Balkan and European? Place Identifications of Young People in Croatia

Abstract

The article analyses how young people in Croatia conceptualise their identities in terms of "place identifications", a type of social identification that captures membership of a group of people who are defined by their location. It is based on focus group discussions conducted with 68 elementary and secondary school students aged between 11 and 17 in three urban localities in Croatia: Rijeka, Zagreb and Zadar. The concepts guiding the analysis included place identifications, the civic and cultural components of national identity and intersectionality. The study found that students displayed a strong identification with the region they are from through a discourse of stereotypes along the coastal-inland, rural-urban and north-south distinctions. National cultural identities and liminal European-Balkan identities were equally strong providing interesting examples of inclusion and othering. The young people showed a sense of aspiring to be European, of feeling almost European, of being not-quite-yet European, of being "Balkan". There was a common sense of the Balkan-European divide being a line that stood very slightly to the north-west of wherever the students happened to be: there was Europe, generally beckoning -but they were on a threshold and still leaning towards the Balkan side, described as impolite, quarrelsome, underdeveloped and littered. The study suggests complex and kaleidoscopic identity constructions of young people in Croatia in which different and even opposed elements do not exclude each other but rather coexist in various ways.

An integrative literature review and critical reflection of intersectionality theory

“…South African researchers have also used intersectionality theory to examine intimate partner violence among bisexual and lesbian women in same‐sex relationships, as well as families living in marginalized communities (Sanger & Lynch, 2018; van Niekerk & Boonzaier, 2019). Intersectionality theory has also guided studies examining health care and racism in Australia (Bastos et al, 2018) and how young people conceptualize their cultural identity in Croatia (Ross et al, 2017). This variety of uses of intersectionality research within nursing practice upholds its ability to provide insight into the lived experiences of diverse populations while also allowing for the examination of the unique complexities of each individual.…”

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“…On the other hand, they consider themselves more inclined towards the 'Balkan' identity. Ross, Puzić & Doolan (2017) conclude that both the European and Balkan identities coexist, despite their mutual perceived opposition. Furthermore, as regards cultural literacy, it is particularly interesting to note that the participants in this research recognise Europe primarily as a political construct rather than a cultural one, unlike the Balkans, which seems to be understood more often in cultural terms.…”

“…Similarly, the findings of Ross, Puzić and Doolan (2017) suggest that the majority of young people identify primarily in terms of national and sub-national (regional, within Croatia) identities. They do not see themselves as full Europeans, but rather define their identity as 'almost European'.…”

Life Challenges with Psychological Consequences Connected to Growing up in War and Post-War Conditions

“…In addition to this, we must start from the experience of young people and their language and self-identification. According to Ross -Puzić -Dolan most young people in Croatia constructed their identifications in a variety of ways, responding to the particular contextual contingencies of the conversation at that particular moment [29]. The context of Vukovar with its various meanings offers different perspectives for identification and selfidentification.…”