“THEY SAY I AM A TRAITOR” : Contact as a Predictor for Reconciliation among Young Adults in Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract: Even though peace accords are signed and peace is declared, many societies are far from peaceful. Rather than talking about peace, one could state that the conflict is moved from the battleground to another arena. Hence, some societies remain divided and polarized long after the war is over. This thesis explores contact among young adults from two towns in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and how contact affects the reconciliation process twenty years after the Dayton Peace Accords. By using previous research social identity, socialization and intergroup contact, I argue that contact is an important step in order to break the intractability of the conflict and enhance the reconciliation process in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Qualitative data was collected through eight in-depth in with young adults aged 21 to 24 at the end of January and the beginning of February 2016. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The main findings in this study are that the two towns, Goražde and Višegrad, do not provide opportunities for contact and are not suitable places for positive intergroup contact. In fact, contact with outgroup members in the lives of young adults from eastern BiH takes place in other areas of the country. The findings also indicate that contact has a positive effect on the factors vital in the reconciliation process, such as a common vision, sense of victimhood, and ingroup superiority. However, contact does not affect outgroup attitudes.