Identity and Liberal Culture
Identity and Liberal Culture

Author(s): Tijana Milosavljević-Čajetinac
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Gender history, Political behavior, Politics and Identity
Published by: Centar za ženske studije & Centar za studije roda i politike, Fakultet političkih nauka, Beograd
Summary/Abstract: IF WE UNDERSTAND SELF AS A COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION, EXPRESSED AND CREATED THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SELF-REPRESENTING AND THAT THE ESSENTIAL GENRE OF SELF-REPRESENTING IS NARRATIVE, THE IDENTITY WILL APPEAR AS A MATTER OF RELATIONS MADE WITHIN OUR LINGUISTIC COMMUNITY, NOT OF SOME “PRIMORDIAL SUBJECT” TO WHICH ALL INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES SHOULD RESPOND. THAT'S WHY INTROSPECTION, TENDING TO FIND SOME "REAL GROUND OF THE SELF" SEEMS HOPELESS… TWO EXTREME EXAMPLES IN SERBIAN MEDIEVAL HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY ILLUSTRATE THE ROLE OF WOMAN AS A REAL TRAUMATIC ONE WITHIN THE SYMBOLIC CONSTRUCTION. THE FIRST ONE IS THE WELL KNOWN MYTH THE BUILDING OF SKADAR – ALREADY FULLY ANALYZED IN BRANKA ARSIĆ'S TEXT "QUEER SERBS" –AND THE SECOND IS A HISTORICAL PERSON – DAMNED JERINA. IN BOTH CASES, THE TOPIC IS THE BUILDING OF A TOWN/FORTRESS AND THE KEY ROLES ARE GIVEN TO WOMEN. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROBLEMATIZE HERE, RELATED TO THESE EXAMPLES, IS THE MANIPULATION WITH GUILT IN STRUCTURING THE FEMALE IDENTITY AND TO TRY TO SHOW HOW THIS PROJECTION OF GUILT TO THE OTHER FIGURED IN THE EX-YUGOSLAV CONFLICT AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE.

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