The 'Greece' of Britain and the 'Britain' of Greece

The role Western philhellenism played in the
production of modern Greek identity has been the
object of extensive research. Scholars focused on the
importance Hellenic culture acquired in European
discourses of modernity and the maintenance of
national and imperial self-images in the West. The
present book re-conceptualises the historical
emergence of such discursive frameworks as gatekeepers of hegemonic and counter-hegemonic
projects. The specific context it explores is that of
Anglo-Greek cultural exchange in the third quarter of
the nineteenth century (1864-1881). It is argued that
Greece s ambiguous attitude toward British demands
for Greek modernisation, and British frustration
originating in modern Greek irredentism and internal
disorder, define the frame of resistance. Constant
miscommunication between Greeks and
Britons made co-operation impossible and assisted in
the production of Greek counter-hegemony. The
specific path of Greek modernisation, state, and
nation-formation was developed in several key
political/discursive conflicts around: (i) Crime and
disorder, (ii) the rationalisation of historical
past, and (iii) the nationalist project of the Great
Idea .

Autorentext
Rodanthi Tzanelli is lecturer in Sociology and deputy director, Centre for Ethnicity and Racism Studies, at the School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, UK. Her interests include the critical study of national and European identities, the politics and ethics of cultural industries and representations of deviancy.

Klappentext
The role Western philhellenism played in the production of modern Greek identity has been the object of extensive research. Scholars focused on the importance Hellenic culture acquired in European discourses of modernity and the maintenance of national and imperial self-images in the West. The present book re-conceptualises the historical emergence of such discursive frameworks as 'gatekeepers' of hegemonic and counter-hegemonic projects. The specific context it explores is that of Anglo-Greek cultural exchange in the third quarter of the nineteenth century (1864-1881). It is argued that Greece's ambiguous attitude toward British demands for Greek modernisation, and British frustration originating in modern Greek irredentism and internal disorder, define the frame of resistance. Constant miscommunication between Greeks and Britons made co-operation impossible and assisted in the production of Greek counter-hegemony. The specific path of Greek modernisation, state, and nation-formation was developed in several key political/discursive conflicts around: (i) Crime and disorder, (ii) the rationalisation of historical past, and (iii) the nationalist project of the 'Great Idea'.