Post-war Bosnia Research Articles

The Association of the Religious Moral Beliefs, Anxiety, Depressiveness, Agressiveness, Family Relations and Addictive Behaviors of the School Adolescents in the Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina

Modern researches suggested that the adolescents' addictive behaviors increased and age limit of interest lowered. to investigate the association of moral religious beliefs (RMB), aggressiveness, anxiety, depressiveness, family relations and addictive behavior of the school adolescents. The sample was consisted from 120 elementary and 120 secondary school students (120 girls) of age from 12-18 years. We used The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, The Questionnaire for Measurement of Aggressiveness (AG-87), The Religious Moral Beliefs Scale, Perception of Family Interaction Scale. The obtained results indicate that the level of RMB was positively associated with the level of the family relationships-acceptance perception, as well as with the level of the academic achievements and the level of student's behavior in the schools. Also, we found that the level of RMB of the school adolescents was negatively associated with the level of anxiety, depressiveness, aggressiveness and the level of perception of family relationships: rejection and control. Furthermore, the level of RMB was negatively correlated with the addictive behaviors of examined adolescents; on the other hand the level of anxiety, depressiveness and aggressiveness was positively correlated with the addictive behaviors of tested school adolescents. The religious moral beliefs positively associated with the level of perception the family relationship-acceptance, but negatively associated with the level of anxiety, depressiveness, aggressiveness, with the addictive behaviors and the level of perception of the family relationships: rejection and control. The level of anxiety, depressiveness and aggressiveness positively correlated with the addictive behaviors of tested school adolescents.

The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America

Book Review| January 01 2015 The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey. The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2012. Tom Simpson Tom Simpson Tom Simpson, PhD, teaches religion, ethics, and philosophy at Phillips Exeter Academy. His current book projects are Authority, Ambition, and the Mormon Mind: American Universities and the Evolution of Mormonism, 1867–1940 and All We Have Left, essays and poetry about postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Mormon Studies Review (2015) 2: 139–144. https://doi.org/10.5406/mormstudrevi.2.2015.0139 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Tom Simpson; The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. Mormon Studies Review 1 January 2015; 2 139–144. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/mormstudrevi.2.2015.0139 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressMormon Studies Review Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright 2015 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois2015 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Violence and the Evolution of Social Norms

To what extent can social norms recover from periods of intense inter-group violence? One school of thought posits long-term detrimental effects of violence in the form of entrenched parochialism, but other research shows how inter-group norms may quickly rebound and recover, even after extreme exposure to brutal war. Based on longitudinal survey and experimental evidence from post-war Bosnia, we find that while inter-group norms do recover from violence, there is also a persistent parochial divide between how in-groups are perceived and treated relative to out-groups. Our research suggests a mechanism at the individual-level for explaining hybrid pathways between rapid growth and recovery on one hand and a return to violence on the other.

Reclaiming erased lives: archives, records and memories in post-war Bosnia and the Bosnian diaspora

In this paper, based on conventional and digital ethnography, I first identify three dominant research areas relating to the issues of destruction, use and abuse of archives and records in post-war Bosnia, and discuss their legal, political and ethical dimensions. I then go on to present two ethnographies describing how survivors of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and genocide in Bosnia and in the Bosnian refugee diaspora perceive, experience and deal with missing personal records and material evidence of their histories, as well as how they (re)create their own archives and memories, and in the process reassert their ‘erased’ identities in both real and cyber space. This paper also describes how contemporary technologies—including biomedical technology and information and communication technology—impact the reconstruction of individual and collective identities in shattered Bosnian families and communities in the aftermath of genocide. The ethnographies described point to the novel contribution that these technologies have made to re-humanising both those who perished and the survivors of the war in Bosnia.

Tracing creative moments

In postsocialist and postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina, popular dervish cults are re-emerging after several decades of (semi)clandestine existence due to official bans and repression imposed by the Yugoslav state socialist governmentality. This article explores how an absence of divine knowledge ensuing from this disruptive history—strongly felt among various Bosnian dervishes today—is transformed into spiritual creativity and an improvisatory dynamic mediated by charismatic sheikhs. It traces “creative moments” leading toward the formation of a Bosnian dervish cult and its realignment with translocal networks of dervish lodges to explore the dynamics of divine knowledge and its creation inside these networks. The ethnography presented here suggests that we move a step beyond mere sociological descriptions of how translocal cults are organized across distance to explore in a more nuanced way the historicity and the dynamics of how divine knowledge is (re)created and idiosyncratically appropriated within these networks.

Transnational celebrity activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Local responses to Angelina Jolie’s film In the Land of Blood and Honey

This article focuses on the local understandings, responses and interpretations of celebrity activist Angelina Jolie and the film she directed in 2011 about the war rapes in Bosnia and Herzegovina: In the land of Blood and Honey. We first provide a brief historical context of the production and promotion of the film. Next, we offer a theoretical approach to the phenomenon of celebrity activism. In the third part, we look at how Jolie’s film has been received and interpreted in the region itself, since Jolie’s stated goal was to ‘raise awareness about war rapes’. On the basis of in-depth interviews with Bosnian public intellectuals, we argue that the film’s story of war rapes and suffering did little to raise awareness about war rape victims generally and was interpreted primarily within two discursive frameworks: celebrity and ethno-nationalistic ones that tend to reinforce the status quo in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina and perpetuate misunderstandings about war crimes. Jolie’s activism, in other words, did not contribute to the reconciliation between different ethnicities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but has, on the contrary, further fostered polarization that continues to plague the region.

The Contribution of the Microfinance Model to Bosnia's Post-War Reconstruction and Development: How to Destroy an Economy and Society Without Really Trying

Academic analyses and impact evaluation studies produced by the international development community almost all conclude that the microfinance model has made an important net contribution to the economic and social recovery of post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereafter Bosnia). However, as we now are finding is also the case in many other countries, these far-reaching claims are almost entirely based upon often deliberately flawed impact evaluation methodologies and inappropriate success criteria. This article provides an alternative assessment of the available evidence accumulated to date which, in our opinion, actually shows that the microfinance model has made a distinctly negative contribution to Bosnia’s reconstruction and development effort. We argue, centrally, that the microfinance model has assisted the Bosnian economy to move to an unsustainable institutional development trajectory marked by the deindustrialisation, informalisation and infantilisation of the enterprise sector. More widely, we argue that the microfinance model in Bosnia has led to a sub-prime-style episode in Bosnia’s post-war history, one that has materially benefitted a tiny elite working within and around the microfinance sector whilst simultaneously destroying many of the most important pillars of the Bosnian economy and society. We find that the best possible explanatory framework for what has transpired in postwar Bosnia is contained in the ‘control fraud’ concept developed by William Black.

EPA-0604 - EMDR trainings for bosnia-herzegovina mental health workers in tuzla and sarajevo resulted with three european accrdedited emdr psychotherapists aftermath the 1992-1995 war

Aim The Humanitarian Assistance Programmes UK & Ireland (HAP) work in partnership with mental health professionals in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), the country affected by war 1992-1995, providing knowledge and expertise in the treatment of trauma, and specifically in the use of EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing). In this way we aim to build a body of qualified and experienced professionals who can establish and sustain their own EMDR training and professional associations in BH. Method Authors described educational process considering the history of idea and its realization through training levels and process of supervision which was provided from the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) of UK &Ireland with non profit, humanitarian approach in sharing skills of EMDR to mental health therapists in BH. Results The trainers from HAP UK & Ireland completed two EMDR trainings in Tuzla than in Sarajevo for 50 recruited trainees from different BH health institutions from different cities and entities in BH. To be accredited EMDR therapists all trainees are obliged to practice EMDR therapy with clients under the supervision process of HAP UK&Ireland supervisors. Supervision is organized via Skype Internet technology. Up today three trainees completed their supervision successfly and became European Accredited EMDR Psychoitherapists. Conclusion Two training of Bosnia-Herzegovina mental health workers to effectively use EMDR with enthusiastic help of EMDR trainers from HAP UK&Ireland resulted with foundation of Bosnia-Herzegovina EMDR Association. The next training is organized in Sarajevo again in 2013-2014 and it will increase psychotherapy capacities in postwar BH.

„Кога ќе натежне пајажината“. Младите, невработеноста и социјалниот живот во исчекување во поствоената и постсоцијалистичка Босна и Херцеговина

„Кога ќе натежне пајажината“. Младите, невработеноста и социјалниот живот во исчекување во поствоената и постсоцијалистичка Босна и Херцеговина

Does civil war breed authoritarian values? An empirical study of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Croatia

This article analyses how armed conflict affects individual support for liberal values. It is commonly assumed that the consolidation of democracy depends on individual values such as tolerance as well as aspirations of civil and political liberty. For post-conflict societies, consolidating democracy is also a means of reducing the risk of recurring violent conflict. However, democracy has proven to be especially hard to achieve and consolidate in ethnically divided societies. While previous research has centred mainly on institutions and political elites, I expand the focus to also include ordinary citizens. Using survey data from post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Croatia, I examine the effect of exposure to violence on a scale of authoritarian values. While the effects are small, the results show that war-related violence in some cases leads people to embrace authoritarian values.

Fragmented memories in a fragmented country: memory competition and political identity-building in today's Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is politically fragmented, and so is the memory landscape within the country. Narratives of the 1992–1995 war, the Second World War, Tito's Yugoslavia, and earlier historical periods form highly disputed patterns in a memory competition involving representatives of the three “constituent peoples” of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks – but also non-nationalist actors within BiH, as well as the international community. By looking especially at political declarations and the practices of commemoration and monument building, the article gives an overview of the fragmented memory landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointing out the different existing memory narratives and policies and the competition between them in the public sphere, and analyzing the conflicting memory narratives as a central part of the highly disputed political identity construction processes in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper also discusses the question whether an “Europeanization” of Bosnian memory cultures could be an alternative to the current fragmentation and nationalist domination of the memory landscape in BiH.

Practices of border crossing in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina: the case of Mostar

In this article, I bring together literature from the fields of memory and reconciliation to investigate practices of ‘border crossing’ in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. While national divisions prevail, subtle attempts at border crossing can be witnessed even in those areas most impacted by the war’s partition, such as in Mostar, a city that has been left divided into Croat and Bosniak sides. Borders are physically crossed to reintegrate the ‘other side’ into one’s everyday life, but also in a more metonymical sense through the questioning of absolute national identities. Such acts of border crossing heavily rely on memories of positive pre-war cross-national relations, which are brought forward to re-establish these relations in post-war times. The research findings suggest that re-enacting a shared common ground – most often found in the past rather than in the present – bears an integrative potential that deserves more attention in post-conflict settings.

Education in Post-war Bosnia: The Nexus of Societal Security, Identity and Nationalism

The notion of security in international relations has been broadened and reconceptualized and now rightly includes an understanding of education as a potential security threat, not just a socializing tool. In post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, the education system is decentralized, politicized and nationalistic, and promotes competing visions and identities of Bosnia. Some students attend segregated schools, while almost all study only with others from their same ethnonational group and learn from a mono-ethnic curriculum that does not foster understanding or tolerance of others, but breeds suspicion. This paper argues that these educational practices constitute a societal security dilemma. Many Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Serbs use the education system to gain rights and security for their group, which is viewed by others as a potential threat to their own security and identity within a fractured state. This paper shows that while these attempts to reinforce group security and identity (and increase power) may be beneficial to the group and nationalist leaders themselves, they paradoxically may have negative consequences for the security of other groups and for the security and stability of the Bosnian state itself, understood in terms of national cohesiveness and territorial integrity.

Memory walk: an interaction-oriented project to interrogate contested histories

This article focuses on a novel concept that involves having young people make films about contested historical monuments and discussing them in classroom settings with their peers. This concept, called ‘Memory Walk’, builds on insights within intercultural education and theories on commemorative practices that point to the importance of addressing controversial issues and histories rather than ignoring them. We start by discussing the challenges of introducing controversial issues into classroom teaching. Then, we turn to how the creation of monuments and memorials is a reflection of power relations in society, focusing on the complex and difficult way the past is being dealt with in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, we describe how such insights can be translated into the concrete Memory Walk method.

Against the odds: Sustaining feminist momentum in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina

During the nationalist wars that destroyed Yugoslavia, a women's organization in central Bosnia-Herzegovina was set up to respond to the needs of women raped and traumatized in the fighting. In 1995, as the war ended, the author made a study of the feminist and anti-nationalist thinking and relationships among the doctors, therapists and other staff of Medica Women's Therapy Centre. In 2012 she returned to Bosnia to reinterview women and track developments in this post-conflict period. Medica now supports survivors of domestic violence, on the one hand working in a close partnership with local government services and on the other lobbying the state for improved legislation and provision. In a political system riven by nationalism, women report a retrogression in gender relations and high levels of violence against women. A recent split in Medica signals divergences in feminism and aspirations to a more radical and holistic movement.

Some Epidemiological Characteristics Of Heroin Addicts Clinicaly Treated in Post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina

Aim To assess the frequency of some epidemiological characteristics amongst heroin dependant psychiatric patients in post war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods We analyzed sixty heroin addicts (47 males; χ²-test=19.3, P<0.001) who were treated in the Department of Psychiatry Tuzla, during the period 1 st July 2007- 30 th Jun 2008, and were tested with Pompidou questionnaire. Results Average age of the group of patients studied was 27.3±5.6 years (min. 20- max. 44 years), the age of the first intake of heroin was 19.9±4.3 year and average duration of heroin addiction was 6.4±4.2 years. 43/60 started treatment following own decision, 48/60 coming from town’s environments, 46/60 were unemployed, 15/60 finished elementary school and 45/60 finished secondary school. 34/60 own driver’s licenses, males significantly more frequently 31/47 than females 3/13 (χ²-test=7.6, P=0.006). 39/60 had no marriage experience. 15/60 had own children (1-3 kids). 12/60 had experience of parents’ divorce, 13/60 had lost one parent and 2/60 lost both parents. Material status of parents was below average for 21/60, and average for 36/60. 24/60 had parent(s) who suffered from certain psychiatric disorder(s). Two thirds had judicial proceedings, and 33/60 were imprisoned. Hepatitis “C” virus infections were reported from 18/60 heroin addicts. Conclusion Majority of heroin addicts who were treated in Psychiatry Clinic in Tuzla were males, from towns, unemployed, not married, with finished secondary schools, owners of driver licenses, had average material status of parents. Majority of them had judicial proceedings with imprisonment. Hepatitis “C” infection was highly presented.

The Public Administration Reform in Post-War Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Reform Process Embedded in a Sovereignty Paradox

As the post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina has turned its interest towards a European Union membership, it has entered an accession process requiring it, among other things, to reform its public administration system. The European Union's involvement within the reform has been placed under critique, as it has been claimed to have placed Bosnia and Herzegovina's sovereignty at risk by presenting contradicting behaviors leading to a sovereignty paradox. By examining the European Union's role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its possible relations to a sovereignty paradox in the process, the article finds sovereignty paradox indicators to exist along its processes.

2145 – Importance of the collaborative activities for the development of the psychiatric association of bosnia-herzegovina

National association of experts dealing with psychiatry in our country named Psychiatric Association of Bosnia- Herzegovina (PABH) was formally started with its work on March 17 th 2008, as the first national associations in the post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH). Since 2009 has been actively promoted and profiling as one of the best organized professional associations in BH. Recognition on the international level and the active role of the PABH substantially achieved in 2010 in the World (WPA), and from 2011 in European (EPA) Psychiatric Association. The Third Congress of Psychiatrists of BH with international participation is the first in a series of future Congresses organized by PABH with the full support provided by EPA and WPA. To show importance of the roles of EPA and WPA for the future PABH achievements. A retrospective review of the significance of the PABH collaboration with major psychiatric association both nationally and internationally through the documentation and archives of the PABH development. The PABH is included in major psychiatric events in the country (active participation in the organization, logistics and scientific programme) and had strong collaboration with EPA and WPA, particularly on the national Congress in Tuzla 2012. The PABH is the leading BH psychiatric association, an active member of the most important international organizations, with a continuous increase of the number of members who recognize the importance, relevance and quality of the PABH and further progress in its development and tendencies to harmonize psychiatric practice in the country and internationally.

Contributions to the clarification of the relationship between journalist and PR: Accross the barricade

Journalistic involvement in the media in general, unfortunately, decreases on a daily basis. If journalism is sinking into depression, seems to be the main question. The inertia of the press has opened big doors to the 'novice' PR experts who are always ready to forward large quantities of information. The objective is to reflect on what has unfortunately become a new (fictional) journalistic genre i.e. the form of press release. In the post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina it was possible for a new bulletin to last for 70 minutes, 55 of which were received press releases. These press releases have been sent by parties, representatives of women's associations, unions of veterans and various OCSs. These usually offer one-sided information, accusations against others, while the right to hear the other side, in this case, does not exist. The question is how to separate their communications (press releases sent from certain public institutions or organizations) from releases which mostly offer accusations against another political party or reactions to an event or events that have nothing to do with our activities. How to wake the journalists from their lethargy, which they seem to enjoy to a certain extent? Many things have changed in recent decades as we have arrived at a point where 60% of all published information is nothing more than a mere PR product. The next question would be - Where did journalism disappear? Or better said - where have the responsibility of journalists and their commitment gone? The education system is important. In our region, only the first steps are taken towards an institutionalized education of the PR experts, and as for the education of journalists, a good analysis is definitely required. Journalism does not have to be endangered. It can go forward, but with a little more effort and professional responsibility. And with a more evident desire to cooperate with 'those across the barricade'.

2028 – EMDR training for bosnia-herzegovina mental health workers in sarajevo as continuity of the building of psychotherapy capacity aftermath the 1992–1995 war

Aim The Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization (EMDR) is an evidence based intervention in the treatment of psycho-traumatized individuals. Its effectiveness has been validated by extensive research. It outlines in particular an EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Training Programme that took place in Sarajevo University Clinical Centre after the Tuzla University Clinical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) in response to 1992-1995 war, in helping to train mental health workers in EMDR to enable them to treat psychological trauma symptoms of war survivors. Method Authors described educational process considering the history of idea and its realization through training levels and process of supervision which was provided from the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) of UK &Ireland with non profit, humanitarian approach in sharing skills of EMDR to mental health therapists in BH. Results Highly dedicated internationally approved trainers from HAP UK & Ireland provided completed EMDR training for 33 recruited trainees of different professional background from different BH health institutions from different cities and entities in BH. To be accredited EMDR therapists all trainees are obliged to practice EMDR therapy with clients under the supervision process of HAP UK & Ireland supervisors. Because of physical distance between supervisors and trainees, supervision is organized via Skype Internet technology. Conclusion Training of Bosnia-Herzegovina mental health workers to effectively use EMDR with enthusiastic help of EMDR trainers from HAP UK&Ireland is continued through the next training organized in Sarajevo and it will increase psychotherapy capacities in postwar BH.