Abstract

This comparative study focuses on liminal entities on the international scene, examining their self-understanding in relation to a core entity and civilisation of which they wish to become recognised members. By using discourse analysis, this thesis looks at the relations between Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and the European Union. More specifically, it unpacks the geopolitical images, which were used by political elites in these countries in order to represent them. It builds on previous studies on the subject, and equally reveals the language dynamics that determine the different types of subject positioning, interpellation, and predicate characteristics to be found in connection to the liminal. The analysis concludes that the European Union is note the only entity producing liminal spaces around it, and that liminality is a useful lens in understanding the interstices of the Self/Other nexus in identity negotiation processes

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