Dino Abazović, born in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in 1972. Ph.D. from the University of Sarajevo. Assistant Professor in Sociology of Religion at the University of Sarajevo.
Fellow (1 February 2012 – 30 June 2012)
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – AMBIVALENT BUILDERS OF NEW POLITICAL IDENTITIES IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETY
During my stay at NIAS I was a member of collaborative project/research theme group — THE REAL AND THE IMAGINED IN THE CONTEMPORARY BALKAN undertaking the individual research project entitled “Religious Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ambivalent Builders of New Political Identities in Post-Conflict Society”.
I explored the processes within religious communities and their members in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and analyzed how religious, legal, cultural and ethnical norms relate to secular state, and to secular society, with special focus on problems or reconciliation. More importantly, I explored relationship between religion and ethno-political dynamics of Bosnia Herzegovina state and society, focusing on how politicians and part of the religious clergy use religious reasoning to acquire political goals and achieve non-religious aims. I also inquired how, in this process, faith-based identities get nationalized and ethnicized.
Taking into account that I have been working as a part of the research group, the group’s members (D. Zarkov, M. Glasius, M. Koinova, V. Perica, M. Velikonja) general suggestions, their reviews of draft papers and comments after number of internal presentations and discussions were of the utmost importance for preparing the final paper presented on the conference organized at NIAS on 19 of June 2012, as well as for the chapter for future joint edited volume.
NIAS specific contribution was (certainly – a very good working conditions and similar) in usage of the services of exceptionally well-established library and its staff proficiency, as well as benefitting from the English language editorial services.
All in all, my initial plans were fulfilled entirely, and beyond.