Ethnic Conflict and Identity in Croatia and Bosnia
DialogueZagreb, Croatia Sarajevo, Bosnia Summer I, 2025
Courses
Examines the social, political, and economic forces that influence how nongovernment organizations develop and operate in settings abroad. Students analyze and compare popular preventative and reactive interventions for social change such as public health, mental health, feminist/queer-affirming, anti-nationalist, anti-racist, anti-hate and reconciliation, human rights, and hip-hop and social justice approaches. This intensive, integrated course features lectures, presentations, case studies, meetings with local stakeholders and practitioners, as well as local students and faculty.
Introduces students to the role of culture in psychological science. Discusses the relationship of culture to psychological theories and research. Investigates psychological research in WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic) populations compared to those less frequently studied.
What happened during the breakup of former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and how do those events and memories contribute to persisting tensions in the region? How can principles of cross-cultural psychology and other methods of social change improve interethnic tensions to promote reconciliation and healing? What skills, information, and experiences can students gain from understanding this conflict to further their capacity for global citizenship?
This DOC program studies and investigates cross-cultural psychology and the psychology of ethnic identity and ethnic conflict in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, exceptional countries to study the themes of this course due to the visibility and recency of the 90s conflicts and relative access to peacekeeping and reconciliation efforts. Both countries have beautiful landscapes and scenery, a rich history, an emerging food and travel culture, and an unparalleled level of hospitality. And yet, the tangible structural and psychological scars from living in a post-conflict zone reflect the reality of former Yugoslavia. City and site visits in the 2025 version of this class will include Zagreb, Motovun, Osijek, Vukovar, Jasenovac Concentration Camp Memorial, Sarajevo, Srebrenica Memorial, Mostar, Split, and more.
