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Post-Socialist Diaspora and Memory: The Case of Serbs in Prague
Hakobyan, Tatev ; Roginer Hofmeister, Karin (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
This master thesis aims to reveal the perceptions of the Yugoslav socialist period and the key factors influencing those perceptions among the second-generation Serb migrants in Prague, Czech Republic. The in-depth narrative interviews of two participants with dual heritage, who belong to the post-migrant generation of Serbs residing in Prague, conducted in the course of the study imply that the perceptions of the Yugoslav socialist era are predominantly positive, influenced by the family transmission of memories and the factor of dual heritage, Yugoslav cultural products, and the dominant narratives of the Czech society.
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No (geo)politics, just altruism: an analysis of the discourses by Serbia's political elite on the successful procurement of COVID-19 vaccines
Harmens, Hans Zdravko ; Žíla, Ondřej (advisor) ; Styczyńska, Natasza (referee)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Serbian government procured COVID-19 vaccines before some of the more prosperous EU Member States could. From the Serbian government's perspective, this success was attributed to its "pragmatic" and "rational" policies. In essence, it leveraged competing geopolitical interests that the Serbian government has benefitted from. Nonetheless, it is through these geopolitical games that Serbia and its political elite have created a narrative that portrays Serbia as a bridge between the West and East. In light of this, this research seeks to understand to what extent these geopolitical discourses were incorporated into the discourses of Serbia's political elite and their transmission in the publications of Danas and Politika.
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The ideas of Greater Croatia and Greater Serbia in the approaches of Franjo Tudjman and Slobodan Milošević
Hirsch, Jan ; Kocián, Jiří (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
The presented diploma thesis deals with the ideas of Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia in the approaches of two significant discourse actors who had a major influence on the course of events during the disintegration of Yugoslavia, namely Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tudjman. The aim of the thesis is to examine the elements of these "greater" ideas present in their speeches and how they managed to adapt these historical narratives to the environment of socialist Yugoslavia, or how they managed to transfer them into the public discourse at the time. This is achieved through historical discourse analysis, which made it possible to explore their influential speeches as well as the origin of the narratives and ideas related to the irredentist ideologies. The main period under examination is the years 1986-1991 when these narratives played a significant role in mobilising society around the "national question" and the political agenda of both actors. The thesis also includes a comparison of the conceptualization of ideas by Milošević and Tudjman, which helps to reveal the similarities in ideological principles on which these "greater" concepts were built. The thesis concludes that the strategies employed by both actors to popularize their ideas were relatively similar. To transfer these ideas into the...
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White armband day and its interpretation in media discourse
Vykypělová, Barbora ; Otčenášek, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
This bachelor's thesis focuses on differing media interpretation of the "White Armband Day" commemoration, referring to the 1992 campaign by the Bosnian Serb authorities in the Prijedor region of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, which served as a prelude to subsequent ethnic cleansing in the civil war of this former Yugoslav republic. For the purpose of correct contextualization, the thesis covers the historical-political background of the commemoration and the current approach of the local authorities, because while the Bosnian and Bosnian-Croat community around the world regularly commemorates this day, the approach of both citizens and local governments directly in the area of Prijedor, located today on the territory of the Republika Srpska entity, is considerably different.
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Serbian Paramilitary Troops in Comparative Perspective.
Nikl, Jakub ; Hofmeisterová, Karin (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
This bachelor thesis aims to provide a comparative analysis of three Serbian paramilitary units - the Arkan Tigers, the Šešelj's Men and Scorpions - which played a key role in the wars on the territory of the former Yugoslavia in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The thesis examines their origins, motivations and activities, as well as their relations with the military and state apparatus of Republic of Serbia and the newly formed Serbian republics. Based on an analysis of primary sources, it offers a description of the distinct characteristics of each unit and sheds light on their operational strategies. The bachelor thesis also discusses their commonalities and differences in their activities during the wars. Ultimately, the thesis contributes to a better understanding of their complex dynamics.
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Internal Political Development in Montenegro - From the Fall of Yugoslavia to Independence
Lucovič, Matěj ; Žíla, Ondřej (advisor) ; Hofmeisterová, Karin (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the events that led to the declaration of independence of the state of Montenegro. The aim of the thesis was to determine factors, which influenced the internal political development in Montenegro and to what extent the crisis and the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the rise and rule of Milo Đukanović, the Montenegrin-Serbian national question and the very coexistence of the two republics in one state were involved. The thesis traced the development of Montenegro from the death of Josip Broz Tito in 1980, which launched the end of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to the declaration of Montenegrin independence in 2006. It turned out that the personality of Milo Đukanović and his political actions played a big role, transforming his political career from a communist prominent into a hegemon of Montenegrin politics in resistance to Serbian pressure, especially from the parties of the local leader Slobodan Milošević. The complexity of the problem, which consists primarily in the multitude of variables and the interconnectedness of events, became apparent in the search for an answer to the research question.
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Bosnian diaspora through the eyes of Sarajevans - perceptions of emigration and stereotypes
Čajić, Sanina ; Šístek, František (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
The master's thesis entitled "Bosnian diaspora through the eyes of Sarajevans - perceptions of emigration and stereotypes" brings a closer view of the Bosnian diaspora and public opinion about it from the perspective of Sarajevans. It represents a socio-psychological qualitative research based on the analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews with the inhabitants of Sarajevo. Using existing theoretical concepts, the primary goal is to explore and list the most widespread stereotypes about the Bosnian diaspora, regardless of whether they are war refugees or economic emigrants. The thesis also represents an attempt to identify the main reasons for their existence and maintenance and looks for possible proposals for their elimination. Whether the departure is legitimate in the eyes of Sarajevans, whether the diaspora lives better, how it was affected by life in the "West" and to what extent Sarajevans are aware of the diaspora's potential and benefits for Bosnia and Herzegovina are some of the questions this thesis seeks to answer. The political and ethnic dimension of the diaspora is not the subject of research, as cultural stereotypes about the Bosnian diaspora do not distinguish between different ethnicities. To complete the overall context, the emigration trends of Bosnia and Herzegovina are also...
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From Neo-Ottomanism to Pragmatism? Turkey's Foreign Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009
Makovac, Mirna ; Brisku, Adrian (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
Bibliographic note MAKOVAC, Mirna. "From Neo-Ottomanism to Pragmatism? Turkey's Foreign Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009." Master's Thesis, Charles University, 2023. Abstract The thesis aims to analyze the development of Turkey's foreign policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009, with a focus on the reciprocity between neo-Ottomanism and pragmatism. This will be presented following the political, cultural, and economic role of Turkey in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main argument of the thesis is that there has been a shift from a values-based approach towards a more pragmatic orientation in Turkey's relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The thesis aims to answer the research question of to what extent has this shift had any impact on its relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009. The findings indicate that Turkey's foreign policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be seen as a blend of both neo- Ottoman and pragmatic elements, depending on Turkey's activity in the country, but in recent years pragmatism prevails. In spite of that, pragmatism didn't negatively affect the positive and close relations between Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina but it further strengthened the ties between these countries. Keywords Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, foreign policy, diplomacy, neo-Ottomanism,...
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Time and Space of Environmental Destruction: Critical Approaches to Hydro Power Plant Resistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Galić, Anela ; Stepanovic, Vera (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
Time and space, as we know them in our daily lives, are not scientifically proven categories. It seems intuitive to assume that concepts that rule our daily lives (like clocks, calendars, and maps), must be grounded in some kind of solid reality; but they are not. Both time and space are ideologically constructed categories that are a product of capitalist logic. Every single phenomenon is immersed in the time-space matrix. Capitalism's ability to control time and space results in our inability to swiftly change issues that are produced by the economic system itself. One such issue is climate change. Even most modest projections of the changes in weather and sea levels are pointing to a disastrous future, and the effort to mitigate efforts to mitigate the issue is incredibly slow and ineffective. One such effort is the hydropower plant (HPP) projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an attempt to switch from coal-fueled energy to renewable sources, Bosnia is planning and implementing an astonishing amount of HPPs on its rivers. The consequence of HPPs has been mass destruction of riverbeds and local biosphere: unpredictable water flows, deforestation, and pollution just to name a few. The narrative that HPPs are the solution to climate change is in a direct clash with the reality of natural destruction. This...
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