Shaping Social Identities After Violent Conflict ― Youth in the Western Balkans

This book examines the identities of young adults in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. With research drawn from a large multidisciplinary project exploring a potential for reconciliation in post-conflict societies, the authors discuss the interplay between ethnic, religious and national identities that have been the source of recent violent conflicts. They focus on people aged 18-30, representing generations that are socialized after the wars, but live in ethnically divided societies burdened with a difficult history. Another aim of the project was to compare majority and minority perspectives within each country, and to provide a unique view on how to reinterpret and build more inclusive social identities. Scholars and organizations interested in areas of social psychology, political science and sociology will find this research of great value.

Felicia Pratto is Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut, USA. Her research concerns social cognitive processes that contribute to group biases, intergroup relations, particularly power and the structuring of sexism and ethnocentrism, and international violence. She is co-creator of ‘Social Dominance Theory’.

Iris ?e?elj is Assistant Professor of social Psychology at Belgrade University, Serbia. Her main areas of interest are social cognition, biases in memory, self-knowledge and group perception and inter-group relations. She has lead several international research projects on these topics.

Edona Maloku is Lecturer of Psychology at RIT Kosovo. Her research interests cover the national identity-building process in Kosovo’s new state and its effects on inter-ethnic relations after the conflict.

Vladimir Turjacanin is Associate Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His professional interests are in the area of ethnicity, ethnic relations, social identity, gender stereotypes and religious prejudice.

Marija Brankovic works in Faculty of Media and Communications at Singidunum University, Serbia. Her research focuses on psychological defences from the existential anxieties and their impact on social behaviour, self and social identifications, intergroup relations, persuasion and argumentation.