The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration

This paper presents the nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration and how ethnic nationalism was instrumentalized to achieve the political elites' goals. Based on the previous studies, it presents the basic features of nationalist discourses in the former Yugoslav republics b...

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Main Author: Vukićević Jelena R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Serbian Culture Priština, Leposavić 2023-01-01
Series:Baština
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0353-9008/2023/0353-90082360473V.pdf
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author Vukićević Jelena R.
author_facet Vukićević Jelena R.
author_sort Vukićević Jelena R.
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents the nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration and how ethnic nationalism was instrumentalized to achieve the political elites' goals. Based on the previous studies, it presents the basic features of nationalist discourses in the former Yugoslav republics before the collapse of the SFRY, the ways of their construction, dissemination, and popularization, the social actors who played a key role in it, the motives behind the rise of ethnic nationalism and the implications it had. The paper covers the period from the beginning of the 1980s to 1991 when Slovenia and Croatia declared independence and when the first armed conflicts began. Given that Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia played a key role in the breakup of Yugoslavia, this paper presents nationalist discourses in only these three republics. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the rise of nationalism in SFRY was supported by numerous factors: the still prevalent feelings of national belonging among the people that weren't fully suppressed; the Constitution adopted in 1974, that gave sufficient autonomy to each republic, leaving space for nationalism; Tito's death; fall of socialism; general social and economic crisis. Political structures of that time used nationalism to stay in power, alongside tradition, religion, mythologization of history, self-victimization, and demonization of the Other. The political instrumentalization of nationalism and tradition was prominent in Serbia and Croatia. In Slovenia more prevalent was a discourse on self-victimization and demonization of the Other, Serbia especially. Mythological discourse focuses on the safe and 'better' past, covering up the ugly present and blurring the uncertain future. Highlighting the external enemy, this discourse distracts attention from the internal ones, preventing any criticism of the government.
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spelling doaj.art-84d013fa46f74ff0b4fd7ac2113e59e22023-10-04T08:23:57ZengInstitute of Serbian Culture Priština, LeposavićBaština0353-90082683-57972023-01-0120236047349210.5937/bastina33-447850353-90082360473VThe nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegrationVukićević Jelena R.0n/aThis paper presents the nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration and how ethnic nationalism was instrumentalized to achieve the political elites' goals. Based on the previous studies, it presents the basic features of nationalist discourses in the former Yugoslav republics before the collapse of the SFRY, the ways of their construction, dissemination, and popularization, the social actors who played a key role in it, the motives behind the rise of ethnic nationalism and the implications it had. The paper covers the period from the beginning of the 1980s to 1991 when Slovenia and Croatia declared independence and when the first armed conflicts began. Given that Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia played a key role in the breakup of Yugoslavia, this paper presents nationalist discourses in only these three republics. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the rise of nationalism in SFRY was supported by numerous factors: the still prevalent feelings of national belonging among the people that weren't fully suppressed; the Constitution adopted in 1974, that gave sufficient autonomy to each republic, leaving space for nationalism; Tito's death; fall of socialism; general social and economic crisis. Political structures of that time used nationalism to stay in power, alongside tradition, religion, mythologization of history, self-victimization, and demonization of the Other. The political instrumentalization of nationalism and tradition was prominent in Serbia and Croatia. In Slovenia more prevalent was a discourse on self-victimization and demonization of the Other, Serbia especially. Mythological discourse focuses on the safe and 'better' past, covering up the ugly present and blurring the uncertain future. Highlighting the external enemy, this discourse distracts attention from the internal ones, preventing any criticism of the government.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0353-9008/2023/0353-90082360473V.pdfthe disintegration of sfrynationalismthe political instrumentalization of nationalism and traditionthe mythologization of historyself-victimizationthe demonization of the other
spellingShingle Vukićević Jelena R.
The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
Baština
the disintegration of sfry
nationalism
the political instrumentalization of nationalism and tradition
the mythologization of history
self-victimization
the demonization of the other
title The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
title_full The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
title_fullStr The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
title_full_unstemmed The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
title_short The nationalist discourses in the SFRY before its disintegration
title_sort nationalist discourses in the sfry before its disintegration
topic the disintegration of sfry
nationalism
the political instrumentalization of nationalism and tradition
the mythologization of history
self-victimization
the demonization of the other
url https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0353-9008/2023/0353-90082360473V.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT vukicevicjelenar thenationalistdiscoursesinthesfrybeforeitsdisintegration
AT vukicevicjelenar nationalistdiscoursesinthesfrybeforeitsdisintegration