Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina
How can low levels of violent extremism in enabling environments be explained? The post-war history of Bosnia-Herzegovina has been marked by prolonged political crises, economic instability, and precarious security for citizens. The combination of a relatively young, unstable democracy and social gr...
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University of Belgrade - Faculty of Political Sciences and Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Regional Security |
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| Online Access: | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2217-995X/2024/2217-995X2402131P.pdf |
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| author | Pehlivanović Šejla |
| author_facet | Pehlivanović Šejla |
| author_sort | Pehlivanović Šejla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | How can low levels of violent extremism in enabling environments be explained? The post-war history of Bosnia-Herzegovina has been marked by prolonged political crises, economic instability, and precarious security for citizens. The combination of a relatively young, unstable democracy and social grievances creates fertile soil for different forms of radicalization and the proliferation of various extremist ideologies. This has, in turn, allowed extra-institutional groups to challenge formal institutions. Despite this, there have been few violent extremist attacks, and those that have been carried out were small-scale and failed to expose any deep reservoir of violent extremism. What, then, does this deviant case reveal? Utilizing social movement theory and political opportunity structures, this article explores how structural conditions in the political and discursive space of Bosnia-Herzegovina affect the protest repertoires of extremist movements. Two main arguments are put forward. First, extra-institutional groups must be understood as rational actors with broader claims that exceed the use of violence. Second, distinguishing between radicalization that links to violent extremism and radicalization that aims to initiate societal change through non-violent means can help us better understand the dynamics behind societal change in fragile environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4d1e545a8ceb4cabab9bf11da9364b2b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2217-995X 2406-0364 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | University of Belgrade - Faculty of Political Sciences and Belgrade Centre for Security Policy |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Regional Security |
| spelling | doaj-art-4d1e545a8ceb4cabab9bf11da9364b2b2025-01-08T16:24:41ZengUniversity of Belgrade - Faculty of Political Sciences and Belgrade Centre for Security PolicyJournal of Regional Security2217-995X2406-03642024-01-0119213115710.5937/jrs19-411762217-995X2402131PExtreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-HerzegovinaPehlivanović Šejla0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6424-6275Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, NorwayHow can low levels of violent extremism in enabling environments be explained? The post-war history of Bosnia-Herzegovina has been marked by prolonged political crises, economic instability, and precarious security for citizens. The combination of a relatively young, unstable democracy and social grievances creates fertile soil for different forms of radicalization and the proliferation of various extremist ideologies. This has, in turn, allowed extra-institutional groups to challenge formal institutions. Despite this, there have been few violent extremist attacks, and those that have been carried out were small-scale and failed to expose any deep reservoir of violent extremism. What, then, does this deviant case reveal? Utilizing social movement theory and political opportunity structures, this article explores how structural conditions in the political and discursive space of Bosnia-Herzegovina affect the protest repertoires of extremist movements. Two main arguments are put forward. First, extra-institutional groups must be understood as rational actors with broader claims that exceed the use of violence. Second, distinguishing between radicalization that links to violent extremism and radicalization that aims to initiate societal change through non-violent means can help us better understand the dynamics behind societal change in fragile environments.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2217-995X/2024/2217-995X2402131P.pdfviolent extremismsocial movementspolitical opportunitiesdiscursive supportenabling environment |
| spellingShingle | Pehlivanović Šejla Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina Journal of Regional Security violent extremism social movements political opportunities discursive support enabling environment |
| title | Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| title_full | Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| title_fullStr | Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| title_short | Extreme moderates: Understanding low levels of violent extremism in Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| title_sort | extreme moderates understanding low levels of violent extremism in bosnia herzegovina |
| topic | violent extremism social movements political opportunities discursive support enabling environment |
| url | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2217-995X/2024/2217-995X2402131P.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pehlivanovicsejla extrememoderatesunderstandinglowlevelsofviolentextremisminbosniaherzegovina |