Bunjevci in the Paradigm of Their Identity

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2021-3/70-87

Abstract

The article studies the identity of the Bunjevci, a South Slavic ethnic group living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia. Their status is controversial, and its interpretation depends on the historical period and the country. Some Bunjevci consider themselves Croats, while others defend their unique identity. The author wonders where the borderline that allows a community to consider itself a separate people is and how "external" circumstances affect the viability of ethnic groups? The answers to these questions are usually not only scientifically based but also have political reasoning. The Bunjevci case is a typical example. Discussions about their origin broke out with renewed vigor after the collapse of the SFRY and the emergence of independent states. They have become a clear example of how the past is interpreted, mythologized, and used depending on the context and social situation. Today, various resources are used to construct ethnic identities, including language, religion, historical memory, political discourse, etc. In a broader anthropological context, the topic has a theoretical significance for the discussion of constructivists and primordialists.

For Citation: Martynova, M.Yu. 2021. Bunjevci in the paradigm of their identity. Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik Antropologii) 3: 70–87