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Borderland Narratives and Regional Identity: The Role of Security Stereotypes in Shaping Discourses on EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans
No full textThe article explores the dynamics of the establishment of the Western Balkans’ regional
identity, emphasising the European Union’s (EU) influential role in shaping this identity
amidst ongoing EU integration challenges, focusing on the perception of the region as a
borderland of Europe. The main hypothesis in the article is that enduring Balkanistic
narratives, which include perception of the region as a borderland that requires Western
supervision continue to shape perceptions of the (Western) Balkan identity, particularly
within the context of the EU accession. Starting from a brief overview of their origins,
the article focuses on the analysis of security-related stereotypes, which are associated
with the position of a borderland and their role in shaping contemporary debates on EU
enlargement in the Western Balkans. Based on discourse analysis of public statements
and speeches made by the EU officials in the period from 2014 to 2024, the research
provides insights into how these stereotypes are interpreted in political statements about
security aspects of enlargement, assessing their implications on perception of the
regional identity
Ograničenja kompetitivnog autoritarizma u bezbednosnim politikama: Tumačenje stava Turske prema Evropskoj uniji
No full textMiddle powers are often states that support and follow democratic principles, demonstrating such atonement in the domestic and foreign policies. However, states that want to emerge in modern multipolarity prefer a more centralised approach, adopting an assertive behaviour against powers or international institutions that criticise alleged ‘authoritarian governance’. Among these countries, Türkiye as a middle power has manifested a growing assertive behaviour towards the European Union (EU) after the failed coup of 2016, capitalizing on such antagonism in the referendum of 2017 has allowed the Justice and Development Party, (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi / AKP) to transform Türkiye into a Presidential Republic. Nonetheless, such assertive behaviour in Turkish Foreign Policy (TFP) has not always corresponded to an open antagonism manifested in the domestic rhetoric. In particular, the polarisation of the AKP against the Europeanisation process moved by Turkish presidentialism has shown an inconstant evolution in the security policies. Hence, this article proposes to interpret Turkish presidentialism in its political polarisation and nationalism against the EU in the domestic and foreign policies after the presidential turn. The article contends that Ankara’s leadership, albeit it has evolved the country’s governance into a competitive authoritarian governance, the impact of its security policies towards the EU has not favoured an open assertiveness of Turkish behaviour as a middle power.Srednje sile su često države koje podržavaju i slede demokratske principe, pokazujući tu
opredeljenost kroz unutrašnju i spoljnu politiku. Međutim, države koje teže da se afirmišu u
savremenoj multipolarnosti preferiraju centralizovaniji pristup, usvajajući odlučno ponašanje
prema silama ili međunarodnim institucijama koje kritikuju navodnu „autoritarnu vladavinu“.
Među takvim zemljama, Turska je kao srednja sila nakon neuspelog puča 2016. godine postepeno pokazuje sve samouverenije ponašanje prema Evropskoj uniji (EU). Koristeći tu konfrontaciju tokom referenduma 2017. godine, vladajuća Partija pravde i razvoja (Adalet ve
Kalkınma Partisi / AKP) uspela je da transformiše Tursku u predsedničku republiku. Ipak, to
odlučno ponašanje u turskoj spoljnoj politici (TFP) nije uvek bilo praćeno otvorenim neprijateljstvom u unutrašnjoj retorici. Posebno, polarizacija koju AKP sprovodi prema procesu
evropskih integracija, podstaknuta predsedničkim sistemom u Turskoj, pokazala je neujednačeni razvoj kada je reč o bezbednosnim politikama. Stoga, ovaj članak predlaže tumačenje
turskog predsedničkog sistema kroz prizmu političke polarizacije i nacionalizma usmerenog
protiv EU u unutrašnjoj i spoljnoj politici nakon prelaska na predsedničku vlast. U radu se
tvrdi da, iako je liderstvo u Ankari razvilo sistem vlasti u pravcu kompetitivnog autoritarizma,
efekat njegovih bezbednosnih politika prema EU nije doprineo otvorenijem i odlučnijem ponašanju Turske kao srednje sile
Søren Mau, Mute Compulsion: A Marxist Theory of the Economic Power of Capital, New York: Verso, 2023.
No full textOn a Neglected Discipline of Inquiry: Passive Obedience and the Ethical Thought of George Berkeley
No full textOvaj naučni rad se fokusira na analizu Barklijeve (George Berkeley)
etike kroz ispitivanje njegovog koncepta pasivne poslušnosti (passive
obedience). Biće ispitani temeljni principi Barklijeve etike i način na
koji on iz njih zaključuje da su građani u moralnoj obavezi da se pokoravaju zakonu, pod određenim okolnostima, čak i ako je on nepravedan. Analiza ćе obuhvatiti potencijalne prednosti i slabosti ideje pasivne poslušnosti, kao i njenu ulogu u širem kontekstu Barklijevog
etičkog sistema. Biće ispitan odnos između Barklijeve ideje pasivne
poslušnosti i utilitarizma pravila. Barkli tvrdi da građani imaju moralnu obavezu da se pokoravaju zakonima čak i ako ih smatraju nepravednim. Utilitarizam pravila, s druge strane, zagovara poštovanje
upravo onih pravila koja doprinose omogućenju najveće sreće najvećeg mogućeg broja ljudi. Analiziraćemo kako se ove dve teorije dopunjuju i razilaze. Ispitaćemo da li Barklijevo shvatanje pasivne poslušnost pruža moralno opravdanje utilitarizmu pravila, a takođe i da
li utilitarizam pravila nudi racionalnu osnovu za Barklijevu tezu.This paper focuses on the analysis of Berkeley’s (George Berkeley) ethics through the
examination of his concept of passive obedience. The fundamental principles of Berkeley’s ethics will be examined and the way in which he concludes from them that citizens have a moral obligation to obey the law, under certain circumstances, even if it
is unjust. The analysis will include the potential strengths and weaknesses of the idea
of passive obedience, as well as its role in the broader context of Berkeley’s ethical
system. The relationship between Berkeley’s idea of passive obedience and rule utilitarianism will be examined. Berkeley argues that citizens have a moral obligation to
obey laws even if they find them unjust. Rule utilitarianism, on the other hand, advocates the observance of precisely those rules that contribute to the greatest happiness of the greatest possible number of people. We will analyze how these two theories complement and diverge. We will examine whether Berkeley’s understanding of
passive obedience provides a moral justification for rule utilitarianism, and also whether rule utilitarianism offers a rational basis for Berkeley’s thesis
Мислити изван мреже. Критичко преиспитивање граница теорије „актер-мрежа“
No full textThis article critically examines the limitations and challenges of Actor-
Network Theory (ANT) in contemporary social theory. Originally developed as
a response to structuralist and constructivist paradigms, ANT offered a radical
methodological alternative, emphasizing actor-relationality and emergent
networks over predefined so-called social structures. While this approach
has significantly shaped disciplines such as Science and Technology Studies
(STS), political sociology, and environmental governance, it has also faced
sustained criticism. Critics argue that ANT’s refusal to engage with structural
determinants, macro-political constraints, and historical asymmetries limits
its explanatory power, particularly in relation to domination, hierarchy, and
systemic inequalities. This article explores whether ANT can evolve beyond its
descriptive commitments to address these concerns without compromising its
core principles. Through an analysis of power asymmetries, digital governance,
and ecological crises, the article interrogates whether ANT can reconcile
empirical inquiry with critical engagement. Ultimately, it argues that ANT’s
future depends on its ability to navigate the tension between methodological
openness and theoretical reflexivity, raising broader questions about the limits
of a theory that seeks to expand beyond the very epistemological constraints
that define it.Овај чланак критички разматра ограничења и изазове теорије актера-мрежа (ANT) у савременој социолошкој мисли. Првобитно развијена као одговор на структуралистичке и конструктивистичке парадигме, ANT је понудила радикалну методолошку алтернативу, истичући релационалност актера и настајање мрежа уместо унапред датих тзв. друштвених структура. Овај приступ је значајно обликовао дисциплине као што су наука о технологији, политичка социологија и управљање животном средином, али је истовремено био предмет снажне критике. Критичари тврде да ANT-ово одбијање да се бави структурним одредницама, макрополитичким ограничењима и историјским асиметријама умањује његову објашњавачку снагу, нарочито у контексту доминације, хијерархије и системских неједнакости. Овај чланак истражује да ли ANT има потенцијал да се развија изван својих дескриптивних оквира како би одговорио на ове изазове без компромитовања својих основних принципа. Анализом асиметрија моћи, дигиталног управљања и еколошких криза, аутор преиспитује да ли ANT може да помири емпиријско истраживање са критичким ангажманом. На крају, тврди се да будућност ANT-а зависи од његове способности да балансира између методолошке отворености и теоријске рефлексивности, постављајући шира питања о границама теорије која тежи да превазиђе епистемолошка ограничења која је сама дефинисала
Obsolete Affects: Archaism and Social Change
No full textModernity is frequently conceived, following Marx and Engels, as an age in which
“everything solid melts into air”—a time of accelerated, irreversible change demarcated
from the premodern world, typically seen as governed by tradition, slow temporality, and
communal belief systems. This binary framing has led many 19th and 20th century
thinkers to treat modern and premodern modes of belief, behavior, and affectivity as
fundamentally incommensurable. One notable example is Benjamin Constant’s critique of
the French Revolution. He reproached the Jacobins—and, by extension, their intellectual
forerunners such as Rousseau—for attempting to mobilize affects alien to modern
sensibility. In Constant’s view, modern individuals are shaped by a different affective
structure. The revolution’s recourse to terror, he argued, misunderstood the affective
structure of modern society, resulting in destructive consequences.
This view of modernity as a radical rupture from the premodern has, however, been
increasingly contested throughout the 20th century. Thinkers such as Lenin and Trotsky,
with their theory of unequal and combined development, challenged the notion of linear
social progress by showing how capitalist modernity continues to depend on pre-capitalist
social forms. Similarly, Ernst Bloch’s notion of the Gleichzeitigkeit des Ungleichzeitigen
(“simultaneity of the non-simultaneous”) captures the persistence of uneven temporal
layers within modernity, a dynamic he used to interpret the rise of fascism. Deleuze and
Guattari further elaborate on this by introducing the notion of “archaism”—a process
through which capitalism recodes archaic patterns of desire, belief, and affectivity into its
own functioning assemblages.
This proposal focuses on the archaism of affect under conditions of radical social
transformation, particularly within revolutionary movements. Such moments often invoke
the past—through language, imagery, and aesthetics—not merely to break from the
present but to establish a different continuity with history capable of motivating and
legitimizing collective action. My aim is to examine how affects are generated in contexts
of temporal rupture, and how the past functions as a reservoir of affective intensities,
reactivated and reconfigured in new assemblages. Specifically, I will focus on two
affects—fear and courage—to explore how their archaic forms are translated, distorted,
or repurposed in modern political and theoretical frameworks. For instance, Hobbesian
fear is grounded in self-interested individualism, whereas premodern terror often had a
mythic and collective function, as seen in Polybius or Clastres. I will ask under what
conditions this atomized fear might be transformed into a relational affect capable of
supporting a politics of non-domination. Courage, similarly, has been sidelined in modern
theory for its association with militarism and fanaticism, yet revolutionary movements
repeatedly revive archaic models of courage as engines of social change. By employing
Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts of the “assemblage,” I propose to trace how affects
function differently depending on their degree and the structures in which they are
embedded. In doing so, I aim to illuminate the layered temporalities of affect within
modernity and the ambivalent legacy of its premodern inheritances
Globalni modeli ekstraktivizma: primeri kritičkih refleksija umetnika
No full textRad u uvodnom delu daje kratak pregled genealogije pojma ekstraktivizma i njegova recentna tumačenja u proširenom kontekstu novih geopolitičkih konstelacija. U teorijskoj diskusiji razmatra se Marxov pojam ekstraktivnih industrija i distinkcija između aproprijacije, shvaćene kao osnove svih oblika svojine i načina proizvodnje, i posebnih oblika aproprijacije, kao što su eksproprijacija radi profita, karakteristična za kapitalizam. Marxove teze sučeljavaju se i preispituju kroz prizmu predstavnika američkog talasa ekosocijalizma Johna Bellamyja Fostera. Osvrt na aktivističke pokrete koji se javljaju širom sveta u borbi protiv različitih vidova i posledica ekstraktivističkog kapitalizma i neokolonijalnizma uvodi središnja razmatranja o umetničkim praksama koje se bave ekološkim temama. U drugom delu rada analiziraju se umetničke pozicije koje razobličujući i kritikujući mehanizme globalnog ekstraktivizma, koji proizvodi ekocide i ugrožava različite zajednice u brojnim zemljama sveta, nadasve Globalnog juga, nude modele saradnje s tim zajednicama, osmišljavaju drugačije vidove iskazivanja solidarnosti i umrežavanja. Pri tome, svojim radovima i istraživanjima, umetnici čije se prakse i primeri razmatraju, posebno ukazuju i na samokolonizujuću politiku korumpiranih režima koji resurse svojih zemalja nude korporacijama uz koncesije, ne obazirući se na potencijalne ekološke katastrofe koje njihove teritorije pretvaraju u zone žrtvovanja s velikim posledicama po lokalni ekosistem
Legal Responses to Non-Legally Caused Deviant Behavior
No full textThis paper explores the multifaceted legal responses to deviant behavior not directly caused by violations of the law, delving into the complexities arising from social, psychological, and environmental influences on behavior. Traditional legal frameworks often struggle to adequately address these forms of deviance, leading to punitive measures that may not effectively promote rehabilitation or social reintegration. Existing legal paradigms can be both restrictive and misleading, lacking adaptive and humane responses, thereby limiting our understanding of justice from a perspective that prioritizes social equity and individual well-being.
The author advocates for a paradigm shift towards restorative justice models and preventative strategies that recognize the socio-legal context of deviant behavior. This shift highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches that integrate insights from sociology, psychology, and criminology to develop more effective legal responses. Additionally, the paper examines the role of community engagement and social services in addressing the root causes of deviant behavior, emphasizing that legal systems must evolve to prioritize social equity and individual well-being. Ultimately, the findings stress the necessity of redefining deviance within legal contexts to foster more adaptive and humane responses, contributing to a broader understanding of justice that seeks to balance accountability with compassion
Inhaling Data, Exhaling Politics: Speculative Ordinaries and the Infra-Commoning of Belgrade's Atmotechnical Sensescape
No full textSomewhat escalating, the matter of atmospheric pollution in Belgrade in recent years has
catalyzed a massive public controversy, followed by alarming health reports, speculations on
major pollution sources and, inevitably, an unsettling inability to navigate political responsibility.
What predominantly pushed this public controversy forward is a proliferation of digital
atmotechnical infrastructures that render air quality visible and calculable. Relying heavily on DIY
strategies, such a machinic collection of instruments, digital devices, citizen-deployed pollution
gauges and techniques that translate the complex, more-than-human phenomenon of atmospheric
toxicity, have ultimately led to the assembling of a distinct urban sensescape. Yet, such a form of
toxic urbanism has largely remained contested. Becoming what we term as “speculative
ordinaries”, these atmotechnical infrastructures propelled competing practical registries about
prolonged, human-induced changes to the urban atmosphere. Drawing on urban assemblage
theory and growing literature on “making and doing” in Science and Technology Studies, we
discern how infra-making of atmotechnical infrastructures engenders speculative ordinaries and
unfolds as affective acts of infra-commoning. By deploying digital ethnography and cartographic
analysis, we first explore in detail how the infra-making of atmotechnical infrastructures and such
digital inscriptions enable the territorializing of air quality as sensescapes. Specifically, we
underscore the computational capacities of air monitoring applications, their geographies, along
with DIY knowledge. Secondly, we trace how emerging urban intelligence becomes highly
speculative in evolving trajectories of infra-commoning. Our analysis maps and describes three
major strategies of commoning air pollution, with distinct registries. Addressing toxic urbanism by
activists, who predominantly stand behind the proliferation of digital atmotechnical infrastructures,
thus involves attributing pollution to a lack of political control and justifying the matter of toxicity
in terms of general well-being. Officials, however, espouse a counter-narrative, downplaying and
portraying air pollution as a manageable byproduct of urban-economic growth. Concurrently, altright narratives propagate a narrative of orchestration, suggesting deliberate pollution by
foreign actors. Ultimately, we argue that despite ambivalent outcomes in the infra-commoning of
air pollution, the spontaneous infra-making of sensescapes as speculative ordinaries represents a
peculiar otherness of urban intelligence, and as such, offers a vital avenue for reimagining urban
futures
Obrazovna putovanja kroz vreme: pregled i uticaji
No full textThis paper examines the profound impact of travel on educational expe
riences considering contemporary and historical journeys. It highlights the intricate re
lationship between education and experience, emphasizing their continued relevance
in the context of globalization and technological change. Historically, travel has been
a vital component of human existence, serving as a means to gain knowledge, broaden
understanding, and foster intellectual and emotional resilience. From the Grand Tour
of Europe to modern study abroad programs, travel has played a central role in many
educational systems across different cultures. The main hypothesis suggests that travel
was seen, beyond its logistical and recreational aspects, as a trigger of both personal
and collective growth. The study employs historical analysis and a phenomenological
approach to explore how landscapes, transitions, and cultural encounters influence edu
cational outcomes. It underscores the importance of the passage–the often-overlooked
segment of travel–as a dimension of transformation, meaning-making, and knowled
ge-gaining. Reflecting on the legacy of educational travel, from ancient philosophers
and Renaissance humanists to modern-day programs, we question the evolving dynami
cs of mobility in a globalized world. Paper also discusses the shift from dangerous and
arduous journeys to more pleasant and transformative experience.
In conclusion, we call for a re-thinking and reimagining of travel as an integral
part of education, emphasizing observation, reflection, and dialogue. Despite modern
shifts towards efficiency and convenience, travel remains an insightful experience in the
process of knowing and self-knowing, offering immersive experiences that challenge
preconceived notions, inspiring creativity.U ovom radu autori razmatraju značaj putovanja fokusirajući se na moguć
nost sticanja i oblikovanja obrazovnih iskustava, upoređujući pritom savremena
i istorijska putovanja. Obrazovni ishodi putovanja često su nesagledivi i difuzni,
a o njihovim uticajima se govori kroz mnoge oblasti istraživanja, ali fokus ovog
rada je na isprepletanosti obrazovanja i iskustva, te ispitivanja njegove relevan
tnost u eri globalizacije i tehnoloških promena.
Veza između putovanja i obrazovanja ima dugu istoriju, sa korenima koji
se mogu pratiti do antičkog sveta. Tokom vekova, putovanja su korišćena kao
sredstvo za sticanje znanja i širenje razumevanja sveta. Od Velike ture po Evropi
do savremenih programa studiranja u inostranstvu, putovanja su igrala central
nu ulogu u obrazovnim sistemima mnogih kultura. Vodeća ideja rada sugeri
še da putovanja, osim svojih čisto logističkih i rekreativnih značenja, podstiču
spoznaju i samospoznaju, razvijajući intelektualnu i emocionalnu otpornost.
Koristeći istorijsku analizu putopisnih narativa zajedno sa fenomenološkim
pristupom, ispitujemo kako i na koji način pejzaži, tranzicije i kulturni susreti
proizvede obrazovne učinke. Dakako, rad skreće pažnju i na značaj prolaza –
često zanemarenog segmenta putovanja – kao dimenzije transformacije, stva
ranja značenja i sticanja znanja. Putovanja su oduvek bila vitalna komponenta
ljudske egzistencije. Ljudi su kroz istoriju tražili nova mesta i iskustva zbog
svoje radoznalosti i želje za otkrivanjem, sticanjem znanja, razvojem ili jedno
stavno kretanjem. Šire gledano, putovanja su igrala značajnu ulogu u razvoju
ljudske civilizacije na različite načine, jer su ljudi prelazili kontinente i okeane
kako bi razmenjivali ideje, znanje, kulturne i religijske tradicije.
S obzirom na rečeno, neophodno je razumeti na koji način se reflektuje ovo
nasleđe obrazovnih putovanja, od Velike ture do savremenih programa razme
ne, kako bi mogla da se preispita evoluirajuća dinamiku mobilnosti u globali
zovanom i modernom svetu. Kroz analizu putovanja kao obrazovnog procesa,
rad naglašava važnost prolaza kao ključnog elementa u transformaciji i sticanju
znanja, pozivajući na ponovno promišljanje putovanja kao integralnog dela ob
razovanja i učenja. Uprkos savremenim pomacima ka efikasnosti i udobnosti,
putovanja ostaju važno iskustvo koje doprinosi spoznaji i samospoznaji poje
dinca, nudeći nam iskustva koja provociraju predefinisane okvire mišljenja.Dans ce travail les auteurs discutent l’importance des voyages, se concen
trant sur la possibilité d’acquérir et de façonner des expériences éducatives, et
faisant une comparaison entre les voyages contemporains et anciens. Les résul
tats éducatifs du voyage sont souvent difficilement définissables et diffus, leur
influence est traitée dans de nombreux domaines de recherche, mais ce travail
est concentré sur l’entrelacement de l’éducation et de l’expérience, puis sur la
question de leur pertinence à l’ère de la globalisation et des changements tech
nologiques.
Le lien entre les voyages et l’éducation a une longue histoire dont les racines
remontent au monde antique. Au cours des siècles, les voyages sont utilisés
comme un moyen pour acquérir des connaissances et pour élargir la compré
hension du monde. Du Grand Tour en Europe jusqu’aux programmes contem
porains des études à l’étranger, les voyages ont joué le rôle central dans les
systèmes éducatifs de nombreuses cultures. L’idée principale du travail est que
les voyages, leurs significations purement logistiques et recréatives mises à part,
stimulent la connaissance et la connaissance de soi, développant la résilience
intellectuelle et émotionnelle. En utilisant l’analyse historique des récits de
voyage combinée avec l’approche phénomènologique, nous examinons com
ment et de quelle manière les paysages, les transitions et les rencontres cultu
relles produisent des effets éducatifs. En outre, ce travail attire aussi l’attention
sur l’importance du passage – segment du voyage souvent négligé – en tant que
d’une dimension de transformation, de création de signification et d’acquisition
de connaissances. Les voyages ont toujours été une composante vitale de l’exis
tence humaine. Les hommes ont tout au long de l’histoire cherché de nouveaux
lieux et expériences en raison de leur curiosité et de leur désir de découvrir,
d’acquérir des connaissances, de se développer ou simplement de se déplacer.
Plus globalement, les voyages ont joué un rôle important dans le développement
de la civilisation humaine de différentes manières, car les hommes traversaient
des continents et des océans pour échanger les idées, les savoirs, les traditions
culturelles et religieuses