No abstract

This paper brings an extended Bourdieusian theoretical framework to the analysis of the life strategies of small farmers in four SEE societies (Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia). Practices and strategies of farming households are situated in two partially overlapping fields, the formal economy and the informal economy. The paper is based on a qualitative analysis of twenty-five interviewed households. It covers the structural conditions of the households’ participation in both fields of ‘play’, an analysis of household capital (economic-agricultural, social and cultural) and an interpretation of practice (i.e. the strategy dimension). The framework is extended to include an exploration of the households’ reflexivity and agency. The findings suggest that various structural limitations impede the households from developing successful practices in the formal field (unless the households have exceptional levels of agency), and that the most common life strategy is food self-provisioning, along with reliance on practices in the informal field enabled by social capital.

A number of recent international studies have reported the growing electoral success of populist parties among younger age groups. In this study, authors analysed the "breeding ground" for populism among the youth in Zagreb using the results of the Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement (MYPLACE) project in Croatia. A mixed methods approach was employed with thematic analysis of 61 semi-structured interviews and regression analysis on a survey sample data of 1,216 young people aged 16-25. Qualitative analysis indicated analogies to Cas Mudde's three core concepts of populism (the "good people", the "bad elite" and the "general will") among interviewees' opinions. In addition, common ideological features of populism (nationalism and radical egalitarianism) were to a degree present among the interviewees' attitudes. In the quantitative part of this paper, the authors narrowed the analysis of populism to the radical right variant of populism, and -given the lack of prominent populist actors in Croatia -to support of ideas rather than political parties. The attitude towards a political system with a strong leader not constrained by parliament was chosen as the outcome since it holds significant populist potential in contemporary democracies. Analyses showed the connection of the anti-elite, anti-systemic attitudes -as well as authoritarianism and a few right-wing political attitudeswith the strong leader preference. Both qualitative and quantitative results of this study indicated that the "breeding ground" for populism exists among the youth in Zagreb. Additional research is required to further examine that complex and previously unexplored topic.

No abstract

New York: Oxford University Press, 2013, 192 str.Američka sociologinja Jennifer M. Silva u svojoj knjizi Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty (Priče o neuspjehu: odrastanje radničke klase u doba nesigurnosti) polustrukturiranim intervjuima istražuje proces odrastanja 100 odraslih mladih (young adults) Amerikanaca iz radničke klase. Autorica se kreće u teorijskom okviru prijelaza (tranzicije) u odraslost, unutar kojega recentniji radovi završetak tranzicije pomiču na kasne dvadesete i na tridesete godine života. Usmjeravajući se upravo na konstrukciju odraslosti kod mladih iz radničke klase, za intervjuiranje je izabrala sugovornike i sugovornice u dobi od 24 do 34 godine (prosječna je dob bila 27 godina) i zaključila da se njihov ulazak u odraslost može opisati kao produljen, odgođen ili zadržan, a kako je i samu odraslost potrebno ponovno promisliti. Istraživanje je provela u dva manja i tradicionalno industrijska grada u Americi (Lowell u Massachusettsu i Richmond u Virginiji), od 2008. do 2010. godine, dakle u razdoblju obilježenom ekonomskom krizom.Kao kriterij pripadnosti radničkoj klasi Silva je iskoristila očevo obrazovanje sugovornikâ, najviše srednjoškolsko, no valja napomenuti da se izrazom radnička klasa koristi svjesna da je u Americi zbog prijelaza u postindustrijsku ekonomiju ta klasa doživjela znatno slabljenje ekonomskog i društvenog položaja te izgubila svoja tradicionalna obilježja. Tipičan predstavnik radničke klase danas više nije radnik u tvornici ili na gradilištu nego radnica (nešto je veći udio žena) u sektoru usluga: prodavačica, konobarica ili niža činovnica, operaterka u pozivnom centru i slično. Autorica je svoje sugovornice i sugovornike pronašla upravo na takvim radnim mjestima iz sektora usluga, na državnim fakultetima i na nekoliko radnih mjesta karakterističnih za »staru radničku klasu« u Americi (vatrogasci, policija i vojska), osiguravši u svojem uzorku jednaku raspodjelu po spolu te odgovarajuću »rasnu« zastupljenost. S obzirom na tako izveden prigodni uzorak, trebamo biti svjesni njegovih ograničenja -zasigurno je eliminiran jedan dio sugovornika koje su iz deprivilegiranih položaja uspjeli doći do bolje plaćenih zaposlenja (makar i dalje možda nesigurnih). Utoliko ovu knjigu treba shvatiti kao priče o neuspjehu deprivilegiranih mladih i o njihovim naporima za (re)konstrukciju svojih identiteta da bi se nosili s problemima s kojima se susreću.