Kiss, don’t tell: attitudes towards inter-ethnic dating and contact with the Other in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Mixedness in conflict: The impact of Yugoslav wars on intermarriages in the Western Balkans

“…Dyrstad (2012) remarks on Bosnia and Herzegovina's rapid transformation from a liberal to a nationalist society, with lasting impacts on interpersonal relations. Sokolić (2022) identifies structural segregation and normative divisions as major barriers to inter-ethnic unions, although he also notes instances of individuals transcending these barriers through cooperation and shared goals. Despite these challenges, the notion that intermarriages could be the foundation of a multiethnic society in Bosnia and Herzegovina is overly optimistic.…”

“…In Bosnia and Herzegovina, home to Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs, intermarriage rates plummeted after the 1990s, especially during the 1992-1995 war, which Dyrstad (2012) characterises as extremely violent. This conflict led to mass displacements, severely affecting many interethnic couples who faced separation, hostility, and discrimination, often from their own communities and families (Sokolić, 2022). Burić (2020) highlights a shift in state policy from promoting to antagonising interethnic marriages as the war approached.…”

Enabling positive intergroup relations through the utility of moral exemplars among young adults in post‐conflict settings

“…Today, for many people living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, and Serbia, terms like “justice,” “reconciliation,” and “dealing with the past” may sometimes feel devoid of true meaning. Within such an ethnically divided social context, many young people hardly even get the chance to meet with peers belonging to outgroup members (Sokolić, 2022), often socializing only with their in‐group members allowing little space for challenging narratives, in many cases potentially leading to one‐sided history‐telling. The divisions in the education system within and among Southeast European states arguably add to the community and ethnic divisions.…”

How inter-ethnic relations are reproduced through everyday social practices: A perspective from the Javanese nasi pecel vendors in Mataraman cities

“…However, many ethnic groups recover from conflict and live side-by-side harmoniously and the ways in which these groups conduct their everyday lives need to be explored [ 3 ]. Subsequently, contemporary research has begun to explore inter-ethnic cooperation in communities recovering from ethnic violence [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ]. For example, scholars have recently investigated how inter-ethnic dating has enabled people in some countries to overcome structural segregation and inter-ethnic division [ 4 ].…”

“…Subsequently, contemporary research has begun to explore inter-ethnic cooperation in communities recovering from ethnic violence [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ]. For example, scholars have recently investigated how inter-ethnic dating has enabled people in some countries to overcome structural segregation and inter-ethnic division [ 4 ]. In the context of multicultural countries, scholars have also documented how inter-ethnic marriages are common and how partners build liminal spaces for themselves to navigate the tensions that come from their memberships of conflicting ethnic groups [ 7 ].…”