Bulgarian Cultural Identity, Balkanism and Self-Colonisation in Bulgarian Tv Series Staklen Dom (2010-2012)

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Bulgarian Cultural Identity, Balkanism and Self-Colonisation in Bulgarian Tv Series Staklen Dom (2010-2012) BULGARIAN CULTURAL IDENTITY, BALKANISM AND SELF-COLONISATION IN BULGARIAN TV SERIES STAKLEN DOM (2010-2012) Daria Pritup Master’s Thesis University of Helsinki Department of World Cultures Area and Cultural Studies April 2017 Tiedekunta/Osasto – Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Laitos – Institution – Department Humanistinen tiedekunta Maailman kulttuurien laitos Tekijä – Författare – Author Daria Pritup Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Bulgarian Cultural Identity, Balkanism and Self-colonisation in Bulgarian TV Series Staklen dom (2010-2012) Oppiaine – Läroämne – Subject Alue- ja kulttuurintutkimus / Intercultural Encounters -maisteriohjelma Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Aika – Datum – Month and Sivumäärä– Sidoantal – Number of pages Pro gradu year 71 Huhtikuu 2017 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract (voiko tän kirjoittaa minä muodossa, kts alla ehdotukset) Tutkimuksessa käsittelen suosittua bulgarialaista televisiosarjaa hyödyntäen balkanismin ja itsekolonisaation teorioita löytääkseni merkkejä 2010-luvun bulgarialaisen kulttuuri-identiteetin rakentumisesta. Näiden teorioiden mukaan “Balkan” on käsitteellistetty sivistymättömänä ja jälkeenjääneenä kulttuurillisena alueena, josta “sivistyneen Euroopan” ongelmat juontavat. Länsieurooppalainen kulttuurihegemonia määrittelee aina itsensä “sivistyksen” ja “edistyksen” keskiöön, ja siitä poikkeavat periferiaan. Periferiakulttuurit puolestaan muodostavat kulttuuri-identiteetin, joka perustuu vieraisiin arvoihin ja on aina puutteellinen ja kehittymätön suhteessa keskukseen. Itsekolonisoivat kulttuurit jäljentävät vahingollista käsitystä minuudestaan luontaisesti puutteellisena, mikä johtaa kolonisaatioon ilman hyökkäystä – alistumiseen “lännen” kulttuurihegemonian edessä. Tutkimuksessa käsittelen neljää tuotantokautta draamasarjasta Staklen dom (suom. Lasitalo), joka on yksi suurimmista televisioproduktioista 2010-luvun Bulgariassa. Tapahtumat sijoittuvat sofialaiseen ostoskeskukseen, jonka omistajat ja työntekijät ovat sarjan päähahmoja. Sarjan nimi viittaa ostoskeskuksen lasiseen arkkitehtuuriin, mutta samalla kommentoi perinteisten arvojen haurautta modernissa, individualistisessa ja kulutusmyönteisessä maailmassa. Staklen domin juonessa heijastuvat Bulgarian ajankohtaiset yhteiskunnalliset kysymykset, joten se tarjoaa mahdollisuuden tutkia bulgarialaisten käsityksiä omasta kulttuuristaan taiteen keinoin. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu noin 65 tunnista videokuvaa, josta olen analysoinut käsikirjoitusta, tarinankerrontaa ja kuvamateriaalia teoria-aineiston avulla. Tutkimuksessa käytetty dialogikäsikirjoitus on jaoteltu kahdeksaan teemaan: Bulgaria alueena ja sijaintina; bulgarialaiset kansana, ryhmänä tai yhteisönä; bulgarialaisen kulttuurin tuotteet ja symbolit; balkanistinen tai orientalistinen diskurssi; jaetun kulttuuritilan ajattomuus ja pysähtyneisyys; jaettu kulttuuritila väli- ja siirtymätilana, symbolisena siltana tai risteyksenä; siirtolaiskokemus ja sen toiseuttaminen; sekä etnisten vähemmistöjen ja “kyläläisten” toiseuttaminen. Tutkimus osoittaa, että bulgarialainen kulttuuri-identiteetti muodostuu kamppailussa kulttuurillisten, taloudellisten ja poliittisten voimien risteyksessä. Euroopan laajuisen kansallisen heräämisen ja balkanistisen käsityksen valossa Bulgarian anti omalle kulttuuriperinnölleen on näyttäytynyt vähäiseltä ja kiusalliselta myös aikalaistensa silmissä. Neuvostoliiton vallan alla bulgarialaisuus oli osa suurempaa slaavilaisuutta, mutta vuoden 1989 jälkeen neuvostoajan perintö jouduttiin kieltämään kokonaan, jotta Bulgaria voisi demokratisoitua ja modernisoitua. Bulgarian NATO- ja EU -pyrkimykset kertovat siitä, että bulgarialaisen jälkisosialistisen yhteiskunnan katse on suunnattu länteen, mutta länsi ei katso suopeasti takaisin. Aineiston pohjalta voidaan tulkita, että sosioekonomiset kysymykset ovat tiukasti sidottuna kulttuurisiin kysymyksiin vallitsevan kulutusyhteiskunnan myötä, mutta myös Bulgarian viimeisen 40 vuoden poliittisen ja yhteiskunnallisen tilanteen johdosta. Bulgarian siirtymä sosialismista liberaalidemokratiaan ja suunnitelmataloudesta markkinatalouteen on ollut kivulias, jonka takia yhteiskunnan rakenteet eivät edelleenkään heijasta bulgarialaisten monimuotoisuutta ja edistä valinnanvapautta tai turvallisuudentunnetta. Tämä näkyy sarjan esittämässä identiteettien keskeneräisyydessä, ylistyspuheessa kapitalismille ja alistumisessa itsekolonisaatioon. Tutkimusaineistosta voidaan havaita, että muinaisen (bulgarialaisen) kulttuurin symbolit ovat modernissa kontekstissa vanhanaikaisia ja uudet symbolit ovat löytyneet globaalista kulutusyhteiskunnasta. Tämä puolestaan on aiheuttanut jonkinasteisen eksistentiaalisen kulttuuri- ja identiteettikriisin. Ongelma on maailmanlaajuinen, mutta bulgarialaisessa kontekstissa erityisen vahingoittava, sillä samainen kulttuuri ja identiteetti ovat alun perin vahvasti balkanismin perintöön perustuvia uudelleen esitettyjä olemassaolon kuvauksia. Aineistossa näkyy myös selkeästi Bulgarian etnisten vähemmistöjen sekä paluumuuttajien toiseuttaminen nationalistisen ja poissulkevan ideologian pohjalta. Bulgarialainen identiteetti on eräänlainen siirtymäidentiteetti ja “puoli-identiteetti”, jonka keskeneräisyys johtuu toisaalta sen muodostumiseen vaikuttaneista historian tapahtumista, mutta toisaalta myös vanhentuneeseen olemusajatteluun kulttuurin suhteen. Tutkimuksen lopputulema on, että bulgarialaisen kulttuuri- identiteetin suurin haaste on inkluusio ja olemusajattelusta irtautuminen. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Area- and Cultural Studies, television, Bulgaria, Balkans, cultural identity, Balkanism, self-colonisation Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited Keskustakampuksen kirjasto Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information Daria Pritup, April 2017 Area and Cultural Studies, University of Helsinki Table of Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4 2 Unravelling the Balkan Fractal .......................................................................................... 7 2.1 Geography, Spatiality and Fragmentation ................................................................. 9 2.2 Thick Description and Fictiõ/Re-Presentation ......................................................... 13 2.3 Colonisation, Self-Colonisation and The Absence .................................................. 15 3 The Transition Period and Beyond .................................................................................. 18 4 Previous Research ............................................................................................................ 22 5 Data Overview and Methodology .................................................................................... 24 5.1 Glass Home and Premise of the Research ............................................................... 25 5.2 “Father Balkan” and Other Narratives of Cultural Belonging ................................. 27 5.2.1 Corruption and socio-economic class ............................................................. 35 5.3 Kaleidoscope of Ethnicities? .................................................................................... 42 5.3.1 Absent Enemy: Turks ....................................................................................... 43 5.3.2 The Call for Social Justice: The Roma Narrative ............................................ 45 5.4 “Not from around here” – the post-migratory identity ............................................ 49 5.5 Transitional Incompleteness .................................................................................... 55 6 Discussion and suggestions for further research .............................................................. 63 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 67 Appendix 1: Data Daria Pritup, April 2017 Area and Cultural Studies, University of Helsinki “Аз съм българче свободно над закона аз живея всичко българско и родно ще продам, ако успея! Аз съм българче и расна в дни на преход, в мътно време син съм на земя прекрасна хайде да я окрадеме!” Chergar, Nov 27, 2009.1 1 Introduction In this research paper I will analyse four seasons of a popular Bulgarian television series Стъклен дом (Staklen dom, Eng. Glass Home, BTV), produced between 2010 and 2012, in the context of internal (cultural) identity formation and external identity designation. The broad framework of my research was built on theory that, firstly, claims that the region and cultural area of the Balkans (Southeast Europe) has been assigned a subordinate status to the “civilised west” (the culturally, economically and politically dominant regions of Western Europe), yet simultaneously has been positioned against an Oriental Other. In this respect, “the Balkans” as a designation has been differentiated from “the Orient”, as it is neither here nor there. Furthermore, within this theoretical frame, the Balkans have succumbed to western hegemony without being invaded, and the unfavourable designation of Balkanism has penetrated self-identification processes in the region; in other words, the Balkans are “self-colonised”. I will consider whether the creation of Bulgarian cultural consciousness is based on absence of a civilizational model by analysing the identity representations in a popular Bulgarian television series. The topic of my research touches on relevant issues in the midst of current nationalist
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