Living in the borderland: the case of Polish-Lithuanians

ENThere has been a great deal of discussion recently in the social sciences that belonging to a nation-state does not depend entirely on citizenship in that state. Anthropologists note that living in a particular country does not necessarily imply a person's identification with that country. We are referring to a loyalty not construed by territory, but one that may cross the boundaries of one or several states. The borderland is one of the most sensitive areas where national and ethnic identities are most intensively reflected upon by the people living there. As a borderland, Šalčininkai provides a vivid illustration of interactions and changes in ethnic and national identity. [From the publication]