Being Muslim the Bosnian way: identity and community in a central Bosnian village

Abstract

This is an ethnographic account of Bosnian Muslims living in a village near Sarajevo. Although they represent a majority of the population in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Muslims are still members of a minority culture in the region that was once Yugoslavia. The question of ethno-national identity has become paramount in this society and the author focuses on religion as the defining characteristic of identity. Bringa pays particular attention to the roles that women play in defining Muslim identities and she examines the importance of the household as a Muslim identity sphere. In doing so, she illuminates larger issues of what constitutes nationality.