Building National Identity in Newborn Kosovo: Challenges of Integrating National Identity with Ethnic Identity Among Kosovar Albanians and Kosovar Serbs

Maloku, Edona; Derks, Belle; Laar, Colette van; Ellemers, Naomi

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-29869-6_16

Cited by 24 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In recent work (Maloku, et al, under review), the Albanian children developed a preference for the Kosovar identity with age, while for Serb children this was not the case. Similarly, Albanian adults in Kosovo report identification with both the ethnic Albanian identity and the national Kosovar identity to a similar degree, while Serbs identify highly with their Serbian ethnicity, but not the national Kosovar identity (Maloku et al, 2016). Yet, across groups, children in Kosovo demonstrated a decreased preference for an ethno-national flag flown alone with age.…”

Section: Children's Preferences For Divided Versus Integrated Flagsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…For instance, in Bolivia, the Wiphala flag holds dual status with the Bolivian flag; flown side by side, these flags symbolize unity with the indigenous minority population (Flesken, 2014). In Kosovo, the creation of a new flag after the break from Yugoslavia symbolized the formation of a new superordinate national identity-the Kosovar identity (Maloku, Derks, Van Laar, & Ellemers, 2016). Given these multiple meanings and representations, investigating children's understanding of the symbolic content of flags representing conflict-related groups and national allegiances can shed light on early conceptions of nationality.…”

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…the stage for Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, which was celebrated by ethnic Albanians, but largely condemned by ethnic Serbs (Maloku, et al, 2016). Today, Europe's newest country prides itself on being 'newborn,' and creating a 'Kosovar identity' to provide members of the two ethnic groups an overarching category that surpasses their ethnic sub-identification.…”

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, Europe's newest country prides itself on being 'newborn,' and creating a 'Kosovar identity' to provide members of the two ethnic groups an overarching category that surpasses their ethnic sub-identification. The new national flag of the Republic of Kosovo was designed to resemble the flag of the European Union, also including a map of the country's fragile borders, as well as six overarching white stars, each representing a formally recognized ethnic group in the country (Figure 2; see Maloku et al, 2016;Maloku, Kelmendi, & Vladisavljević, 2017;Maloku, Derks, Van Laar, & Ellemers, 2019 for more background on the post-independent identity-building process).…”

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Children’s Ethno-National Flag Categories in Three Divided Societies

et al. 2020

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Flags are conceptual representations that can prime nationalism and allegiance to one’s group. Investigating children’s understanding of conflict-related ethno-national flags in divided societies sheds light on the development of national categories. We explored the development of children’s awareness of, and preferences for, ethno-national flags in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, and the Republic of North Macedonia. Children displayed early categorization of, and ingroup preferences for, ethno-national flags. By middle-childhood, children’s conflict-related social categories shaped systematic predictions about other’s group-based preferences for flags. Children of minority-status groups demonstrated more accurate flag categorization and were more likely to accurately infer others’ flag preferences. While most Balkan children preferred divided versus integrated ethno-national symbols, children in the Albanian majority group in Kosovo demonstrated preferences for the new supra-ethnic national flag. We discuss the implications of children’s ethno-national flag categories on developing conceptualizations of nationality and the potential for shared national symbols to promote peace.

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Section: Children's Preferences For Divided Versus Integrated Flagsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Children's Ethno-national Flag Categories In Three Divided Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Children’s Ethno-National Flag Categories in Three Divided Societies

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“…It offers us a chance to understand whether complexity can help in the peace-building process as it happens. To the best of our knowledge, these studies are contextually novel as well (see Maloku, Derks, van Laar, & Ellemers, 2016, for an overview of identity in Kosovo). The only previous study that we are aware of (Andrighetto, Mari, Volpato, & Behluli, 2012), examined effects of superordinate identification and extended contact, and showed that they both negatively predict competitive victimhood of Albanians towards Serbs in Kosovo.…”

Section: The Present Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stimulating interethnic contact in Kosovo: The role of social identity complexity and distinctiveness threat

Maloku

Derks

Laar

et al. 2018

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

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The positive effects of intergroup contact on prejudice reduction have been widely validated by now. However, the potential of contact for intergroup relations is only available when there is readiness to have contact with outgroup members to begin with. In two correlational studies with the main ethnic groups in postconflict Kosovo, Albanian majority (Study 1, N = 221) and Serb minority (Study 2, N = 110), we examine how social identity complexity mechanism and distinctiveness threat contribute to predicting more readiness to have contact with outgroup members. As the establishment of a new national identity unfolds, we show that while there are different processes that work for each of the groups, distinctiveness threat is a central concern to both as it mediates the relationship between identity and intergroup outcomes. For the Albanian majority group, having more complex identities (or perceiving less identity overlap between national and ethnic identity) predicts more readiness to have contact and feeling more positively towards members of the outgroup via reduced distinctiveness threat. For the Serb minority, however, threat is predicted only by strength of ethnic identification, which in turn predicts negative feelings towards members of the ethnic outgroup and less readiness to contact them. We conclude by comparing results for the majority and the minority groups and discuss strategies needed to reduce threat and improve intergroup relations in this segregated context struggling for reconciliation.

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Supraordinate identity integration in childhood: Intergroup implications of ethno‐national and supraordinate identification in three divided societies

Nic Craith,

Corbett,

Tomašić Humer

et al. 2023

Community & Applied Soc Psy

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An overarching, supraordinate identity (e.g., European identity) can enhance intergroup relations if individuals recategorize ingroup and outgroup members into one, unified group. Yet, in conflict‐affected societies, ethno‐national identities may promote negative intergroup attitudes and behaviours. The effects of European and ethno‐national identities in combination have yet to be explored in childhood. If they can be integrated, the inclusivity of a supraordinate European identity may be felt despite the divisiveness of ethno‐national identities in post‐accord societies. This research assesses supraordinate identity integration in relation to quality intergroup contact and cross‐group friendships among the post‐accord generation in Croatia, Kosovo and Republic of North Macedonia (RNM). These sites have relatively recent conflicts, but varying relationships to the EU. Data were collected from 382 children aged 7–11, split evenly by minority and majority status (Croatia n = 90; Kosovo n = 107; RNM n = 185). Children across all three sites had integrated ethno‐national/European identities. Levels of identity integration varied by site, but not group status. Identity integration was positively and significantly associated with quality of outgroup contact and number of cross‐group friends, and this relationship varied by site. Integrated supraordinate identities have promising implications for intergroup relations and the future of peacebuilding in Europe. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

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Building National Identity in Newborn Kosovo: Challenges of Integrating National Identity with Ethnic Identity Among Kosovar Albanians and Kosovar Serbs

Cited by 24 publications

References 32 publications

Children’s Ethno-National Flag Categories in Three Divided Societies

Children’s Ethno-National Flag Categories in Three Divided Societies

Stimulating interethnic contact in Kosovo: The role of social identity complexity and distinctiveness threat

Supraordinate identity integration in childhood: Intergroup implications of ethno‐national and supraordinate identification in three divided societies

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