Changes In Serbia Research Articles

Tracing a survey: Some doubts about values in Serbian cultural policy

After clarification of some basic notions, the text moves towards analysis of the results of one of the very few empirical studies dedicated to explicit attitudes of Serbian citizens about cultural policy. This is a survey conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the University of Niš in the period from 2002-2005, by collecting empirical material in five districts of southeastern Serbia (Nišavski, Toplički, Pirotski, Jablanički and Pčinjski). The results are indicative for the period after the democratic changes in Serbia, and allow a comparison with other findings and future research. After the implosion of socialism and dramatic events at the end of the last century in former Yugoslavia, which were primarily caused by the fear of destruction of national culture and national identity, it appears that the cultural policy largely depends on the overall social processes, economic power of society, position of citizens in the political system, historical heritage and prevalent cultural values. New developments have drawn attention to some important cultural questions, like how to profile the cultural policy of Serbia, what it should be oriented at, what is the stand of the national culture (of Serbs) in comparison to cosmopolitanism, whether citizens are scared of European or American values (and to what extent), whether the answers to the such questions make Serbia specific in the Balkans, and to what extent is Serbia internally divided on these issues - given the standard socio-demographic characteristics of its population? The text is looking for the answers to these and other dilemmas in the responses of Serbian citizens in the aforementioned survey.

Self-presentation in “unsuitable” resumes: A case from Serbia

The main goal of this research was to explore the ways people portray themselves in resumes, labelled as ?unsuitable? after the first review of the recruiters in a manufacturing company in Serbia. The form and the content of fifty resumes were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, inductive approach. Personal life stories described in an intimate and submissive tone were predominantly present in resumes, compared to the description of work experience and competencies. Concerning the content of the resumes, two core categories emerged - I as a worker and Employment needs. Finding support in the literature dealing with postsocialist transformation in Serbia and Hofstede?s theory, results are interpreted as pointing to the opposition of two value systems in Serbia: that of the authors of ?unsuitable? resumes, reflecting collectivistic and feminine values and that of the job market in Serbia, reflecting manly individualistic and masculine values. The authors of "unsuitable" resumes display interdependent self-construal, use defensive impression management strategies and their need to work is exclusively financial in nature. Finally, the need for better understanding between job candidates and employers, having different value systems, especially in the context of actual socio-economic changes in Serbia is discussed.

Geopolitical Processes and Ethnodemographic Changes in Serbia in the Late XX and Early XXI Century

In this paper will be presented the ethnic picture of the population of the Serbia and the ethnodemographic changes in period 1991-2002, caused by geopolitical processes, migration, natural movement, changed declaration on national affiliation, as well as some political and socio-economic factors. Ethnocentric migrations (voluntary and forced) primarily influenced on the change of ethnic structure […]

Anti-corruption discourse and institutional change in Serbia: The money in Cyprus scandal

This paper focuses on the scandal that occurred in 2001 during the intensive investigation of the financial transfers from Serbia to Cyprus during the 1990s. The paper looks at the strategies employed by politicians, practitioners and civil servants to achieve their political agendas. The findings prove that most actors take one of the following positions. They either share information about corruption scandals with the public in order to gain legitimacy for anti-corruption action, or they coordinate their joint response and avoid talking about the scandals in order to reduce political costs.

Comparative study of Serbian Miocene coals — Insights from biomarker composition

The origin of the organic matter (OM) and the characteristics of the paleoenvironment of Serbian brown coals covering a time-span from the Lower to the Upper Miocene were evaluated and compared based on comprehensive petrological and biomarker analyses. Investigated coals are typical humic coals. Peat-forming vegetation is characterized by abundant decay resistant gymnosperm (coniferous) plants, followed by variable amount of angiosperms. Coal forming plants belonged to the gymnosperm families Taxodiaceae, Podocarpaceae, Cupressaceae, Araucariaceae, Phyllocladaceae and Pinaceae. Peatification proceeded in fresh water environment under variable Eh settings, from anoxic to slightly oxic condition. Upper Miocene lignites were formed in neutral to slightly acidic environment, whereas Lower and Middle Miocene coals were deposited under neutral to slightly alkaline, and more reductive conditions, which is the result of calcium-rich surface waters derived from the surrounding Jurassic to Cretaceous calcareous country rock and higher water column level. Diagenetic changes of the OM were governed by bacterial activity, rather than thermal alteration. Biomarker pattern does not significantly differ in Serbian coals of different ages. The main differences between Upper, Middle and Lower Miocene coals are expressed by higher Gelification Index (GI), proxy ratio (Paq), n-C23/(n-C27+n-C31) and pimarane/16α(H)-phyllocladane ratio, as well as lower relative abundance of C31αβ(R)-hopane of the latter one. OM of Lower Miocene coals is more mature, corresponding to immature/early mature stage (huminite/vitrinite reflectance ~0.45), whereas OM of Upper Miocene lignites is in immature diagenetic phase (huminite reflectance ~0.3). Consequently, higher gelification of Lower Miocene coals is probably an effect of higher rank, however high humidity/wet climate and low acidity within the mire could not be excluded. A good correlation between biomarker parameters and paleoclimate data is observed, indicating that biomarker patterns represent a valuable tool that reflect even slight paleoclimate changes in Serbia during Miocene.

From State Controlled to Public Service Broadcasting: Signs of Change in Serbia's RTS Television Newscasts 1989–2009

This study examined the newscasts produced by Serbia's main television broadcaster, Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS), from 1989 to 2009. Its goal was to reveal possible changes that had been made in the newscasts as a shift took place in Serbia's political system, from one of authoritarian control to that of democratic governance. The findings showed the newscasts had changed, making them appear Western in style. Elements of Serbia's older news practices, however, were also apparent.

European Standards and Constitutional Changes in Serbia

The author examines the influence of European integrations on the constitutional process and determines directions of the constitutional reform in the Republic of Serbia. At the time of adoption of the 2006 Constitution, the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) have been monitoring the process and providing good offices. Their objections have […]

Media, culture globalization and identity preservation

Today, globalized media are not only means of transportation which transfer culture from one part of the world to the other, but first of all they are instruments by which few so called 'global players' - owners try to achieve cultural and information hegemony. To these big players in Serbia, from different reasons, are added numerous small or bigger media owners who uncritically follow the imposed behavioral patterns and practice. In this paper the author presents the part of his extensive empirical research entitled 'The international influence of political elite, new owners, editors and journalists and their reflection on the social changes in Serbia at the beginning of the 21st century' describing the consequences of Serbian globalized media influence on culture and ethnic identity. The need of more active role of journalists in these hard, transitional, times is specially pointed out.

Regional inequality in Serbia as a development problem

The aim of this paper, in the context of the contemporary socio-economic changes in Serbia, is to consider changes in the regional development policy, and therefore in the approach to underdeveloped areas. A special attention is paid to regional inequality as a developmental problem since it directly influences the integrative processes, violating them, and therefore leads to side effects (economic, social, demographic, ecological, spatial, etc.). In Serbia, traditionally undeveloped areas (rural, hilly-mountainous and border/peripheral) have formed during a longer historical period, contrary to the new types of areas - municipalities (“devastated areas”) that are connected to the transition period (“transition poverty”). Both appeared by cause and effect reaction to natural, socio-economic, social, demographic, cultural-civilizational and political factors.

Crossing the line: partisan party assistance in post-Milošević Serbia

This contribution explores one of the most widely discussed examples of pro-democracy international intervention: regime change in Serbia. It takes the contemporary scholarship on regime change one step further, however, examining not only the international effort leading up to Milošević's ouster, but also, and most importantly, that which followed. As is explained, despite the widely cited premise that democracy aid to political parties does not seek to determine electoral outcomes, political party assistance in Serbia has often been designed to do precisely that. The study examines how partisan party aid has detracted from donors' larger efforts to promote democracy abroad. In so doing, it demonstrates that a partisan approach to party aid has the potential not only to compromise the legitimacy of democracy's promotion abroad, but also to undermine fledgling democratic processes in post-authoritarian states. In such circumstances, partisan party assistance may very well be less desirable than no party assistance at all.

The Adoption of European Standards in the Sphere of Economic Law and (Anticipated) Cultural Change in Serbia

Serbian society has undergone significant changes over the last ten years. The transformation of the legal system has taken place mostly through the process of European integrations and harmonization of legislation with the EU legal order. The primary focus of the paper is on the study of (anticiapted) cultural change which is brought about by changes in economic law. By studying changing attitudes to business operation, the paper seeks to answer the questions of whether we can learn something about cultural change by analyzing economic law and whether we are witnessing the transformation of Serbian citizens into "European citizens", consumers, businessmen, farmers, bureaucrats or politicians. Some of these changes are already in evidence, and it can be said that considerable progress has already been made. Nevertheless, in most areas reforms have yet to be enacted, and therefore this transformation along with its outcome and results can only be anticipated. Following an overview of the Stabilization and Association Process, the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), and the process of harmonization of legislation and monitored reforms, the paper goes on to analyze whether and to what extent the following have taken place: 1) the opening up of the Serbian economy to foreign competition (primarily European), 2) the implementation of reforms and the introduction of competition rights and government subsidy control, 3) changes in rural Serbia as part of the process of preparation for accession to the EU. It can be concluded that European integrations and the adoption of a series of different standards represent an instrumental framework for significant cultural change in Serbian society. The change will be fundamental and will take long to bring about. For this reason it can only be partially anticipated what its effects will be and whether and to what extent changes will be accopmlished in each of the areas mentioned.

Cross-cultural validation of the revised Temperament and Character Inventory: Serbian data

Objective In this work, we report data on construct validity and cross cultural applicability of the revised Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI R) (Cloninger, C.R., Przybeck, T.R., Svrakic, D.M., & Wetzel, R.D. (1999). The Temperament and Character Inventory-revised, Washington University, St. Louis), a 5-point scale scoring formatrevision of the original, true-false version TCI (Cloninger, C.R., Przybeck, T.R., Svrakic, D.M., & Wetzel, R.D. (1994). The Temperament and Character Inventory-A guide to its development and use, Washington University, St. Louis). Both versions are based on the seven factor Psychobiological Model of Personality (Cloninger CR, Svrakic, DM & Przybeck TR (1993). A Psychobiological Model of temperament and Character, Archives of General Psychiatry, 50, 975-990). Methods The sample consisted of 473 normal adult subjects representing a number of Serbian cities and towns, recruited consecutively while registering at the National Employment Center, located in Belgrade, Serbia. The sample was the designed to be highly representative of urban and suburban population in Serbia to match to TCI R sample in the US. The 240-item, 5-point scale scoring TCI R was used to assess temperament and character traits. In addition to a number of other revisions, the scoring format in the TCI R was changed into a 5-point Likert scale to increase its sensitivity to subtle variations in personality expression. The TCI R mean scores and standard deviations were compared between Serbian and US subjects, internal consistency of the TCI R scales was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and principal component analysis was used separately for temperament and character (because of their non-linear relationship) to test the underlying factorial structure of the TCI R. Parallel analysis and randomized simulation data were used to determine the number of factors for temperament and character. Results The results generally supported the construct validity and the cross cultural applicability of the TCI R in Serbia. With a few exceptions, the observed internal consistency for the TCI R scales was acceptable. For the most part, the US and Serbian subjects manifested comparable temperament traits, whereas US subjects had higher character scores. The observed differences are understood as partly reflective of local culture and partly of dramatic socio-economic change in Serbia over the last 20 years. Principal component analysis fully supported the four factor structure of temperament and the three factor structure of character, as postulated by theory. The inadequacy of using linear statistical methods in studying complex non-linear systems such as personality is discussed in some detail.

Old age and poverty

The process of demographic changes in Serbia is followed by discussions on the need to provide safety at old age and solve the problems of poverty and social exclusion of older citizens. In the current state there are no mechanisms that guarantee an adequate life standard at old age, the consequence of which is a high poverty rate, deteriorating health and limited access to social programs. The results of the Survey on life standard from 2002 and 2007 show that poverty among population in general and pensioners has decreased, while the poverty risk among people older than 65 has increased twice. The restrictive methods of the reforms cause a change in the relation between the pensions and the earnings, so that more and more pensioners receive below average, i.e. minimal pensions. Not all old people are covered by pension insurance so that a significant number (around 400.000) does not have a safe monthly income at all. The state program of financial aid is of modest size and does not provide help to all of the poor. Welfare aid decreases the risk of poverty, but it do not guarantee an adequate level of material security at old age. The low level of minimal and average pensions, the decline of participation in the average earnings and the strict criteria of the social security system have brought to awareness the necessity of 'social pensions' and various help and support programs for the elderly. .

Democracy promotion before and after the ‘colour revolutions’

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes Tucker, ‘Post-Communist Colored Revolutions’, 536; see also Fairbanks, ‘Revolution Reconsidered’. Cevallos, ‘Whither the Bulldozer?’. Explicit comparisons of the influence of external actors in the various ‘colour revolutions’ are still rare, although some serious research on this has begun. For one contribution with a focus on the role of the US, see Chaulia, ‘Democratization, NGOs, and “colour revolutions”’. For an excellent discussion of the role of diffusion in these processes, see the reactions by various scholars to the July 2008 article by Lucan Way (‘The Real Causes of the Color Revolutions’) and in Journal of Democracy 20, no. 1 (2009): 69–97. See Ambrosio, ‘Insulating Russia’; Silitski, ‘Preempting Democracy’. See in particular O'Donnell and Schmitter, Transitions from Authoritarian Rule. On this role see Pridham et al., Building Democracy?; Whitehead, ‘The International Dimensions of Democratization’. Michael McFaul has been perhaps most explicit about conditions which facilitate a ‘colour revolution’. He states: ‘The factors for success include (1) a semi-autocratic rather than fully autocratic regime; (2) an unpopular incumbent; (3) a united and organized opposition; (4) an ability quickly to drive home the point that voting results were falsified; (5) enough independent media to inform citizens about the falsified vote; (6) a political opposition capable of mobilizing tens of thousands or more demonstrators to protest electoral fraud; and (7) divisions among the regime's coercive forces.’ See McFaul, ‘Transitions from Postcommunism’, 7. With regard to conditions relevant to democratization, it is useful to point to the five interacting ‘arenas’ posited by Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan to be associated with democracy: the rule of law, economic society, political society, the state apparatus, and civil society. See Linz and Stepan, Problems of Democratic Transition, 7–15. Burnell, ‘Democracy Assistance’, 9. See especially Carothers, Aiding Democracy Abroad. Börzel and Risse, ‘EU Policies’. Burnell, ‘Democracy Promotion’, 114. Emphasis in original. Schmitter and Brouwer, ‘Democracy Promotion and Protection’, 11. Carothers, ‘Fallacy’, 23. Diamond, ‘Advancing Democratic Governance’, 31. Carothers, ‘Fallacy’; see also Carothers, Aiding Democracy Abroad. Youngs, ‘What Has Europe Been Doing?’. Fukuyama and McFaul, ‘Should Democracy Be Promoted’, 36. Finkel et al., ‘The Effects of U.S. Foreign Assistance’. Crawford, ‘Promoting Democracy. Part I and II’. The remaining literature on evaluation processes is largely of a technical nature and takes the form of reports produced by governmental agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Carothers, ‘The Backlash’; Gershman and Allen, ‘The Assault’; Silitski, ‘Preempting Democracy’. Carothers, ‘Fallacy’, 114. Ibid. Ambrosio, ‘Insulating Russia’. See e.g. Aslund and McFaul, Revolution in Orange, as well as the literature mentioned in endnotes 25–28. McFaul, ‘Transitions from Postcommunism’; Kuzio, ‘Democratic Breakthroughs’. McFaul, ‘Ukraine Imports Democracy’. Beissinger, ‘Modular Political Phenomena’; Bunce and Wolchik, ‘Electoral Revolutions’; Cheterian, ‘Georgia's Rose Revolution’. Laverty, ‘Colored Revolutions’; Tucker, ‘Post-Communist Colored Revolutions’. Way, ‘Real Causes’. Cevallos, ‘Whither the Bulldozer?’; Edmunds, ‘Continuity and Change in Serbia’; Ramet and Pavlaković, Serbia Since 1989. D'Anieri, ‘Ukrainian Politics’; Flikke, ‘Ukraine's Post-Orange Transition’; Katchanovski, ‘The Orange Evolution’; Motyl, ‘Reflections on Ukraine's Orange Revolution’. Jawad, ‘Democratic Consolidation in Georgia’; Mitchell, ‘Democracy in Georgia’.

Statistical analysis of marital status of the Vojvodina population

The marital status of the population of Vojvodina was analyzed in this paper using statistical methods. The analysis is based on the Census results for 1991 and 2002. The period between the two last Censuses (1991-2002) is characterized by very dynamic social changes in Serbia (Central Serbia and Vojvodina). These changes had very important influences on changes of the population marital status. The analysis is focused on the basic indicators of marital structure: the average age of population when forming or dissolving unions, the coefficient of divorciality by sex and by age groups, etc. The attention in the analysis is placed on research of similarities and differences in marital status of population of Vojvodina according to the settlement types: urban or rural. .

Temperature changes in Serbia and worldwide according to satellite data

In this paper the air temperature changes have been investigated on the base of satellite measurement, in the period from 1979 until 2006. The analysis has shown that there is no temperature amplification with altitude. Data for Serbia have shown negative trend of temperature in the last 20 years of the investigated period. Although it is not statistically significant, the sign is not in accordance with the increasing CO2 concentration. This may mean that the sign of satellite temperature doesn't support hypothesis about domination of anthropogenic greenhouse effects. .

Political change in Serbia in the perspective of social learning: An idea revisited

The paper contains a retrospective of the thesis that 'social learning' may be deployed as analytical framework to understand political change in Serbia, first proposed in 2001. The thesis contends that the events immediately before and after the toppling of Milosevic's regime in 2000 may be interpreted as outcomes of a process of collective learning by Serbian citizens. On the basis of the findings of three-wave qualitative study 'Politics and Everyday Life', as well as other research, the paper seeks to answer the question whether the idea of 'social learning' stands or falls when confronted with the developments taking place in Serbian political life between 2001 and 2008.

Intelligence agencies and democratisation: Continuity and change in Serbia after Milošević

This article examines the reform of the Serbian intelligence agencies since the fall of Slobodan Milošević and argues that they are important actors in democratisation, with a powerful capacity to influence and frustrate the reform process. However, the Serbian experience demonstrates that the role of intelligence agencies in democratisation is complex. In Serbia, governance of the intelligence sector has been characterised neither by a simple maximisation of civil power over the agencies themselves, nor by outright resistance to change by inherently compromised, authoritarian-era structures. Instead, the role and reform of Serbia's intelligence agencies since 2000 has been closely integrated with developments in the political sphere, and has exhibited considerable continuity with past practice.

Palaeoclimate and vegetation change in Serbia during the last 30 Ma

In the present study, 14 published megafloras from the Serbian Cenozoic are analyzed with respect to vegetation type, palaeoclimate, and palaeogeographic settings. The floras cover a time-span from the Oligocene to the late Miocene. The results obtained are compared with continental climate records from other parts of Europe and discussed in the context of global climate change. To obtain a quantitative palaeoclimate record a total of seven different climate variables is calculated for each of the floras using the Coexistence Approach. It is shown that basic patterns of vegetation change, such as the immigration of arcto-tertiary, deciduous floristic elements during the early Miocene and the decreasing diversity of laurophyllous taxa during the late Miocene, are ruled by climate change and a changing palaeogeography. The Serbian Cenozoic climate record shows a steep cooling gradient during the Oligocene that is most probably is connected to a northward movement of tectonic plates. The globally observed Middle Miocene Climate Optimum and the Late Miocene Cooling are well reflected. According to the palaeotemperatures calculated a warm temperate climate existed in Serbia throughout the time-span examined. The Late Miocene Cooling is most pronounced in winter temperatures and is connected to increasing seasonality. Precipitation rates obtained for the Serbian Cenozoic, especially those of the warmest and wettest months, tend to be lower when compared to the Central European Cenozoic. According to climate analysis and the interpretation of vegetational data there is evidence for regionally drier conditions and increased seasonality of precipitation in the time-span from the late Badenian to the early Sarmatian.

Promoting independent media: strategies for democracy assistance

Introduction. Approaches to Independent Media Building. Journalism Training and Institution Building in Central America. Promoting Regional Television Stations in Russia. Building the Open Broadcasting Network in Bosnia. Media Assistance and Regime Change in Serbia. Supporting Independent Radio Stations in Indonesia. Establishing Community Radio Stations in Afghanistan. The Talking Drum Studio in Sierra Leone. Recommendations to the International Community.