Description
This study examines the ontological security of young adult minorities in two distinct borderland regions through an analysis of spatial, temporal, and affective dimensions. The study builds on creative arts research workshops and interviews with young adult borderlanders in South Tyrol, Italy and the Zaolzie Region in the Czech-Polish borderland. Addressing gaps in border scholarship, it explores how young borderlanders’ lived experiences and narratives find stability amid crises. Drawing on ontological security theory, we analyse how continuous narratives, national–kinstate ties, and cross-border routines underpin identity. The in-between position of minorities provides opportunities for establishing security and navigate moments of insecurity. We argue that young minorities actively reshape borders and identities, using the advantages of horizontal Europeanisation in borderlands and employing their cross-border experiences to deflect disruptions such as Covid-19. Methodologically, we highlight the value of visual methods for researching regional politics.
