugoslav was a way of life, part of one's biography, something that was by and large taken for granted. Yes, once the "situation" in Yugoslavia changed, the disintegration effectively began, there were instances in which one's identity was threatened or one had a need to announce his/her identity; thus, they retold special experiences they had in order to illustrate this. But, I think that Yugoslav-ness could be articulated just as well in these specific moments, and they have. Maybe I've misinterpreted Jansen's point, but I am interested to hear what others think of this.