Civic Engagement and Its Disparate Goals in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

Qualitative studies featuring in-depth research have recently pushed back against characterizations of citizens in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) as passive. After mobilizations in 2014, how do citizens in BiH engage in public action, and what factors explain their public participation? This article uses data from an original, nationally representative survey to depict civic engagement and investigate the proposition that citizens engage in civic action when these efforts address their primary concerns—everyday social problems, rather than abstract political ideals. In addition, this article draws on interviews to probe whether civic activists incorporate citizens’ priority concerns in developing strategies for increasing public participation in their work. It finds that most citizens cite their motivation for civic action as tackling concrete everyday problems and helping those in need. Statistical analysis indicates that while the segment of the population that supports civic engagement on conservative values is small, this portion is more likely than the larger portion supporting civic engagement on intractable socio-economic problems to take action. Interviews with civic activists point not only to their efforts to engage citizens by acknowledging their concerns but also to challenges in connecting with citizens. This systematic investigation depicts the nuances of and contradictions in citizen participation in BiH. Citizens engage at modest levels and are often motivated by the norm of helping those vulnerable and addressing everyday problems. However, the small segment of the population concerned about conservative values is more effectively mobilized than a large segment prioritizing socio-economic concerns.