SZTE OJS Journals (University of Szeged / Szegedi Tudományegyetem)
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Who Speaks for the Western Balkans? Cultural Representation and the Idea of Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Full text linkBeginning with the genealogy of the Idea of Europe, understood as both a philosophical concept and the normative standard underpinning the European Union, this paper traces its mythical roots in ancient Greece, its philosophical elaborations, and its eventual institutional embodiment in the EU, with a primary focus on its connection to the cultural representation of the Western Balkans. Special attention is devoted to the question of center and periphery, situating the Balkans as a historically marginalized region within the European cultural imaginary. Through a case study centered on Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also incorporating examples from the wider Western Balkans, the paper analyzes cultural production as a site where European identity and associated ideological frameworks are negotiated, contested, and reimagined. The aim is not to reproduce formal discussions of EU conditionality, but to engage with the deeper layers of cultural practices and symbolic representations. By highlighting both dominant and alternative cultural trends, the paper assesses the attitude and relationship of the Balkans towards the EU and the Idea of Europe, while noting the selective and sometimes contradictory ways the EU invokes the Idea of Europe. The analysis seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of how Balkan cultural representation reflects, challenges, and potentially enriches the European project. Finally, the study emphasizes the political significance of cultural representation, offering insights and recommendations for cultural policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region, demonstrating how cultural identity can inform both domestic and regional strategies for engagement with European norms
Trials in Absentia for War Crimes in Kosovo: Accountability, Fair Trial Guarantees, and European Human Rights Standards
Full text linkThe pursuit of justice for war crimes in the Western Balkans, particularly Kosovo remains riddled with complex challenges, reflective of broader tensions between peace, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights. While political agreements can end hostilities, true reconciliation depends on the delivery of credible criminal justice—particularly in the context of post-conflict societies. One of the most contentious tools in this process is the use of trials in absentia, whereby proceedings continue despite the accused’s absence. Although such trials are a pragmatic response to the realities of non-cooperation, cross-border fugitives, and impunity, they raise significant concerns regarding the right to a fair trial, the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms, and, most critically, the compatibility of these proceedings with international human rights standards as established in instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This article focuses on the situation in Kosovo as an example within the Western Balkans, where post-conflict justice mechanisms and trials in absentia have become particularly relevant. The article examines these legal and ethical dilemmas, interrogating whether in absentia trials can deliver justice without sacrificing fundamental due process guarantees or undermining the legitimacy of the rule of law in the region
Resilience, Language, and Democracy: Constitutional Identity and Continuity in Times of Crisis – Case Study of Finland and Montenegro
Full text linkThis article showcases the heuristic utility of the concepts of resilience and constitutional identity in explaining democratic endurance during societal crises. Societal resilience depends on sustaining constitutional identity through adaptive, inclusive narratives, with language serving as the medium of collective memory and self-reinterpretation. This study explores whether linguistic pluralism fortifies or erodes democratic endurance at critical junctures. A structured focused comparison examines Finland (post-independence) and Montenegro (post-independence), two states marked by linguistic diversity yet divergent official-language regimes, drawing on constitutional texts, historical records, and theoretical lenses from Bergson’s durée, Frankl’s logotherapy, and Rosenfeld’s constitutional identity framework. Findings show that Finland’s bilingual constitutional model—treating both national languages as co-equal within a civic “we”—preserved legitimacy and cohesion across wars and geopolitical tensions. In contrast, Montenegro’s elevation of a single, minority, and symbolically charged official language contributed to lasting identitarian dissonance and to the weakening of the civic constitutional project, even in peacetime. Inclusive linguistic policy thus sustains interpretive freedom and adaptive continuity; symbolic uniformity, however, rigidifies identity, amplifies dissonance, and undermines resilience
Hidden Potential : Unpacking the Causes of Labor Force Inactivity in Western Balkan Countries
Full text linkLabor force participation in the Western Balkans remains uneven, with persistent gender gaps and significant variation across countries. This study investigates the determinants of labor market activity among men and women in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo, highlighting structural, demographic, and cultural factors that shape engagement. Using data from the European Values Survey (EVS) and applying binary logistic regression models, both pooled and country-specific, the analysis examines the effects of gender, age, education, marital status, household composition, parental background, economic conditions, and gender role attitudes on the likelihood of being active in the labor market. Results show that men are consistently more likely to participate than women, with female inactivity strongly associated with unpaid care giving responsibilities and traditional gender norms. Labor market participation generally follows an inverted-U trajectory, peaking in mid-adulthood (ages 36–43) and declining thereafter. Education increases the probability of activity, though more strongly for men, while household factors such as the presence of children and spouse activity exert heterogeneous effects across countries. Parental employment at age of 14 of the respondents also influences adult activity, highlighting intergenerational effects. Country-specific analysis reveals that cultural norms, labor market structures, and social policies mediate these patterns, with Kosovo and Albania showing particularly low female engagement and Hungary exhibiting a narrower gender gap. The findings underscore the need for policies that expand access to childcare, promote flexible work arrangements, and address normative constraints to enhance labor force participation and reduce gender disparities. Overall, labor market outcomes in the region reflect the interplay of demographic, structural, and cultural factors, emphasizing the importance of tailored, context-sensitive intervention
Aspects of the Identity of Hungarians in Vojvodina: Past and Present
Full text linkThe Hungarian identity in Vojvodina is shaped by a complex interplay of historical, social, political, and geographical factors. Originating in the late 19th century, it was strongly connected to Hungarian nationalism and culture, supported by social organizations rooted in the Enlightenment ideals. The Treaty of Trianon disrupted this, causing loss of Hungarian citizenship and forcing a shift toward a regional identity rooted in Vojvodina while retaining Hungarian cultural elements. During Yugoslav rule, political pressures and assimilation weakened Hungarian cultural identity, although regional identity among Hungarians strengthened. Post-1990s regime changes and the breakup of Yugoslavia saw the Hungarian minority regain cultural autonomy, reinforced by religious revival, support from Hungary, and policies favoring simplified naturalization. Despite ongoing challenges such as economic difficulties, population decline, and migration, Hungarian identity in Vojvodina remains dynamic, characterized by a layered sense of belonging that balances national, regional, and transnational influences amid broader European integration processes. This evolution reflects how ethnic identity adapts to shifting political landscapes and cultural contexts over time
A Comparative Seismic & Cost Analysis of RCC and Steel Frame Structures of Residential Building: A Case Study for Kabul, Afghanistan
No full textThe building materials choice and construction methods are critical to ensure the urban infrastructure’s safety, sustainability, and pliability. This study presents a comprehensive comparative seismic analysis of steel and reinforced cement concrete (RCC) frame structures for a residential building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Owing to the seismic vulnerability of the area and shifting construction trends, the performance of the two structural systems is compared using a 3D ETABS model for the most dominant seismic parameters. The study aims to enlighten planners, engineers and policy makers with evidenced-base facts to guide appropriate choice of structural systems that enhance sustainable city development. The key findings show that the Steel buildings, exhibit improved seismic performance due to their lightness, increased ductility, and stiffness-distributed uniformly. In addition, steel frames had significant cost benefits, with this study reporting up to 41.28% greater cost-effectiveness over RCC. The conclusion shows that, although both systems are feasible, steel frame buildings are more efficient and durable for seismic areas and Kabul city
Giro espacial e historia sociopolítica: desplazamiento, memoria y olvido en propuestas escogidas de la ficción chilena contemporánea
Full text linkAfter centuries in which historiography and literary narrative have assigned evident preeminence to the temporal sequence of events, marginalizing the spatial dimension, recent decades have seen a return to the centrality of space. Related to the spatial turn are both the weakening of historicity (Jameson) and a contemporary spatialist way of life (Aínsa). Based on the observation that the spatial turn refers to a heightened attention to the territorial aspect of the historical world (Schlögel), it is worth asking about the new relationship established between space and history (the time of the historical world) and what happens if “spatiality” and “historicity” are conceived together. Our proposal is to consider travel as a practice in which processes of creating a topographical space linked to historical and cultural events take place. On this basis, we propose a reflection on a set of fictional works published in Chile over the last decade: works centered on the experience of travel in which the spatial dimension explains (and relates to) historical time. The movements through the territory of the characters in the three selected novels (El brujo, by Álvaro Bisama; El tercer paraíso, by Cristian Alarcón; Piñen, by Daniela Catrileo) will serve to establish a relationship between travel (movement toward or through a territory as a subjective or collective experience) and the reworking of historical-political and/or historical-cultural traumas in spaces that function as a primordial dimension in which the relationship between human beings and the things of the world is negotiated (Gumbrecht).Después de siglos en los que historiografía y narración literaria le han asignado una evidente preeminencia a la secuencia temporal de los hechos, marginando la dimensión espacial, en las últimas décadas se ha observado un regreso a la centralidad del espacio. Relacionados con el giro espacial estarían tanto el “debilitamiento de la historicidad” (Jameson) como una manera de vivir contemporánea de tipo espacialista (Aínsa). A partir de la comprobación de que el spatial turn remite a una acrecentada atención por la faceta territorial del mundo histórico (Schlögel), cabría preguntarse por la nueva relación que se establece entre el espacio y la historia (el tiempo del mundo histórico) y qué ocurre si espacialidad e historicidad se piensan conjuntamente. Nuestra propuesta es la de considerar el viaje como una práctica en la que tienen lugar procesos de creación de un espacio topográfico ligado al acontecer histórico y cultural. Sobre esta base, se plantea una reflexión acerca de un conjunto de obras ficcionales publicadas en Chile a lo largo de la última década: obras centradas en la experiencia del viaje en las que la dimensión espacial explica (y se relaciona con) el tiempo histórico. Los desplazamientos por el territorio de los personajes de las tres novelas seleccionadas (El brujo, de Álvaro Bisama; El tercer paraíso, de Cristian Alarcón; Piñen, de Daniela Catrileo) nos servirán para fijar una relación entre el viaje (movimiento hacia o por un territorio como experiencia subjetiva o también colectiva) y la reelaboración de traumas histórico-políticos y/o histórico-culturales en espacios que funcionan como dimensión primordial en la cual es negociada la relación entre los seres humanos y las cosas del mundo (Gumbrecht)
Reakciónyomaték csökkentő rendszer
Full text linkThis paper serves to present an innovative method that, with the help of a chain drive (so that weights are evenly placed on the chain), the rotational movement of the shaft, due to the inertial forces that occur, causes the chain to rotate and thus the sprockets as well, which creates a certain driving torque. The inertial forces that act on the chain sections also create an effect on the sprocket shaft, as a result of these forces, a torque is also created. Calculations have shown that these two torques are not equal. Using this difference, the paper provides an innovative solution to neutralize the reaction torque that occurs during the operation of the tool.Ez a dolgozat egy olyan innovatív eljárást szolgál bemutatni, ami lánchajtás segítségével (úgy, hogy a láncon egyenletesen súlyok vannak elhelyezve), a tengely forgó mozgása segítségével a fellépő inerciális erők hatására a láncot forgó mozgásba hozza és ez által a lánckerekeket is, aminek hatására keletkezik egy bizonyos mozgató nyomaték is. Az inerciális erők, amik a lánc szakaszaira hatnak a lánckerekek tengelyére is hatást hoznak létre ezen erők eredményeként keletkezik szintén egy nyomaték. A számitások kimutatták, hogy ez a két nyomaték nem egyenlő. Ezt a különbséget felhasználva a dolgozat egy innovatív megoldást ad a szerszám működtetése közben fellépő reakciónyomaték semlegesítésére
Villamos harmonikusok vizsgálata anomália detektálás céljából
Full text linkThe paper presents one of the possible uses of electrical harmonics. During the research it was investigated how they can be used to predict the condition of equipment. Electrical harmonics are now almost everywhere, and their harmful consequences are known. Due to their harmful effects on the quality of electricity, they are receiving increasing attention, since in most cases modern, non-linear consumers are connected to their own internal distribution networks in industry. Therefore, it is worth examining whether electrical harmonic data and current spectra could be used to monitor the state of machines and equipment, is it possible to predict failures with the help of anomaly detection. The aim of the study is to determine how electrical harmonics can be used for anomaly detection and the identification of individual fault types, and how the anomalies discovered in this way can be used for predictive maintenance. The anomalies discovered during the analysis are validated by comparing them over time with actual failures and with the measurement data of real sensors in the equipment.A tanulmány a villamos harmonikusok egyik felhasználási lehetőségét mutatja be. A kutatás során azt vizsgáltuk, hogyan lehet felhasználni azokat a berendezések állapotának jellemzésére. A villamos harmonikusok napjainkban már szinte mindenhol jelen vannak, káros következményeik ismertek. A villamos energia minőségére gyakorolt káros hatásuk következtében egyre nagyobb figyelmet kapnak, hiszen legtöbb esetben az iparban a saját, belső elosztóhálózatokra modern, nem lineáris fogyasztók csatlakoznak. Ezért érdemes megvizsgálni, hogy fel lehetne-e használni a villamos felharmonikus adatokat, illetve azok áramspektrumát gépek, berendezések állapotának monitorozására, lehetséges-e velük anomália detektálás segítségével a meghibásodások előrejelzése. A vizsgálat célja, hogy hogyan lehetséges a villamos harmonikusok felhasználása anomália detekcióra és egyedi hiba típusok beazonosítása, valamint az így feltárt anomáliákat hogyan lehet prediktív karbantartásra alkalmazni. Az analízis során felfedett anomáliákat a tényleges meghibásodásokkal, a berendezésekben lévő valós szenzorok mérési adataival időben összevetve validáljuk
On The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy
No full textOn The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democrac