Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
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Cultural Transitions in Southeastern Europe Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies Edited by Aldo Milohnić Nada Švob-Đokić IMO CULTURELINK Network of Networks for Research and Coopera- tion in Cultural Development was established by UNESCO and the Council of Europe in 1989. Focal point of the Network is the Institute for International Relations, Zagreb, Croatia. Members Networks, associations, foundations, institutions and individuals engaged in cultural development and cooperation. Aims of the Network To strengthen communication among its mem- bers; to collect, process and disseminate informa- tion on culture and cultural development in the world; to encourage joint research projects and cultural cooperation. Philosophy Promotion and support for dialogue, question- ing and debating cultural practices and policies for cultural development. Mailing address CULTURELINK/IMO Ul. Lj. F. Vukotinovića 2 P.O. Box 303, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Tel.: +385 1 48 77 460 Fax: +385 1 48 28 361 E-mail: clink@irmo.hr URL: http://www.culturelink.hr http://www.culturelink.org Cultural Transitions in Southeastern Europe Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies Publication of this book is fi nanced by the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offi ce Ljubljana on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research and the East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program (Open Society Foundations). All the texts published in this book refl ect only the personal views of the respective authors. ASO Ljubljana and the Open Society Foundations are not liable for any use that may be made of the information published in this book. Cultural Transitions in Southeastern Europe Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies Edited by Aldo Milohnić Nada Švob-Đokić Institute for International Relations Zagreb, 2011 Culturelink Joint Publication Series No 14 Series editor Biserka Cvjetičanin Edited by: Aldo Milohnić Nada Švob-Đokić Reviewed by: Dona Kolar Panov, Th e New York University, Skopje Vjeran Katunarić, University of Zadar Language editor Charlotte Huntly Star logo design (front page) Eva Kosel Cover design and prepress Vladimir Buzolić-Stegú Printed and bound by AKD, Zagreb Publisher Institute for International Relations, Lj. F. Vukotinovića 2 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Co-publisher Peace Institute, Metelkova 6 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia © Institute for International Relations & Peace Institute A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the National and University Library, Zagreb, under 764851 ISBN 978-953-6096-56-5 C o n t e n t s Foreword . 3 PART ONE HISTORIES, MEMORIES AND NATIONAL IDENTITIES Identity construction in the Balkan region - Austrian interests and involvement in a historical perspective Andrea Komlosy and Hannes Hofb auer . 11 Cultural policies, identities and monument building in Southeastern Europe Milena Dragičević Šešić . 31 Performing identities - national theatres and the re-construction of identities in Slovenia and the Socialist Federal Republic ofYugoslavia Aldo Milohnić . 47 Culture of trauma and identity politics - critical frames and emancipatory lenses of cultural and knowledge production Jasmina Husanović . 61 PART TWO COMMUNICATION, MEDIA AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES Erased languages, aroused alliances - language policy and post-Yugoslav political and cultural confi gurations in Slovenia Brankica Petković . 71 How social media enforce glocalization – the processes of identity change in selected Central and Southeast European countries Paško Bilić . 85 How modern technology shape-shift s our identity Vladimir Davčev . 101 Cultural identities in Southeastern Europe - a post-transitional perspective Nada Švob-Đokić . 113 I PART THREE PRODUCTIVITY, CREATIVITY AND UNSTABLE IDENTITIES Cultural identities from the bottom up – labour relations perspective Maja Breznik . 127 From productivity to creativity – the role of art collectives in solving the contradictions of the transitional period Sezgin Boynik . 141 Culture of hits vs. culture of niches – cultural industries and processes of cultural identifi cation in Croatia Jaka Primorac . 149 Repetition of diff erence – search for unstable identity Svetlana Racanović . 163 Report on the conference “Questioning Transitional Dynamics in Re-defi ning Cultural Identities in Southeastern Europe”, 15-16 January 2011, Ljubljana, Slovenia (Jaka Primorac) . 167 Notes on the authors . 175 II FOREWORD Foreword Th e redefi nition of cultural identities has been an important constituent of the transition processes in all countries of Southeastern Europe (SEE). Th e interest in cultural and national identities in SEE was particularly strong and very openly pronounced during the 1990s. Th e search for cultural and national identities and their very dynamic changes in the last decade of the 20th century have become crucial for the establishment of the new states, as well as for the systemic transformation and transition from socialism to capitalism. However, like the transition itself, the identity changes have not been rationalized or explained through some theoretical context. Especially in the case of the former Yugoslavia they were infl uenced by the political (ideological) and legal interpretations of citizenship, political and economic transitions, cultural changes that particularly promoted nationalistic approaches, political clashes, ethnic confl icts and wars, state building procedures and the establishment of nation states. In such a context the notions of national and cultural identities have been intertwined, mixed and marginalized or directly misused in political discourse and cultural life. It was forgotten that they may encompass diff erent values, that they may have diff erent meanings, that they may have been developed from diff erent anthropological and political/social backgrounds, and, last but not least, that diff erent nations may share some common histories and memories. 3 Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies In this region, new states have been established and social and economic systems are being radically changed. Now, in the post-transitional perspective, an unstable terminology and a search for “fl exible” approaches still characterize the cultural identifi cation processes that may be gaining ground over the previous stress on national identifi cation. It seems that the understanding of cultures and their social roles has been slowly moving from orientation to political and ideological issues to a multilayer cultural identifi cation closer to the understanding of culture as a general human “know-how” that involves historical contexts, similar values, collective memories and other aspects that need not be limited to ethnic origins and social or geographical belonging. Cultural identity resides in the interpretation of culture as a system of values that is in principle open to communication and exchange. It is therefore fl exible and changeable itself. Cultural identities function as general backgrounds and thus provide a set of values that an individual or a group may establish, develop and reinterpret as their own. Th is presupposed move towards more fl exible and open interpretation of cultural identifi cation may be a valuable subject for further research in the context of the transitional social changes in the Southeast European region. Th e transitional interplay of cultural and national identities intervenes in the character of both and designs their relationships. Aft er the dominant shock of nationalism and national identifi cation in the last decade of the 20th century, it seems that national identities have gradually been overshadowed by new cultural values and more open cultural communication. It could be said that, in the context of post-transitional developments, individual and collective identifi cation may proceed towards standpoints that are trans- and intercultural, more tolerant and based on the acceptance of cultural diversities, cultural democratization and the professionalization of cultural production. In this respect the key positions of artists and authors necessitates “a more propulsive social role of intelligentsia” (Maja Breznik) and radical reforms of cultural systems. In the regional frameworks this is refl ected as an increased cultural tolerance and the overall democratization of cultural relationships, but also as a proportionally decreased cultural communication that has become almost exclusively oriented to European cultural settings and is strongly supported by eff orts invested in the Europeanization of the Southeast European countries. Any attempt to “Europeanize” societies in this region should include the knowledge and discussion of cultural identities. Th e information about existing approaches and attitudes coming from diff erent sources may be illustrative in this respect. For instance, in a recent research conducted on representative samples in several SEE countries, approximately 40% of respondents in Serbia and Macedonia stated that “their own culture and tradition are endangered by infl uences of values coming from European countries”.1 Regional and cultural identities are relatively dynamic social phenomena, 1 Nikola Božilović, Kultura i identiteti na Balkanu (Culture and Identity in the Balkans), Niš: Filozofski fakultet, 2007. 4 Foreword as demonstrated in the same research. While two thirds of respondents in Macedonia expressed their belonging to the Balkan region, only one third of respondents in Serbia opted for