To Be or Not to Be… Georgians? Sub-Ethnic Groups and the Georgian Nation

Bibliographic Data

ID17533119
AuthorsVincenc Kopeček (0000-0001-8482-8419, University of Ostrava, corresponding author), Tomáš Hoch (0000-0002-2244-4724, University of Ostrava), Slavomír Horák (0000-0002-6721-2505, Charles University)
Year2026
Pages1-20
Publication date2026-02-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNationalities Papers (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-5992 • E-ISSN: 1465-3923
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/nps.2025.10122
OpenAlexW7127041437
LanguageEN
References cited31

This article examines the identities of three sub-ethnic and ethnographic groups in Georgia – Adjarians, Megrelians, and Tushetians – and their relationship to the Georgian nation in political and ethnic terms. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2023, the study explores how these groups navigate their distinct cultural markers, such as religion, language, and traditions, while engaging with the broader national identity. Using the theoretical framework of nationalization, the analysis explores four key themes: the salience of ethno-cultural differences, the transformation of sub-ethnic identities, the politicization of ethno-cultural markers, and the groups’ historical narratives emphasizing their contributions to Georgian-ness. The findings highlight the link between local identities and national integration. The findings contribute to broader theoretical debates on nationalization by demonstrating that the integration of sub-ethnic groups is not a unidirectional process of homogenization, but a dynamic negotiation of diversity and unity

Ethnic group · Ethnography · Georgian · Narrative · Negotiation · Politics · Salience (neuroscience) · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics

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