Nationalism in the Classroom: Narratives of the War in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995) in the History Textbooks of the Republic of Srpska

Abstract

The article considers the problem of the representation of the last war in Bosnia‐Herzegovina (1992–1995) in the history textbooks of the Republic of Srpska (Serb Republic)‐one of the entities in the country.* The analysed textbooks are deliberately used as one of the most important instruments for the formation of national identity. Scholars generally agree that history lessons are in fact lessons in patriotism and that nation‐states use history to form the national identity of students and guarantee loyalty to the nation and state. While contemporary Bosnia‐Herzegovina supports this view, it must simultaneously be seen as a slightly peculiar case. The textbooks used in Bosnia‐Herzegovina promote separate, exclusive national identities: the Bosniac, Croatian and Serbian. This to a large extent explains why we are not witnessing the formation of a unified nation‐state, but its slow disintegration. The existence of Bosnia‐Herzegovinian culture and identity is intentionally neglected and denied. Serbian narratives about the war clearly show that strong aspiration for unification with the neighbouring Serbia still exists. This idea has proved to be dangerous in the past and might lead to a new tragic episode in Bosnia‐Herzegovinian history.

Truth, justice, and reconciliation on the ground: normative divergence in the Western Balkans

“…The way in which the 'truth' about Bosnia is curated in history education, therefore, is the 'truth' that further solidifies the ethnic division and politicisation of the past (Bartulovic 2006). The localisation of multiple 'truths' has not only failed to create a shared, unifying, forward-looking national narrative, but has in fact continued to contribute to the ethnicisation of society.…”

‘Sistem te laže!’: the anti‐ruling class mobilisation of high school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…The differences between the curricula are profound. Various content analyses of the curricula and their textbooks have led to the corresponding conclusion that each strongly focuses on the glorification of the titular ethnic group, concomitantly portraying the other ethnicities in negative terms (Bartulovic ; Karge ; Low‐Beer ; Torsti ). Another distinction that politicians have turned into a major dispute is the official language of the curricula.…”

Influences of nationalisms on citizenship education: revealing a ‘dark side’ in Lebanon

“…Creating this single narrative for nation building requires a selection of historical myths and narratives to be remembered or, as Renan () argued, forgotten, when forming a nation. Furthermore, history education reform for promoting national unity in societies affected by armed conflict like Romania (Szakács ) and Bosnia‐Herzegovina (Bartulović ) appeals strongly to emotions in official narratives that illustrate nationals as victims and non‐nationals as perpetrators. When the endeavour to create a national consciousness frames approaches to designing history education, education policymakers typically regard inquiry‐based learning as a threat to collectiveness or solidarity.…”