Center for Research on Social Memory kindly invites to a seminar with Anida Vrcić Amar about “Ethnic Identity Among Majority and Minority Youth in Serbia”.
The seminar will take place online, 18 February at 9:30am CET.
Please register in order to participate: https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/…/
Abstract:
The development of ethnic identity among youth in Serbia occurs within a specific socio-historical framework, shaped by political, social, and cultural processes, including post-war traumas, multi-ethnicity, and dynamic changes in social norms. In this context, social memory, as a collective framework for remembering and reinterpreting past events, plays a crucial role in the formation of ethnic identity. For youth from majority ethnic groups, such as Serbs, ethnic identity is often shaped through dominant narratives that reflect collective memories of past historical periods, such as the socialist era and post-war conflicts. This identity is constructed through state, cultural, and educational institutions that perpetuate specific historical discourses and values, enabling the majority group to more easily affirm and achieve ethnic identity without significant challenges.
In contrast, youth from minority ethnic communities (Bosniaks, Hungarians, Albanians, Roma) in Serbia face complex challenges in the process of shaping their identity, which is deeply rooted in the discursive practices of social memory that marginalize their historical narratives and cultural values. The social memory of these communities, often affected by intergenerational memory and trauma transmission, functions as a means of affirmation and resistance, shaping ethnic identity through strategies of survival and preservation of cultural heritage. Discrimination, stereotypes, and marginalization become key factors in shaping the negative aspects of social memory, while simultaneously providing a space for articulating identity resistance.
Research shows that the educational system, which should be an agent of inclusion, is often not adequately equipped to address issues of ethnic diversity. While teachers recognize the importance of promoting multicultural values, educational curricula in Serbia often lack mechanisms to support diversity, thereby perpetuating social exclusion. In this context, social memory in the educational environment becomes ambivalent — while curricula may contribute to the affirmation of national narratives, they often neglect and marginalize the histories and memories of minority communities.
Additionally, the role of the family and media, as key agents of socialization, plays a dual function: while the family transmits cultural values and historical narratives, the media and educational systems can, on one hand, perpetuate stereotypes, and on the other, become platforms for constructing and affirming multicultural awareness.
In the context of minority communities, social memory becomes critical in shaping resistance and affirming identity, while educational and cultural frameworks represent key factors that can either support or obstruct this process.
The development of ethnic identity among youth in Serbia occurs within a specific socio-historical framework, shaped by political, social, and cultural processes, including post-war traumas, multi-ethnicity, and dynamic changes in social norms. In this context, social memory, as a collective framework for remembering and reinterpreting past events, plays a crucial role in the formation of ethnic identity. For youth from majority ethnic groups, such as Serbs, ethnic identity is often shaped through dominant narratives that reflect collective memories of past historical periods, such as the socialist era and post-war conflicts. This identity is constructed through state, cultural, and educational institutions that perpetuate specific historical discourses and values, enabling the majority group to more easily affirm and achieve ethnic identity without significant challenges.
In contrast, youth from minority ethnic communities (Bosniaks, Hungarians, Albanians, Roma) in Serbia face complex challenges in the process of shaping their identity, which is deeply rooted in the discursive practices of social memory that marginalize their historical narratives and cultural values. The social memory of these communities, often affected by intergenerational memory and trauma transmission, functions as a means of affirmation and resistance, shaping ethnic identity through strategies of survival and preservation of cultural heritage. Discrimination, stereotypes, and marginalization become key factors in shaping the negative aspects of social memory, while simultaneously providing a space for articulating identity resistance.
Research shows that the educational system, which should be an agent of inclusion, is often not adequately equipped to address issues of ethnic diversity. While teachers recognize the importance of promoting multicultural values, educational curricula in Serbia often lack mechanisms to support diversity, thereby perpetuating social exclusion. In this context, social memory in the educational environment becomes ambivalent — while curricula may contribute to the affirmation of national narratives, they often neglect and marginalize the histories and memories of minority communities.
Additionally, the role of the family and media, as key agents of socialization, plays a dual function: while the family transmits cultural values and historical narratives, the media and educational systems can, on one hand, perpetuate stereotypes, and on the other, become platforms for constructing and affirming multicultural awareness.
In the context of minority communities, social memory becomes critical in shaping resistance and affirming identity, while educational and cultural frameworks represent key factors that can either support or obstruct this process.
Bio:
Dr. Anida Vrcić Amar has been employed at the State University of Novi Pazar since 2008 and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology. She is a member of the NIdEA project team, which focuses on “Narrativization of ethnic identities of adolescents from culturally dominant and minority backgrounds, and the role of the school context”. This project is a collaborative effort between the University of Belgrade, the State University of Novi Pazar, Collage of Old Westbury- The State University of New York (SUNY). Dr. Vrcić Amar is particularly interested in clinical topics related to the preservation of mental health through positive psychology and psychotherapy. She has participated in numerous conferences and authored significant publications both domestically and internationally. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with the non-governmental sector on various social policy projects related to the preservation of mental health among youth, gender equality, nonviolent communication, the promotion of multiculturalism, and equal social policies. She is especially proud of her work with unaccompanied minors at the migrant and asylum seekers’ center.
Dr. Anida Vrcić Amar has been employed at the State University of Novi Pazar since 2008 and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology. She is a member of the NIdEA project team, which focuses on “Narrativization of ethnic identities of adolescents from culturally dominant and minority backgrounds, and the role of the school context”. This project is a collaborative effort between the University of Belgrade, the State University of Novi Pazar, Collage of Old Westbury- The State University of New York (SUNY). Dr. Vrcić Amar is particularly interested in clinical topics related to the preservation of mental health through positive psychology and psychotherapy. She has participated in numerous conferences and authored significant publications both domestically and internationally. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with the non-governmental sector on various social policy projects related to the preservation of mental health among youth, gender equality, nonviolent communication, the promotion of multiculturalism, and equal social policies. She is especially proud of her work with unaccompanied minors at the migrant and asylum seekers’ center.