NACIONALNI I EVROPSKI IDENTITET MLADIH PARTICIPANATA I APSTINENATA NA IZBORIMA
NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY AMONG THE YOUNG PARTICIPANTS AND ABSENTEES IN ELECTIONS

Summary/Abstract: Due to the very complex political structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the complicated social and political situation, as well as a very complex election law, there is an increasing number of abstainers in the elections. The largest number of abstainers is present among young people. Great confusion for young people next to a very complex socio-political situation are identities. They creates a rift between the existence of a very pronounced national identity and the simultaneous pursuit of building a European identity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine differences in national and European identity among participants and absentees, as well as youth representatives of political parties. Also we wanted to examine whether national and European identity can simultaneously exist, or are they mutually exclusive. The study included 720 young people, students from different faculties and members of political parties in the Sarajevo Canton and Herzegovina - Neretva Canton. Instruments that were used in the study: the scale of national identity (Cinnirella, 1997), the scale of national identity (Čorkalo and Kamenov, 1998), the scale of European identity (Cinnirella, 1997) and socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire. The results indicate that among participants and absentees there are no statistically significant differences in the national and European identity. Between youth representatives of nationally oriented parties (HDZ, SDA and HDZ 1990) and the second group of political parties (SBB, SBiH and SDP) statistically significant difference is in the national identity, while there is no a statistically significant difference in European identity. The correlation coefficient between national and European identity is statistically significant, which is very indicative because in the earlier studies this was no shown. This suggests that among young people in B&H national and European Identity exists as a one-dimensional construct, but usually their relationship is viewed through a two-dimensional model.

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