Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia
Beyond the mainstream conflict in former Yugoslavia, an incomplete research exists on the micro-military ethnic alliances and micro-conflicts on the local and regional levels particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article attempts to fill this knowledge gap through the examination of the the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia, and Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Političke Perspektive |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/396582 |
| _version_ | 1797206816619233280 |
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| author | Goran Patrick Filić |
| author_facet | Goran Patrick Filić |
| author_sort | Goran Patrick Filić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Beyond the mainstream conflict in former Yugoslavia, an incomplete research exists on the micro-military ethnic alliances and micro-conflicts on the local and regional levels particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article attempts to fill this knowledge gap through the examination of the theoretical frameworks, instrumentalism and primordialism as the two most frequently used frameworks in explaining the Yugoslav disintegration. In terms of instrumentalism, the article expands on the overreaching assumptions on the account of elitist capacity to instrumentilize ethnic violence in multiethnic societies. Article adds to the existing literature that instrumentalism can and often does inadvertently neglect identifying instances where the elitist’s instrumentalisation of the masses did not materialize. Conversely, primordialism an approach that fell out of favor and an unfit framework in regards to Yugoslav dissolution, was substantially and eagerly applied as an explanans, particularly in the first stages of the war. In principle, the primordialism erroneously characterized theYugoslav dissolution as the ancient ethnic grievances coming to the surface in the absence of strong central government and the primordialist never bothered to further that analysis. Hence, this article will go beyond the basic primordialistassumption, it confirms that primordialism, the genetically based argument, cannot adequately tackle conflicts in multiethnic societies as seen in Yugoslavia however, and omitted from the literature, the article posits that the approach has an inexplicably staunch and protracting capacity to linger and spread through the pores of society as a mechanism often utilized by nationalists elites to manipulate and sustain their radical views. This capacity in principle effectively protracts hostilities as attested in all former Yugoslav republics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:13:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b398c765e3df4337b7d428c12bab404b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2217-561X 2335-027X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:13:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia, and Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Političke Perspektive |
| spelling | doaj.art-b398c765e3df4337b7d428c12bab404b2024-04-15T17:36:18ZengFaculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia, and Faculty of Political Science, University of ZagrebPolitičke Perspektive2217-561X2335-027X2021-01-011129311710.20901/pp.11.2.04Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of YugoslaviaGoran Patrick Filić0Sveučilište u Tampi, FloridaBeyond the mainstream conflict in former Yugoslavia, an incomplete research exists on the micro-military ethnic alliances and micro-conflicts on the local and regional levels particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article attempts to fill this knowledge gap through the examination of the theoretical frameworks, instrumentalism and primordialism as the two most frequently used frameworks in explaining the Yugoslav disintegration. In terms of instrumentalism, the article expands on the overreaching assumptions on the account of elitist capacity to instrumentilize ethnic violence in multiethnic societies. Article adds to the existing literature that instrumentalism can and often does inadvertently neglect identifying instances where the elitist’s instrumentalisation of the masses did not materialize. Conversely, primordialism an approach that fell out of favor and an unfit framework in regards to Yugoslav dissolution, was substantially and eagerly applied as an explanans, particularly in the first stages of the war. In principle, the primordialism erroneously characterized theYugoslav dissolution as the ancient ethnic grievances coming to the surface in the absence of strong central government and the primordialist never bothered to further that analysis. Hence, this article will go beyond the basic primordialistassumption, it confirms that primordialism, the genetically based argument, cannot adequately tackle conflicts in multiethnic societies as seen in Yugoslavia however, and omitted from the literature, the article posits that the approach has an inexplicably staunch and protracting capacity to linger and spread through the pores of society as a mechanism often utilized by nationalists elites to manipulate and sustain their radical views. This capacity in principle effectively protracts hostilities as attested in all former Yugoslav republics.https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/396582InstrumentalismPrimordialismCivil ConflictYugoslaviaTheory of Nationalism |
| spellingShingle | Goran Patrick Filić Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia Političke Perspektive Instrumentalism Primordialism Civil Conflict Yugoslavia Theory of Nationalism |
| title | Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia |
| title_full | Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia |
| title_fullStr | Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia |
| title_short | Critique of Instrumentalist and Primordialist Theories: The Case of Yugoslavia |
| title_sort | critique of instrumentalist and primordialist theories the case of yugoslavia |
| topic | Instrumentalism Primordialism Civil Conflict Yugoslavia Theory of Nationalism |
| url | https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/396582 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT goranpatrickfilic critiqueofinstrumentalistandprimordialisttheoriesthecaseofyugoslavia |