Bridges and Brokers in the Bosnian Diaspora

Background and research aims

The project explore the roles in a post-war society (Bosnia-Herzegovina) of diaspora members as transnational entrepreneurs. It forms part of two larger projects, Precarious Peacebuilding and The New Developers? Circular migrants in policy and practice. 

The first subproject has a particular focus on the dynamic effect that such ventures may have in local areas of war-torn ethnic relations, not only in terms of promoting employment where such opportunities are scarce but also in novel ways of organizing work and staff that promote ethnic relations. The second subproject investigates more closely the strategies of transnationally organized returnee entrepreneurs, given the particular opportunities and constraints of operating in different contexts, specifically given the challenges of post-war Bosnia. 

Methods

Through interviews with heads of small companies, and observations on-site, the project explore the innovative ideas on which these ventures are built and how they work in a transnational social and cultural field. The story of each enterprise is charted both as a personally motivated project of the initiator as a former refugee and now a citizen of both Sweden and Bosnia, but also in their role as a broker between different repertoires of cultural knowledge.