New book by Hromadzic published
In the wake of devastating conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the
polarizing effects of everyday ethnic divisions, combined with hardened
allegiances to ethnic nationalism and the rigid arrangements imposed in
international peace-building agreements, have produced what Azra Hromadžić
calls an "empty nation." Hromadžić explores the void created by
unresolved tensions between mandated reunification initiatives and the
segregation institutionalized by power-sharing democracy, and how these
conditions are experienced by youths who have come of age in postconflict
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Building on long-term ethnographic research at the first integrated
school of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Citizens
of an Empty Nation offers a ground-level view of how the processes
of reunification play out at the Mostar Gymnasium. Hromadžić details the local
effects of the tensions and contradictions inherent in the processes of postwar
state-making, shedding light on the larger projects of humanitarian
intervention, social cohesion, cross-ethnic negotiations, and citizenship. In
this careful ethnography, the Mostar Gymnasium becomes a powerful symbol for
the state's simultaneous segregation and integration as the school's shared
halls, bathrooms, and computer labs foster dynamic spaces for a rich
cross-ethnic citizenship—or else remain empty. 04/27/15
Reviews:
"An intimate and compellingly written ethnography of the
lives of youth in postconflict Bosnia-Herzegovina, illuminating the depth and
complexity of state politics as manifested and refracted in youths'
lives."—Kimberley Coles, author of Democratic
Designs: International Intervention and Electoral Practice in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina
"International politicians sound great when they talk about
'multiculturalism' and 'integration,' but Azra Hromadžić takes them to
school—specifically, to the Mostar Gymnasium, where the tensions, temptations,
and limitations of an ethnically divided state are felt, around the tables, in
the hallways, in the shared bathroom. This book combines critical insight and
humane sensitivity in equal measures. It is a model for how postconflict
ethnography should be performed."—Eric Gordy, author of Guilt, Responsibility, and Denial: The
Past at Stake in Post-Milošević Serbia
"In this rich, reflexive, and carefully crafted ethnography of
youth in a Bosnian high school existing in the space between between
reunification and segregation, Azra Hromadžić captures the lived realities of
her subjects' everyday lives in the context of ethnicized nationalisms and
international peace-building. The book is a passionate plea to look beyond the
certainties of fixed categories and explore the possibilities of restoring,
however fleetingly, a discourse and practice of hope for a better
future."—Paul Stubbs, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb