New Books Network Jovana Babović, "The Youngest Yugoslavs: An Oral History of Post-Socialist Memory" (Indiana UP, 2025)
Jan 30, 2026
Jovana Babović, Associate Professor of modern European history at SUNY Geneseo, discusses her book The Youngest Yugoslavs. She explores memories of childhood in late socialism. Conversations cover multilingual everyday life, why this cohort matters, regional and minority experiences, how nostalgia and identity shift after the breakup, and surprising research findings and future projects.
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Childhood Belonging Shapes Critical Reflection
- The youngest Yugoslavs grew up with positive childhood memories and a strong sense of belonging across republics.
- They later reflect critically on Yugoslavia's ideals versus post-socialist realities and reassess nostalgia.
Multilingual Schooling Enabled Mobility
- The cohort's multilingual schooling and mobility eased transitions across borders and abroad.
- Language policies and multicultural schooling equipped them with practical tools for post-breakup mobility.
Contemporary Crises Shaped Memory Work
- The COVID pandemic enabled wider participation in interviews and created a revived, virtual Yugoslav community.
- The 2022 war in Ukraine triggered memories of Yugoslav conflicts and shaped participants' reflections.
