Bosnia and Herzegovina

FACTS

OFICIAL NAME: Bosnia and HerzegovinaCAPITAL: SarajevoLOCATION: South-East part of EuropeAREA: 51,129 km2BORDERS: Croatia, SR Yugoslavia, Montenegro

MORE FACTS• POPULATION: (1991 census) 4.4

million• LANGUAGE: Bosnian• MONEY: Marka• CLIMATE: Moderate continental

and small part Mediterranean• TERRAIN: Mostly highland –

Average height of 150 m above sea-level

• ETHNIC GROUPS: Croats (Catholics) 17%, Serbs (Orthodox Christians) 31%, Muslims 44 %

HISTORY

• 1st Century - First known as Iliricum.

• 1200 – Gained independence that lasted 260 years.

• 15th Century – Ottoman Empire conquest lasted for 400 years.

• Beginning of 20th Century – Austro-Hungary had annexed Bosnia.• June 1914 – Francis Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo and the World War I started.• Between the two World Wars – Bosnia was a part of independent Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

• II World War – At the end of the war, Tito created Yugoslav federation with Bosnia and Herzegovina as one of its republics.• 1960s – Tito granted Muslims a distinct ethnic status.• 1980s – After Tito’s death, ethnic tensions worsened.• March 1992 – BiH declared its independence by the referendum.• April 1992 – Serb militants started the war.

BOSNIAN WAR• 250,000 people died. • 50,000 more disappeared.• Half a million Bosnians live throughout the world. • Historical monuments, economy and infrastructure destroyed.

People• Strong social life.• Family is in the center of the culture.• Elders taken care off within the family.• People are friendly, hard workers, often loud (more than one person talking at one time) with rich sense of humor.• Father is the main decision maker.• Mother is in charge of raising children and taking care of a household.• Remedies are widely used.

Clothing

• Examples of the traditional folk costumes.

• Most people dress like the rest of the Europe.

Food

• Influenced by the Europe and the Middle East.• Nutrition based on meat, milk products and vegetables.• Most Muslims do not eat pork.• Cevapcici, sarma, pita, baklava, pizza are examples of food.• Home canning is very popular.

Arts• Highly developed.• Song, dance, literature, poetry, architecture.• Calligraphy and fine metalwork• Sevdalinka – traditional love song• Domestic arts: kilims (handmade rugs), silk embroidery.• Amateur folklore groups sponsored by the government.

Safet Zec

Hand-made crafts

Language

• Serbo-Croatian – Bosnian• Latin and Cyrillic alphabets – 30

letters• Slogan -“Write as you speak and

speak as you write”.• No silent letters, no diphthongs.• A change in vowel length or pitch

can change the meaning of a word.

• Every noun has gender, number, and case.

• Inflected language with flexible

Festivities

• The Day of the Republic, the New Years Eve, the International Labor Day.

• Orthodox and Catholic Christmas

• Muslim festivities center on Ramadan -the month of fast.

□ Bajram – three-day celebration after Ramadan.

• Weddings and army induction day.

• Soccer matches and basketball.

Changes Families Face in the United States

• Mothers hold jobs.• Fathers removed from their prominent positions.• Families under the tremendous pressure for financial gain.• Limited time with family.• Through interpreting, children gain power within the family.• Family structure becomes distorted.

EDUCATION•Education starts at age 6 or 7•From 1st to 8th grade-compulsory•Up to 4th grade:

-The same teacher and classmates.-Native language, social studies, math.-4th grade-foreign language

•From 5th to 8th grade:-Each subject taught by a different teacher.-Biology, history, chemistry, physics, geography, all taught separately.-At least one foreign language.

HIGH SCHOOL◊ Two types:

• Gymnasium-General High School-4 years-Preparation for post-secondary education

• Vocational Schools:-3 or 4 years-Profession attained

◊ Many high schools have entrance exams.◊ No choice on a subject or a subject level.

General for all levels• Attendance is mandatory.• All assignments done at home (daily).• Strict environment.• Examination oral or/and written.• No social promotion.• Parent-teacher meetings held often.• Information about a student is not confidential.• Homeroom teacher plays important role.• After-school activities centered around academics.

PARENTS ATTITIDES• School and teachers well respected.• Teachers’ decisions not questioned.• Responsibility for academic success placed on schools.• Parents are not used to making decisions related to school.• Hesitant about accepting Special Education services (shame).

Parents want their children to succeed BUT:• Do not know how to support their students’ education in U.S.• Are not familiar with the school functioning.• Do not feel comfortable to contact the school.

HOW TO ASSIST PARENTS

• Provide more information about the school functioning. • Communicate with parents more often.• Visit families – Highly appreciated.• Organize activities where parents can contribute with their culture.• Never use students as interpreters for their parents.• Educate the community about the negative effects of using children as interpreters.