University of Arts in Belgrade
Digital Repository of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of BelgradeNot a member yet
4571 research outputs found
Sort by
Enacting Empathy Through High School Workshops: A Thematic Analysis of Focus Groups with Relevant Stakeholders
No full textEmpathy, despite being a contested concept (Batson, 2009; Lanzoni, 2018), is widely recognized as a vital trait in education (Zhou, 2022). It contributes to better academic performance, stronger peer relationships, and greater overall student well-being (Cooper, 2011; Zhou, 2022). Empathy supports positive interactions with teachers and peers, promotes adaptation to institutional environments, and enriches collaborative learning experiences (López-Mondéjar & Pastor, 2017; Mella et al., 2021). Moreover, empathy is foundational to prosocial behavior, encouraging supportive and protective actions (Niezink et al., 2012). Empathy is integral to social interactions and aligns with the Social Awareness domain of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) (Jones & Doolittle, 2017).
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) categorizes empathy as a core socio-emotional competence within SEL, encompassing practices such as cooperative and project-based learning, embedding SEL into curricular content, and fostering school cultures that prioritize emotional development (Ross & Tolan, 2018; CASEL, 2020, as cited in Kovačević, Popović & Bukvić, 2021). However, the development of socio-emotional competencies, including empathy, requires institutional support and structured policies (Kovačević et al., 2021). Despite these frameworks, many studies fail to account for the broader educational contexts in which SEL policies are enacted (Dimitrijević, 2020).
Recent policy studies emphasize the term “enactment” over “implementation,” reflecting the nuanced processes of educational policy application. Implementation traditionally implies a top-down approach where policies are applied uniformly across contexts. Conversely, enactment involves iterative processes of negotiation, translation, and adaptation, highlighting the interplay of top-down and bottom-up dynamics (Ball, Maguire & Braun, 2011). This perspective underscores that policy enactment is context-dependent, shaped by local conditions and stakeholder interactions (Clarke & Bainton, 2015; Hay, 2024).
Studying enactment necessitates focusing on processes rather than outcomes, emphasizing how policies are interpreted, translated, and implemented in specific settings (Ureta, 2014). This approach resists treating policy as static and instead views it as an evolving phenomenon shaped by emerging educational realities (Ball et al., 2011). A concretist methodology prioritizes actual practices and actions of individuals involved in policy processes over prescriptive norms or theoretical frameworks (Ball et al., 2011).
This study explores the enactment of SEL policies through the “Let’s Open the Conversation” project, a 2023 initiative by Praxum, an organization supporting psychology students in bridging theory and practice. The project aimed to enhance adolescents' communication, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution skills, fostering empathy and emotional literacy to strengthen SEL competencies.
The project was structured into three components: (1) developing training programs and educational materials, (2) training volunteers to work with adolescents, and (3) implementing emotional literacy workshops in schools. The organizational team conducted training programs in Novi Sad and Belgrade. These workshops were later conducted with high school students in Niš and Novi Sad.
This study examines the enactment process within the “Let’s Open the Conversation” project, focusing on how SEL policies were defined, translated, and interpreted. By analyzing the roles and contributions of the organizational team and volunteers, the study provides insights into the concrete practices and processes underlying the project’s realization. Furthermore, the research explores how the project’s enactment could inform future SEL policy developments and highlight innovative approaches to socio-emotional education.
In short, the study contributes to understanding how SEL policies are enacted in diverse educational contexts. It highlights the importance of a process-oriented approach to policy enactment and underscores the dynamic interplay between institutional structures, individual agency, and local conditions. By analyzing the “Let’s Open the Conversation” project, this research offers a detailed examination of SEL policy enactment and its potential to inform broader educational frameworks.
Method
This study employs a qualitative research approach to analyze the enactment of policies aimed at developing SEL competencies. Focus groups (Bešić, 2019; Willig, 2008) were selected for their ability to foster interactive discussions and collective reflection, enabling participants to share perspectives and build on each other’s insights. This method allows for an exploration of how the core team and volunteers functioned as a group, the priorities they set during planning and implementation, and how they navigated challenges (Popadić, Pavlović & Žeželj, 2018). Additionally, it provides insights into group dynamics and the collective construction of meaning, essential for understanding educational policy enactment. By capturing these dynamics, focus groups offer a comprehensive view of how SEL policies were implemented within this educational context. The study will conduct two voluntary focus group sessions: one with the core team of workshop designers and the other with volunteers who facilitated the workshops. Building on the outlined project structure (design, training, and workshop implementation), the focus groups will be oriented towards elaborating the processes relevant to their enactment. Discussions with the core team will encompass all project phases, while conversations with volunteers will focus solely on training and workshop implementation. Additionally, relevant topic of influence that the project has on developing new SEL policies will be discussed. All focus group discussions will be audio-recorded with participants' consent and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Ethical approval for the study will be obtained from relevant institutional review boards. Participants will be informed about the purpose of the research, their rights to confidentiality, and their option to withdraw at any stage without consequences. NVivo software will be used to facilitate the coding process, ensuring systematic and comprehensive data analysis. Thematic analysis will be employed to identify recurring patterns and themes within the data that are relevant to the process of enactment. This approach is particularly suitable for examining policy enactment as it allows for an in-depth exploration of how meaning is co-constructed within social interactions (Willig, 2008). The themes are assumed to be contingent on group interactions, aligning with the fluid and negotiated nature of enacting educational policies. The analysis will be conducted in a comprehensive, iterative, and reflexive manner. By employing focus groups as the primary research method, this study aims to provide a rich, contextualized understanding of how empathy-building workshops are developed and enacted within the Serbian educational landscape when taking into account the perspectives of relevant stakeholders.
Expected Outcomes
This study examines the enactment of SEL policies through the case of the “Let’s Open the Conversation” project. Given the inherently idiosyncratic nature of policy enactment, our expectations—shaped by prior research—will likely evolve toward a more concretist analysis. We aim to complete focus group transcription, systematically organizing notes to capture nonverbal and extralinguistic expressions in the following months. Researchers will then independently analyze themes over one month, followed by a comparative discussion to refine a coherent analytical framework. This framework will offer insights into SEL policy implementation, addressing the study’s research question in time for the ECER conference. In developing the training program and educational materials key themes will likely include how the team defines project goals, sustains motivation, and negotiates a shared vision. Expected challenges involve communicating the importance of empathy to adolescents, designing engaging materials, and establishing effective collaboration with schools. In training volunteers, we anticipate themes related to relational dynamics during the training phase. These may include collaboration and trust-building within the team, strategies for aligning individual values with project objectives, and approaches for managing emotional and logistical challenges. Volunteer feedback is expected to provide insights into the effectiveness of training and their perceived readiness for their roles. When examining how the core team and volunteers perceive the project’s broader implications for SEL policies, we expect themes related to raising adolescent awareness of empathy while acknowledging limitations in achieving systemic change. Participants will likely emphasize the need for stronger institutional support, particularly from the Ministry of Education, and the importance of clear frameworks for volunteer selection and support. Reflections on team dynamics and the challenges of scaling similar initiatives will further contribute to understanding the project’s situated nature. Through these thematic explorations, the study provides a rich, contextually grounded understanding of how empathy is enacted
Razotkrivanje štete: imenovanje problema u borbama italijanskog zdravstva tokom šezdesetih i sedamdesetih godina
No full textDuring the 1960s and 1970s, Italian workers’ movements brought together concerns for wellbeing, environmental justice, critiques of automation, and the refusal of work into a radical vision for healthcare. This chapter examines three significant case studies that highlight how workers, activists, and trade unionists developed strategies to transform lived experiences into collective narratives. The first case explores Ivar Oddone’s use of the “doppelgänger method,” first developed with FIAT workers, a technique that facilitated the transformation of personal, somatic experiences into a collective diagnostic tool for collective political action. The second example focuses on how activists in the healthcare movement politicized the concept of toxicity. By developing a vocabulary around “noxiousness,” they highlighted the inseparability of workplace health issues from broader capitalist structures. Whereas toxicity often refers to chemical exposure or measurable contaminants, nocività named a wider field of embodied, collective, and systemic harms, connecting factory fumes to domestic labour, community health, and environmental degradation and framing capitalism itself as an adverse factor to health. Finally, the article considers the resistance of the “Leboline” workers to the new Methods-Time Measurement (MTM) chainwork management at the Lebole textile factory in Arezzo. The all- female workforce opposed these new rhythms, which introduced an unsustainable work pace causing severe mental exhaustion and adverse health repercussions. These examples highlight the Italian movements’ diverse practices of translation and naming as a means to expose and contest the multifaceted nature of exploitation, and their commitment to a proliferation of commitments as the articulation of an emancipatory politics of health. These Italian struggles also illuminate the broader questions of how health can be politicized today amid planetary crises, where the practice of naming harms determines not only what counts as a problem but also what kinds of political responses can be pursued.Tokom šezdesetih i sedamdesetih godina radnički pokreti u Italiji povezali su pitanja blagostanja, ekološke pravde, kritike automatizacije i odbijanja rada u radikalnu viziju zdravstva.
Ovo poglavlje razmatra tri značajne studije slučaja koje pokazuju kako su radnici, aktivisti i
sindikalisti razvijali strategije da lična iskustva pretoče u kolektivne narative.
Prvi slučaj odnosi se na Ivara Odonea i njegovu upotrebu „metode dvojnika“, prvobitno
razvijene sa radnicima FIAT-a, tehnike koja je omogućavala da se lična, somatska iskustva
transformišu u kolektivni dijagnostički alat za kolektivno političko delovanje.
Drugi primer fokusira se na to kako su aktivisti zdravstvenog pokreta politizovali pojam
toksičnosti. Razvijanjem vokabulara oko pojma „štetnosti“, naglašavali su nerazdvojivost pitanja zdravstvene zaštite na radnom mestu od šireg kapitalističkog okvira. Dok se toksičnost
obično odnosi na izloženost hemikalijama ili merljivim zagađivačima, nocività je obuhvatala
šire polje utelovljenih, kolektivnih i sistemskih šteta, povezujući fabrike i njihove isparenja
sa kućnim radom, zdravljem zajednice i degradacijom životne sredine, pri čemu je sam kapitalizam bio uokviren kao nepovoljan faktor po zdravlje.
Na kraju, tekst se bavi otporom radnica „Leboline“ prema novom sistemu MTM (Methods-Time Measurement) u tekstilnoj fabrici Lebole u Arecu. Ova isključivo ženska radna
snaga usprotivila se novim radnim ritmovima koji su nametali neodrživ tempo, izazivajući
ozbiljnu mentalnu iscrpljenost i negativne zdravstvene posledice.
Ovi primeri pokazuju raznovrsne prakse prevođenja i imenovanja u italijanskim pokretima kao sredstva za razotkrivanje i osporavanje višeslojne eksploatacije, kao i njihovu posvećenost umnožavanju angažmana u artikulaciji emancipatorske politike zdravlja. Italijanske
borbe osvetljavaju i šira pitanja o tome kako se zdravlje danas može politizovati u uslovima
planetarne krize, gde sama praksa imenovanja šteta određuje ne samo šta se prepoznaje kao
problem, već i kakve političke odgovore možemo slediti
Methodological Advances in Participatory Processes in Serbia: Enhancing Spatial Planning and Living Environments in Mining Regions
No full textParticipatory processes play a crucial role in spatial planning, particularly in mining regions where environmental and social impacts of resource extraction are significant. This research examines the need to adapt and improve public participation procedures in Serbia, emphasizing the legal framework, methodological enhancements, and institutional support to foster more meaningful engagement of the affected population. Conducted under the funding of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (Grant #7598), the study is based on in-depth interviews with key stakeholders responsible for shaping participation processes in legislation, education, and practice. The research identifies challenges in existing participatory mechanisms and proposes solutions to enhance their effectiveness. A key recommendation is the enrichment of participatory methods at the earliest stages of planning—before formal decisions on plan creation are made—by improving stakeholder information, education, and early engagement. The study also highlights the importance of maintaining continuous feedback loops with stakeholders throughout the planning process and considering public participation during the spatial plan implementation phase. Furthermore, restoring trust in national and local government, as well as other decision-makers, is recognized as a critical factor in ensuring meaningful public participation. Strengthening institutional commitment to transparency, accountability, and inclusivity is essential for fostering long-term stakeholder engagement and improving decision-making processes in spatial planning. This study contributes to the discourse on participatory governance by advocating for a more legally structured, methodologically enriched, and trust-centered approach to public participation in spatial planning, particularly in mining regions and their living environments.URI: https://raumplan.iaus.ac.rs/handle/123456789/102
State-Sponsored Unhomeliness: Struggle for Certainty and Privacy in Serbian Social Housing
No full textThis paper examines the lived realities of housing precarity within Serbia’s social housing estates, focusing on the concept of unhomeliness. Drawing on multimodal fieldwork conducted in two Serbian social housing estates, it explores how marginalized inhabitants navigate the erosion of stability, privacy, and living conditions. The findings reveal how systemic neglect and institutional failures compound vulnerabilities, fostering pervasive instability and alienation. Social housing, intended as a solution to housing needs, emerges as a paradoxical site where shelter is provided yet insecurity,
unhomeliness and marginalization persist. Through the lens of unhomeliness, the analysis reveals the emotional and material toll of precarious housing, such as utility disconnections, overcrowding, and structural neglect. The article situates unhomeliness as both a structural and experiential phenomenon, emphasizing how the erosion of welfare housing policies and lack of privacy undermine the basic functions of a “home” and shedding the light on the tension between inhabitants’ efforts to create autonomy and dignity, and the challenges they face. This analysis advances understanding of housing inequality and resilience among marginalized communities in post-socialist contexts, offering a critical perspective on the interplay between systemic neglect, individual agency, and the contested meanings of home
Between Hubris and Eros: Rethinking Punishment in Plato’s Dialogues
No full textNamera rada je da preispita pojam kazne kod Platona s obzirom na
razumevanje prestupa kao preterivanja (hibris). Hibris izbacuje dušu pojedinca iz
harmonizovanog poretka, čime se u isto vreme narušava i harmonija društvenog poretka. Svrha kazne se u takvom narativu javlja kao sredstvo kojim se duša pojedinca,
ali i društvo u celini, vraća u prvobitno stanje harmonije, odnosno pravednosti (dikasiyone; δικαιοσύνη). Sudeći po Državi, svaka nepravda nužno je vezana za preterivanje, koje nastaje kada se drugi delovi duše ne pokoravaju u potpunosti razumu. Ipak,
u dijalogu Fedar, Platon će uvesti nijansiranije razumevanje delova duše i njihovih
uzajamnih odnosa. To će otvoriti drugačije mogućnosti njihove harmonizacije, dovodeći u pitanje nepravednost koju sa sobom nužno donosi svako „preterivanje“. Kazna
u tom svetlu ne može više biti tek sredstvo putem kog se „leči“ duša počinioca. Skretanjem pažnje na mesta iz Zakona i Fedra, koja se ne mogu lako povezati sa prethodnim Platonovim stavovima o prirodi i ulozi kazne iznetim u Državi, rad pokazuje zašto
je kod Platona problematično, a može biti i nemoguće, formalno utemeljiti kaznu.The aim of this paper is to reconsider the concept of punishment in Plato, with regard to the conception of transgression as excess (hubris). Hubris throws the soul out of a harmonized order, thereby also disrupting the harmony of the social order. Within this framework, punishment functions as a means by which the soul of the individual, and society as a whole, is returned to its original state of harmony, that is, justice (dikaiosyne; δικαιοσύνη). According to The Republic, every injustice is necessarily tied to excess, which emerges when the soul’s non-rational parts fail to fully subordinate themselves to reason. However, in the dialogue Phaedrus, Plato introduces a more nuanced understanding of the parts of the soul and their interrelations. This introduces alternative possibilities for achieving harmony among them, calling into question the injustice that supposedly accompanies every form of “excess.” In this light, punishment can no longer be merely a means of “healing” the soul of the offender. By drawing attention to passages from The Laws and Phaedrus that cannot be easily reconciled with Plato’s earlier views on the nature and role of punishment as presented in The Republic, the paper demonstrates why, in Plato’s thought, it remains problematic—and perhaps ultimately untenable—to formally ground the concept of punishment
Serbian audiences’ news consumption and choosing sides in the Russia-Ukraine war
No full textPublic attitudes toward the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Serbia diverge sharply from broader European trends, with a majority of citizens siding with Russia. While Serbia’s government officially supports Ukrainian territorial integrity, it has refrained from joining EU sanctions, reflecting a complex international position and a media landscape dominated by pro-Russian narratives. In this study, we use original survey data from an online sample of 2,027 respondents to examine how media trust, political orientations, and news consumption patterns shape both sides taken in the war and satisfaction with media reporting. Logistic regression analysis shows that trust in government-aligned proRussian media and support for the ruling party are the strongest predictors of siding with Russia. The same variables also explain satisfaction with news coverage of the war, suggesting a transfer of trust between media and message. Those with stronger antiWestern sentiment are more inclined to side with Russia and evaluate war reporting positively. However, the dominant media narratives also support this stance and reassure them of the validity of their worldview. Our findings point to a highly polarised and asymmetrically structured media and political environment, where partisan alignment and selective media trust strongly influence geopolitical perceptions and the views about the media. This research contributes to understanding how political loyalties and media systems influence public opinion in hybrid regimes during major international crises
The Revitalization of Democracy in Serbia: Participant Observation and the Student Movement
No full textThis talk consists of two parts. In the first, I will explore the epistemic value of participant observation, a foundational method in sociocultural anthropology. Participant observation allows ethnographers to gain knowledge by engaging directly in the social world they study, rather than relying solely on detached observation. My argument for its epistemic value rests on understanding its cognitive basis. I propose that participant observation enhances ethnographers’ ability to infer the intentions and meanings behind human actions through improved “mind-reading”—the capacity to interpret others' mental states.
In the second part, I will illustrate these claims through my experience of participating in Serbia’s ongoing student movement, which has occupied universities since December 2024 in protest against state corruption and the failure of state institutions. A defining feature of this movement is its democratic organization through plenums—assemblies where decisions are made collectively through deliberation and direct participation. These plenums function as spaces of political experimentation, embodying principles of self-management and bottom-up governance. I will argue that participant observation provides unique epistemic access to the movement’s internal dynamics, decision-making processes, and modes of resistance. More broadly, I will discuss how plenums contribute to the revitalization of democratic engagement by fostering direct deliberation and collective agency.
By bridging cognitive and political dimensions of participant observation, this talk highlights its dual role: as a method for producing knowledge and as a way to understand emergent democratic practices. Through the case of Serbia’s student movement, I will show how ethnography offers critical insights into both the cognitive mechanisms underlying social participation and the broader political implications of grassroots organizing
A New Model for Diversifying AI-Based Recommender Systems
No full textRecommender systems play a pivotal role in shaping user experiences on digital platforms by providing personalized content tailored to individual preferences. While these systems enhance user engagement and satisfaction, they also pose significant risks by reinforcing echo chambers, amplifying extreme viewpoints, and fostering addictive behaviors. Such effects contribute to societal issues like polarization, reduced creativity, and diminished critical thinking due to algorithmic biases. This study addresses these concerns by proposing a novel AI-based recommender system model that integrates diversity across three key dimensions: emotional tones, content categories, and political attitudes. The proposed model recalibrates the recommendation score by incorporating these dimensions into its core algorithmic process. The recommendation score regarding user and content is the calculation that uses weighted similarity measures for each dimension, allowing for adjustable emphasis based on desired outcomes. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the model successfully increases diversity without significantly compromising recommendation accuracy. Users are exposed to a broader range of content, encouraging the discovering of new interests while maintaining satisfaction. The model aligns with ethical AI principles by promoting fairness, enhancing transparency through explicit weight assignments, and respecting user autonomy by allowing customization of preference weights. Future work could include real-world deployment to assess scalability and effectiveness, incorporating user control mechanisms, and expanding the model to encompass additional diversity dimensions
