Doctoral student Natasa Garic-Humphrey, supervised by Dr. Esra Ozyurek, will research how alternative forms of citizenship and political subjectivities emerge in moments of societal transition. This research will investigate how young Bosnian activists adopt, reject, and/or re-interpret ideologies and models of the future created by local and international elites, and will study what kinds of strategies, subjectivities, and forms of alternative citizenship they develop in the process. Specific objectives are: (1) to identify how young activists engage in political debates permeating Bosnian society; (2) to document the ways Bosnian activists perform resistance against the current socio-political situation in the country, and to identify the stances they may take vis-Ã -vis the state; and (3) to evaluate forms of moral alignments and worldviews that are indexed by activists' performances in order to understand their ideas of what constitutes a "good citizen."
The researchers will utilize social science research methods such as participant observation and informal, semi-structured, and person-centered interviews in order to gain an understanding of young activists' experiences of nationalism, citizenship, and emerging political subjectivities. Video recording of public discourse and activists' performances will be an important data collection method as well, in order to enhance the study with subjective and experiential depth.
This research is important, as its findings will contribute to debates on post-conflict and transitional societies, and will further elaborate the broader understandings of postsocialism. The focus on individual experiences and performative strategies will add to larger discussions about citizenship, nationalism, ethnic relations, and state-building. Furthermore, this project will show that young people's experiences are integral to the structural issues of peace- and state-building. In addition to contributing to the training of a graduate student, the research will also inform policymakers, international intervention programs, and NGOs about everyday Bosnians' lived experiences, thereby further illuminating and perhaps resolving region's the ethnic conflict.
This is an anthropological study of new forms of identification emerging in the middle of turbulent social, political, cultural, and economic transformations among young activists and other engaged citizens in present day Bosnia-Herzegovina. Almost 20 years after the end of the war, citizens of ethnically divided Bosnia are experiencing increased alienation from the state and lack of social support. High unemployment rates and widespread corruption in politics and business are contributing to the general apathy among many Bosnians. Debilitated social, political, and economic situation is further adding to an atmosphere of heightened post-war nationalist tensions among Bosnian Serbs, Croats, and Muslims, which in turn are creating distinct ethnic subjectivities. In this context youth are extremely vulnerable. They are marginalized, excluded from meaningful participation in the society, and face precarious futures. Yet despite this depressed economy of morality, some young Bosnian activists are adopting a stance of "reverse patriotism"-patriotism that rejects the current state with distorted system of values, but works toward making changes by opposing nationalist discourses, corrupted morality, and disunited citizenship promoted by the people in power. Therefore, this study aims to better understand the search of young Bosnian activists for alternative ways of citizenship that transcends ethnic polarization, and their incorporation of ethics, morality, and hope for a better future amidst post-war struggle, economic devastation, and nationalist ideologies. Some questions I ask are: How do young activists engage themselves in political debates permeating Bosnian society and what kind of ambivalent stances they take vis-à-vis the state? What forms of moral alignments and worldviews are indexed by activist’ performances? How and under what circumstances can people sustain agentive subjectivities and hopeful visions, and what kinds of ideologies and modes of representation they are drawing upon? On a more subjective level, I argue that empowerment in such a demoralizing environment comes from a variety of sources. It comes from the sense of fulfillment brought by young activists’ endeavors to produce despite the crisis, which is the opposite to current unproductive political stalemate of Bosnian government. It also comes from the practice of affective politics, where a base of trust is established among people fighting for the same cause through an emotional (affective) connection. I argue that affective politics is one of the most important foundations for progress in a movement, yet, it is hard to establish in a short period of time, under stress, and under constant attempts of manipulation and sabotage (by mainstream politics, media, and the police). On a broader level, I argue that young Bosnian activists feel alienated from externally imposed citizenship project instituted by national and international policy-makers. The Dayton Peace Agreement not only ended the war but also declared the citizenship agenda to be overseen by international administrators (Chandler 2000). Also, since 1990 this country has been led by political elites who promoted ethnic polarization with revisions of histories, cultures, and languages. I argue that some young Bosnian activists are not only rejecting this separatist project but are also working towards restructuring their subjectivities and restoring a sense of control over the important matters in their lives. They are redefining traditional notions of citizenship from a top-down political idea of a Bosnian state to a bottom-up concept of belonging to a place that needs to be more ethical, moral, and just. My data comes from twelve months of ethnographic research in Sarajevo and other places throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina. Primary methodology was participant observation, concentrated on public events, protests, plenums, and activists’ meetings, as well as interviews with activists, general public, and state officials. I used video and audio recording techniques, and followed the discourse on nationalism, ethnicity, and activism through a variety of media. These research methods were carefully selected in order to allow both macro and micro level of analysis of social patterns and cultural resources, political perspectives and conceptualizations of the moral self, to ultimately understand people’s lived experiences in the context of activism. This project is extremely relevant to all debates on postconflict and transitional societies, due to Bosnia’s unique nationalist, socialist, and neoliberal environment. It further elaborates the broader understandings of socialist change in former socialist societies by reconsidering postsocialism from the margins of Europe. The focus on individual experiences and performative strategies adds to larger discussions about citizenship, nationalism, ethnic relations, and state-building. Furthermore, the nature of the project is multidisciplinary, crosscutting anthropology, communication studies, sociology, peace studies, and international relations. As such, this project informs policy makers, international intervention programs, and NGOs of everyday Bosnian people’s lived experiences in order to help them deliberate the ethnic conflict. Results will be published and shared with local and international scholars in peer-reviewed academic journals, books and book chapters, and presented at conferences and symposia in Bosnia, Europe, and the US.
