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This project addresses the Republic of Serbia’s current accession negotiations with the European Union, and asks how the country’s long and often turbulent history affects that dialogue. Using Filip Ejdus’ concept of historical memory and Benedict Anderson’s “imagined community” theory of nationalism, this paper discusses how Serbia has reached a critical moment in its history by pursuing European integration. This contradicts their historical pull towards their longtime ally Russia. What role does historical memory play in these negotiations, and is integration truly possible? Additionally, how is Serbia’s powerful president, Aleksandar Vucic, using the Europeanization process to strengthen his hand domestically? / Master of Arts / This thesis addresses the Republic of Serbia’s current accession negotiations with the European Union, and asks how the country’s long and often turbulent history affects that dialogue. I argue that Serbia is at a crossroads in its history: on one hand, it wishes to join the European Union, but on the other is continually pulled to the east with their historical ally, Russia. I argue that President Aleksandar Vucic is using the EU negotiations to enhance his own power and that if the EU admits Serbia into the body they will be trading regional stability for Serbian democracy.

Migration har i och med globaliseringens utveckling ökat allt mer i världen och även till Sverige. När en individ lämnar sitt hemland för bosättning i ett nytt land innebär det ofta sociala, kulturella och ekonomiska förändringar. Syftet i följande studie är att belysa hur migranter från länder kring Balkan upplever sitt nya liv i det svenska samhället och att ur deras perspektiv uppmärksamma vilka utmaningar de möter i sin vardag. Undersökningen genomförs genom sex intervjuer med tre män och tre kvinnor från Bosnien-Hercegovina, Serbien, Kroatien och Slovenien. Studien inleder med en kort historisk redogörelse om det geografiska området. Resultatet visar att migrationen möjliggjort en ökad ekonomisk trygghet för respondenterna men betonar samtidigt att förlusten av det sociala kontaktnätet har haft stor påverkan i deras liv. Vidare diskuteras resultatet utifrån moderniserings- och postmoderniseringsteorier enligt Robert Inglehart samt individualiseringsteorin utifrån Ulrich Becks perspektiv. Datamaterialet diskuteras i förhållande till tidigare forskning inom området där likheter och skillnader synliggörs. / Migration has increased through globalization in the world and to Sweden as well. When an individual leaves its native country for a new country it often means social, cultural and economical changes. The purpose of this study is to highlight how migrants from countries around the Balkans are experiencing their new life in the Swedish society, and from their perspectives notice the challenges they face in their everyday lives. The survey is conducted through six interviews with three men and three women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. The study starts with a brief historical presentation of the geographical area. The result shows that the migration has made it possible for the respondents to improve their economic conditions, but at the same time emphasizes that the loss of social connection to others have had a great effect on their lives. Further on, the results are discussed based on modernization and postmodernization theories according to Robert Inglehart as well as from individualization theory from Ulrich Beck's perspective. It is also related to previous research in the field where similarities and differences are visualized.

The refugee crisis during 2015 developed into a highly debated topic. Morning sofas on television, afternoon broadcasts on radio, evening newspapers' leaflets - the news focus was crystal clear. All written reports at that time included diverse topics, including the size of the refugee migration, the long-term economic effects of the refugee crisis, the politicians' proposals, the negotiations in the EU and the tragic accidents in the Mediterranean. The "migration crisis" became a recurring concept and various news media generated their own works where they clearly gave an overview of how people went through a plethora of nasty and violent events to avoid an inevitable fate in their native countries. Majority of the people who fled in 2015 made their way to Europe across the Mediterranean, often in overcrowded boats capsizing on the high seas. Soon thereafter, the Balkan Peninsula, became the alternative route to EU, reason being the life-threatening challenges which the aforementioned route included.  Therefore, this essay will look beyond the scope of SVT, TV4, DN, Expressen, Aftonbladet and various Swedish media. The primary focus will be on Kosovo media and its reporting. Greater insight of the methods used by a country who lacks economic growth compared to Sweden, during the biggest challenges of our time, will be the focal point. This study may also be relevant from a societal perspective, as Kosovo, together with other Balkan countries, became important partners for the EU in dealing with the refugee crisis in 2015. / Flyktingkrisen 2015 blev ett debatterad ämne under året 2015. Morgonsoffor på tv, eftermiddagssändningar i radio, kvällstidningarnas löpsedlar – nyhetsfokuset var alltså tydligt. Det rapporterades om flyktingvandringens storlek, de långvariga ekonomiska effekterna av flyktingkrisen, politikernas utspel, förhandlingarna i EU och de tragiska olyckorna i medelhavet. ”Migrationkrisen” blev ett upprepande begrepp och olika nyhetsmedier genererade egna verk där de tydligt gav en överblick på hur människor genomgick en uppsjö av otäcka samt våldsamma händelser i strävan mot att undvika ett ofrånkomligt öde i deras hemländer.
Merparten av de människor som var på flykt under 2015, tog sig till Europa över Medelhavet, i många fall i överfulla båtar som kapsejsade på öppet hav. När Medelhavet visade sig vara en komplicerad och livsfarlig flyktväg valde fler människor att försöka ta sig till EU via Balkanhalvön. Därav kommer den här uppsatsen att se bortom SVT, TV4, DN, Expressen, Aftonbladet och diverse svenska medier. Det primära fokuset kommer riktas till kosovanska medier samt dess rapportering. Detta för att få ett större inblick på hur en av vår tids största utmaningar hanteras av ett land som inte har lika bra ekonomiska förutsättningar i kontrast till Sverige. Även ur ett samhälleligt perspektiv kan denna undersökning vara relevant, då Kosovo tillsammans med andra Balkanländer blev viktiga partners för EU i hanteringen av flyktingkrisen under 2015.

The city of Zadar lies upon the Dalmatian coast of modern Croatia. Zadar’s position during the medieval period was that of an affluent port, poised between the markets of East and West, the Balkan hinterland and maritime Adriatic. Such a location made it a strategic colonial target for both Venice and the Kingdom of Hungary. This thesis examines the influence of these political, economic and cultural forces upon the commune’s powerful markers of local identity: its saints’ cults. Zadar’s past wealth created a significant cache of associated metalwork and ecclesiastical architecture that has received little attention beyond the Balkans. Beginning with a grand historical narrative - drawn together from the scholarship of Zaratine, Venetian and Hungarian histories - the complex rivalries and ambitions of the various regional protagonists are highlighted. Zadar’s role within these relations, be it peripheral or central, had an impact upon the commune’s social structures and networks. A study of archival sources indicates a blurring of boundaries between identities, both local and foreign, rather than the stark contrasts that often define the city’s histories. Patronage is also an important aspect of this study, showing how sacral works of art and monumental ecclesiastical structures were important tools in strengthening position and power. The results of such largesse were developments in the cults of Saints Chrysogonus, Simeon the Prophet and Mark the Evangelist. These reveal the flow of cultic practices and artistic trends through Europe, with Zaratine audiences aware of and demanding the most current in their local commissions. Each case study considers ritual, iconography and architectural space, thus contributing additional facets to the understanding of Medieval Zaratine identity.

This study applies the cross-country growth accounting regressions derived from the augmented Solow-Swan model to ascertain the growth effects of education in CEE and Balkan countries. We firstly test whether the total stock or accumulation of education matters more for corresponding countries' growth and afterwards we decompose the total stock into educational stocks at primary, secondary and tertiary levels to test whether the disaggregated educational levels have different growth effects. We do so by applying the panel fixed effects technique on 17 CEE countries during the 1990-2010 period. In addition, we address the endogeneity of education by using the lags of different educational proxies as instruments. The results suggest that the average stock of education is significantly contributing to economic growth of CEE countries with the biggest growth effect of tertiary education. Regarding the Balkan countries only, the growth effect of education is almost a null. We conclude that one cannot have economic growth without a good educational system and efficient usage of human capital. Thus, the policy implications should be related to the proper identification of the quality of educational governance, problem of mismatch on labor market and better utilization of human capital. Keywords:...

Com o final da Idade do Bronze na Grécia Continental se tornou possível vislumbrar uma série de mudanças que afetaram o modo de vida de toda sociedade grega. Neste trabalho pretendemos estudar como as formas arquitetônicas registraram essas mudanças e quais interpretações são possíveis de serem formuladas a partir do registro arqueológico e análises das fontes textuais. Será dado destaque aos sentidos da monumentalidade em edificações de usufruto coletivo. O momento em questão abrange os séculos XII - VIII e as estruturas estudadas serão as Casas de Chefe com particular ênfase na função que possuíam, sua arquitetura e de que maneira sucederam os palácios da época Micênica. / With the end of the Bronze Age Continental Greece became possible to envisage a series of changes that have affected the way of life of the entire Greek society. In this paper we intend to study how architectural forms recorded these changes and interpretations which are possible to be made from the archaeological record and analysis of the textual sources. Emphasis will be placed to the senses of the monumentality in buildings of collective usufruct. The moment in question covers the centuries XII - VIII and the studied structures will be the Rulers\' Dwellings with particular emphasis on the function that had, its architecture and how succeeded the palaces of the Mycenaean era.

The main focus of this study is to examine the modernization of the Ottoman navy during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, exploring naval administration, education, and technology. Giving a summary of the transformation of shipbuilding technologies and bureaucratic institutions of the Ottoman naval forces between 1808 and 1861, it analyses the structure of the Ottoman navy, its level of development in comparison to previous periods of time, and the condition of the vessels making up the naval fleet from 1861 to 1876. It also intends to evaluate the character of existing administrative structures at the outset of Abdülaziz’s reign in 1861 and the nature of subsequent changes, including structural reorganization of the Imperial Naval Arsenal, the Ministry of Marine, and the Naval Academy, as well as advancements in military training and seafaring; all within the context of the impact of these changes on the military, political, and economic condition of the Empire during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz.

My Ph.D. dissertation examines the history and archaeology of the monastic institutions of Thrace between the tenth and the late fourteenth centuries. Primarily concerned with the fundamental aspects of monastic life and its modes of interaction with lay society, I sought to investigate the life-cycle, topography and spatial composition of monastic communities in the western hinterland of the imperial capital of Byzantium, the city of Constantinople. My second objective was the investigation of the cultural, economic, and social aspects of the relationship between Thrace and Constantinople as evidenced in the surviving material culture, which consists mainly of architecture and decorative programmes. I followed an interdisciplinary methodology that brings together the systematic analysis of a large corpus of texts associated with monastic institutions -namely wills, monastic foundation documents, monastic archives, letters and imperial laws- with the results of three seasons of archaeological fieldwork. I conducted extensive surveys and recorded remains of monastic complexes including churches and refectories on Mount Ganos (Turkey), on the southern Rhodope Mountains (Greece) and in the cities of Sozopolis and Mesembria (Bulgaria), and explored the cultural ties with Constantinople and other meaningful centers of the Byzantine world.

This thesis attempts to explain the change in Turkey’s foreign policy regarding Cyprus between 2002 and 2004. It argues that the overriding factor in this policy change was a change in leadership, i.e., the coming to power of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which developed a decidedly liberal outlook on foreign affairs following its split in 2001 from the anti-Western, Islamist Welfare Party. Other crucial determinants included the Europeanization of the Cyprus issue and selective support for interest groups within Turkey, both of which were affected to various degrees by the European Union and a propitious change in decision-making context. This thesis shows how constant policy failures during the 1980s and 1990s led to an identity crisis and the subsequent radical ideational transformation of the AKP whereby the party leadership renounced political Islamism and began to espouse an EU-oriented policy agenda and compatible rhetoric. The arguments presented in this thesis contribute to the literature on foreign policy analysis, political leadership and Europeanization. With regard to foreign policy analysis, this thesis shows that foreign policy change is a multi-causal phenomenon that can only be explained by a combination of various concepts. Moreover, it argues that despite the fact that no ready-made formula can account for all cases of foreign policy alterations, changes in leadership and a favourable decision-making composition appear to be indispensable determinants of any foreign policy shift. With regard to leadership, by applying a social-learning model to the analysis of the AKP leadership, this thesis follows the evolution of the Turkish Islamist Movement towards conservative democracy and an embracing of EU norms, which in turn resulted in a change in Turkey’s Cyprus policy. It is argued that Turkey’s new Cyprus policy was above all the consequence of a radical normative shift in the mindset of the new Turkish leadership. With regard to Europeanization, this thesis demonstrates how the change in Turkey’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Cyprus was bolstered by the Europeanization process. In this context, it can be understood that the EU militated in favour of a policy alteration by Europeanizing the Cyprus disagreement with the acceptance of the Republic of Cyprus into the EU in May 2004. The third essential determinant of Turkish foreign policy shift was the emergence of a propitious decision-making context within Turkey, which rendered such a policy shift possible.