About
Ground-breaking research
A pioneering endevour
The first existing study on a Constitution as a place of memory
Reverse perspective
Un unexplored area of research
What is the role of Constitutions in forging collective memory and national identity? We-R examines how constitutionally defined narratives exercise their influence over legislation, politics, and society.
Existing studies are focused on the reconciliatory potential of Constitutions. 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
How do 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?
Often described as a land of myths and symbols, the Balkans is a region of an extraordinary cultural heterogeneity: the world in microcosm. We-R is based on a case study approach but inevitably exceeds the boundaries of a 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 empirical research into the comparative law method. 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.