ABSTRACT
The window of opportunity for change that opens up in the context of unexpected events and crises is an aspect that is as much discussed as it is contested. Today there seems to be a general disappointment with change that fails to manifest subsequent to crises, and this pertains also in the case of ignorance. The chapter places this phenomenon at the basis of a broader inquiry into the sources and manifestation of change in relation to the processes of projection, expectation, and contestation. It documents why the study of the European refugee crisis of 2015–2016 is illustrative of modalities of change in the regime of ignorance, as well as why it is relevant to look at the behaviour of new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe in this regard. The chapter presents the main theoretical foundations and methodological paths of this inquiry, venues for further exploration, and the structure of the book.
