Bosnia: Muslims and Croats

Running Head: Bosnia: Muslims and Croats

Bosnia: Muslims and Croats

W B

SOC/120

February 28, 2010

Introduction

This paper will show the various cultures, races, and ethnicities in Bosnia. The discrimination amongst the Bosnians, Serbs, and Croats, will be discussed including the reasoning for the discrimination, the effect on the citizens, and the resulting conditions in Bosnia. This population is diverse and segregated, mostly based on religion. However, the Bosnian War that took place from 1992 until 1995 did not help relations within the religious community because of the ethnic cleansing and genocide that occurred. As a result of conflict and strife in Bosnia, the Bosnian people have sacrificed life, homeland, religion, and self.

Bosnia: Muslims and Croats

Before one can explore the country of Bosnia, first one needs to explore the difference between race and ethnicities within Bosnia. Race is a socially constructed grouping composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits; skin color, facial features, texture of hair, and body shape (Macionis, 2006). Ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage or social identity; common ancestors, language, and religion (Macionis, 2006). Just because he/she is Bosnian by race does not mean that they are ethnically Bosnian, especially if one set of grandparents are Croats or Serbs or the family was Muslim or Orthodox prior to their birth.

Bosnia is a combination of ethnicities 48% are Bosnians, followed by 37% Serbs, 14% Croats, and less than 1% of the population is of an “other” ethnicity (CIA, 2010). The languages of Bosnia are as diverse as the ethnicity, spoken are Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. Another area in which there are differences, like any society, the religion; 40% is Muslim, 31% is Orthodox, 15% is Roman Catholic, and the remaining 14% is “other” in Bosnia (CIA, 2010).

Differences have led Bosnians to war, genocide, ethnic cleansing, discrimination,...