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Book review of Disaster, construction, and reconstruction: Essays on ethical and social perspectives.
No full textThe edited volume, Disaster, Construction,
and Reconstruction: Essays on Ethical
and Social Perspectives is a product of
the international conference held at the
Institute of Social Sciences, Belgrade in
May 2023. Overall, this international and
multidisciplinary collection of essays
offers a thought-provoking examination
of the ethical and social dimensions of
disasters, with a timely focus on the
COVID-19 pandemic. Edited by Veselin
Mitrović and Dónal O’Mathúna, this
volume brings together diverse voices
to explore various aspects of disaster
studies, providing valuable insights for
navigating future challenges. Scholars,
policymakers, and practitioners will
find this edited volume to be a valuable
resource in their quest to address the
complex issues surrounding disasters
and their aftermaths
INTRODUCTION Old Economic Concepts in New Times
No full textThe geoeconomic approach to the study of current economic
problems represents a great challenge for researchers around the
world. Geoeconomics is not a new concept, but placed in the time
and environment of the 21st century, it seems to be new, because it
follows the changes in the field of exploration and the circumstances
that occur in the economy.
When the post-Cold War period began, geopolitical and geoeconomic
tensions appeared, along with terrorism, new conflicts, weapons
created through new technologies, and fear of nuclear war. It
seems that the desire for peace and social cohesion has been put on
the back burner (Svetličič, 2022). In today’s world full of changes, the
uncertainty of business and the uncertainty of survival in the market
seem to have become more pronounced than ever before, in the
history of international economic relations. The real challenge is to
identify geo-economic changes, but it is even more difficult to show
the possibility and need for adaptation, as well as to implement those
changes in national economies and companies. Social sciences have
always had a role to follow any other kind of changes, to explain them
and to enable their implementation in economics, law, sociology or
political science. Therefore, there is not a single transformation, technological,
informative, or biomedical, without social transformation
Neglecting Objects of Cultural and Historical Importance as a Form of Structural Violence against the Cultural Memory
No full textWe are witnesses to the long-standing systemic structural neglect of
objects of cultural and historical importance by the authorities in Serbia.
The most recent example, the sale of the former Military General Staff
building, which was bombed in 1999, to the company “Affinity Global Development,”
is not only an illustrative case of neglect and destruction of
cultural heritage but also of the revision of collective memory. The situation
with the Military General Staff building is exceptional because it triggered
not only a public reaction but also the resignation of director of the
Republic Institute for the Protection of Monuments. Every tangible cultural
asset is also a form of cultural communication (Daniel Miller, Edmund
Leach), more precisely, a cultural representation of a society. This paper
aims to show the consequences of neglecting cultural objects on society as
a whole. Violence, as the dominant form of communication in Serbian political
system, has spread in a capillary and (in)visible manner throughout
all structures of power, making it not only personal and class-based but
also cultural. At this point, one can talk about a particular type of conformism
and even a form of cultural autochauvinism, caused by attempts
to cater to external political, but primarily economic interests.
The topic of structural violence against cultural property, or in Bourdieusian
terms, violence and influence of the political field on the cultural field,
is of exceptional sociological significance for the local context, as it illustrates
dominant geopolitical influences, contextualizes the destruction of history,
or “everything that came before,” providing a space for the installation of the
policy of “after us, the flood.” In this paper, I will use interviews conducted
with cultural workers: in museums, archives, and institutes, with a particular
emphasis on the Society of Conservators, which has specifically spoken out
on the aforementioned issue. This will depict not only the local context but
also universal political mechanisms of totalitarian regimes that impose pressure
on culture, history, and memory, and will also define the obstacles that
prevent individuals in the structure from acting
Studying transnational families using quantitative methods: possible data sources in Serbia
No full textTransnational families (TNF) are part of migration and mobility as ways of maintaining family relations across national borders. However, the research of this phenomenon has developed more significantly only in the last few decades, in the era of globalization, better traffic and information communication, and mostly with the increase of temporary and circular forms of migration and mobility in economically developed countries, which inevitably lead to geographically separate lives of members of the same family. TNF are mostly characterized by visible dynamics, in geographical, social, economic, psychological and other forms. It implies constant change, which is inevitably reflected in the possible approaches for the study of TNF. One of the challenges is the lack of agreed definitions. In most countries, a TNF definition does not exist. Therefore, it is not surprising that the vast majority of TNF research is based on topics that can be studied using qualitative methods. However, over time, TNF members, especially in destination countries, have become important stakeholders about whom little is known, whether they are workers, students, refugees, among whom are a large number of minors. Also, family members, for example, parents, left behind in the origin countries, or retired foreign workers in destination countries, are placing increasing demands on the state funds for their care and well-being. Issues of social and health care and the rights of TNF members both in the countries of origin and destination are just some of the topics for which reliable and accessible data are necessary. These are also the main reasons why in economically developed countries approaches to the study of TNF using quantitative methods are increasingly being developed. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to consider the most important sources of data on TNF. Survey research stands out among them. On the example of Serbia, which at the same time faces emigration and immigration, as well as transit forced migration movements, the paper discusses the possibilities as well as challenges in the study of TNF using quantitative methods, as well as ways of developing data sources that can at least to some extent track and record their complex dynamics
Heterogeneity of religious identities and its influence on ethnic conflicts in the Western Balkans
Get PDFThe Western Balkans is a region inhabited by people of various faiths.
In the region, Orthodox Christian, Islamic and Roman Catholic religions
are dominantly present among the population. The challenging
geopolitical position of this region is reflected through the historical
presence of great powers and their aspiration for influence, which had
a significant impact on changing the demographic image of the region,
but also on mutual relations between the peoples of the region. The
complex history of mutual ethnic relations and the collective memory
of historical conflicts between different ethno- religious groups
significantly affects the future of the peoples of the Western Balkans
and the possibility of their peaceful coexistence. The authors’ goal is
to answer the key research question: Are religious identities a possible
source of new ethnic conflicts in the area of Kosovo and Metohija and
Bosnia and Herzegovina? In order to answer the research question, the
authors will employ several methods: case study method, discourse/
content analysis and historical method
DOES RELIGION MATTER IN GEOPOLITICS? A FUSED PERSPECTIVE TO CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS
No full textTo contribute studies of the nature and tendencies of contemporary
violent conflicts, the authors turn attention to the linkages between
religion and critical geopolitics. Classical geopolitical thought is based
on rational, materialistic and state-centred thinking and explains international
relations in terms of territorial aspirations and geographical
positions of states, considering them as secular actors. Classical and
neoclassical geopolitics neglect culture, religion, and values as factors
in international relations, although geopolitical studies show that territorial
aspirations of states include tendencies to influence culture,
religion and ideology of population in targeted countries.
On the other hand, critical geopolitics pays attention to the linkage
between religion and geopolitics, particularly in efforts to understand
and explain contemporary violent conflicts. The first part of the article
presents new terms that have emerged in the theory, such as ‘religious
geopolitics’, ‘geopolitics of religion’ and ‘religeopolitics’. An overview
of the literature in this field indicates rising interests of authors to contribute
to this approach. Some methodological and analytical challenges
are also set out. The third part of the article provides examples of
‘religious geopolitics’ approaches to contemporary conflicts and on the
territory of the former Yugoslavia. The authors conclude that religion
is to be considered in the daily landscape of international relations in
order to shed more light on international conflicts
The Therapeutic Role of the Monastic Environment for Individuals with ASC: The Case of Hildegard of Bingen and her Lingua Ignota
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is to show how a monastic environment can be regarded as providing shelter for individuals with autism spectrum condition in the Middle Ages. By drawing on the recent literature in the history of medicine that traces the signs and symptoms of ASC in Hildegard of Bingen, a Benedictine abbess from the twelfth century, we will turn to her invented language Lingua Ignota as a source of justification for her diagnosis and as one manner in which she managed her neurodivergence. We invoke contemporary embodied and ecological approaches to cognition and its impairments in order to understand how the medieval monastic socio-material niche could have played a crucial role in the inclusion of individuals with ASC, and as providing a therapeutic environment
International scientific conference “Population in post-Yugoslav countries: (dis)similarities and perspectives”
No full textInclusive intangible cultural heritage safeguarding in museums: professionalism vs. ethnic attribution in a Western Balkan setting
No full textIn recent efforts to bridge cultural theory with politics to prevent identity-based conflicts by advocating inclusive safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), we used academic insights on identity construction to formulate policies that utilise ICH safeguarding as a catalyst for reconciliation and development. We focus on a case study from Montenegro's Pljevlja, examining historical shortcomings in ICH identification and safeguarding, with a particular emphasis on the potential role of museum professionals in mitigating societal issues. Tamburica-playing emerges as a prime example of an ICH element that can bridge divides between communities separated by ethnicity and religion yet sharing (while contesting) many mutual ICH elements. Our approach scrutinises the role of regional museums in this transformative process and suggests potential solutions for professionals facing dilemmas of professionalism versus ethnic attribution. While offering a promising outlook, we conclude further comparative testing of this model in post-conflict societies is neede
Being vulnerable and resilient in times of disasters and crises
No full textDisasters, crises, and related vulnerabilities
are interconnected with a general
comprehension of “normality” or everyday
routine, disrupted by sudden and unwilling
events such as disasters. However,
some inconsistencies in the last comprehension
induce an epistemological
and existential crisis. First, the everyday
life of some groups can be described as
catastrophic and miserable. Second, disasters
are, per definition, sudden events
with identified timeframes, while crises
can be long-lasting with the trends to
become omnipresent. Third, juxtaposing
previous points, the disaster may be slow
and omnipresent in the lives of marginal
groups, and the request for back to normal
life from the subject point of view
can be understood as a back to everyday
racism, discrimination, and existential
risks. Even in disaster time, e.g., the last
pandemic, some defaults, like online lessons
for children in poor communities or
“stay at home” for the homeless, can be
impossible at the local and global levels.
Fourth, there is no common vulnerability,
whatever we looking at from a social
or medical perspective. The COVID-19
pandemic has killed six times more people
in three years than all geophysical
disasters during the twenty years. The
article tries to detect and label the most
relevant socio-economic causes of miserable
life conditions among marginal
groups. Such analytical dimensions become
marked as indicators of vulnerabilities.
Such indicators could help enhance
resilience and preparedness during crises
and disasters