| dc.description.abstract | Abstract In contrast to other post-conflict societies which invested in recategorization of groupidentities into a common identity as reconciliation strategy, Bosnian Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, the ethnoreligious national groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), are not tied together by a common Bosnian identity. Twenty years after the Bosnian War, the sociopolitical system continues to actively hinder the establishment of a common identity as it reinforces categorization on the sub-group-level. Through thematic analysis of 19 semistructured interviews, this thesis explores how identification with a common Bosnian identity is negotiated among youth participants in Sarajevo. Two main themes were constructed: first, the reinforcement of the three categories in different social environments (i.e. socio-historical context, societal institutions, members of society, family), which discourage identification with a common Bosnian identity. Second, the participants’ alternative perspectives, mapping out different elements that motivate identification with a common identity (i.e. conceptualization of national identity as state-based, progression from the conflict, inclusive nature of the common identity) despite the challenges that come with it. The findings point out the participants’ active maneuvering of their identification between a common identity and the three polarized group-identities and emphasize the dynamic and contextual nature of social identities. The role of political leaders, personal values and external miscategorization for the identification with a common identity are discussed. The study indicates a generational shift in perspectives on intergroup relations in BiH and points out possible pathways for a common Bosnian identity and for the potential benefit of reduced intergroup bias and conflict. | eng |