Abstrakt
Ethnic revitalization movements are at the first glance examples of particularistic politics of identity: their goal is to promote (cultural-political) interests of particular groups defining themselves by reference to the common origin. Characteristic is adoration of difference and emphasizing the group´s uniqueness.
The paper focuses on Bulgarian Aromanian´s ethnic revitalization movement and analyzes seemingly paradoxical elements of its legitimization strategies: namely presenting cosmopolitanism (as a positive attitude to Otherness and ability or disposition to understand oneself as a member of a number of different communities simultaneously, Hollinger 1995) as a fundamental quality and specific personal attitude of people who consider themselves Aromanians. The paper discusses following questions: is it utilitarianism what stands behind this paradoxical „alliance“ of cosmopolitanism and particularism? Or should we rather talk about some kind of complementarity of this contradictory categories?