University of Arts in Belgrade
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The depoliticization of protest: understanding the 2024/2025 Serbian students’ uprising
No full textThe 2024/2025 student protests in Serbia emerged in the wake of a deadly infrastructural collapse in Novi Sad, catalyzing nationwide outrage and revealing systemic failures rooted in corruption and political cronyism. The movement marked a radical redefinition of civic engagement in a post-socialist, post-ideological society. While rejecting political co-optation, ideological affiliation, and traditional opposition frameworks, students across Serbia—beginning with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade—organized peaceful, symbolically charged demonstrations that called for transparency, ethical governance, and institutional accountability. This article situates the protests within Serbia’s historical legacy of student activism while highlighting the distinctiveness of the current movement. By embracing depoliticization as both critique and strategy, the protesters complicated conventional understandings of political agency and legitimacy. Their refusal to articulate a clear program or leadership structure both protected the movement from co-optation and exposed it to distortion and delegitimization. The paper critically examines the regime’s calculated response, oscillating between repression and rhetorical appropriation, and explores whether this moment signals a sustainable shift in democratic practice. Ultimately, the protests illuminate both the possibilities and limitations of moral mobilization in a compromised political environment, raising key questions about the future of civic resistance and institutional reform in Serbia
Насилие и противонасилие. О правильном сопротивлении. (Эскиз возможной русской этики войны в контексте Великой войны)
No full textСборник новой серии «Русский хронотоп», задуманной и осуществ ляемой совместно с издательством «Алетейя», является книжным продолжением деятельности портала «РК. Пространство и время русской культуры» (http://russculture.ru/). Содержание данного сборника составляет тематический круг материалов, объединенных общим заглавием «Странствие идей»: публикуемые исследования демонстрируют ряд «срезов» времени – в диапазоне от Достоевского до Довлатова – и позволяют заинтересованному читателю погрузиться в подчас малоизвестные перипетии идейно-временнóго становления русского хронотопа конца XIX–XX в. УДК 930.85(470) ББК 63.3(2)-7 С Сборник научных работ «Бунтующая культура» содержит иссле дования сербских ученых, обращавшихся, прежде всего, к русской андеграундной культуре и прошедшей красной нитью через весь ХХ и первую четверть ХХI века идее войны и террора. Несмотря на раз нообразие тем и определенную фрагментарность исследуемых куль турных явлений, сборник отражает главные вехи интересов разных поколений сербских ученых. В них доминирует неофициальная, под цензурная, андеграундная культура советского времени, которая ока зывается актуальной и востребованной и в наши дни
Wisdom in Maximus the Confessor’s Ambiguum 10.19
No full textThe topic of wisdom in St Maximus the Confessor remains under-researched, despite the fact that it pervades all aspects of Maximus’ voluminous work and, as Marcus Plested notes, constitutes a ‘master theme’ of Maximus’ theological vision. This paper represents a modest contribution to the elucidation of wisdom in Maximus, with a special focus on the role of wisdom in his Ambiguum 10.19. Before embarking upon an analysis of wisdom in Ambiguum 10.19, it is important to mention three influential interpretations of wisdom in contemporary Maximian studies. Next, I intend to investigate, within the context of wisdom, the origin, meaning and purpose of Maximus’ five modes of contemplation in Ambiguum 10.19; namely, movement, difference, mixture and position. Finally, I will analyze in parallel two pyramidal architectonical arrangements in which wisdom occupies a prominent place – one from Ambiguum 10.19, and another from Mystagogia 1-5, particularly Mystagogia 5
Muzeji i algoritmi: transformacije i rizici u doba veštačke inteligencije
No full textVeštačka inteligencija preoblikuje muzeje od statičnih arhiva u participativne institucije vođene podacima. Ovaj rad istražuje kako AI menja kustoske, operativne i obrazovne prakse i tako olakšava automatizaciju, personalizaciju i veće uključivanje publike, ali istovremeno otvara etička pitanja kao što su pristrasnost, nadzor i istinitost podataka. Na osnovu studija slučaja i kritičke teorije, analizira se dvostruka funkcija AI kao alata i kulturnog aktera. Inicijative poput algoritamskog kuriranja, AI generisane umetnosti i interaktivnih čet-botova otkrivaju sukobe između inovacija i institucionalne odgovornosti. Istovremeno, obrazovne inicijative bazirane na AI promovišu kritičku digitalnu pismenost i kolaborativni razvoj znanja. Umesto da bude neutralna tehnološka nadogradnja, AI redefiniše način na koji muzeji organizuju, tumače i razmenjuju kulturno znanje. Muzeji moraju da usvoje transparentne i inkluzivne okvire kako bi osigurali etičku implementaciju AI. Pozicionirani između sećanja i budućnosti, muzeji mogu postati ključna mesta u kojima se tehnologija ne samo koristi, već i kritički preispituje, podstičući kulturni dijalog u algoritamskom dobu
Mediating leaderless movement: Students' communication practices during Serbia's 2024-2025 anti-corruption protests
No full textThe canopy collapse which killed fifteen people at a railway station in Serbia provoked a mass wave of citizens’ protests against corruption and captured institutions. The unrest peaked when students decided to physically block almost all faculties at major university centers in the country until their demands were met. What makes their mobilization markedly distinct from previous demonstrations against the Serbian government and ruling party is its leaderless character and rootedness in direct democracy - most notably exemplified by the organization of general assemblies (plenaries). This paper analyzes students' communication practices in shaping such a collective and connective action as an alternative to existing illiberal constraints and intense polarization. We draw on the empirically underutilized conceptual framework of mediation opportunity structure to explore how the movement appropriated diverse media, discursive, and networked assemblages to influence protests’ outcomes and identity. Our study relies on thirty semi-structured interviews with students at the blockades from four different faculties in Novi Sad, Belgrade and Niš, including the members of their respective public relations (PR) task forces. The analysis is supported by other relevant material, such as students’ media appearances and social media posts, as well as written records from their assemblies. Our preliminary findings suggest a struggle between the individualization and production of leaders as the dominant structural constraint of contemporary mediated environment, and students’ attempt to generate alternative communication practices in conveying a leaderless, deindividualized movement
“(Not) Gonna Dig”: Mapping Controversies in the Anthropocene Era of Lithium Extraction in Serbia
No full textSince its revitalization in 2023, Rio Tinto’s (a British-Australian multinational company) plan to open a lithium mine in Serbia’s Jadar region has sparked extensive public debate. The project’s status, implementation, and justifications by authorities and the corporation have triggered conflicting reactions, ranging from concerns over the energy and economic colonization of Serbia to fears of environmental damage. These controversies arise within the context of radical uncertainty characteristic of the Anthropocene, where unpredictable energy transitions and metabolic interdependencies shape new geosocial conflicts, particularly around extractive practices. Additionally, these debates, situated at the intersection of politics and science, unfold through digital platforms, amplifying public engagement. This paper draws on Latour’s discussions of Gaia and the politicization of science, alongside digital sociology’s focus on the relationship between technology and knowledge. It employs controversy mapping as a digital method to untangle the complex web of events, protests, documents, and research surrounding the lithium mine debate, focusing on developments since the summer of 2023 and using a large digital dataset. The mapping process follows several steps: first, it identifies key statements and constructs a “tree of disagreement” about the project (what); next, it links these statements to their respective actors (who); then, it visualizes networks of alliances and oppositions between actors (how). The broader goal is to situate these networks within the larger context of meta-controversies related to the Anthropocene, particularly resource sovereignty (where), and to trace the evolution of these debates over time, highlighting when certain arguments become dominant and when the debate intensifies (when)
Testing Deliberative Ideals in Practice: Inclusivity, Reciprocity and Respect in Student Plenums
No full textThis paper explores the deliberative practices of student plenums,
with particular attention to agenda-setting, the dynamics of
discussion, and the procedures by which collective decisions are
reached. To assess the quality of these grassroots deliberations,
we draw on empirical data gathered through non-participant
observation and in-depth interviews with 12 plenum participants.
The analysis employs a structured observation protocol informed
by the Discourse Quality Index (DQI), a recognized tool derived
from normative deliberative theory (Steiner, 2004; 2012). By
applying the DQI, we examine core indicators such as
inclusiveness, equal participation, respectful interaction,
responsiveness to others’ arguments, and the invocation of
broader social or moral principles.
By focusing on student plenums, this research sheds light on
these issues and contributes to a broader understanding of how
deliberative ideals can, or cannot, be realized outside formally
institutionalized settings such as deliberative mini publics
Psychological perspectives on human-animal interactions
No full textAs contemporary neuroscience demonstrates, non-human animals are sentient beings with the
ability to experience pain, anxiety, attachment, and many other psychological states. In addition
to highlighting the well-being of animals, scientific research shows inextricable links between
the well-being of animals and the health and well-being of humans, as animal exploitation is
shown to bear severe consequences for environmental pollution, the spread of zoonoses, as
well as human health and longevity. Recent psychological research contributes to this more
general trend, taking up the study of human-animal interactions, in particular within social,
political, and clinical psychology. From a psychological perspective, our relationship with nonhuman animals provides an opportunity to study the fundamentals of social perception,
categorization, inter-group relations, prejudice, and justifications of social inequalities. On a
more positive note, human-animal interactions can also improve the quality of attachment and
psychological well-being. This symposium aims to provide a glimpse into the innovative
research focused on human-animal interactions that are being conducted in our country. We
will present several lines of research into both positive and negative aspects of human-animal
interactions. Milica Ninković and Marija Petrović will present a study that analyzed the
ideological and attitudinal foundations of speciesism, the belief in human moral superiority
over animals, with a particular focus on beliefs that support social hierarchy. Anastasija Budžak
and Zoran Pavlović examined how the perceptions of similarity between animals and humans
affect attitudes toward animals and ethnic outgroups. Marija Branković, Janko Međedović, and
Anastasija Budžak delved into the individual differences that predict attitudes toward nonhuman animals, examining the intricate relationships between Dark Tetrad traits, empathy,
basic ideological attitudes (social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism) and
speciesism. Vesna Mikulić and Marija Branković examined perceptions of people who care
about abandoned animals along the basic dimensions of warmth and competence, as well as
whether speciesism predicts the positivity of these perceptions. Finally, Tamara Džamonja
Ignjatović and Anastasija Budžak will present a review of therapeutic interventions based on
the interactions between humans and non-human animals in an effort to improve both physical
and psychological well-being among humans of different ages
