Attitudes of Serbian "returnees" about identity Serbs and Croats

Abstract

Attitudes of Serbian "returnees" of Livanjsko polje about ethnic identity of Us, Serbs, and Them, Croats, are demonstrated in this article. Croats that have political control and social-economic power, appear as "Significant Others", but also Strangers, representatives of different peaceful and humanitarian organizations. Religious belief and language appear as basic symbol of difference, Marker, between Serbs and Croats, although existing attitudes in a bigger measure rely on religious belief. Basic attitudes about identity Us and Them are led out from interrelations of these Markers and people. There are two groups of attitudes about Us-identity. The 119 first group is mostly the answer at negative external determination, by which the Serbs are determinate as nationalists and aggressors. They are steered on negation of such definition, so the Serbs are generally seen as peaceful, tolerant, nationalists - internationalists; shortly, as bearers of positive collective, but also individual relation to Others. The second group of attitudes mainly relates negative aspects of Serbian identity. There are Serbian dissension, individual interests, generally - attitudes which speak about collective, but also individual negative relation of Serbs to members of their own group. Both groups of attitudes could be explaining by interrelation of orthodox religion and people. This determination of Us, as it is limited by external definition, in that way qualifies determination of Them. So, the Croats, considering the interrelation of Catholicism and people, are seen as nationalists, with clear religion - national aim and steered to its realization - as aggressors. Though, here are both negative and positive attitudes about Croat identity. If positive or negative aspects of that identity would obtain, before all depends of the fact in which measure the Croats are steered by their church, in fact, which politics, in the certain time, the catholic church prosecutes relate to orthodox church. Therefore the Croat appears as bearers of individual-positive relation to Others (Serbs), when the church do not steer them in other way. So, until the catholic, religious politics is neutral, harmonious ethnic relations are possible, owing this positive aspect of Croat identity at individual plan and aspects of Serbian identity at both, collective and individual, plan (regardless of effect of church). On concrete terrain of Livanjsko polje, Serbs see there selves as the most representative bearers of positive aspects of Serbian identity, and neighbor’s Croats (from Livno) as people with enough distanced positive aspect of Croat identity. So, ethnic identity could be the bridge in the peaceful communication of two ethnic groups which were, lately, just because of ethnic identity, conflicted (with developed militant communication).