Conclusion: minorities and identity in times of crisis - lessons learned and implications for the concept of national minority as a tool to manage diversity in a B/ordered world

This book aims to address the impact of crises on national minority communities. The different contributions have demonstrated that the different restrictions of social life and mobility during the pandemic have had an impact on minorities’ perceptions of society, inclusion, governance and identity. The contributions reflect the continuing struggle of different communities for recognition and influence in day-to-day policymaking. They also reflect that this impact differs from the universal impact of crises on societies. The authorities’ mitigation strategies reflect a majority, territorially b/ordered nation-state approach using the state border as a tool of control (and mobility restriction), with crucially problematic externalities for borderland minority communities. This book is the first comprehensive anthology on the topic and therefore only scratches the surface of the problem. It invites further research.