Divided Schools and Divided Societies: Ethnic Saliency, Socialization, and Attitudes among High School Seniors in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This dissertation explores the role of schools, families, and other-group contact on ethnic saliency and student attitudes towards outside groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) via statistical analysis. It was found that families, via familial example, have a statistically significant (p < 0.001) effect on increasing tolerance towards outside groups, and schools tend to play a secondary role due to a high degree of ethnic homogeneity within secondary schools. Frequency of religious service attendance also plays a statistically significant role in increasing ethnic saliency. Another significant finding is that a majority of high school seniors are not opposed to socializing outside of their own respective ethno-national groups. This dissertation finds that a coupling and de-coupling of ethno-national identity and religion are currently taking place in BiH; among Bosniaks and Croats they are coupled, whereas among Serbs and self-identifying Bosnians they are de-coupled. Data was gathered via field surveys taken by high school seniors from 78 high schools in 53 cities and towns located across the country.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. in Political Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Becker, Matthew Thomas

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alice H. Cooper
• Laura R. Johnson
• Gang Guo

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ethnic Saliency
• High School
• Identity
• Out-group Orientation
• Socialization
• Political Science

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1513

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-2512