Identity Development in Small Ethnic Communities in Bulgaria
Identity Development in Small Ethnic Communities in Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with the issue of identity development of Bulgarian Muslims – one of the minorities in Bulgaria. The basic assumption is that their ethnic (collective) identity has been developed as multiple identities under the primordial, modern, and postmodern features, circumstances and phenomena originated in the historical, political, cultural and socioeconomic environment and relations of power and dominance. Presenting the stories of three representatives of the Bulgarian Muslims minority the paper focuses on how European integration challenges their identity: their limited experiences in Europe were collected as a result of an attempt to escape the economic situation in the country, to get out of the traumas they feel with respect to the Bulgarian majority. Their stories present an interesting mixture of imagination and personal impressions of Europe. The paper explores the use of the qualitative method of autobiographical interview as a method for studding identity construction and development.

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