- Titov trg 5, 6000 Koper
Polona Sitar
University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
This paper focuses on the study of the Red Tent menstrual social movement as an example of feminist-spiritualist menstrual activism. It studies its role in abolishing the menstrual taboo and questions the hegemony of an essentialised... more
This paper focuses on the study of the Red Tent menstrual
social movement as an example of feminist-spiritualist menstrual
activism. It studies its role in abolishing the menstrual taboo
and questions the hegemony of an essentialised gender binary.
It also studies its wider socio-political potential, which exceeds
merely personal empowerment. In the context of the growing interest
on the part of secular feminism for the political potential
of religion and spirituality, it assumes that in the modern postsecular
society, feminism must also grapple with the possibility of
political subjectivities expressed through spiritual practices.
social movement as an example of feminist-spiritualist menstrual
activism. It studies its role in abolishing the menstrual taboo
and questions the hegemony of an essentialised gender binary.
It also studies its wider socio-political potential, which exceeds
merely personal empowerment. In the context of the growing interest
on the part of secular feminism for the political potential
of religion and spirituality, it assumes that in the modern postsecular
society, feminism must also grapple with the possibility of
political subjectivities expressed through spiritual practices.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Gender Studies, Emancipation, Menstruation, and 3 moreSocialism, Shame, and Taboo
Pričujoči članek temelji na analizi romantičnega resničnostnega šova ljube- zen na seniku. čeprav se zdijo klasični miti o romantični ljubezni osrednjega pomena, avtorica podari prednost razumevanju tega, s kakšnimi diskurzi šov uprizarja... more
Pričujoči članek temelji na analizi romantičnega resničnostnega šova ljube- zen na seniku. čeprav se zdijo klasični miti o romantični ljubezni osrednjega pomena, avtorica podari prednost razumevanju tega, s kakšnimi diskurzi šov uprizarja spol in razred, na podlagi česar poskuša razumeti, s kakšnimi diskurzi se v šovu ljubezen na seniku konstruira identiteta ženske spodnjega družbenega razreda. Takšni diskurzi so pomembni, ker zgodbe, ki jih lahko gledalci spremljajo v okviru resničnostnega šova, niso več samo del zasebne domene, ampak postanejo del diskurza, ki oblikuje odločitve o javni politiki in demokratični civilni družbi. Avtorica išče vzroke za visoko gledanost šova tudi v takratni slovenski družbeni klimi, na katero je imel velik vpliv ideološki vzpon tradicionalne in konservativne desnice.
This article outlines how citizens of socialist Slovenia spent their leisure time, where and when they went on holidays, and what role consumption played during those times. It is based on the argument that tourism as a form of modern... more
This article outlines how citizens of socialist Slovenia spent their leisure time, where and when they went on holidays, and what role consumption played during those times. It is based on the argument that tourism as a form of modern leisure is associated with consumption, wherefore consumerism and tourism are interconnected phenomena. While also arguing that labour and leisure are entwined, the article studies the mutually constructive relationship between work and leisure through the perspective of holidays and the consumption of goods and services in the form of trade-union tourism and cross-border shopping. As regards the tourism sector development process, this article also fills a gap in our understanding of the intersection between domestic and commercial tourism. This contribution to the social history of tourism in Yugoslav socialism is based on both archival sources and oral history, with semi-structured interviews conducted with interlocutors.
Research Interests:
The contribution deals with a cultural memory and a tourism in the case of cross-border shopping in Slovenia, a former socialist republic of Yugoslavia. It points out the special position that Slovenia had with its geographical location... more
The contribution deals with a cultural memory and a tourism in the case of cross-border shopping in Slovenia, a former socialist republic of Yugoslavia. It points out the special position that Slovenia had with its geographical location while sharing borders with Austria and Italia by analysing narratives of informants, born before WW2. The contribution examines cross-border shopping to “Western” capitalistic countries i n the period between mid-1960s and late 1980s, since in the mid-1960s Yugoslavia opened up towards the West, and in the period after the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991. The contribution makes an important distinction between “shopping tourism” and “leisure tourism”, since Yugoslav citizens travelled abroad in large numbers for both recreation and shopping. The article places reasons for cross-border shopping into a wider context of socialist economy. Also, a detailed description of shopping practices with an emphasis on gender division is given and the dis...
Research Interests:
This article explores how women interpreted everyday clothing practices and decoration of their body and how they positioned themselves in different social milieus during the period of socialist Slovenia (1945–1991). The new socialist... more
This article explores how women interpreted everyday clothing practices and decoration of their body and how they positioned themselves in different social milieus during the period of socialist Slovenia (1945–1991). The new socialist middle class in Slovenia and Yugoslavia was defined by participation in a lifestyle, created and expressed through consumption and behaviors that turned everyday life into a symbolic display of taste and cultural distinction. This article shows the ways women engaged in self-expression and negotiated dressing up. It analyzes the self-emancipation of women as they challenged the boundaries of social hierarchies on the basis of self-transformations, pointing out the active role that women had in their self-positioning in social categories.
Research Interests:
This article explores how women interpreted everyday clothing practices and decoration of their body and how they positioned themselves in diff erent social milieus during the period of socialist Slovenia (1945–1991). The new socialist... more
This article explores how women interpreted everyday clothing practices and decoration
of their body and how they positioned themselves in diff erent social milieus
during the period of socialist Slovenia (1945–1991). The new socialist middle class in
Slovenia and Yugoslavia was defi ned by participation in a lifestyle, created and expressed through consumption and behaviors that turned everyday life into a symbolic
display of taste and cultural distinction. This article shows the ways women engaged
in self-expression and negotiated dressing up. It analyzes the self-emancipation of
women as they challenged the boundaries of social hierarchies on the basis of selftransformations, pointing out the active role that women had in their self-positioning
in social categories.
of their body and how they positioned themselves in diff erent social milieus
during the period of socialist Slovenia (1945–1991). The new socialist middle class in
Slovenia and Yugoslavia was defi ned by participation in a lifestyle, created and expressed through consumption and behaviors that turned everyday life into a symbolic
display of taste and cultural distinction. This article shows the ways women engaged
in self-expression and negotiated dressing up. It analyzes the self-emancipation of
women as they challenged the boundaries of social hierarchies on the basis of selftransformations, pointing out the active role that women had in their self-positioning
in social categories.
Research Interests:
Drawing on semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of advertisements for menstrual hygiene products in socialist Slovenia and wider Yugoslavia, this article seeks to contribute to the scholarship on menstruation. There are tensions in... more
Drawing on semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of advertisements for menstrual hygiene products in socialist Slovenia and wider Yugoslavia, this article seeks to contribute to the scholarship on menstruation. There are tensions in the public language of the socialist system, how women perceive menstruation and the messages conveyed through these advertisements. The choices made by women in relation to their views of these products assist in evaluating the emancipatory potential they are imagined to have, as well as the shame still widely associated with menstruation itself.
Research Interests:
The article focuses on the processes of the construction of academic excellence and highlights formal and informal criteria in the recruitment and selection procedures in Slovenia. The problems triggered by the neoliberalization of... more
The article focuses on the processes of the construction of academic excellence and highlights formal and informal criteria in the recruitment and selection procedures in Slovenia. The problems triggered by the neoliberalization of academia have also gradually impacted academic labour and profoundly changed the local and wider social context in which research takes place. In academia, the neoliberal social paradigms are reflected in the enforcement of academic capitalism, which is transforming universities and research institutions into enterprises in which executives are increasingly concerned solely with managerial and bureaucratic tasks, particularly with obtaining funding for research, and with the supervision of the academic excellence of their staff and research groups.
Neoliberal logic has been introduced to the construction of academic excellence, as well, which is based on the global academic system grounded in Western norms of meritocracy. The main formal criteria for excellence have become inherently connected with productivity, citation indexes, internationally cited publications etc. The measurement of the internationally comparable quality of researchers, research groups, research institutions and universities has brought about a shift in emphasis from the quality of research to the quantity of published articles in high-impact journals. Furthermore, the crisis-related reforms of 2012 have profoundly reduced funding for research in Slovenia, and the struggle to obtain European projects has become a fundamental task for researchers. Due to patriarchal social structures, which inherently design the criteria of scientific excellence in accordance with the masculine habitus, women are doing a lot of unpaid work and are therefore unable to meet the criteria of academic excellence, in particular in international networking and for long absences abroad. The research focus of this article is therefore on the study of how gender inequalities are embedded in the process of the construction of academic excellence. This contribution shows that the construction of excellence is not a one- dimensional process, because it includes a number of dilemmas, such as research culture, systemic conditions of researching and social and health consequences, especially among the most vulnerable groups – women and researchers at the beginning of their academic careers.
Neoliberal logic has been introduced to the construction of academic excellence, as well, which is based on the global academic system grounded in Western norms of meritocracy. The main formal criteria for excellence have become inherently connected with productivity, citation indexes, internationally cited publications etc. The measurement of the internationally comparable quality of researchers, research groups, research institutions and universities has brought about a shift in emphasis from the quality of research to the quantity of published articles in high-impact journals. Furthermore, the crisis-related reforms of 2012 have profoundly reduced funding for research in Slovenia, and the struggle to obtain European projects has become a fundamental task for researchers. Due to patriarchal social structures, which inherently design the criteria of scientific excellence in accordance with the masculine habitus, women are doing a lot of unpaid work and are therefore unable to meet the criteria of academic excellence, in particular in international networking and for long absences abroad. The research focus of this article is therefore on the study of how gender inequalities are embedded in the process of the construction of academic excellence. This contribution shows that the construction of excellence is not a one- dimensional process, because it includes a number of dilemmas, such as research culture, systemic conditions of researching and social and health consequences, especially among the most vulnerable groups – women and researchers at the beginning of their academic careers.
Research Interests:
Legendarna zgodba o sladki temnorjavi pijači z brbotajočimi mehurčki se je začela leta 1952, ko je direktor ljubljanskega podjetja Slovenijavino Ivan Deu na ladji iz Amerike v kovčku prinesel stekleničko Coca-Cole. V njegovem podjetju so... more
Legendarna zgodba o sladki temnorjavi pijači z brbotajočimi mehurčki se je začela leta 1952, ko je direktor ljubljanskega podjetja Slovenijavino Ivan Deu na ladji iz Amerike v kovčku prinesel stekleničko Coca-Cole. V njegovem podjetju so še istega leta razvili formulo za gazirano brezalkoholno pijačo, katere vonj danes v naš spomin prikliče neko drugo državo in čas. Cocktino ime izhaja iz angleške besede cocktail, ki si ga je leta 1953 izmislil Emerik Zelinka, »oče« te pijače, in ponazarja mešanico naravnih sestavin, uporabljenih pri njeni izdelavi. V nekdanji Jugoslaviji so že v prvem letu napolnili več kot milijon stekleničk, in prodaja je strmo naraščala, tudi v tujini, zato Cockta predstavlja enega izmed prvih jugoslovanskih izvoznih artiklov in simbolov potrošniške revolucije. V tem prispevku bomo skušali ugotoviti, kakšno življenje Cockta kot blagovna znamka živi danes, pri čemer nas bo bolj kot njena socialistična preteklost zanimala njena postsocialistična sedanjost, ki jo bomo prikazali skozi dve pripovedi o oživljanju in dojemanju Cockte v novih kontekstih. Prvi zajema marketinško perspektivo, skozi katero je lepo razvidna kontinuiteta Cockte kot blagovne znamke, katere preteklost je danes v oglaševalskih kampanjah uporabljena za ustvarjanje novih dobičkov, druga pripoved pa predstavlja Cockto skozi perspektivo ljubiteljskega zbirateljstva slovenskih blagovnih znamk. Tako bomo dobili vsaj delni vpogled v odnos, ki ga v postsocialistični sedanjosti gojimo do dediščine naše nedavne preteklosti.
Research Interests:
The contribution deals with cultural memory and tourism in the case of cross-border shopping in Slovenia, a former socialist republic of Yugoslavia. It points out the special position that Slovenia had with its geographical location,... more
The contribution deals with cultural memory and tourism in the case of cross-border shopping in Slovenia, a former socialist republic of Yugoslavia. It points out the special position that Slovenia had with its geographical location, sharing borders with Austria and Italy by analyzing narratives of informants, born before and immediately after WW2. The contribution examines cross-border shopping to 'Western' capitalistic countries in the period between mid-1960s and late 1980s and the period after the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991. The contribution will examine an important distinction between shopping tourism and leisure tourism, since Yugoslav citizens travelled abroad in large numbers for both recreation and shopping. The article places reasons for cross-border shopping into a wider context of socialist economy. A detailed description of shopping practices with an emphasis on gender division is also given. The paper will contribute to the discussion of the perception of individuals on cross-border shopping in the context of political implications of the historical changes and processes of de-and re-bordering in post-socialist Yugoslavia.
Research Interests:
Prispevek se osredotoča na razumevanje sprememb, ki jih ženskam prinese zaposlitev za polni delovni čas v obdobju socializma na Slovenskem. Nova identiteta zaposlenih žensk se je navzven manifestirala tudi v drugačni, bolj urejeni zunanji... more
Prispevek se osredotoča na razumevanje sprememb, ki jih ženskam prinese zaposlitev za polni delovni čas v obdobju socializma na Slovenskem. Nova identiteta zaposlenih žensk se je navzven manifestirala tudi v drugačni, bolj urejeni zunanji podobi, finančna neodvisnost pa je botrovala temu, da so ženske iskale raznolike prostočasne aktivnosti tudi izven doma in načine kultiviranja ženskosti skozi potrošnjo. V prispevku bomo poskusili razumeti, kaj je ženskam pomenil lastni zaslužek, kako so z njim upravljale in kako se je njihova zunanja podoba spremenila z zaposlitvijo. Prispevek temelji na analizi terenskega dela in intervjujev z upokojenimi sogovornicami, ki so svoje aktivno življenje preživele v obdobju socializma, s čimer želi prispevati dodaten diskurz k že obstoječemu političnemu in ekonomskemu uradnemu zgodovinskemu diskurzu.
This article discusses political implications of the fact that the technological development and consumption in socialism are nowadays shown as a failed project of the socialist production. This generates a view that the Yugoslav... more
This article discusses political implications of the fact that the technological development and consumption in socialism are nowadays shown as a failed project of the socialist production. This generates a view that the Yugoslav socialism was never a part of modernity. The paper also argues that, unlike in the case of non-mechanical hand washing, the washing machine as a new piece of technology enabled the participation of men in doing laundry for the first time because of the stereotypical relationship between men and technology. The article also discusses ambiguities in understanding, using and relocating the time saved by using a washing machine (which promised the reduction of time) used for housework.
Research Interests:
Pričujoči članek temelji na analizi romantičnega resničnostnega šova Ljubezen na seniku. Čeprav se zdijo klasični miti o romantični ljubezni osrednjega pomena, avtorica podari prednost razumevanju tega, s kakšnimi diskurzi šov uprizarja... more
Pričujoči članek temelji na analizi romantičnega resničnostnega šova Ljubezen na seniku. Čeprav se zdijo klasični miti o romantični ljubezni osrednjega pomena, avtorica podari prednost razumevanju tega, s kakšnimi diskurzi šov uprizarja spol in razred, na podlagi česar poskuša razumeti, s kakšnimi diskurzi se v šovu Ljubezen na seniku konstruira identiteta ženske spodnjega družbenega razreda. Takšni diskurzi so pomembni, ker zgodbe, ki jih lahko gledalci spremljajo v okviru resničnostnega šova, niso več samo del zasebne domene, ampak postanejo del diskurza, ki oblikuje odločitve o javni politiki in demokratični civilni družbi. Avtorica išče vzroke za visoko gledanost šova tudi v trenutni slovenski družbeni klimi, na katero ima velik vpliv ideološki vzpon tradicionalne in konservativne desnice.
This article critically examines Unicef’s campaign in Slovenia, aimed at helping children in Ruanda, which caused huge public support in terms of the raised finances and visibility, but it also provoked a serious opposition from African... more
This article critically examines Unicef’s campaign in Slovenia, aimed at helping children in Ruanda, which caused huge public support in terms of the raised finances and visibility, but it also provoked a serious opposition from African people living in Slovenia and some academics. The article investigates the role of negative stereotypical consequences of such African images. The method of our research was a detailed visual analysis of the campaign including profound interviews with different parties that gave us their point of view. The campaign was financially very successful, especially because of the big media coverage. The marketing company had no ethical hesitations in designing this campaign, although they received some hindrances from the Slovenian African Centre. The main goal was to raise as much money as possible to help these children, but helping in this way has never enabled Africa to develop into an independent continent. One article, which may present a true image of a certain area, is not problematic, but a continuous representation of only one image can lead to stereotypes that trigger discrimination. The Slovenian public received a confused, muddled and incomplete picture of Africa, because images were taken out of context and portray the whole continent as helpless and in need of the ‘West’ to prosper. The used images consolidate the status quo of the European superiority. Overall, that kind of analysing can provide useful insights into some of the strategies for a more positive image of Africa in the future.
Abstract: The article presents an overview of housework in Slovenia at the beginning of the 20th century on the basis of an analysis of the Naša gospodinja (Our housewife) magazine: the maga- zine of Slovenian housewives and girls, in... more
Abstract: The article presents an overview of housework in Slovenia at the beginning of the 20th century on the basis of an analysis of the Naša gospodinja (Our housewife) magazine: the maga- zine of Slovenian housewives and girls, in which the author is interested in the position of the woman and the identity of a wife, mother and housewife at that time. The article provi- des an overview of household chores, characteristics of good housewives in the household domain as well as a housewife’s role in a patriarchal family. The author examines the inter- connection of all identities related to females in the household domain and, by examining the available literature on house- work, tries to provide an answer to the question of why today women still do most housework by themselves. The author seeks the reasons for the exclusion of women from public life and for their position in the private sphere of home, family and household. It also deals with the dynamism of women’s identity creation, with the social constructs of femininity and the process of naturalization in which the functioning of modern ideology is hidden.
Povzetek: Članek predstavlja pregled gospodinjskega dela na Slo- venskem v začetku 20. stoletja na podlagi analize glasila Naša Gospodinja: glasilo slovenskih gospodinj in deklet, v katerem avtorico zanima položaj ženske ter njena identiteta žene, ma- tere in gospodinje v tistem času. V njem je prikazan pregled gospodinjskih opravil, izpostavljene so lastnosti dobrih go- spodinj v gospodinjski sferi, prav tako pa tudi vloga, ki jo je imela gospodinja znotraj patriarhalne družine. Avtorica raziskuje medsebojni preplet vseh identitet, povezanih z žen- skim spolom v okviru gospodinjstva in skuša tudi s pomočjo pregleda literature o gospodinjskem delu odgovoriti na vpra- šanje, zakaj je prišlo do tega, da ženske še danes v največji meri gospodinjsko delo opravljajo same? Pojasniti skuša vzroke za izključevanje žensk iz javne sfere in njihovo umeščanje v zasebno sfero doma, družine in gospodinjstva. Ukvarja se tudi z dinamiko ustvarjanja ženske identitete, z družbenimi konstrukti ženskosti in s procesom naturalizacije, v katerem se skriva razumevanje delovanja sodobne ideologije.
Povzetek: Članek predstavlja pregled gospodinjskega dela na Slo- venskem v začetku 20. stoletja na podlagi analize glasila Naša Gospodinja: glasilo slovenskih gospodinj in deklet, v katerem avtorico zanima položaj ženske ter njena identiteta žene, ma- tere in gospodinje v tistem času. V njem je prikazan pregled gospodinjskih opravil, izpostavljene so lastnosti dobrih go- spodinj v gospodinjski sferi, prav tako pa tudi vloga, ki jo je imela gospodinja znotraj patriarhalne družine. Avtorica raziskuje medsebojni preplet vseh identitet, povezanih z žen- skim spolom v okviru gospodinjstva in skuša tudi s pomočjo pregleda literature o gospodinjskem delu odgovoriti na vpra- šanje, zakaj je prišlo do tega, da ženske še danes v največji meri gospodinjsko delo opravljajo same? Pojasniti skuša vzroke za izključevanje žensk iz javne sfere in njihovo umeščanje v zasebno sfero doma, družine in gospodinjstva. Ukvarja se tudi z dinamiko ustvarjanja ženske identitete, z družbenimi konstrukti ženskosti in s procesom naturalizacije, v katerem se skriva razumevanje delovanja sodobne ideologije.
Abstract: The music group Laibach has developed an authentic musical expression, examining the political system and popular culture by combining political ideology and popular music. Having broken from an anonymous underground scene into... more
Abstract: The music group Laibach has developed an authentic musical expression, examining the political system and popular culture by combining political ideology and popular music. Having broken from an anonymous underground scene into the main- stream, the group soon became popular, partly thanks to the mass media. Despite its initially negative attitude towards Western pop- ular culture, the group drew on that culture’s resources to express itself. The article answers the questions why the music by Laibach breeds anxiety in the listeners, where this anxiety originates from, and what its purpose is. Between 1983 and 1987, the Yugoslav au- thorities banned the group from performing, which prompted a plu- ralism of opinions in the Slovenian public sphere. Today, twenty-five years later, we are witnessing an interesting twist, since the once persecuted group is being advertised as a reputable Slovenian export item. The article offers an insight into the social changes through the perception of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, outlining Laibach’s present role within popular culture.
Izvleček: Glasbena skupina Laibach je izoblikovala avtentičen glas- beni izraz, s katerim preučuje politični sistem in popularno kulturo na način zlitja politične ideologije in popularne glasbe. Iz anonimne un- derground skupine je kmalu prišla v mainstream in postala popularna, kar ji je uspelo tudi s pomočjo množičnih medijev, in čeprav je imela na začetku odklonilen odnos do zahodne popularne kulture, se je izra- žala prav z njeno pomočjo. Prispevek odgovarja na vprašanja, zakaj glasba skupine Laibach pri poslušalcih vzbuja tesnobo, od kod izvira in čemu je ta tesnoba namenjena. Med letoma 1983 in 1987 je takratna jugoslovanska oblast skupini prepovedala nastopati, kar je ustvarilo pluralizem mnenj v slovenski javni sferi, 25 let kasneje pa smo priča zanimivemu obratu, saj se nekoč preganjana skupina danes oglašuje kot ugleden slovenski izvozni artikel. Prispevek ponuja vpogled v druž- bene spremembe skozi dojemanje ‘visoke’ in ‘nizke’ kulture in orisuje današnjo vlogo delovanja skupine Laibach znotraj popularne kulture.
Izvleček: Glasbena skupina Laibach je izoblikovala avtentičen glas- beni izraz, s katerim preučuje politični sistem in popularno kulturo na način zlitja politične ideologije in popularne glasbe. Iz anonimne un- derground skupine je kmalu prišla v mainstream in postala popularna, kar ji je uspelo tudi s pomočjo množičnih medijev, in čeprav je imela na začetku odklonilen odnos do zahodne popularne kulture, se je izra- žala prav z njeno pomočjo. Prispevek odgovarja na vprašanja, zakaj glasba skupine Laibach pri poslušalcih vzbuja tesnobo, od kod izvira in čemu je ta tesnoba namenjena. Med letoma 1983 in 1987 je takratna jugoslovanska oblast skupini prepovedala nastopati, kar je ustvarilo pluralizem mnenj v slovenski javni sferi, 25 let kasneje pa smo priča zanimivemu obratu, saj se nekoč preganjana skupina danes oglašuje kot ugleden slovenski izvozni artikel. Prispevek ponuja vpogled v druž- bene spremembe skozi dojemanje ‘visoke’ in ‘nizke’ kulture in orisuje današnjo vlogo delovanja skupine Laibach znotraj popularne kulture.
Abstract The authoress intended to illustrate the influence of gender on the performance of consumption practices through the case of female consumers and their identification with their gender while performing daily shopping for the... more
Abstract
The authoress intended to illustrate the influence of gender on the performance of consumption practices through the case of female consumers and their identification with their gender while performing daily shopping for the family. She looked at identity as a social construct and presented the production of femininity through the perspective of production of the truth in the society. She analysed daily consumption practices through the case of mothers as the main active factor in the family and defined the role of women as housekeepers inside the sphere of consumption. Authoress also presented as a problem the notion of ‘family consumption’, which is nowadays often used imprudently and in the wrong context, and suggested a more suitable notion - ‘consumption for family’ - and also exposed the role of consumption, which has in history significantly contributed to the emancipation of women, but today it serves mostly as a tool for the construction of their identity as mothers and housekeepers inside of the consumption for family.
The authoress intended to illustrate the influence of gender on the performance of consumption practices through the case of female consumers and their identification with their gender while performing daily shopping for the family. She looked at identity as a social construct and presented the production of femininity through the perspective of production of the truth in the society. She analysed daily consumption practices through the case of mothers as the main active factor in the family and defined the role of women as housekeepers inside the sphere of consumption. Authoress also presented as a problem the notion of ‘family consumption’, which is nowadays often used imprudently and in the wrong context, and suggested a more suitable notion - ‘consumption for family’ - and also exposed the role of consumption, which has in history significantly contributed to the emancipation of women, but today it serves mostly as a tool for the construction of their identity as mothers and housekeepers inside of the consumption for family.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The book contributes new insights to the research in the field of anthropology of (post)socialism, culture of consumption, gender and memory. It is based on the testimony of interlocutors who offer an insight into the "structure of the... more
The book contributes new insights to the research in the field of anthropology of (post)socialism, culture of consumption, gender and memory. It is based on the testimony of interlocutors who offer an insight into the "structure of the feeling" of the socialist era through the practice of consumption, from which on the one hand the complex economic and political dynamics and diverse disciplinary regimes are being reflected and the understanding of power, resistance and emancipation on the other. Author establishes critical distance towards the approach, which discusses socialism as a totalitarianism and shows that socialist policies were not simply dictated from above, but negotiated between the state and its citizens. The female consumer in socialism did not only respond to social barriers and obstacles of history, but she also actively co-created social time. By studying how consumers interpreted and created mutual connections between material objects, moral reputation and (self)respect, the book also shows certain specific elements of Slovenian and Yugoslav development of the European countries after the Second World War.