About
Ground-breaking research
A pioneering endevour
The first existing study on the Constitution as a lieu de mémoire
Reverse perspective
Un unexplored area of research
We-R explores the role of Constitutions in forging memory and identity. It then examines how constitutionally defined narratives exercise their influence over legislation, politics and society.
While the existing studies are focused on the reconciliatory potential of the Constitution, We-R focuses on how Constitutions are used as tools for creating divisions and regimes of exclusion.
Case-study approach
Genuinely interdisciplinary
Innovative Multimethod Approach
From theory to practice
We-R provides an answer to relevant research questions, including: How Constitutions remember? What happens when democratic Constitutions contain nationalist founding myths and symbols? Is there any way in which the hold of nationalist narratives can be resisted in the Constitution? In other words, is there a possibility to help democratization through memory work?
The Balkans are a perfect case study. Often defined as land of myths and symbols, this is a region of an extraordinary cultural heterogeneity - the world in microcosm.
For this reason, We-R inevitably exceeds the boundaries of case study and draws several broader generalizations in relation to democratic memory construction through Constitutions potentially applicable to other divided societies.
We-R bridges three fields (legal studies, nationalism studies, and memory studies), and one “area studies” (Balkan studies).
We-R introduces in the comparative law method the empirical research. It combines comparative law methodology, political discourse analysis, social media research, and multimodal discourse analysis.
We-R reinforces the interaction between academic world and policy-makers by developing a research-led policy-making.