Против митова и конформизма: друштвена и културна историја у радовима Мирослава Јовановића
Against conformism and myths: Social and cultural history in the works by Miroslav Jovanović

Summary/Abstract: The paper analyses Professor Miroslav Jovanović’s contribution in the field of social and cultural history. It focuses on his study about the debate over Serbian literary language, conducted in the first half of the nineteenth century. This was the main topic of his book “Language and social history”. Myths, stereotypes and legends created around this debate and its participants have enabled the author to start a research of Serbian mentality. It has been concluded that the critical remarks of Miroslav Jovanović on this ancient debate remained without a reaction of the intellectual public, although the book was sold out shortly after its publication. This might indicate the power of myth and depth of divisions in the society caused by the controversy, as an expression of political and ideological tension that still exists in relation to that topic, as well as a proof of conformism and fear which characterize under-developed intellectual public.

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