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PRESENTATION at the Peace Institute International Symposium ‘Hate Speech Intersections with Nationalism, Racism, Gender and Migration’
July 4 @ 12:00 pm - July 5 @ 5:00 pm UTC+1
The project ‘The struggle over meaning: Controversial symbols and narratives of war’ will be presented by KonKoop-member Katarina Damčević at the symposium on hate speech.
Description:
This abstract explores the concept of cultural texts and their significance in (post)conflict societies, particularly in relation to controversial symbols. Drawing on cultural semiotics, it examines how texts shape attitudes, behaviours, and self-descriptions within a society, serving as models of meaning that influence laws, social norms, and the construction of a society’s identity. In conflict contexts, cultural texts play a crucial role in shaping collective memory and perpetuating divisions between different groups. Using the example of the controversial salute Za dom spremni (For homeland – ready) in Croatia, this paper delves into the complex interplay between historical symbols, official narratives, and societal interpretations. The resurgence of this salute during the 1990s Croatian War of Independence highlights how cultural texts can be manipulated to promote unity or exclusivity, depending on the dominant narrative in a society. By analysing the Croatian Homeland War Declaration and its reinforcement of a singular interpretation of the conflict, this paper aims to explore the implications of such cultural texts on shaping identity and perpetuating exclusionary narratives. Through a cultural semiotic lens, it seeks to understand how texts in post-conflict societies can either foster dialogue and reconciliation or reinforce historical divisions and obstacles to confronting difficult legacies.
4-5 July 2024 – 12:00 CET in Ljubljana
Organisation: the Peace Institute (Institute for Contemporary Social and Political Studies), The Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS)