The vernacular discourses of historical victimage of Kosovo Serbs and Albanians

Abstract

This ideological criticism study examines the vernacular discourses of historical victim age of Kosovo Serbs and Albanians. The participants amalgamate personal and collective memories with official national histories to explain present victimization as a continuance of historical victim age. This use of the past legitimizes their national and political claims, and also justifies violence against the other group. Historical victim age offers a rationale for hating the Other and perpetuating a vicious cycle of violence in intractable conflict.