East, Post-East and beyond: Panethnic Identity Constructions in Germany and the Czech Republic
The dissertation project examines the conditions under which panethnic identity constructions emerge, spread, and are abandoned. A panethnic identity construction refers to an identity construction with which people from different countries identify, who feel connected on the basis of imagined commonalities. The aim of this study is to examine the dynamic process of panethnic identity construction, taking into account the power relations in the host society and among in-group members. The study will focus on the previously neglected consideration of the ethnic identity constructions of migrants and their descendants from ‘Eastern Europe’ as panethnic. To answer the research question, narrative interviews will be analyzed based on narrative analysis and Grounded Theory methodology. The interlocutors are individuals who themselves or those (grand)parents migrated from ‘Eastern’, ‘Central Eastern’, or ‘Southeastern European’ countries and who identify with a panethnic identity construction. To comprehensively analyze the role of host societies in the identification process, the study is conducted in Germany and the Czech Republic. The research project originated from the encounter with a panethnic identity construction – Post-Ost (eng.Post-East) – in Germany. The Czech Republic was selected as the second site for data production for the following reasons. On the one hand, it is necessary to investigate whether the different ethnic composition of the two societies has an impact on the dynamics within the study group. On the other hand, the study of the ethnic identity constructions of people with a migration background from ‘Eastern Europe’ in the CzechRepublic is intended to demonstrate that ethnic boundaries are social constructs in which various differences and similarities can be accentuated or concealed. The research project focuses on the interactive and processual understanding of identity construction and critically examines (pan-)ethnicity as an identity-forming element. The dissertation project takes up self-designations and attempts to deconstruct them. In the process of deconstruction, experiences become visible that determined the construction of identity. In addition, the interviews analyzed show that self-designations make it possible to position oneself in society in relation to the non-migrant population and other people with a migration background. Moreover, the self-designations are employed to situate oneself within the diasporic communities. In addition to a shared origin, shared values also play a role. The results will be situated within the broader context of German and Czech societies by comparing the identity constructions of the study group with those of other panethnic and ethnic groups (e.g., Afro-Germans and Asian-Germans in Germany, “banana children” in the Czech Republic).

Keywords: positionality, postmigration, panethnicity, self- and external perception, self-ascription of people with migration background, Eastern Europeanism