Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T02:00:06.836Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Religion and Support for Democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2012

Marko Valenta*
Affiliation:
The Norwegian University of Science & Technology
Zan Strabac*
Affiliation:
Trondheim Business School
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Marko Valenta, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Social Work and Health Science. NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: marko.valenta@svt.ntnu.no; or Zan Strabac, Trondheim Business School, PB 2320, 7004 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: zan.strabac@hist.no
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Marko Valenta, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Social Work and Health Science. NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: marko.valenta@svt.ntnu.no; or Zan Strabac, Trondheim Business School, PB 2320, 7004 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: zan.strabac@hist.no

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between religiosity and support for democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Using data from the last World Values Survey, we examine levels of religiosity among Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, and their support for democracy. The influence of religiosity on support for democracy is also explored. The results indicate that religiosity has a negative influence on support for democracy, and it is particularly true for individuals who do not support the separation of the religious from the political sphere and who exhibit lower support for democracy. The article also examines different levels of religiosity among the three groups, controlling for a wide range of variables. We conclude that there is basically no difference in support for democracy between Croats and Bosniaks, while Serbs exhibit somewhat lesser support for democracy than members of the other two ethnic groups. Serbs also seem to be somewhat less religious than Bosniaks and Croats. Opposition to separation of the religious from the political sphere is a major source of lack of support for democracy among Croats and Bosniaks, but not among Serbs.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allcock, John. 2002. “Rural-urban Differences and the break-up of Yugoslavia.” Balkanologie 6:101125.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian. 2006. Post-War Bosnia. Ethnicity, Inequality and Public Sector Governance. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Bollen, Kenneth, and Lennox, Richard. 1991. “Conventional Wisdom on Measurement: A Structural Equation Perspective.” Psychological Bulletin 110:305314.Google Scholar
Buchenau, Klaus. 2011. “Orthodox Values and Modern Necessities: Serbian Orthodox Clergy and Laypeople on Democracy, Human Rights, Transition, and Globalization.” In Civic and uncivic Values: Serbia in the Post-Milosević Era, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., Listhaug, Ola, and Dulić, Dragana. Budapest: Central European University Press.Google Scholar
Clark, Janine N. 2010. “Religion and Reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Are Religious Actors Doing Enough?Europe-Asia Studies 62:671694.Google Scholar
Cohen, Roger. 1994. “NATO Jets Strike Serbs near Sarajevo.” http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/world/nato-jets-strike-serbs-near-sarajevo.html (Access on June 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Dragun, Antonio. 2006. “Croats in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Relationship between Coexistence and Forgiveness, and Individual Religiosity and Social-political Attitudes.” Revija za sociologiju 37:165180.Google Scholar
Harbin, Julie P. 2002. “Religious Leaders Take Back Seat.” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balkanhr/message/4601 (Accessed on June 29, 2010).Google Scholar
Hoare, Marko A. 2007. The History of Bosnia: From the Middle Ages to the Present Day. London: Saqi Books.Google Scholar
Huntington, Samuel P. 1995. “Religion and the Third Wave.” In Render Undo Caesar: The Religious Sphere in World Politics, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., and Treadgold, Donald W.. Washington, DC: The American University Press, 7192.Google Scholar
Hunsberger, Bruce, and Jackson, M.. 2005. “Religion, Meaning, and Prejudice.” Journal of Social Issues 61:807826.Google Scholar
Karabegović, Dženana. 2010. “Razmišljanja građana suprotna stavovima političara (Perceptions of People and Politicians Differ).” http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/forum_gradjana_tuzla_ustavne_promjene/2013350.html (Accessed on June 29, 2010).Google Scholar
Karčić, Harun. 2010. “Islamic Revival in Post-Socialist Bosnia and Herzegovina: International Actorsand Activities.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 30:519534.Google Scholar
Karpov, Vyacheslav. 1999. “Religiosity and Political Tolerance in Poland.” Sociology of Religion 60:387402.Google Scholar
Latal, Srećko. 2009. “Bosnia's Religions Unite against Gay Marriages.” http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/19805/ (Accessed on June 26, 2010).Google Scholar
Lipset, Seymour M. 1994. “The Social Requisites of Democracy Revisited.” American Sociological Review 59:122.Google Scholar
Malcolm, Noel. 1994. Bosnia: A Short History. New York, NY: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Mayr, Walter. 2009. “The Prophet's Fifth Column.” http://dijaspora.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/the-prophets-fifth-column-islamists-gain-ground-in-sarajevo/ (Accessed on June 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Melčić, Dunja. 2008. “Croatia's Discourse about the Past and Some Problems of Croatian-Bosnian Understanding.” In Croatia since Independence: War, Politics, Society, Foreign Relations, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., Clewing, Konrad, and Lukic, Reneo. Munich: R. Oldenbourg Verlag.Google Scholar
Mihovilović, Maroje. 2007. “Putting lashes out at the West by way of Republika Srpska.” http://www.nacional.hr/en/clanak/39683/putin-lashes-out-at-the-west-by-way-of-republika-srpska (Accessed on June 29, 2010).Google Scholar
Nikšić, Sabine. 2009. “Bosanski muslimani — prijetnja ili šansu za Evropu? (The Bosnian Muslims, Menace or a Chance for the Europe?).” http://www.6yka.com/bosanski-muslimani-prijetnja-ili-sansa-za-evropu- (Accessed on June 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Norris, Pippa, and Inglehart, Ronald. 2004. Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pace, Enzo. 2009. Zašto religije ulaze u rat (Why do religions engage in wars?).” Zagreb: Golden Marketing tehnička knjiga.Google Scholar
Perica, Vjekoslav. 2006. “The Politics of Ambivalence: Europeanization and the Serbian Orthodox Church.” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, eds., Byrnes, Timothy A., and Katzenstein, Peter J.. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 176203.Google Scholar
Philpott, Daniel, and Shah, Timothy Samuel. 2006. “Faith, Freedom and Federation: The Role of Religious Ideas and Institutions in European Political Convergence.” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, eds., Byrnes, Timothy A., and Katzenstein, Peter J.. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 3464.Google Scholar
Rakela, Mirjana. 2009. “Opasni zagrljaj politike i religije (The Dangerous Relationship between Religion and Policy).” http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/tema_sedmice_religija_politika/1889941.html (Accessed on June 29, 2010).Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2006a. “The Way We Are-And Should Be Again? European Orthodox Churches and the “Idyllic Past.” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, eds., Byrnes, Timothy A., and Katzenstein, Peter J.. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 148175.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2006b. The Three Yugoslavias: State-building and Legitimation, 1918–2005. Bloomington, IA: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2005. “Under the Holy Lime Tree: The Inculcation of Neurotic and Psychotic Syndromes as a Serbian Wartime Strategy, 1986—95.” In Serbia since 1989: Politics and society under Milošević and after. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 125142.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2004. “Explaining the Yugoslav meltdown. 1: For a Charm of Powerful Trouble, Like a Hell-Broth Boil and Bubble: Theories About the Roots of the Yugoslav Troubles.” Nationalities Papers 32:731763.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2002. Balkan Babel: The Disintegration of Yugoslavia from the Dead of Tito to the fall of Milošević, 4th ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 1995a. “Sacred Values and the Tapestry of Power: An Introduction.” In Render Undo Caesar: The Religious Sphere in World Politics, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., and Treadgold, Donald W.. Washington, DC: The American University Press, 320.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 1995b. “The Serbian Church and the Serbian Nation.” In Render Undo Caesar: The Religious Sphere in World Politics, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., and Treadgold, Donald W.. Washington, DC: The American University Press, 310323.Google Scholar
Rusinow, Dennison I. 1977. The Yugoslav Experiment 1948–1974. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Sadkovich, James J. 2008. “Franjo Tuđman: An Intellectual in Politics.” In Croatia since Independence: War, Politics, Society, Foreign Relations, eds., Ramet, P. Sabrina, Clewing, Konrad, and Lukic, Reneo. Munich: R. Oldenbourg Verlag.Google Scholar
Strabac, Zan, and Listhaug, Ola. 2008. “Anti-Muslim Prejudice in Europe: A Multilevel Analysis of Survey Data from 30 Countries.” Social Science Research 37:268286.Google Scholar
Strabac, Zan, and Ringdal, Kristen. 2008. “Individual and Contextual Influences of War on Ethnic Prejudice in Croatia.” The Sociological Quarterly 49:769796.Google Scholar
Tessler, Mark. 2002. “Do Islamic Orientations Influence Attitudes Toward Democracy in the Arab World?: Evidence from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Algeria.” International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 43:229249.Google Scholar
Vrcan, Srđan. 1997. “Proselytism, Religion and Ethnicification of Politics: A Sociological Analysis.” http://www.georgefox.edu/academics/undergrad/departments/soc-swk/ree/Vrcan_Proselytism_Oct%201997.pdf (Accessed on June 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Vukomanović, Milan. 2008. “The Serbian Orthodox Church as a Political Actor in the Aftermath of October 5, 2000.” Politics and Religion 1:237269.Google Scholar
Zrinšćak, Siniša. 2008. “What is Religion, and what is Religion for: A Sociological Approach.” Bogoslovska smotra, 78:2537.Google Scholar
Zrinšćak, Siniša. 2007. “Religion and Values.” In Democratic Transition in Croatia: Value transformation, Education, and Media, eds., Ramet, Sabrina P., and Matić, Davorka. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 137159.Google Scholar
Zuvela, Maja, and Sito-Sucic, Daria. 2010. “Bosnia Vote Points to Deadlock on Ethnic Lines.” http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6940TK20101005 (Accessed on November 20, 2010).Google Scholar