Map of Cultural Bosnia-Herzegovina
Slideshow of Cultural Aspects
History of Gender Roles
The end of conflict marked the beginning of the transition from war to peace and an economic and political transition. The nation’s gross domestic product is half of its pre-war level, and social sector spending has dropped. A decrease in family benefits and public social services caused a drop in women’s social standing in society. Women who once held prestigious positions in public life are now engaged in domestic duties in the home.
Women suffer discrimination in the workplace. They receive lower salaries than men for the same type of work and earn promotions far less frequently. Women’s jobs are the first to be eliminated and fewer women than men are entering the labor force. Unemployment has led to depression in many men because they are no longer able to fulfill their role supporting their families. Women are much more likely to become poor than men because it’s harder for them to find employment and the absence of affordable childcare prevents many from even seeking employment (Bosnia and Herzegovina gender profile, n.d.).
An annex to the peace agreement establishing Bosnia and Herzegovina prohibits gender-based discrimination as an integral part of the constitution. In 2003, the country adopted the Law on Gender Equality. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s poverty reduction strategy paper supports this law and calls for its full implementation. The country’s medium term development strategy for 2004 to 2007 highlights the need to improve the situation of rural women. The strategy envisages a range of activites aimed at empowering women through education, employment, and representation in rural institutions (Krasnic, 2012).
Women suffer discrimination in the workplace. They receive lower salaries than men for the same type of work and earn promotions far less frequently. Women’s jobs are the first to be eliminated and fewer women than men are entering the labor force. Unemployment has led to depression in many men because they are no longer able to fulfill their role supporting their families. Women are much more likely to become poor than men because it’s harder for them to find employment and the absence of affordable childcare prevents many from even seeking employment (Bosnia and Herzegovina gender profile, n.d.).
An annex to the peace agreement establishing Bosnia and Herzegovina prohibits gender-based discrimination as an integral part of the constitution. In 2003, the country adopted the Law on Gender Equality. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s poverty reduction strategy paper supports this law and calls for its full implementation. The country’s medium term development strategy for 2004 to 2007 highlights the need to improve the situation of rural women. The strategy envisages a range of activites aimed at empowering women through education, employment, and representation in rural institutions (Krasnic, 2012).
Statistics
Category | Statistic |
---|---|
Unemployment Rate | 44.1% (2012) |
Population Below Poverty Line | 18.6% (2007) |
Exports (Commodities) | Metals, Clothing, Wood Products |
Military Branches | Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013) |
Religions | Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14% |
Statistical Change Over Time
These graphs all show different changes over time in Bosnian society. A lot of the major changes happened during the time of the Bosnian War. The third graph shows the armed force personnel in percent of labor force and in this graph you can see a huge spike around 1995 which was due to the war. Employment rate in the second graph seems to be slightly decreasing over time. The economy changes constantly, going from good to bad on a yearly basis, which would also be an explanation for the decrease in employment rates. The first graph shows population and was definitely effected by the Bosnian war. There is a huge decrease in population between 1985 and 2000. The population has leveled out in present day, but this country has obviously been dramatically affected by the war.
Religion
Ethnic cleansing during the 1992-95 war caused internal migration and refugee flows, which largely segregated the population into separate ethno-religious areas. As a result, the majority of Serb Orthodox adherents live in the Republika Srpska, and the majority of Muslims and Catholics reside in the Federation. Within the Federation, distinct Muslim and Catholic majority areas remain, with most Catholics living in Herzegovina and central Bosnia and most Muslims living in central Bosnia and Sarajevo. The Jewish community, like Protestants and most other small religious groups in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has its largest membership in Sarajevo.
There are strong reciprocal relations between ethnodemographic and industrial development in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past as well as today. The regions that are intensely losing population are the underdeveloped ones. The vast highland regions, inhabited mostly by the Serbian and Croatian population, did not get any considerable investments after World War II, their income sharing dropped and they had loss in population. On the other hand, central Bosnia inhabited mostly by the Muslim population was characteristic of the largest economic potentials. The ethnic area of the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina had considerable advantages in terms of the attained level of industrial and social development over the ethnic area of the Serbs and Croats. This is one of the most important factors of inter-ethnic clashes and future ethnic limitations.
Medjugorje, which means between the hills, is a village in the southern part of Herzegovina in the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The small parish of about 4,000 has become famous due to a series of reported visions of the Virgin Mary that began in 1981 and still continues today. Although the Catholic Church has not validated the apparitions and therefore official pilgrimages are not allowed, the Shrine of the Queen of Peace at Medjugorje attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year.
The government has missed several deadlines to make changes to the constitution that were needed to end discriminatory restrictions on Jews and Roma holding political office. Roma remain subject to widespread discrimination. Some refugees and internally displaced persons wishing to return to their pre-war homes faced an obstacle in the courts, and there was no progress on implementing a return strategy. Journalists even remain vulnerable to threats and attack.
There are strong reciprocal relations between ethnodemographic and industrial development in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past as well as today. The regions that are intensely losing population are the underdeveloped ones. The vast highland regions, inhabited mostly by the Serbian and Croatian population, did not get any considerable investments after World War II, their income sharing dropped and they had loss in population. On the other hand, central Bosnia inhabited mostly by the Muslim population was characteristic of the largest economic potentials. The ethnic area of the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina had considerable advantages in terms of the attained level of industrial and social development over the ethnic area of the Serbs and Croats. This is one of the most important factors of inter-ethnic clashes and future ethnic limitations.
Medjugorje, which means between the hills, is a village in the southern part of Herzegovina in the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The small parish of about 4,000 has become famous due to a series of reported visions of the Virgin Mary that began in 1981 and still continues today. Although the Catholic Church has not validated the apparitions and therefore official pilgrimages are not allowed, the Shrine of the Queen of Peace at Medjugorje attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year.
The government has missed several deadlines to make changes to the constitution that were needed to end discriminatory restrictions on Jews and Roma holding political office. Roma remain subject to widespread discrimination. Some refugees and internally displaced persons wishing to return to their pre-war homes faced an obstacle in the courts, and there was no progress on implementing a return strategy. Journalists even remain vulnerable to threats and attack.
Cultural Diversity
Historical, geographical, ethnological, sociological, and demographic research shows that the population development of the Serbian, Croatian, and Muslim population was accompanied by rather unfavorable economic, social, and political circumstances during the Turkish rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the 15th to 19th century. Frequent wars, religious persecutions, rebellions and uprisings, taking of children as tribute, high tributes and taxes, years of bad crops, epidemics, violence, and oppression caused high mortality rate and suffering of the whole population and instigated the migration flows that changed the ethnic structure of the population. So, with the Islamization of the Christian population coincided the process of their emigration from these regions, which has remained the main feature of the demographic development of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina until today.
From its turbulent history and rich cultural influences, Bosnia and Herzegovina has acquired a vast architectural and archaeological heritage, much of which was heavily damaged or destroyed during the war from 1992 to 1995. The heritage is threatened by illicit building, unskilled reconstruction and lack of maintenance, with management made difficult by the shortage of adequate documentation, most of which was destroyed during the war. Substantial progress has been made, however, in terms of research and the improvement of professional skills. The European Commission has established numerous effective partnerships with national and international bodies and it has succeeded in completing major restoration projects (Council of Europe). The adoption of the state-level law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, managed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, will also ensure that mechanisms are put in place to face future challenges.
The revival of culture, with its embrace of different value systems, traditions, and beliefs, is crucial to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future, and is imperative for the social, political, and economic development of the country. The Joint Programme is another program designed to strengthen the sectors of culture and education as a way to promote sustainable development and an intercultural and tolerant society (MDG Achievement Fund). The Joint Programme’s areas of focus include the policy/legal framework in the cultural and educational sectors, community-based interventions to increase cross-cultural understanding, promotion of the Cultural Industry Sector, and promotion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unique multicultural identity.
From its turbulent history and rich cultural influences, Bosnia and Herzegovina has acquired a vast architectural and archaeological heritage, much of which was heavily damaged or destroyed during the war from 1992 to 1995. The heritage is threatened by illicit building, unskilled reconstruction and lack of maintenance, with management made difficult by the shortage of adequate documentation, most of which was destroyed during the war. Substantial progress has been made, however, in terms of research and the improvement of professional skills. The European Commission has established numerous effective partnerships with national and international bodies and it has succeeded in completing major restoration projects (Council of Europe). The adoption of the state-level law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, managed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, will also ensure that mechanisms are put in place to face future challenges.
The revival of culture, with its embrace of different value systems, traditions, and beliefs, is crucial to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future, and is imperative for the social, political, and economic development of the country. The Joint Programme is another program designed to strengthen the sectors of culture and education as a way to promote sustainable development and an intercultural and tolerant society (MDG Achievement Fund). The Joint Programme’s areas of focus include the policy/legal framework in the cultural and educational sectors, community-based interventions to increase cross-cultural understanding, promotion of the Cultural Industry Sector, and promotion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unique multicultural identity.
Cuisine
Bosnia and Herzegovina imports around two-thirds of its overall food needs. The food in Bosnia and Herzegovina tends to be rich, with emphasis on dairy products and meat, particularly beef, lamb and pork, which are often grilled or barbecued. People tend to shop for ingredients daily and buy seasonal vegetables and fruit, which are organically or semi-organically grown and picked when ripe. Popular dishes are Bosnian pot (bosanski lonac), a mixture of meat and vegetables slow roasted and served in a ceramic pot, sarma, cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice, jagnjetina, lamb grilled over an open fire, filovane paprika, peppers stuffed with minced meat and spices, and pies such as sirnica (made with cheese) and zeljanica (made with spinach). Fresh fish tends to be eaten more often near coastal areas. Dishes such as cevapi (small sausages in a type of pita bread with chopped onions) and burek, a type of pastry stuffed with meat show the influence of Turkish cuisine. Salads are generally prepared with mixed tomatoes, lettuce, onion, peppers and cheese. Pickled vegetables are also served as salads, such as pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. Traditional desserts are baklava, made with nuts and pastry, and tufahije, apples stuffed with walnuts and topped with whipped cream.
Cevapi Recipe
Ingredients:
· 1 tablespoon lard or 1 tablespoon butter
· ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
· 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
· 1 lb lean lamb
· 1 lb lean beef
· 1 egg white, lightly beaten
· 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
· 2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
· 6 – 8 pita breads
Directions:
1. Melt the lard or butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. During the last three minutes or so, add the garlic and keep stirring to prevent burning. Remove the onions and let cool.
2. Mix the ground lamb and the ground beef. Add the onion/garlic mixture, egg white and paprika and mix well.
3. Shape the meat into unappetizing looking little cylinders, which are the traditional shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Pan fry the cevapi in a little olive oil until nicely browned.
5. To serve, cut the pita breads in half and make a pocket in each one. Stuff a few finely chopped onions inside the pita, then add the cevapi and top with a few more of the onions.
Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/cevapi-bosnia-herzegovina-478862
I chose to include this recipe on my website because it is the most common Bosnian recipe to be tried in America. It is a snack that is usually sold as fast food by street vendors.
· 1 tablespoon lard or 1 tablespoon butter
· ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
· 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
· 1 lb lean lamb
· 1 lb lean beef
· 1 egg white, lightly beaten
· 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
· 2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
· 6 – 8 pita breads
Directions:
1. Melt the lard or butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. During the last three minutes or so, add the garlic and keep stirring to prevent burning. Remove the onions and let cool.
2. Mix the ground lamb and the ground beef. Add the onion/garlic mixture, egg white and paprika and mix well.
3. Shape the meat into unappetizing looking little cylinders, which are the traditional shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Pan fry the cevapi in a little olive oil until nicely browned.
5. To serve, cut the pita breads in half and make a pocket in each one. Stuff a few finely chopped onions inside the pita, then add the cevapi and top with a few more of the onions.
Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/cevapi-bosnia-herzegovina-478862
I chose to include this recipe on my website because it is the most common Bosnian recipe to be tried in America. It is a snack that is usually sold as fast food by street vendors.
Current Event Summary
Investigators in Bosnia have uncovered a mass grave thought to contain several hundred bodies of victims of the conflict that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslavia two decades ago. This is one of the biggest mass graves found in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the conflict. The remains are believed to be those of victims of Bosniak and Croat ethnicity from Prijedor and its surroundings, killed in the summer of 1992, according to the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Smith-Spark, 2013). 231 complete bodies have been found, as well as the body parts of another 112 people, the remains are being taken to an identification center. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a U.N.-backed court, continues to prosecute war crimes committed during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s (Smith-Spark, 2013). Four cases remain at trial for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Additional Resources
1. Countries and Their Cultures - http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina.html
2. Discover Bosnia - http://www.discoverbosnia.com/bosnian-culture
2. Discover Bosnia - http://www.discoverbosnia.com/bosnian-culture
References
Bosnia and Herzegovina gender profile. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ifad.org/english/gender/cen/profiles/bih.htm
CIA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html
Council of Europe. (n.d.). Regional Programme on Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cooperation/see/countries/Bosnia_en.asp
Krasnic, V. (2012, April 11). Women of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Twenty years later. Retrieved from http://fpif.org/women_of_bosnia_and_herzegovina_twenty_years_later/
MDG Achievement Fund. (n.d.). Bosnia and Herzegovina: Improving Cultural Understanding in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved from http://www.mdgfund.org/program/improvingculturalunderstandingbosniaandherzegovina
Smith-Spark, L. (2013, November 1). Hundreds of bodies found in Bosnia mass grave. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/world/europe/bosnia-mass-grave/index.html?iref=allsearch
CIA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html
Council of Europe. (n.d.). Regional Programme on Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cooperation/see/countries/Bosnia_en.asp
Krasnic, V. (2012, April 11). Women of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Twenty years later. Retrieved from http://fpif.org/women_of_bosnia_and_herzegovina_twenty_years_later/
MDG Achievement Fund. (n.d.). Bosnia and Herzegovina: Improving Cultural Understanding in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved from http://www.mdgfund.org/program/improvingculturalunderstandingbosniaandherzegovina
Smith-Spark, L. (2013, November 1). Hundreds of bodies found in Bosnia mass grave. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/world/europe/bosnia-mass-grave/index.html?iref=allsearch