The New Bosnian Mosaic : Identities, Memories and Moral Claims in a Post-War Society

Since the violent events of the Bosnian war and the revelations of ethnic cleansing that shocked the world in the early 1990s, Bosnia has become a metaphor for the new ethnic nationalisms, for the transformation of warfare in the post - Cold War era, and for new forms of peacekeeping and state - building. It has spawned an extensive literature, from journalistic enquiries to academic works, however much of this literature deals with the legal character of the war and the institutional framework set up by the Dayton Peace Agreement. The authors of this new book argue that while the realities of post - war Bosnia are indeed strongly influenced by Dayton and the way it has been implemented, they can in no way be reduced to it. This book is unique in offering a re-examination of the Bosnian case with a 'bottom - up' perspective. It gathers together political scientists and social anthropologists, some of whom began working on Bosnia - Herzegovina in the 1980s (including some from the former Yugoslavia) and others who discovered the country during and after the war. The authors consider both the specificities of the Bosnian case, discussing the difficulties of the peace process, especially in the crucial period between 1999 and 2003. However, the book also raises broader questions: What are the consequences of internecine violence and how should societies attempt to overcome them? Are the uncertainties and the transformations of Bosnian post-war society due entirely to the war, or are they related to wider processes encompassing post-communist Europe as a whole? And are the difficulties experienced by international protectorates mainly due to distinctive features of the local societies or are they due to the policies promoted by the organizations themselves? Contents......Page 6 List of Maps......Page 8 List of Figures......Page 10 List of Acronyms......Page 12 List of Contributors......Page 14 Acknowledgements......Page 18 Pronunciation Guide......Page 20 Introduction......Page 22 Part 1 Beyond ‘Ethnicity’......Page 58 1 ‘Imitation of Life’: Negotiating Normality in Sarajevo under Siege......Page 60 2 Urban Exile: Locals, Newcomers and the Cultural Transformation of Sarajevo......Page 80 3 Sarajevo No More? Identity and the Sense of Place among Bosnian Serb Sarajevans in Republika Srpska......Page 100 4 The Power of ‘Armchair Politicians’: Ethnic Loyalty and Political Factionalism among Herzegovinian Croats......Page 122 5 In Search of ‘Decent People’: Resistance to the Ethnicization of Everyday Life among the Muslims of Stolac......Page 144 Part 2 Beyond ‘Ancient Hatred’......Page 160 6 Commemorating Srebrenica: Histories of Violence and the Politics of Memory in Eastern Bosnia......Page 162 7 Death and the Nationalist: Martyrdom, War Memory and Veteran Identity among Bosnian Muslims......Page 188 8 Remembering with a Difference: Clashing Memories of Bosnian Conflict in Everyday Life......Page 214 Part 3 Beyond ‘Protectorate’......Page 230 9 In the Midst of Injustice: The ICTY from the Perspective of some Victim Associations......Page 232 10 ‘Politics is a Whore’: Women, Morality and Victimhood in Post-War Bosnia-Herzegovina......Page 256 11 Ambivalent Builders: Europeanization, the Production of Difference and Internationals in Bosnia-Herzegovina......Page 276 12 Everyday Work: Subsistence Economy, Social Belonging and Moralities of Exchange at a Bosnian (Black) Market......Page 294 Bibliography......Page 316 C......Page 342 D......Page 343 E......Page 344 H......Page 345 I......Page 346 M......Page 347 N......Page 348 P......Page 349 R......Page 350 S......Page 351 W......Page 352 Z......Page 353 'imitation Of Life' : Negotiating Normality In Sarajevo Under Siege / Ivana Maček -- Urban Exile : Locals, Newcomers And The Cultural Transformation Of Sarajevo / Anders Stefansson -- Sarajevo No More? : Identity And The Sense Of Place Among Displaced Serb Sarajevans In Republika Srpska / Ioannis Armakolas -- The Power Of 'armchair Politicians' : Ethnic Loyalty And Political Factionalism Among Herzegovinian Croats / Hannes Grandits -- In Search Of 'decent People' : Resistance To The Ethnicization Of Everyday Life Among The Muslims Of Stolac / Torsten Kolind -- Commemorating Srebrenica : Histories Of Violence And The Politics Of Memory In Eastern Bosnia / Ger Duijzings -- Death And The Nationalist : Martyrdom, War Memory And Veteran Identity Among Bosnian Muslims / Xavier Bougarel -- Remembering With A Difference : Clashing Memories Of Bosnian Conflict In Everyday Life / Stef Jansen -- In The Midst Of Injustice : The Icty From The Perspective Of Some Victim Associations / Isabelle Delpla -- 'politics Is A Whore' : Women, Morality And Victimhood In Post-war Bosnia-herzegovina / Elissa Helms -- Ambivalent Builders : Europeanization, The Production Of Difference And Internationals In Bosnia-herzegovina / Kimberley Coles -- Everyday Work : Subsistence Economy, Social Belonging And Moralities Of Exchange At A Bosnian (black) Market / Larisa Jašarević. Edited By Xavier Bougarel, Elissa Helms, Ger Duijzings. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [295]-320) And Index. "Since the violent events of the Bosnian war and the revelations of ethnic cleansing that shocked the world in the early 1990s. Bosnia has become a metaphor for the new ethnic nationalisms, for the transformation of warfare in the post-Cold War era, and for new forms of peacekeeping and state-building. The authors consider the specificities of the Bosnian case, discussing the difficulties of the peace process, especially in the crucial period between 1999 and 2003, marked by the acceleration of the return process and the rise to power of the Alliance for Change. However, the book also raises broader questions: What are the consequences of internecine violence and how should societies attempt to overcome them? Are the uncertainties and the transformations of Bosnian post-war society due entirely to the war, or are they related to wider processes encompassing post-communist Europe as a whole? And are the difficulties experienced by international state-building operations mainly due to distinctive features of the local societies or are they due to the policies promoted by the international community itself?"--BOOK JACKET Since the violent events of the Bosnian war and the revelations of ethnic cleansing that shocked the world in the early 1990s, Bosnia has become a metaphor for the new ethnic nationalisms, for the transformation of warfare in the post-Cold War era, and for new forms of peacekeeping and state-building. This book is unique in offering a re-examination of the Bosnian case with a'bottom-up'perspective. It gathers together cultural anthropologists and other social scientists to consider the specificities of the Bosnian case. However, the book also raises broader questions: what are the consequences of internecine violence and how should societies attempt to overcome them? Are the uncertainties and the transformations of Bosnian post-war society due entirely to the war, or are they related to wider processes encompassing post-communist Europe as a whole? And are the difficulties experienced by international state-building operations mainly due to distinctive features of the local societies or are they due to the policies promoted by the international community itself? Since the violent events of the Bosnian war and the revelations of ethnic cleansing that shocked the world in the early 1990s, Bosnia has become a metaphor for the new ethnic nationalisms, for the transformation of warfare in the post-Cold War era, and for new forms of peacekeeping and state-building. This book is unique in offering a re-examination of the Bosnian case with a 'bottom-up' perspective. It gathers together cultural anthropologists and other social scientists to consider the specificities of the Bosnian case. However, the book also raises broader what are the consequences of internecine violence and how should societies attempt to overcome them? Are the uncertainties and the transformations of Bosnian post-war society due entirely to the war, or are they related to wider processes encompassing post-communist Europe as a whole? And are the difficulties experienced by international state-building operations mainly due to distinctive features of the local societies or are they due to the policies promoted by the international community itself? Bosnia has become a metaphor for new ethnic nationalisms, for the transformation of warfare in the post-Cold War era, and for new forms of peacekeeping and state-building. Considering both specificities and broader questions, this book is unique in offering a re-examination of the Bosnian case with a 'bottom-up' perspective