Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
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Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
Ok, so I have a class project where I'm exploring micronationalism as an underground, unofficial cultural group case study. For reasons of membership, activity, and cross-border interaction, I am focusing my attention on Ashkenatza and the Bastion Union. HOWEVER, the overall purpose of the project focuses on micronationalism as a whole, so I am reaching out to as many people as possible. These are open to EVERYBODY. But please, please PLEASE adhere to my requirements, etc. in the rest of this post. It is VERY important that 1) my requests concerning submissions are followed, and 2) you understand the legal bits about disclosure.
To this end, I am conducting interviews concerning 1)micronationalism as a hobby, 2) involvement in micronationalism, and 3) opinions on the larger phenomenon as a whole. The first section deals mostly with non-nation specific interaction, the second is more specific to the nation(s) to which you belong, and the third is largely conjecture on what you think of the other sectors, the secesionists, old-school micronationalism, etc.
For purposes of objectivity, do NOT post responses here. I can not use a response if it is posted here, and, to be frank, have a dilemma using responses received after a response is posted here.
PLEASE either PM me your responses, or email me at b[dot]a[dot]henzelli[at]gmail[dot]com.
For purposes of maintaining cultural "authenticity" in the project, your micronational personas will be used to reference your responses, and no real names will be utilized AT ALL. So, if Chaim Wajnstein submits a response, he will be referred to as such, and not by his macronational name.
In the interests of full legality, etc. by submitting a filled in interview, you are releasing me to reprint any and/or all responses under your micronational alias. You are furthermore releasing me to submit them, in full, as an addendum to the final draft paper to a) my professor who will grade the work, and b) to any student or professional journal to which I might have an opportunity to submit this work. In all fairness, the latter probably will not happen, but it's a part of the legal business when dealing with interviews. In short, any submission becomes MY property to do with as I see fit, barring any misrepresentation of the opinions contained therein.
That being out the way, anyone interested please fill out the following. Be as succinct or detailed as you like, though detailed responses are preferable. For control purposes, anything asking for micronational aliases, citizenships, etc. should be filled in at minimum. Without this information, I really can't use your response. Everything else is optional.
To this end, I am conducting interviews concerning 1)micronationalism as a hobby, 2) involvement in micronationalism, and 3) opinions on the larger phenomenon as a whole. The first section deals mostly with non-nation specific interaction, the second is more specific to the nation(s) to which you belong, and the third is largely conjecture on what you think of the other sectors, the secesionists, old-school micronationalism, etc.
For purposes of objectivity, do NOT post responses here. I can not use a response if it is posted here, and, to be frank, have a dilemma using responses received after a response is posted here.
PLEASE either PM me your responses, or email me at b[dot]a[dot]henzelli[at]gmail[dot]com.
For purposes of maintaining cultural "authenticity" in the project, your micronational personas will be used to reference your responses, and no real names will be utilized AT ALL. So, if Chaim Wajnstein submits a response, he will be referred to as such, and not by his macronational name.
In the interests of full legality, etc. by submitting a filled in interview, you are releasing me to reprint any and/or all responses under your micronational alias. You are furthermore releasing me to submit them, in full, as an addendum to the final draft paper to a) my professor who will grade the work, and b) to any student or professional journal to which I might have an opportunity to submit this work. In all fairness, the latter probably will not happen, but it's a part of the legal business when dealing with interviews. In short, any submission becomes MY property to do with as I see fit, barring any misrepresentation of the opinions contained therein.
That being out the way, anyone interested please fill out the following. Be as succinct or detailed as you like, though detailed responses are preferable. For control purposes, anything asking for micronational aliases, citizenships, etc. should be filled in at minimum. Without this information, I really can't use your response. Everything else is optional.
Slavic 251 Final Project Case Study Interview
Author: B. Hensley
Written: 21 Feb. 2011
::Begin Interview::
Preliminary information (required):
i. Micronational alias(es): (Primary first, as this will be used in the project)
ii. Current micronational citizenship(s):
iii. First micronation joined/founded:
Main interview:
1. What is your personal definition of a "micronation" and "micronationalism"?
2. Generally, micronations are divided between secession attempts and non-secessionist simulation projects. Our focus is on the latter. To what degree do most micronations simulate the occurrences of a real-world government? IE: do representative democracies exist? Do cabinets have committees? Can people be arrested? etc. Or are micronations generally more pragmatic about what can and cannot be done with the hobby?
3. A phrase that used to be heard a lot but isn't so much anymore was "YAMO"--yet another micronational organization. What impetus do micronationalists have in creating and pursuing micronational organizations? Do failed organizations still bear some weight in contemporary micronational discourse?
4. What role does the MCS, one of the most successful micronational organizations to date, play in the anglophone sector beyond simply mapping the fictional planet of Micras? How do newer nations approach this organization and become more deeply involved in the wider community?
5. What was your primary motivation in joining/founding your first micronation?
6. How long have you been involved with the micronational hobby?
7. As nations have come and gone, have you learned any valuable lessons in keeping a nation alive?
8. In the divide between political and cultural simulations, what have you seen as the primary reason nations like Antica, Natopia, and Shireroth, being primarily social/politica, have survived for so long? What has kept primarily cultural simulations like Ashkenatza and Alexandria going?
9. The recent, widely publicized, disputes between Bastion and Ashkenatza has underscored this cultural/political divide and highlighted a heretofore little known subcultural divide within the hobby. What impact do you think this has on the wider community? Does this dynamic present new questions for the future?
10. In recent months, attention has been raised concerning other sectors of the hobby. For instance, the Polish sector flooded Ashkenatza before interaction with them ceased, and recent dialogue between Micras and the MicroWiki nations resulted in, yet, more cross-cultural misunderstanding. Is increased dialogue with other sectors important? Is it even desirable?
11. Nations like Talossa have existed since the 1970's, as largely isolated events, only becoming widely known after the advent of the internet. While largely secessionist in nature, these communities claim the title "micronation" as well. Is there harm in these two very different cultures claiming the same title? What about the recent attempt to rebrand simulationist micronationalism as "cultural geofiction"?
12. With the average age of the internet micronationalist rapidly moving up into the 20's, with the majority of micronationalists having joined in the early- to mid-2000's, what do you see happening with the hobby as this age group matures and becomes more involved with their adult careers and lives?
13. With cultural simulationism becoming less and less popular with newer nations, and older nations abandoning it in favor of more socialized interaction, what do you make of the "chan" phenomenon gripping many nations, in which their off-topic fora are taking on more and more of the "chan" identity? Is this a new, integral dynamic of micronationalism? Or is it somehow weakening the identity of the hobby and opening it up to undesirable elements?
14. The Recwar. What is it?
15. Is the recwar mainly recreational, or is it possible to utilize it for more "conventional" means? IE, can a nation pursue it as a means to achieve regime change in another nation, or form a coalition to place pressure on a "rogue" or belligerent nation?
16. The recent agreement between Ashkenatza and Elwynn on the Amokolia question raises a precedent on micronational interventionism, and also raises the question about who owns the cultural/social/political entities of a particular nation. How should micronationalists proceed in this regard? Should interventionism become an acceptable way to settle complicated questions like this? Or do the original creators retain total control over their projects, even once they are ceded to another nation?
17. Any final thoughts, comments, concerns about micronationalism not covered in the interview that you would like addressed? (additional interviews can be written up for this purpose)
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ashkenatza
General uppity Russophile.
Current Excitement-builder: Search For Atlantis on NatGeo tonight at 4.
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Re: Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
I did a presentation a couple of weeks ago on micronations for part of one of my modules' assessments
Will try and help you with responses tomorrow morning!
Will try and help you with responses tomorrow morning!
Re: Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
Update:
The project was a complete success, though I learned the hard lesson during my pre-presentation meeting with my professor that, when describing this hobby to someone in an academic setting, it is a prerequisite that you divorce all knowledge of Balkanization and Balkan nationalism from their minds before proceeding. This was a hard lesson to learn and took me almost an hour to realize this is why my professor was so horrified by what I was planning on presenting. After this was cleared up, she found it genuinely interesting.
Additionally, it will be submitted to the Aleichem National Library of Ashkenatza as well as the Center for Micropatriology because, well, it falls under the category of the study of micronations. I hope everyone likes pretty pdf files! Though, be forwarned, the interviews (Appendix) is three times longer than the paper itself. You guys were WORDY.
Not everyone was quoted or referenced, but every interview is included in the Appendix.
Unfortunately for our Microwiki friends, the focus of the study was Micras. I did not have enough time or resources to do a respectable investigation of wiki nations, so I had to leave you guys out. So sorry. But hopefully, some of this research applies to you guys as well, and you can use it as a starting point for your own investigations.
The project was a complete success, though I learned the hard lesson during my pre-presentation meeting with my professor that, when describing this hobby to someone in an academic setting, it is a prerequisite that you divorce all knowledge of Balkanization and Balkan nationalism from their minds before proceeding. This was a hard lesson to learn and took me almost an hour to realize this is why my professor was so horrified by what I was planning on presenting. After this was cleared up, she found it genuinely interesting.
Additionally, it will be submitted to the Aleichem National Library of Ashkenatza as well as the Center for Micropatriology because, well, it falls under the category of the study of micronations. I hope everyone likes pretty pdf files! Though, be forwarned, the interviews (Appendix) is three times longer than the paper itself. You guys were WORDY.
Not everyone was quoted or referenced, but every interview is included in the Appendix.
Unfortunately for our Microwiki friends, the focus of the study was Micras. I did not have enough time or resources to do a respectable investigation of wiki nations, so I had to leave you guys out. So sorry. But hopefully, some of this research applies to you guys as well, and you can use it as a starting point for your own investigations.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ashkenatza
General uppity Russophile.
Current Excitement-builder: Search For Atlantis on NatGeo tonight at 4.
Re: Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
I'm glad to hear it went well - but I'm SO SORRY I wasn't able to fill out the form
Out of interest, what areas of Ashkenatza did your project cover?
Out of interest, what areas of Ashkenatza did your project cover?
Re: Class project on micronations! Neat, huh?
It's focus was the micronational hobby in general illustrated by Ashkenatza specifically. If I had had more time, I could have done a more in-depth detail, but unfortunately, circumstances being what they were, I was even more pressed for time so reading it it does sound a little rushed. But, it is what it is.
As for you not filling out the survey, Aster, shame shame! Actually, knowing you AND your brother, the twins would have made up half the Appendix by yourselves. As it is, Max never actually finished his survey, and his half-survey was as long as several of the completed surveys.
As for you not filling out the survey, Aster, shame shame! Actually, knowing you AND your brother, the twins would have made up half the Appendix by yourselves. As it is, Max never actually finished his survey, and his half-survey was as long as several of the completed surveys.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ashkenatza
General uppity Russophile.
Current Excitement-builder: Search For Atlantis on NatGeo tonight at 4.