Izvorni znanstveni članak
From Politics of Difference to Politics of Space: Consequences of War on Social Life in the City of Vukovar
Kruno Kardov
Sažetak
This paper is based on an ethnographic research conducted during the year 2001. and 2002. in the city of Vukovar. Several things make Vukovar an interesting example. First, it is the Croatian city most destroyed in the war and also the city that suffered the greatest number of casualties. Second, its pre-war ethnic structure was relatively heterogeneous. And third, this area was peacefully reintegrated into the Republic of Croatia.
Author examines a specific phenomenon of social polarization in spatially mixed neighborhoods and its consequences on understanding and the use of urban space. As a result of national order of things, a dominant epistemological field through which social reality is perceived, ethnic borders are produced and cultural differences are emphasized. In a very stressful post conflict and spatially mixed environment these ethnic borders tends to establish themselves in a space-territory. In such circumstances creation of a territory (by marking and colonization processes) has two important functions: protection of a personal security and identity-stabilizing mechanism.
Author concludes that the consequence of translation of social to spatial polarization, in condition of ethnic heterogeneity, is punctuational social life. In other words, in a city of Vukovar islands of social life are present and between these islands there are undefined and unsafe spaces.
Ključne riječi
ethnic borders; liminality; national order of things; polarized city; politics of space; politics of difference; safe space
Hrčak ID:
2823
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2002.
Posjeta: 3.077 *