POPULÁRNA KULTÚRA A NEHMOTNÉ KULTÚRNE DEDIČSTVO V SLUŽBE ZMIERENIA: NÁVRAT SRBSKEJ ETNOLÓGIE A ANTROPOLÓGIE DO VEREJNEJ SFÉRY

The article presents research findings exploring modalities by which anthropology, as a critically oriented discipline emphasising identity deconstruction, can adopt an ethnological perspective on culture, tradition, and history as more appropriate in reconciliation processes in post-conflict regions. Previous investigations conducted in the Western Balkans context indicate that the ethnological perspective holds substantial potential to facilitate dialogue and cooperation among individuals with diverse and often conflicting views on cultural heritage. Within the framework of reorienting identity disputes and conflicts towards cooperation and development, this analysis underscores the significance of the ethnological-anthropological continuum in Serbian ethnology and anthropology. Combining the results of previous studies with the findings of ongoing theoretical and field research, this paper examines the potential of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as a means of fostering cooperation and trust-building between communities. Special attention is devoted to aspects of shared ICH manifested through various forms of popular culture. In this context, the paper summarises ongoing ethnographic research conducted in Pljevlja, a Montenegrin town marked by identity tensions between local Serbs and Bosniaks/Muslims. The study highlights tamburitza music as a particularly significant segment of the town’s popular culture and cultural identity, positing it as having the capacity to initiate the much-needed dialogue and cooperation between these two cultural identities.