Abstract
Consociational arrangements build upon the existence and salience of ethnic identities, and are largely implemented to manage plural realities - also and especially after conflicts. Nonetheless, consociational mechanisms have often been accused of discriminating against those bearers of identities not envisaged by the system, excluding them: in fact, not every citizen of a plural society can or wants to identify with the ethno-divisions (Agarin et al 2018), and the so-called ‘Others’ inevitably face a number of obstacles - both formal, and informal. This project focuses on the catch-all category ‘Others’ and looks at the consociations of South Tyrol and Bosnia Herzegovina. It explores how and in what extent consociations succeed or fail in representing and including ‘Others’, accommodating and satisfying their needs and interests, as well as the strategies ‘Others’ implement in order to ‘fit into they system’ and benefit from it. To conclude, the study suggests a reflection beyond the case studies and concerning consociations’ possible future developments.