Ethnicity, religiosity and memory. A case study in Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

The general question under investigation in this study are
the different effects of religiosity and religious affiliation, combined
with ethnicity, on social coexistence in Central and Eastern Europe
and especially in the Balkan region. The question is of enormous
importance at a time of high individuality and pressures against
social cooperation and peace. Recent data collected in Vojvodina
in 2018 is analyzed with a variety of statistical methods. In the
statistical analysis, first, a distinction is made between religiosity
and ethnicity and the relationship between religiosity and ethnic
affiliation is evaluated. Then correlations between religiosity and
ethnic sensibility are examined. Ethnic sensibility is measured as
ascribing high importance towards historical and political issues.
The problematics of the ethnic tensions has a long tradition in
Vojvodina and in the entire Balkan region. The centuries long
lack and desire for an autonomous and sovereign national state
characterizes the region. And especially the Balkan war in the early
1990s impregnates the attitudes of the population of all ethnicities.
Memory politics and memory war play an important role in
contemporary politics and public discussions. All these aspects of
the contemporary Vojvodina deserve a closer attention.