Nationalism, liberalism and liberal nationalism in post‐war Croatia

Bibliographic Data

ID7337997
AuthorsGarth Massey (University of Wyoming), Randy Hodson (The Ohio State University), Duško Sekulić (Flinders University)
Year2003
Volume9
Issue1
Pages55-82
Publication date2003-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNations and Nationalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1345-5078 • E-ISSN: 1469-8129
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1469-8219.00075
OpenAlexW2092436580
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited41

This article analyses ethnic nationalism and liberalism as expressed in the views of Croatians in the aftermath of the 1991–5 war – a war during which ethnic‐nationalist rhetoric played a large role. Because the war was part of systemic change in the nation, including the adoption of more democratic and capitalist social formation, we also anticipated economic and political liberalism to be present among a sizeable portion of the population. We provide an analysis of the structural conditions fostering these sentiments, an analysis potentially applicable to a range of societies presently in transition. Based on 1996 survey interviews (N=2,202) conducted throughout Croatia, we show that ethnic nationalism in the Croatian context is more widely shared than is liberalism. The effect of religious fundamentalism, educational attainment and media exposure are as predicted, based on theories of liberalism and nationalism. Wartime experiences and position in the occupational system have a weaker and more mixed influence than hypothesised. Perhaps most importantly, we find that three out of five Croatians embrace both ethnic‐national views and views that are distinctly liberal, suggesting that liberal nationalism is now dominant in Croatia. The characteristics of groups holding differing views suggest that recent events and current changes in Croatia bode positively for continued growth of liberal sentiments, but this will not necessarily be at the expense of ethnic nationalism

Democracy · Ethnic group · Fundamentalism · Liberalism · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Rhetoric · Sociology · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · Cyprus History, Politics, Society · Demography · Law · Philosophy · Political Conflict and Governance