Between latency and political mobilization: (con)figurations of the ethno-national identification among the bureaucratic-political elite of Serbia

Abstract

Paper illuminates ethno-national identifications of Serbia's bureaucratic-political elite, assuming its (con) figurative principles and diverging forms oscillate between capacities for political mobilization while simultaneously reflecting latency of social order(s). The analysis rests on the data obtained in survey of Serbia's political elite conducted in 2015, by using Bourdieu's concept of (political) field and locating these (con) figurations of ethno-national identification as expression of particular (dis) positions and social relations. Prior to the analysis, insufficiencies contained in dominant conceptualizations of identity are exposed, followed by reassessment of theories of nation and ethnicity by highlighting blurred line discontinuity between ethnos/nation has, due to processes of historical (de) politicization. The analysis first detects objective structure of Serbia's bureaucratic-political field. Through construction of scale of ethno-national valence it is shown that detected divergent degrees of ethno-national attachment correspond to structure of bureaucratic-political field, conforming the particular positions of political groups. Divergent contents of ethno-national identification among political groups are extensively analyzed and interpreted as a reflection of fieldstructure and capacity for political mobilization. In conclusion, it is noted that (con) figurations of ethno-national identity among Serbian bureaucratic-political elite differentiate around ethnic, but converge around etatist dimensions, reflecting the opposing conceptions of "valid" political community.