Multiculturalism in the Balkans. Prospects and perils

In the Balkans, multiculturalism has come to represent a defining feature and a origin of conflict simultaneously. The region, shaped by centuries of migrations, conquests, political upheavals and civilian wars, with its complex mix of cultural diversity and political instability, serves as a global example of the failure of multicultural policies. Consequently, “Balkanism” and “Balkanization” have emerged as method terms denoting conflict driven by identity-based fragmentation.

Multiculturalism refers to 1) the coexistence of diverse cultural, cultural and spiritual communities within a society, and 2) the social and political explanation that promotes cultural diversity. It uses legal and administrative logic that seeks to regulate the coexistence of different cultures within a polity, as well as social explanation that addresses the plurality of perspectives on society, the state, science, education and culture itself. It is most commonly understood in 2 primary ways: descriptively, as a characterization of cultural diversity, and normatively, as a explanation asserting that culture plays a crucial function in politics and as a practice of granting culturally distinct groups (for instance, minorities) certain peculiar rights. Ideally, it seeks to enable their full equality. In this sense, multiculturalism has captivated generations of academic authors, journalists, politicians, NGO workers and human rights advocates.