Villages in Contemporary Kosovo: Taking Stock

Abstract

This paper explains how state- and nation-building in contemporary Kosovo happens as a pragmatic arrangement between de jure bodies of the state and de facto political agents. Using the example of villages, this paper argues that the Kosovar state needs the social capital that is maintained at the “bottom up” level. In order to harness this capital, the Kosovar state is willing to abstain from intervening at the village level and even grant villages de facto political agency – which, according to the law, they have none. However, the villages have to accept some degree of intervention and co-optation by the Kosovar state. At the very least, they have to channel some of their social capital to support and legitimize the Kosovar state.