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What Identities in the Present May Mean for the Future of the Western Balkans

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Shaping Social Identities After Violent Conflict

Abstract

The post-conflict generation experiences ethno-religious identity as being thrust upon them, regardless of how much they care about belonging to such groups. Language and physical barriers segregate groups; in addition, one ethnic group in each nation is promoted above others in constitutions and political rhetoric. Because religious groups and ethnicities overlap almost perfectly, identifying with one is the same as identifying with the other, and that leaves little opportunity to develop complex identities that can overlap with those of different others. Yet young adults do not want inequality to be made of the meaning of their social identity and minor changes in social practices could help build nations as communities.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The terms of positions about status of Kosovo are detailed in Chap. 2

  2. 2.

    While Bosniaks refer to an ethnic group, predominantly Muslim, Bosnians refer to all citizens of BiH.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Iris Žeželj

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, USA

    Felicia Pratto

Authors
  1. Iris Žeželj
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  2. Felicia Pratto
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Felicia Pratto

  2. Faculty of Philosoph, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia

    Iris Žeželj

  3. Social Sciences Unit, American University in Kosovo, Prishtina, USA

    Edona Maloku

  4. University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Vladimir Turjačanin

  5. Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Serbia

    Marija Branković

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Žeželj, I., Pratto, F. (2017). What Identities in the Present May Mean for the Future of the Western Balkans. In: Pratto, F., Žeželj, I., Maloku, E., Turjačanin, V., Branković, M. (eds) Shaping Social Identities After Violent Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62021-3_8

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