ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE BALKANS

Scrolling through the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) makes one feel ethnic segregation and tension between the three constituent ethnies at every corner of the country. This tensed atmosphere stemmed from the wars in the 90s of the previous century and, even though the wars stopped after the Dayton Peace Agreement signed in 14 December 1995, is still continuing in different forms. In order to analyze the reasons for the continuity of these problems, social scientists from the ex-Yugoslavian countries and from other countries are conducting research in the region using ethnological methods, which have been assuming to be ethnology as a special field for better understanding existing conflicts. In this short piece, two books published recently will be reviewed to understand the use and function of ethnological research for the Balkans.