Nationalism in Post-Milosevic Serbia

By using empirical data, this research considers whether there are changes in the saliencies of attitudes about nationality-related issues in contemporary Serbia, and if so, whether they can be linked to the political context of the period. Demonstrating the susceptibility of the saliencies of these attitudes to external influence is its main goal. I maintain that this research is best framed by a constructivist approach to the study of nationalism. This thesis also addresses the ongoing debate concerning the origins of the late eighties and early nineties resurgence of nationalism in Serbia. A particular emphasis is devoted to the consideration of the role of the political elites in the emergence of the ethnic conflicts of former Yugoslavia and in general. The period examined in most depth is 2000-02 encompassing the Milosevic regime change. Additionally, an analysis of the nationalizing content of the most read newspaper Blic is conducted in order to provide evidence of the transmittance of the nationalizing potential of political events and processes through the media to the public.