Dressing Like a State: Civil Society and Nation-Building in Kurdistan and Kosovo

How does civil society conduct nation-building? In 2017, the inaugural edition of Kurdistan Fashion Week focused as much on sovereignty and independence as it did on clothes. It also revealed a growing phenomenon: civil society groups, particularly in aspiring states, engaging in nation-building rhetoric and symbolism through cultural events. And yet, dominant theories of nation-building focus only on the state. The role of civil society groups - though understood by other subfields to be highly political actors - is not yet widely explored. What strategies does civil society employ as compared to the state? And what audiences do they seek to engage with? Using within- and across-case comparisons of Kurdistan and Kosovo, I hypothesize that, while governments focus on policy initiatives and seek recognition from other state actors, civil society groups are more likely to use symbols and symbolic events, stepping outside the traditional state system to avail themselves to a broader non-state international audience. I also examine the effect of external recognition over time. Overall, this article offers insight into the evolving engagement of non-state actors in the international system, as well as the strategic role of symbols in shaping perceptions.