Dismemberment of Yugoslavia: Lessons for the Ethnic Conflict Literature

Year 2019, Volume: 8 Issue: 15, 15 - 27, 31.01.2019

Kürşat Çınar

Abstract

Ethnic
conflict literature offers us great insights regarding the motivations of human
behavior, especially in diverse societies. This article explores one of the
greatest ethnic conflicts of our times, the Yugoslavian case. The article first
investigates the ethnicity literature and then delves into the micro- and
macro-level reasons behind the instigation of ethnic conflict. Specifically, it
analyzes cultural, political, structural, psychological, and economic reasons
behind the outbreak of ethnic conflict. In light of the literature, the article
studies the Yugoslavian case and compares the strengths of each explanation
covered in the article regarding the initiation of ethnic conflict. The article
maintains that political and structural explanations are the strongest ones for
the Yugoslavian case. The article finally assesses the current state of
people’s orientations toward a multi-ethnic society in the successor states of
Yugoslavia.

Keywords

Ethnic Conflict, Yugoslavia, Multi-Ethnic Societies

Yugoslavya’nın Parçalanması: Etnik Çatışma Literatürü İçin Çıkarılacak Dersler

Abstract

Etnik
çatışma literatürü, insan doğasının ve sosyal davranışlarının bilhassa
çeşitlilik gösteren toplumlarda motivasyonlarıyla ilgili bizlere çok önemli
bilgiler sunmaktadır. Bu makale son dönemlerde yaşanmış en büyük çaplı etnik
çatışmalardan Yugoslavya örneğini araştırmaktadır. Makale, ilkin etnisite
literatürünü incelemekte, etnik çatışmanın mikro- ve makro-bazlı nedenlerini
irdelemektedir. Makale özellikle etnik çatışmaların kültürel, siyasi, yapısal,
psikolojik ve ekonomik nedenlerini incelemektedir. Makale bu teorik altyapı
ışığında Yugoslavya örneğini ele almakta ve bahsi geçen nedenlerin Yugoslavya
örneğindeki karşılaştırmasını yapmaktadır. Buna göre Yugoslavya örneğinde
siyasi ve yapısal nedenlerin öne çıktığı gözlemlenmektedir. Makale son olarak
Yugoslavya’nın ardılı ülkelerde son dönemlerde insanların çok-etnisiteli
toplumlara yaklaşımını inceleyip, konuyla ilgili çıkarımlar yapmaktadır.   

Keywords

Etnik Çatışma, Yugoslavya, Çok-Uluslu Devletler

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