Constructing identity through symbols by groups demanding self-determination: Bosnian Serbs and Iraqi Kurds

This contribution revisits the question over which much ink has been spilled in the study of national self-determination; who are the people? More specifically, the authors ask how national identity in self-determination claims is constructed. Drawing on observations from two case studies, they submit that cultural/ethnic definitions of national identity continue to underwrite self-determination claims. The authors argue that these practices have been central to the process of defining and reproducing the group identity on behalf of which the claim to political autonomy is made. The use of symbols and practices referring to territorially bound distinct nations with different linguistic and cultural features compared with other groups inhabiting the state reinforces the assertiveness of self-determination claims. Despite their differences, Bosnian Serbs and Iraqi Kurds typically follow similar trajectories in their use of ethnic, cultural and territorial symbols to reinstate the validity of their demands.