Embargo Period
12-2-2023
Degree Name
MA in International Education
First Advisor
Dr. Sora H. Friedman
Abstract
This study seeks to answer the following research question: What is the relationship between Kosovo's education system and the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia? This study uses a mixed purposeful sampling strategy that includes purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The researcher interviewed five different individuals from the following ethnic backgrounds represented in Kosovo which are one Bosnian, one Serbian, two Albanian Kosovars, and one Romani Kosovar. The results showed that education played many roles before, during and after the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo’s education system has historically been used as a tool to promote the political agendas of competing governments, whether that be the Albanian Kosovars, the Serbs or that of the United Nations. The combination of the existing research and the data collected through the interviews created a strong foundation in understanding the role of education in the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. It also revealed possible ways of moving past this conflict to true reconciliation through initiatives such as multi-ethnic teacher trainings, workshops aimed at building cultural awareness of the different ethnic groups represented in Kosovo or through promoting critical thinking through the use of distant historical wars. Theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.
Keywords: role of education, reconciliation, patriotism, peacebuilding, Kosovo
Disciplines
International and Comparative Education
Recommended Citation
Mitra, Kristal, "The Role of Education in Post-Conflict Kosovo: A Proposal for an Analysis of How Experts Understand the Role that Education Has Played in Peacebuilding" (2023). Capstone Collection. 3300.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones/3300