The region that is increasingly referred to as the Western Balkans (former Yugoslavia) has typically been characterized as a boundary between the East and West, an area of cultural cross-fertilization and a zone of endemic, violent conflict. The objective of this course is to critically assess such claims through a comparative analysis of a range of anthropological studies that deal with war and post-conflict transformation in the counties of former Yugoslavia. More specifically we will focus on the use of war-time ethnonationalist rhetoric, the appearance of post-conflict politics of victimhood, and development of systems of state
and non-state support for civilian and military victims of war. Through a comparative analysis of these issues the students will learn about the main similarities and differences in the nation-building processes in the countries of former Yugoslavia at a time when these are being integrated into the European Union.
