Art Institutions and National Identity in a Post - Conflict Society
Post-conflict societies inhabit a prolonged identity crisis. This crisis defines the scenario in present day Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethno-centric narratives embody the consciousness of the Bosniak, Croat, and Serb populations, inhibiting the prevalence of an overarching national identity. In this thesis, I contend that realizing a national identity, as defined by Benedict Anderson, is crucial to the reconciliation of a post-conflict country such as Bosnia. In light of the limitations of parliamentary structures (such as those defined by Bosnia’s Dayton Agreement) within a society affected by mass atrocity, I argue that art institutions are capable of negotiating the question of a national identity. Focusing on Bosnia, I have examined the nation’s representation in the Venice Biennale, the phenomenological significance of the Sarajevo Film Festival, and finally, the function of museums and public art within the nation. This has revealed how art institutions can address the past in order to memorialize and revisit significant events to realize a collective history, act as a soft body power, create new traditions and narratives, and act as a means for society to realize the distinctness of the nation. My research concludes that art institutions can certainly fulfill long-term and symbolic functions that governmental or legal bodies fail to effectively address, despite their limitations in regards to outreach, access, and the dubious assumption about the effects that they can have on a post-conflict society. This ultimately reiterates the importance of art to the political imagination, not just in Bosnia, but also in other post-conflict societies.
Museums Narrating the Nation: Case Studies from Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina
A museum that represents a community’s history and culture has the ability to influence the way that visitors understand that community in the present. In this paper, museums in Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina are examined as case studies in order to better understand how museums attempt to narrate national identity to visitors, both domestic and international. Critical analysis of exhibits in these museums reveal that museum narratives often attempt to project the image of singular national identities. Meanwhile, they may deny the history of place of other contemporary or historic communities that are held in disfavor by those who influence the development of exhibits. In Greece, museums project a ‘Greek’ identity based on Classical, Byzantine, and post-Ottoman history. Museums in Bosnia-Herzegovina emphasize a unifying, shared history of the state’s three main ethnic communities without recognizing the profound differences felt between these communities today. Thus, these institutions may be seen as attempts at encouraging visitors to imagine the nation in one way only, without recognizing pluralism. While these case studies do not necessarily represent a universal trend, they demonstrate the need to reflect upon the place of such museums in contemporary
“Family” Support for Family Violence: Exploring Community Support Systems for Lesbian and Bisexual Women Who Have Experienced Abuse
ABSTRACT “Family” is a euphemistic term that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people use among ourselves to designate membership in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Ironically, this “family” may be the most sought, yet least successful, support for dealing with the intimate partner violence that occurs within LGBT families. This study of 11 lesbian and bisexual women's experiences seeking support revealed several tiers of unmet needs within the LGBT community. They rarely used services in the general community, although these services are often the focus of both criticism and efforts to build support systems for LGBT victim/survivors. A model presents the different stages and potential sources of support.