Kultura
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The Kultura Journal is an international scientific journal for the theory and sociology of culture and cultural policy, which follows culture in the widest sense of the word where science, education and all human activities are taken as its integral part.
It was started in 1968 courtesy to the efforts of Stevan Majstorović, founder of the Centre for Studies in Cultural Development, with the objective to encourage integrative, analytical and critical interpretations of the modern cultural phenomena.
At the time of its establishment, the Kultura Journal was unique in the domain of intellectual thought both in terms of its concept and its design. Since the first issue, i.e. over the fifty years of its existence, Kultura has been and has remained open to creative ideas from the country and the world, as seen from the texts of important foreign authors and contributions from professionals coming from the cultural centres of former Yugoslavia, as well as domestic authors who offered new ideas and approaches to culture. The recognizable design solution of the logo of the journal and its cover page were created by the artist and calligraphist Božidar Bole Miloradović, for the very first number.
As of 1971, the issues were edited thematically, which has been dominant practice to this date, with the aim of enriching certain thematic fields in our cultural and scientific community.
The first Editorial Board of the Kultura Journal consisted of eleven members, led by the Editor-in Chief Stevan Majstorović and Trivo Inđić, as conceptual instigators of the journal which heralded a new orientation in the intellectual field. Members of the Editorial Board were: Slobodan Canić, Dragutin Gostuški, Vujadin Jokić, Danica Mojsin, Mirjana Nikolić, Nebojša Popov, Bogdan Tirnanić, Milan Vojnović and Tihomir Vučković. Over the five decades of the Kultura Journal, editorial boards changed several times.
Kultura is issued every three months (four times a year) and its printing has been financed by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia since 2001. With support of the competent ministry, all numbers of this journal, from the first to the last issue, were digitalized in 2009. As a result, a DVD containing digital form of the journal, was available with the issue No. 129, titled "Electronic libraries". A few years later, in 2013, Kultura switched to the Cyrillic script, with an important note that it still published in Latin script those authors from the region who originally use Latin script(Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia). With the issue No. 140, on the occasion of marking the 45th anniversary of the Kultura Journal, a special USB was made available, with all the texts from the numbers 1-137. The web page of the Centre for Studies in Cultural Development contains all the texts ever published in any issue of the Kultura Journal over half a century of its existence.
The Department for Registration of Journals of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, the Kultura Journal was registered in 2005 (when categorisation of scientific journals started) marked as category P53. In 2010,it was registered as category M52 in the group of journals for history, art,history, ethnology and archaeology. At the beginning of July 2012, the journal advanced to the category of national interest, by Decision of the Ministry of education, science and technological development of the Republic of Serbia (M51).
Kultura is regularly deposited with the Repository of the National Library of Serbia, and since 2010, it has been included in the Serbian Quotation Index, where the texts published in Kultura can be found in full digital form. As of 2011, the texts i.e. scientific articles, apart from the regular UDK (universal decimal classification) also carry specific DOI (Digital Object Identifier) codes, that allow for their greater visibility and international indexing under international standards. In the meantime,electronic version of the journal was started i.e. the first steps were made towards electronic edition by CEON (Service for monitoring, measuring and valorisation of scientific journals) through Aseestant electronic editing programme. This has contributed to the quality of published articles, as the editorial board now have at their disposal adequate programmes for text checking in terms of correct citation sand listings of references as well as prevention of plagiarism.
Kultura is regularly delivered to the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade, Belgrade City Library,University Library "Svetozar Marković" in Belgrade, Library of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad, Library of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade, Library of the Rectorate of the University of Arts in Belgrade, University Library in Niš and University Library in Kragujevac. The Kultura Journalis regularly received by numerous interested institutions of culture (libraries, theatres, museums, culture centres) as well as individuals. The Journal nurtures professional exchanges with many similar institutions and magazines in the country, region and in Europe (Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia,Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland and other countries).
In addition to respecting scientific rules and standards for publishing scientific papers, Kultura has not lost the curiosity or the freshness of an avant-garde magazine dealing with both eternal and very actual topics.
Pages
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- Digital culture as a matrix of modern marketing
- The paper interprets the impact of the digital culture on society as a whole, with special focus on consumer society and a number of modern marketing strategies. The introduction presents some predictions regarding the development of new technologies in the forthcoming decades, and points to certain past inventions that directly or indirectly influenced the emergence and development of modern technologies and media. From the explanation of communication paradigm the authors proceed to the explanation of the changes in the information distribution and knowledge constitution. They also define the concept of digital culture and its development which, for its part, is parallel to the development of new technologies and media. Their explanation of consumerism as an almost omnipresent concept in everyday life underlines the important impact this trend has for the cultural habitat, for the democratization and accessibility of cultural contents it brings about go hand in hand with their inevitable pluralization and trivialization. In the concluding part of the paper the authors discuss a relatively new technology of QR codes, its emergence and scope, its advantages and disadvantages. Its free use is highlighted as the most favorable for the further development of new marketing strategies. A description of some projects in this context facilitate the authors to provide for a more detailed explanation of the QR codes links with modern marketing.
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- Digital fortress
- Digitization of the national heritage is a complex process requiring a systematic approach at all levels, as a logical and balanced development of the national digitization project is necessary. A good national strategy should provide the needed systematic approach. Is there something that can facilitate faster adoption of this document, and are there any obstacles along the way? The search for answers leads from the previous efforts put in the digitization strategy document in Serbia, to the recommendations of the European Union in the field, including some examples of good practice in the neighboring countries that have some sort of national digitization programs, but also the polemics of strategy sustainability. The current state in Serbia confirms that unsystematic digitization and sequencing of individual and closed projects, does not provide long-term results equal to the ones achievable by a clear policy and a systematic approach to digitization. On the other part, creating a national digitization strategy in Serbia looks like conquering a huge digital fortress.
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- Digital information resources in academic libraries
- The most important role of academic libraries is to provide high-quality, credible and actual information resources for students, professors and scientific researchers. Academic librarians perform specific acquisition policy with selection process as a key purchasing method both for traditional and digital publications. To enable adequate level of learning and scientific research, academic professionals have to define priorities and then carefully apply strong selection criteria. Building digital collections demands permanent quality control which mustn't turn into censorship. On the other side, it is very important to educate young population in ethical aspect of digital resources using. Some of the ethical dilemmas faced by librarians and users have arisen because of rapid information and communication technology development. The speed and efficiency of electronic information systems which include local and global networks, databases and processing programs, force users to confront entirely new rights and responsibilities which constitute so-called Internet ethics, computer ethics or information ethics. The core issues of information ethics include intellectual freedom, equitable access to knowledge, privacy protection and intellectual property. Library professionals have been concerned with these issues for centuries, but advances in information technology have made the academic population more aware of new challenges in ethical area.
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- Digital media convergence
- By studying digital media technology and social changes in education under their influence in Serbia, we have examined the consumers' habits, traditional versus digital media, as well as the credibility of online content that consumers are referred to. The general conclusion is that the Internet as a digital platform is commonly used in traditional (analogue) mode, as a one-way channel for distribution of media content and interactivity that is tantamount to leaving comments and generally arbitrary attitudes by readers. The innovative use of digital charting technology that provides unlimited possibilities - from collecting and presenting facts, through linkage with other relevant sources and documents, opening debates and facilitating participation of readers in defining social problems, their argument-based illumination from different angles to launching campaigns in the function of solving the problem - still fails to appeal to most. In this paper, we also point to the necessity of developing (redeveloping) research methods, typologies and techniques that will be able to encompass a larger number of those elements of the new media which differ from the traditional ones.
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- Digital polis-oasis of democracy or cyber utopia
- Revolutionary changes in the area of communication lead mass media to the crossroads of democracy and the tyranny of propaganda, while capitalist corporatism reduces the number of successful news producers discretely creating invisible information monopolies. At the global level, masses are being ideologically bewitched by fine spinning of filtered and meticulously created messages with pre-designed effects, which causes disappearance of objectivity, equality and social solidarity from the dominant discourse. The battle of ratings and circulation comes to the forefront; in the eyes of media management journalists are considered an expense, while participation of citizens as subjects of political life is minimized. Direct, blatant, arrogant pressure of government media owners and advertisers, results in putting the consumer at the center of interest, so the fun, individualism and narcissism dominate the mass media flows, 'tabloidizing' the public arena. Private profit and public interest have never been in love and only with the critical re-examination of the developments can we point to the possible directions for expansion of journalism. The paper states that the role of audience changes in the age of digital media, because after a period of traditional passiveness and consumerism, the audience has been given a chance to assume an active and creative position. The time of multimedia services has brought a number of communication applications, allowing cultural and political diversity and the birth of a global digital policy, networked and open to everyone. This is a great opportunity for the survival of democracy, where journalism itself changes, reverting to its original mission of serving the common man.
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- Digital tools and the purpose of education
- The approach to contemporary digital media technologies has two general orientations - 'techno-optimistic' and 'techno-pessimistic'. The author takes a middle position and tries to bring together the arguments of the humanistic philosophy of education and media theory. New media influence our perception of reality and ability to articulate that perception, and thereby shape the reality itself. The educational system includes new media through the 'media education' and its application as educational technology. The main postulates of this article are: (1) digital media technologies are not the purpose, but a tool in the educational process, (2) those tools influence changing of the educational process characteristics and (3) the specific purpose of humanistic education process is not lost despite those changes.
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- Digital world and the phenomenon of information surplus
- This paper examines the causes and consequences of the phenomenon of information surplus in the world of digital media technologies, with particular emphasis on the functions of libraries in the selection and evaluation of information content. As Baudrillard showed, we lived in a world with more and more information and less and less sense. The excess of information undermines the very communication, and thus the essence of sociability. Obviously, information networks and digital technologies are fundamentally changing our habits and experience, producing a new culture and new institutional models and social paradigm. However, we must keep a measure of caution and healthy skepticism before we start believing that new technologies automatically solve the puzzle of human history. In the digital world, we must ask: Where is the knowledge we lost with information? Where is the wisdom we have lost with the knowledge? The authors remind us of the Jose Ortega y Gaset's opening lecture at the Paris International Congress of Librarians and Bibliographers (1934) entitled Mission of the Librarian, and his statement that librarians have to leave the neutral position in the procurement, processing and organization of the records of human knowledge and take responsibility for producing and using knowledge.One could have rightly expected that the concept of redundant books and the necessity to control the flow of ideas and knowledge would trigger unanimous disapproval of expert circles. However, although Ortega's speech sparked numerous debates and controversies, it has had a significant impact on defining the structure, function and mission of contemporary libraries and other information institutions. The fundamental issue in these controversies is: how to ensure a high quality selection of information and publications and, at the same time, avoid the dangers of censorship?.
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- Digitalization of cultural heritage in the function of achieving cultural policy goals
- Digitalization of cultural material can facilitate access to cultural heritage and encourage participation in culture. European countries use this potential differently. Thus, they contribute to the implementation of different purposes of their cultural policies. The European Union encourages countries to organize and finance activities in this domain. In this work, different measures and activities linked to the digitalization of cultural heritage and online accessibility are analyzed in Serbia, Croatia, United Kingdom and France. Activities in each of these countries are described separately. In this context, different activities of National library, Film archive and other cultural institutions in Serbia are analyzed. In addition, plans and activities of the Serbian Ministry of Culture in this domain are presented. Croatian ministry of Culture developed National digitalization program for libraries, archives and museums. Different projects in the United Kingdom implemented by the Department of culture, media and sport are also described. It is also analyzed how the French Ministry of Culture uses different financial and legislative measures and implements program and projects that favorite digitalization of cultural material and online accessibility in culture. In addition, some examples of the cooperation in this domain between public and private organizations are presented. In the conclusion, different results of the mentioned activities are compared and some similarities identified. At the end, on the basis of this parallel analysis, recommendations for digitalization of cultural material are put down for decision makers in Serbia.
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- Dimensions of national cultures and organisational behaviour
- The main goal of this paper is to point out that the dimensions of national cultures have a huge impact on different aspects of organisational behaviour. The main support in the work is Hofstede's five-dimensional cultural model. The authors pay special attention to the dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance. When both of indexes are high at the level of national culture, organizational climate will have some special features such as high hierarchical pyramids, centralised decision making, and autocratic behaviour of managers, negative attitudes towards work, stress and lack of entrepreneurial behaviour. Also, special interest in this topic results from the fact that both of these dimensions in Serbia are very high.
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- Directed reality or a tail that chases the dog
- This paper provides an analysis of cultural, psychological and communication patterns that could be used to explain popularity and receptivity of the audiences that consume reality programmes. These programmes have started broadcasting in 2006, through the format of Big Brother. They have gained great popularity since then, and the number of viewers has not decreased. In order to better understand the phenomenology of reality programmes, closely analysed their characteristics, especially concerning their format, both the selection and characteristics of reality programme participants, the dramaturgy and the wider social context these shows are realized in. The authors are dealing with specific characteristics of this television form, communication processes that lead to the desired "outcomes" necessary for increasing the viewership, by tendentiously directed roles and behaviour patterns (conflict, sexual content) as well as with possible psychological perspectives that could, to a certain extent, explain the motivation of the audience to engage in the consumption of such content (watching the content, commenting on social networks, voting, favouring certain participants). Some of the psychological explanations for the popularity of such programmes could be found in the high level of identification with the participants who externalize most intimate contents of their inner worlds, and also in the complete equalization of the private and public sphere, as well as in the analytical concept of a Shadow that is related to the inferior and inacceptable parts of the human nature. Our Ego recognizes such content as "someone else's" and connects it more frequently with the behaviour of others than with our own behaviour. Very often, the bearers of those projections are representatives of the so-called marginal groups, therefore the selected participants of reality shows "provide" the space for Shadow projection. Finally, we analysed the wider social context suitable to sustain and "nourish" this form of public discourse. This is actually a relational and contextual question that opens a space for understanding of the needs that underlie the collective dipping into naked privacy and primary processes of the group that we observe through reality programmes.
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- Discursive changes and tendencies within theories of posthumanism
- Long after the poststructuralist critique of a humanist subject as well as the inherent dichotomies, just when the very notion (subject) was questioned and declared dead - the concept of subjectivity has returned prominently, especially in the context of posthumanism. The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of a contemporary take on subjectivity, as well as to critically engage in the debate around this matter, arguing that the very concept (subject) entails certain principles and conditions that inevitably presupposes subject/object dichotomy. Taking Nomadic Feminist Subjects (Rosi Braidotti) as a case study, we will outline and determine both ways in which this concept distances itself and reformulates the (humanistic) Cartesian subject, as well as the ways in which it remains within the traditional framework. Also, we will chart some more general tendencies under the umbrella term of posthumanism, arguing for a deconstructive, as opposed to a reconstructive approach to it.
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- Discursive strategies for evading answers in confrontational news interviews
- Television interview has been the basic journalists' medium for both collecting information and informing the public for decades. The key element of the interview is information, and the basic underlying idea is that the information should be true. However, this is not always the case. In this paper we have researched the discursive strategies the interviewees occasionally use to avoid answering a question, partially or completely, i.e. to avoid providing the public with the truth about a current issue. This problem falls into the domain of Critical Discourse Analysis and Conversation Analysis. By applying those two methods we have tried to identify different strategies used for truth evasion in the corpus of confrontational television interviews. There are two general ways of evading the truth: (1) overt evasiveness and (2) covert evasiveness. Overt evasiveness ranges from explicit refusal to answer a question, which is rare, to different strategies of providing partial or inadequate answers. Covert evasiveness, which is more difficult to be observed, covers various strategies such as answering the introductory part of the question, changing the focus of the question, or even answering with a question. We can conclude that even in a Hardtalk interview which assumes direct, provocative and even hostile questions to which the public expects direct answers, the truth is not necessarily revealed. The results of a critical discourse analysis or/and conversation analysis may be of great help to both interviewees in their attempts to avoid answering sensitive questions and to interviewers and discourse analysts to be able to identify them.