This article explores three dimensions of the current state of gender equality in Serbia: public policy on gender equality, public opinion on gender equality and the context of Serbia’s accession to the EU. Using data from the recent public opinion survey of citizens’ attitudes towards gender equality, the authors address the following issues: harmonization of public policy on gender equality in Serbia with EU policies; differences between public policy on gender equality in Serbia and citizens’ preferences; convergences/divergences between citizens of (...) Serbia and EU citizens regarding gender equality. As Serbia’s policy of promoting gender equality in the last decade has been dominated by the political goal of accession to the EU, it shows where the opinions converge, and where there are certain differences. The authors show the complexity of ideological positions among average Serbian citizens, while highlighting different paradigms in the official public policy on gender equality. While Serbian citizens still do not place gender equality high on their political agenda, they are convinced that it has a certain value, which does provide some important pointers for the future. (shrink)

The paper explores the imagery and constructions of alterity in the contemporary world. The image of the other is at the same time the image of ourselves, mostly through the metaphor of the?stranger.? This?stranger? represents the unknown, so he/she occasionally provokes fear and resentment, if only for appearing physically different in the?mainstream? culture. This paper traces the genesis and development of certain modernist ideals. The apparent lack of comprehension for others is just a symptom of the much deeper disorder - (...) in the quest for rationality, the meaning of simple human communication seems to be forgotten. Just like in a hall of mirrors, the images that people encounter are basically the images of them?selves - only they have been distorted through nationalist or racist rhetoric. Using the examples from theory as well as from specific cultures, and following on the works of scholars like Kristeva, Linke and Balibar, the author demonstrates the logic behind the need to exclude others, as well as the fact that all of these attempts will eventually back?fire. For we cannot exclude others if we do not at the same time exclude ourselves. U tekstu se razmatraju predstave i konstrukcije drugosti u savremenom svetu. Slike drugih su u isto vreme i predstave nas s?mih, pre svega kroz metaforu?stranca?.?Stranac? ovde predstavlja nepoznato i, kao takav, ona/on moze izazvati strah i odbojnost, makar i samo zbog toga sto izgleda drugacije od pripadnika?osnovne? ili?domace? kulture. U tekstu se razmatra razvoj odredjenih modernistickih ideala. Ono sto izgleda kao nedostatak razumevanja za druge samo je simptom mnogo dubljeg poremecaja - u potrazi za racionalnoscu izgleda da je zaboravljeno znacenje jednostavne ljudske komunikacije. Bas kao u dvorani sa ogledalima, predstave na koje ljudi nailaze su slike njih samih - samo sto su izmenjene nacionalistickom ili rasistickom retorikom. Koristeci primere iz teorije, kao i iz razlicitih kultura i pozivajuci se na radove autora poput Kristeve, Linke i Balibara, autor ukazuje na logiku izopstavanja drugih, kao i na cinjenicu da mnogi ovakvi pokusaji izopstavanja prerastaju u sopstvenu suprotnost. Jer nemoguce je izbaciti druge a da u isto vreme ne izbacimo i sebe same. (shrink)