Building up European identity: From the chimney smoke

Prva Jugoslavija i njene naslednice nastajale su u periodima žestokih etničkih sukoba i bile su relativno kratkotrajne državne tvorevine, što je doprinelo visokoj izraženosti etničkih identiteta i etnonacionalizma kao i endemskoj slabosti građanskog identiteta njihovih stanovnika. U ovom tekstu opisana su tri pokušaja učinjena u ovim državama da se izgradi nacionalni identitet koji bi služio kao protivteža etničkom identitetu i smanjio rizik etničkih konflikata: promovisanje jugoslovenstva u SFRJ, razvijanje građanskih identiteta u državama-naslednicama, i promovisanje evropskog identiteta u Srbiji. Jedna od prepreka ka takvom cilju dolazi i iz lingvističke konfuzije koja je već dugo vremena prisutna u svakodnevnom, političkom i naučnom diskursu. Značenje jugoslovenstva variralo je od vezanosti za državu do supra-etničkog identiteta sedme nacije. U srpskom jeziku ne postoji reč koja bi označila nacionalni a ne etnički identitet njenih građana. Izraz 'evropski identitet' se koristi namerno nejasno, (kao geografska pripadnost, prihvatanje sistema vrednosti, članstvo u političkoj zajednici itd.) što povećava konfuziju u javnom govoru. Trenutno, velike nade se polažu na razvijanje pozitivnih stavova prema evropskim integracijama i razvoju tzv. evropskog identiteta. Ono što nedostaje da bi taj proces bio efikasniji je udaljavanje od primordijalističkih shvatanja identiteta, relativno razvijen i stabilan nacionalni identitet, i konsenzus među političkom elitom o neophodnosti takvog puta. U sadašnjim uslovima, proevropska kampanja se sprovodi putem nejasnih poruka ali, mada je takva (ili možda baš zato što je takva) ima veće šanse na uspeh od prethodna dva pokušaja čije perspektive su izgledale svetlije. .The fact that the first Yugoslavia and its successors originated in the periods of severe ethnic conflicts and proved to be short-lived entities contributed to high salience of ethnic identity and strength of ethnic nationalism as well as endemic weakness of civic identity of their citizens. The three attempts in these countries at building an identity that would serve to balance ethnic identity and prevent ethnic conflicts are briefly described in the paper: promoting 'Yugoslavism' in the SFRY, developing civic identities in its successors, and promoting European identity in nowadays Serbia. One of the great obstacles for such aim stems from the linguistic confusion that has persisted for a long time in public, political and scientific discourse. The meaning of 'Yugoslavism' ranged from attachment to joint country to supra-ethnic identity. There is no single word in the Serbian language which designates national - not ethnic - identity of its citizens. As for Europe, the phrase 'European identity' is used in a deliberately unclear way (as a geographical settlement, sharing specific values, membership in political community, etc.), increasing the confusion in the public discourse. Recently, great hopes have been placed in fostering positive attitudes towards European integration and developing the so-called European identity. What is lacking for this process to be more efficient is moving away from primordialistic conceptions of identity, a relatively stable and well-formed national identity, and the consensus among political elite regarding the necessity of such a path. In current conditions, the pro-European campaign is conducted through evasive messages but, being like this (and, perhaps, in current conditions precisely because of that), it has a greater chance to succeed than the previous two attempts, whose future should have been brighter.

Teachers' attitudes towards school violence and their assessment of their own and collective power to act efficiently

Prevencija školskog nasilja, i kod nas i u svetu, sve više postaje jedan od prioritetnih zadataka u ostvarivanju obrazovno-vaspitnog rada u školama, a glavni oslonac vidi se u nastavnicima. Nastavnici će u obavljanju tog zadatka biti efikasni u onoj meri u kojoj prepoznaju nasilje kao dovoljno ozbiljan problem, veruju da angažovanje škole doprinosi smanjenju nasilja, i veruju u vlastitu kompetentnost. Upitnikom je ispitan 9.141 nastavnik iz 188 škola sa teritorije cele Srbije. Većina nastavnika (73%) je zabrinuta zbog porasta školskog nasilja, ali samo manji deo (29%) taj problem prepoznaje u svojoj sredini. Nastavnici vide u porodici glavni uzrok za nasilno ponašanje učenika (66%) i, konsekventno, u saradnji škole i roditelja vide i najefikasniju meru za borbu protiv nasilja (70%). Nastavnici prilično visoko ocenjuju sopstvene kompetencije za borbu protiv nasilja, ali ne vide veliki preventivni značaj metoda koje su u njihovoj direktnoj nadležnosti. Praktične implikacije ovih nalaza su da treba nastaviti proces senzitizacije nastavnika za probleme koje njihovi učenici imaju sa vršnjačkim nasiljem, kao i za veliki preventivni značaj koji ima kvalitetna nastava.Prevention of school violence is increasingly becoming one of priorities of educational work in schools both in our and other countries and teachers are seen as the main support in this prevention. Yet, teachers will be efficient in performing this task according to how much they are convinced that school violence is a serious problem and they believe in their own competence and that their engagement will contribute to the reduction of violence. The questionnaire was filled up by 9 141 teachers from 188 schools in Serbia. The majority of teachers (73%) are worried by the increase of school violence, but in considerably smaller numbers (23%) testify about violence in their environment. The main causes of violence are seen in family (66%) and, consequently, teachers see cooperation between school and parents as the most efficient measure in violence prevention. The teachers assessed their personal competencies for violence prevention rather high, but report that they are authorized to use scarce measures for preventing violence in school. Some practical implications of these findings point to the need for the continuation of sensitizing teachers of the problem their students have with peer violence and the significance of high quality teaching of violence prevention

Intensive and excessive Internet use: Different predictors operating among adolescents

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se utvrde faktori koji imaju prediktivnu vrednost u odnosu na intenzivnu i prekomernu upotrebu interneta kod adolescenata. Ispitivani prediktori bile su različite psihološke, bihejvioralne i socio-demografske varijable. Podaci su prikupljeni krajem 2018. godine u okviru međunarodnog istraživanja EU Kids Online, na uzorku od 863 adolescenata iz Srbije (434 [50%] mladića) uzrasta od 11 do 17 godina. Utvrđeno je da je intenzivna upotreba interneta više karakteristična za devojke, za adolescente koji imaju tendencije prema antisocijalnom ponašanju, za one koji misle da imaju napredne digitalne veštine i za one čiji roditelji ne koriste restriktivne forme medijacije. S druge strane, prekomerna upotreba interneta bila je povezana sa psihološkim varijablama poput anksioznosti, impulsivnosti i percipirane diskriminacije po različitim osnovama, ali i sa odsustvom aktivne roditeljske medijacije i podrške u odnosu na upotrebu digitalnih tehnologija.The aim of this study was to determine the factors which have a predictive value when it comes to the intensive and excessive use of the Internet among adolescents. Predictors tested included different psychological, behavioural, and socio-demographic variables. The data were collected at the end of 2018 within the framework of the international survey EU Kids Online, on a sample of 863 adolescents from Serbia (434 [50%] males) aged 11 to 17 years. It was shown that the intensive use of the Internet was more characteristic among girls, adolescents with a tendency towards antisocial behaviours, those who think to have advanced digital skills and those whose parents did not apply restrictive forms of mediation. On the other hand, the excessive use of the Internet was related to certain psychological variables, like anxiety, impulsivity, and perceived discrimination on various grounds, but also to the absence of active parental mediation and support in the use of digital technologies

Trust in legal institutions and legal practice among citizens of Serbia

Istraživanje je rezultat ispitivanja javnog mnjenja na temu poverenja u pravne institucije i pravnu praksu, sprovedenog na 518 ispitanika iz cele Srbije, sem Kosova. Rezultati pokazuju izuzetno nisko poverenje u pravni sistem. Manje od 20% ispitanika ima poverenje u zakone i sudove. Nešto više poverenja građani pokazuju prema miliciji, ali samo kada je reč o njihovoj posvećenosti poslu i spremnosti da pomognu ljudima, dok čak 85% ispitanika smatra miliciju preterano grubom i spremnom da primeni silu. Korelaciona analiza pokazuje da najveće poverenje u pravne institucije imaju visoko obrazovani, kao i visoko autoritarni ispitanici.The study is part of public opinion poll performed on 518 subjects from all regions of Serbia, except Kosovo. The results show extreme distrust in legal system. Less than 20% of our citizens have trust in existing laws and courts. Little bit more trust they have in police, but only concerning their dedication to work and readiness to help people, while even 85% of our subjects think that policemen are more cruel than it is necessary' to be. Correlation analysis points out that more trust in legal system had subjects with higher level of education, as well as with higher level of authoritarianism

Global Kids Online Serbia: balancing between opportunities and risks: results from the pilot study

The Global Kids Online project in Serbia was carried out by UNICEF Belgrade and the Institute of Psychology at the University of Belgrade. It aimed to address the gaps in systematic and continuous research related to children’s online experiences, rights, and needs and the specific challenges that arise from the particularities of the country context. The report presents findings from the qualitative and quantitative elements of the study. The qualitative research was carried out in November and December 2015 and comprised eight focus groups with 35 children aged 10-17 years from four Belgrade schools. The quantitative research was conducted in March and April 2016 when 197 children aged 9 to 17 years, from 10 primary and 8 secondary schools in Serbia and their parents were interviewed

Is the frequency of social networking sites visiting and online gaming related to life satisfaction among youth?

The paper analyses the relationship between the frequency of social networking sites visiting and online gaming and life satisfaction, as well as the role of sex and age in it. The data from the international FES Youth Study in Southeast Europe 2018/2019 survey, conducted in ten Southeast European countries (including Serbia) on the representative samples of young people aged 14 to 29 years, were used, selecting those with regular Internet access (total N = 10,532). Both the association between the frequency of use of social networks and life satisfaction and the correlation between online gaming frequency and life satisfaction were significant, but of very low magnitude. Only the latter relationship was moderated by sex and age. The obtained results do not support the popular views on “Facebook depression” and the negative ‘effects’ of Internet use on youth well-bein

Metabolički profil krvi krava simentalske pasmine tijekom proizvodnog ciklusa

The aim of this paper was to examine the metabolic profile of the blood of cows of the Simmental breed during a production cycle, from two aspects: by season (spring, summer, autumn and winter), and by stages of production (1/3, 2/3, and 3/3 of lactation and the dry period). The cows were kept in an intensive system in tie-stall housing, and fed with complete diets, which differed in composition throughout the seasons and stages of production. Blood samples of 10 cows were taken four times during the production cycle (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) in the corresponding production stages (1/3, 2/3, 3/3 of lactation and dry period). They weretaken by puncture of the tail vein. The content of Ca, P, Mg, glucose, urea, total proteins, total cholesterol, AST, bilirubin, and the hormones thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and cortisol were determined in blood serum of cows. The results obtained from the F - test indicated a statistically highly significant difference (P<0.01) in the contents of P, Mg, glucose, urea, cholesterol and thyroxine, depending on the season. Also, a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was found in the content of AST and total proteins. The analysed parameters of the metabolic blood profile, tested with the F - test, indicated that there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in Mg content depending on production stages.Cilj ovoga rada bio je praćenje metaboličkog profila krvi krava simentalske pasmine tijekom proizvodnog ciklusa s dva aspekta: po sezoni (proljeće, ljeto, jesen i zima) i po fazama proizvodnje (1/3, 2/3, 3/3 laktacije i suhostaj). Krave su držane intenzivno, na vezu, i opskrbljene su kompletnim obrocima koji su se razlikovali po sastavu ovisno o godišnjim dobima i stadijima proizvodnje. Uzorci krvi od 10 krava uzimani su punktiranjem repne vene, četiri puta tijekom proizvodnog ciklusa (zima, proljeće, ljeto i jesen) u odgovarajućim proizvodnim fazama (1/3, 2/3, 3/3 laktacije i suhostaj). U krvnom serumu krava određivan je sadržaj Ca, P, Mg, glukoze, ureje, ukupnih bjelančevina, ukupnog kolesterola, AST-a, bilirubina i hormona: tiroksina (T4), trijodotironina (T3) i kortizola. Rezultati F-testa upućuju na statistički visoko znakovitu razliku (P<0,01) u sadržaju P, Mg, glukoze, ureje, kolesterola i tiroksina, ovisno o sezoni. Također, statistički znakovita razlika (P<0,05) zbog utjecaja sezone utvrđena je i u sadržaju AST-a i ukupnih bjelančevina. Analizirani pokazatelji metaboličkog profila krvi, testirani F-testom, upućuju na postojanje statistički znakovite razlike (P<0,05) u sadržaju Mg, ovisno o fazi proizvodnje

Youth study Serbia 2018/2019

- Young people primarily engage in socialising and entertainment in their free time. The focus is on private life-family/ friends and consumerism prevail over social engagement and self-development. Certain forms of social anomie and pathology are considered widespread and even normal for society. This perception, however, is not enough to trigger a revolt or an attempt to change this state by personal engagement. — The family is a significant source of support for young people during the period in which they grow up; it provides them with financial, emotional and social support. However, the family takes on obligations that should have been assumed by the state, which places a heavy burden on rather scarce family resources. As a consequence, young people neglect the role of social institutions as well as their own responsibility for the position they are in, just as they overlook their own responsibility for changing the society they live in. — There is a widespread desire among young people to leave the country; young people in Serbia lead the way in this aspect compared to other countries in the region. The main reason for emigration is the desire for a better standard of living, but the intensity of this desire is more related to a pessimistic view of the future of the Serbian society than to the difficulty of the current financial situation in which youth find themselves. — Completion of a higher level of education by young people of different socio-economic status is unequally distributed. Higher socio-economic status “guarantees” a higher completed level of education, higher academic aspirations, a more positive status of the degree and a successful career. The system directly encourages precariousness of both work and the worker, as has also been confirmed through analysis of the factors affecting job choices – salary and job security are the dominant factors. — Young people are not interested in politics; they do not discuss the topic, nor do they seek information on politics. Institutions of society and the state are not something that warrants the trust of young people, and this is especially true of the political parties. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the state of democracy and the status of democratic values in Serbia; nevertheless, there is support for the democratic political system in general. Serbia’s accession to the European Union evokes positive associations and a view that it would have positive effects on the Serbian economy, political system and cultural identit

Mladi u Srbiji 2018/2019

— Mladi svoje slobodno vreme na prvom mestu provode u druženju i zabavi. Privatni život je u centru pažnje, odnosno porodica/prijatelji i konzumerizam imaju primat u odnosu na društveno angažovanje i samorazvoj. Iako se određeni oblici društvene anomije i patologije smatraju rasprostranjenim, pa čak i normalnim za društvo, takva percepcija ipak nije dovoljna da izazove pobunu ili pokušaj da se ličnim angažovanjem takvo stanje promeni. — U periodu odrastanja značajan izvor podrške mladima je porodica, koja im pruža finansijsku, emotivnu i socijalnu podršku. Međutim, porodica na sebe preuzima obaveze koje je zapravo trebalo da preuzme država, što za porodicu predstavlja veliko opterećenje s obzirom na prilično skromne resurse kojima raspolaže. To ima za posledicu da mladi ljudi zanemaruju ulogu institucija društva, kao i sopstvenu odgovornost za položaj u kojem se nalaze, a takođe previđaju sopstvenu odgovornost za menjanje društva u kojem žive. — Među mladima je rasprostranjena želja da odu iz zemlje i u tom smislu mladi iz Srbije prednjače u odnosu na mlade iz ostalih zemalja u regionu. Iako je želja za boljim životnim standardom glavni razlog za emigraciju, intenzitet te želje je više povezan sa pesimističkim viđenjem budućnosti srpskog društva nego sa trenutnom materijalnom situacijom u kojoj se mladi nalaze. — Viši stepen završenog školovanja nije ravnomerno zastupljen među mladima različitog društveno-ekonomskog položaja. Viši društveno-ekonomski položaj „garantuje“ viši nivo stečenog obrazovanja, veće akademske aspriracije, povoljniji status diplome i uspešnu karijeru. Sistem direktno podstiče prekarnost i rada i radnika, što je takođe potvrđeno analizom faktora koji utiču na izbor posla, među kojima dominiraju plata i sigurnost radnog mesta. — Mladi nisu zainteresovani za politiku; ne raspravljaju o politici, niti se trude da budu politički informisani. Institucije države i društva ne uživaju poverenje mladih, a to posebno važi za političke stranke. Iako je u Srbiji rašireno nezadovoljstvo stanjem demokratije i demokratskih vrednosti, ipak postoji podrška demokratskom političkom sistemu u opštem smislu. Pristupanje Srbije Evropskoj uniji priziva pozitivne asocijacije i stav da bi to imalo pozitivne efekte za srpsku privredu, politički sistem i kulturni identitet