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Reconstructing the Meaning of Being “Montenegrin”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Abstract

Although there has been significant change in the content of the category of “Montenegrin” identity, the policies adopted by the government of Montenegro within its nation-building project have been only partly successful. This study examines popular support for the policies that have helped to reconstruct Montenegrin identity in the decades following the disintegration of socialist Yugoslavia. The specific focus here is on the symbolic reconstruction of identity parameters in Montenegro after the split of the ruling party in 1997 and the start of political divisions in this tiny Balkan state. Relying on original quantitative and qualitative data, the analysis associates the divide related to the question of statehood with perceptions of identity and shows how the content of "Montenegrin" identity changed as a result of people's support for or opposition to independence.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 2014 

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References

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46 Bieber,“Montenegrin Politics since the Disintegration of Yugoslavia,” in Bieber, ed., Montenegro in Transition, 18.

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48 Ibid., 40.

49 Ibid., 41.

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52 Ipsos Strategic Marketing,“Report: Nation Building—Montenegro,” 32.

53 Ibid., 27.

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60 The CPC, established in 1993, was often described as the“epiphenomenon of Montenegrin politics.” Ramet, The Three Yugoslavias, 264. It operated as a para-legal in-stitution before being registered as a non-governmental organization in lanuary 2000.

61 Ipsos Strategic Marketing,“Report: Nation Building—Montenegro,” 48.

62 Ibid., 47.

63 Ibid., 51.

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65 Ipsos Strategic Marketing,“Report: Nation Building—Montenegro,” 52.

66 Ipsos Strategic Marketing,“Report: Nation Building—Montenegro,” 44. Please note that although there is also a national category of Muslims in Montenegro, the survey had not differentiated between Bosniaks and Muslims.

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81 The Slovenian and Macedonian languages, which are linguistically different from the former Serbo-Croatian language, officially use Latin and Cyrillic scripts, respectively. The Croatian language officially uses the Latin script exclusively, and the Serbian lan-guage uses Cyrillic.

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84 Zavod za Statistiku Crne Gore,“Population Census 2011.”

85 Ipsos Strategic Marketing,“Report: Nation Building—Montenegro,” 14. The issue of script was not covered in the survey.

86 Ibid., 59.

87 Milošević,“Fate of Montenegro's State Symbols in Balance.”