Igor MIKLOUŠIĆ: Threat, Identity, and the Invisible Bonds of Cohesion

As part of the professional seminar of the Scientific Council of our institute, we would like to invite you to a lecture in English, which will take place on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. in the ÚESA SAS meeting room at Klemensová 19 in Bratislava.

Dr. Igor MIKLOUŠIĆ from the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences in Zagreb with a presentation on "Threat, Identity, and the Invisible Bonds of Cohesion – The Case of Croatian Homeland War Veterans"

Drawing on extensive quantitative data and rich qualitative material, the lecture shows how existential threat, loss, and high intensity combat exposure forged exceptionally strong bonds among Croatian Homeland War veterans, in Croatia referred to as Defenders (Defenders). By examining existential threat, spontaneous wartime rituals, and exceptionally strong intragroup cohesion, the lecture covers more than a decade of research on how war experiences became deeply embedded in both personal and collective identity. Findings show that informal rituals, shared hardship, and peer support remain crucial protective factors for veterans' well-being even 30 years after the war, while institutional mistrust and social misunderstanding continue to hinder reintegration. The lecture asks a central question: how do we rebuild bridges between veterans and the society they fought to protect? href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88554012659?pwd=CpVok9ayH3DjedgjSBS7WBbQQcqao1">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88554012659?pwd=CpVok9ayH3DjedgjSBS7WBbQQcqao1.

Meeting ID: 885 5401 2659
Passcode: 032905