Serbia's National Self
How does a nation claim its identity? National identity should encompass the beliefs and values that unite a country in the populations’ similarities and differences to form a distinct set of values. Each country’s national identity strives to make a unique, yet understood statement that is both remembered and respected from other countries, while true to the people within that country. This is no easy task, and in my attempt to understand the challenges which spark from proclaiming a national identity, I consider self-identity. I’m not alone in my personal difficulty to choose a single word to describe the essence of my life or values. While finding personal identities is a challenge for many individuals, this issue intensifies in selecting the identity of a population. History, religion, language, and culture influence the identities of many nations, and these elements play considerable roles in the formation of Serbian identity.
Like many countries, the national identity of Serbia cannot be summarized in a simple one-word answer. Instead, its national identity is a point of confusion for both citizens and viewers of Serbia. While the land that is now Serbia contains centuries of history, present-day Serbia is just over a decade old, and the newness of this nation yields uncertainties in its stance and national identity. The people in Serbia experience conflicts in holding true to heritage while embracing a world of modernity, and some of the population believe that Serbia must choose between these old and new worlds, rather than coexist in both worlds. While Serbia’s politics identify closely to the ideals of Western Europe, it also holds onto values of a traditional state, which creates tension for the people and identification of Serbia. Additionally, Serbia’s recent formation yields conflict between ethnic minorities and majorities within the nation, a history that adds to the crisis of identity. Ethnic conflict within Serbia peaked in the late 1980s, and during this time period, Serbia played the role of a “nationalizing state” (Cvetkovska Ocokoljic & Cvetkovski, 2010). At this time, the ethnic majority, or titular nation within Serbia considered ethnic minorities as a threat to the nation, and massacres led to hundreds and thousands of Kosovo Albanians fleeing Serbia (n.g. Serbian profile – timeline). Violence also erupted between Serbians and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, which further tainted Serbia’s honor throughout Europe. Serbia has since declared its acceptance of all ethnicities in the Constitution of 2006, yet animosity remains prevalent throughout the nation of Serbia (Cvetkovska Ocokoljic & Cvetkovski, 2010). Serbia continues in its struggle to find solutions to its past life of chaos and controversy. The internal struggle for Serbia’s national identity will persevere with its difficulty to incorporate modern principles without forgetting the richness of history and customary values.
Religion plays a fundamental role in shaping the history of Serbia. The Serbian Orthodox Church became popular in the 1990s, unifying the people in their morals during a critical time in Serbian history (Cvetkovska Ocokoljic & Cvetkovski, 2010). While Serbia is a secular state, religion impacts political and public life, and much of Serbia’s the cultural identity has been established from religion. Though Serbian culture is changing to favor Western European lifestyles, religion keeps Serbian people grounded in their values. Serbia favors religion throughout the country, but religious acceptance is a new concept for Serbia, and in 1995, Bosnian Serbian forces massacred thousands of practicing Muslims (n.g. Serbian profile – timeline). Despite Serbia’s newfound religious tolerance, many countries throughout Europe view Serbia with a stigma of its past.
Much of Europe fails to acknowledge or accept the advancements of Serbia as a nation, and they regard its role in society with concern. Despite Serbia’s attempt to break from its tainted reputation and to prove itself to the rest of Europe, much of Europe still associates Serbia’s culture as one that differs too greatly from the rest of Europe. Serbia is a candidate for entering the European Union, however, many still view Serbia as a untrustworthy country, and feel as though it clashes too greatly with “Europeanness” (n.g. Serbian Identity and the Concept of Europeanness). A piece of evidence that the European Union uses against Serbia is its ongoing tensions with Montenegro and with Kosovo. Other personifications of Serbia are based on literature and interpretations of mythology, which distinguish Serbia as a country of foolish dependance upon other countries. Serbia’s struggle to attain internal identity only adds to its dishonorable reputation among other countries, and the national identity that the rest of Europe has placed among Serbia creates an obstacle in advancement.
Serbia’s crisis of internal and external identity prohibits its confidence as a nation and esteem throughout Europe. The rare position of merging centuries of history and and long-established customs with a young country affects the identity of Serbia, and it is considered an “unfinished state” (n.g Serbian Identity and the Concept of Europeanness). Serbia will continue to struggle until it can find an identity that will satisfy the people both inside and outside of the country. While part of the Serbian population hopes to embrace former customs, other Serbian people look to move forward and form a new culture as a Western European state. This conflict in aspirations among Serbian people hinders the discovery of a unifying national identity for Serbia. Given its past influences by both the East and the West, Serbia has inherited cultural values from both sides of Europe, yet neither side embraces Serbia. The vulnerability Serbia faces in its detachment from Europe demonstrates the importance in creating a national identity.
Religion plays a fundamental role in shaping the history of Serbia. The Serbian Orthodox Church became popular in the 1990s, unifying the people in their morals during a critical time in Serbian history (Cvetkovska Ocokoljic & Cvetkovski, 2010). While Serbia is a secular state, religion impacts political and public life, and much of Serbia’s the cultural identity has been established from religion. Though Serbian culture is changing to favor Western European lifestyles, religion keeps Serbian people grounded in their values. Serbia favors religion throughout the country, but religious acceptance is a new concept for Serbia, and in 1995, Bosnian Serbian forces massacred thousands of practicing Muslims (n.g. Serbian profile – timeline). Despite Serbia’s newfound religious tolerance, many countries throughout Europe view Serbia with a stigma of its past.
Much of Europe fails to acknowledge or accept the advancements of Serbia as a nation, and they regard its role in society with concern. Despite Serbia’s attempt to break from its tainted reputation and to prove itself to the rest of Europe, much of Europe still associates Serbia’s culture as one that differs too greatly from the rest of Europe. Serbia is a candidate for entering the European Union, however, many still view Serbia as a untrustworthy country, and feel as though it clashes too greatly with “Europeanness” (n.g. Serbian Identity and the Concept of Europeanness). A piece of evidence that the European Union uses against Serbia is its ongoing tensions with Montenegro and with Kosovo. Other personifications of Serbia are based on literature and interpretations of mythology, which distinguish Serbia as a country of foolish dependance upon other countries. Serbia’s struggle to attain internal identity only adds to its dishonorable reputation among other countries, and the national identity that the rest of Europe has placed among Serbia creates an obstacle in advancement.
Serbia’s crisis of internal and external identity prohibits its confidence as a nation and esteem throughout Europe. The rare position of merging centuries of history and and long-established customs with a young country affects the identity of Serbia, and it is considered an “unfinished state” (n.g Serbian Identity and the Concept of Europeanness). Serbia will continue to struggle until it can find an identity that will satisfy the people both inside and outside of the country. While part of the Serbian population hopes to embrace former customs, other Serbian people look to move forward and form a new culture as a Western European state. This conflict in aspirations among Serbian people hinders the discovery of a unifying national identity for Serbia. Given its past influences by both the East and the West, Serbia has inherited cultural values from both sides of Europe, yet neither side embraces Serbia. The vulnerability Serbia faces in its detachment from Europe demonstrates the importance in creating a national identity.
References
Antonijević, Dragana. Reviews & Critiques. (2008). Issues in Ethnology & Anthropology. Retrieved from https://eap-iea.org/index.php/eap/article/view/511/502
Cvetkovska Ocokoljic, V., & Cvetkovski, T. The influence of religion on the creation of national identity in Serbia. (2010). Journal of Identity and Migration Studies, 4(2), 81-103. Retrieved from http://emigration.rojimsVol4_No2_2010ArticlesJIMS_Vol4_No2_2010_pp81-103_OCOKOLIJC.pdf
Lazic, Sladjana. (2013). Memory claims and memory constraints. (Re)negotiating statehood and identities in Serbia. Nationalities Papers. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00905992.2013.801412
(n.g.) Serbian identity and the concept of Europeanness. (2017). PANOECONOMICUS. Retrieved from http://ljournal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/a-2017-023.pdf.
(n.g.) Serbian profile – timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17913357
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