Jelena Gledic | University of Belgrade (original) (raw)
Chapters by Jelena Gledic
The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socio-economic development of... more The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socio-economic development of certain nations in that region, coincided with thorough examinations of nationhood, ethnicity, and cultural identity in theory, research, and policies on a global level. Following an era of imperialism, a presumed shared set of ideas and values – a sort of common worldview – allowed for the perceptions of East Asia as a relatively homogeneous whole, regardless of the many conflicts that had previously occurred between its peoples. This chapter examines contemporary academic research to determine who is perceived as East Asian when sampling populations today. Scholars blend nations into this collective label indicating ethnic and cultural belonging, and special focus is placed on discerning which nations are included and in what way. Case studies of methodological approaches in referential literature analyze whether research designs have begun to take into account the vast cultural diversity of East Asia, current trends of multiculturalism and globalization, and massive migrations, as well as how Japan is positioned within these methodologies. As today's science is likely the basis of tomorrow's policies, this study offers a relational approach to ethnic and cultural identities, while stressing the importance of responsible research.
As an introduction to potential research on cultural characteristics in the perception of emptine... more As an introduction to potential research on cultural characteristics in the perception of emptiness, this text deals with the case of Confucianism. Our aim is to give a basic introduction to the concept of emptiness in Confucian thought, but also to stress the problems of researching cultural and national differences. We provide an examination of the various views on Confucianism, and also its position in today’s China, followed by an analysis of the place of emptiness in Confucian practices, source texts, and also its very methodology and discourse, with a brief overview of similar concepts in Daoism and Buddhism. Considering that even defining Confucianism is determined as problematic, and in view of the vast body of material, we emphasize that the given analyses should be viewed only as guidelines. This paper is not conceived as a complete or definitive answer to what emptiness is in the Confucian view, but rather a study of the possible approaches to the question. We challenge the idea of providing a single interpretation in favor of pointing out the possible directions in which particular research can be developed by choosing a specific approach, theory, and material that can be analyzed in detail. We conclude with an assessment of the possibilities of conducting empirical research in this field and the potential for advancements in theory.
Papers by Jelena Gledic
The Review of International Affairs/Review of international affairs, 2024
In the past decade, Sino-Serbian relations have been at unprecedented heights, with China becomin... more In the past decade, Sino-Serbian relations have been at unprecedented heights, with China becoming one of Serbia's top trading partners and investors. At the same time, the strained relations between the EU and China, and especially between the US and China, pose a challenge for Serbia. The country is caught between its EU aspirations and orientation towards the global West on the one hand and its socialist heritage on the other. In this context, this paper employs a multifaceted approach to analyse Serbian public opinion towards China, presenting prevalent perceptions and positing underlying determinants. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, a nationally representative survey is studied, and the results are interpreted in the context of historical realities, contemporary economic ties, and local and geopolitical considerations. Key findings underscore the significance of economic well-being, local politics, and global power dynamics for shaping public sentiment. Furthermore, it is shown that contemporary sentiments reshape perceptions of historical periods, even for those who lived through them. This research highlights the complexity of factors steering public opinion while at the same time emphasising its malleability. Providing a nuanced portrayal of perceptions underpinning the Sino-Serbian "Iron Friendship", this research contributes to a broader understanding of the intricate dynamics characterising contemporary international relations.
Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
<jats:p>Long before China promulgated the official One Belt One Road initiatives, vast netw... more <jats:p>Long before China promulgated the official One Belt One Road initiatives, vast networks of cross-border exchanges already existed across Asia and Eurasia. The dynamics of such trade and resource flows have largely been outside state control, and are pushed to the realm of the shadow economy. The official initiative is a state-driven attempt to enhance the orderly flow of resources across countries along the Belt and Road, hence extending the reach of the states to the shadow economies. This volume offers a bottom-up view of the transborder informal exchanges across Asia and Eurasia, and analyses its clash and mesh with the state-orchestrated Belt and Road cooperation. By undertaking a comparative study of country cases along the new silk roads, the book underlines the intended and unintended consequences of such competing routes of connectivity on the socio-economic conditions of local communities.</jats:p>
Amsterdam University Press eBooks, 2020
The turbulent history of the Western Balkans has led to both diverse economic development in the ... more The turbulent history of the Western Balkans has led to both diverse economic development in the region and complex relationships with China, particularly for ex-Yugoslav countries. Examining the shadow economies associated with local Chinese communities in the region is therefore of particular interest. The aim of this chapter is to analyse the complex interplay of official policies and unofficial rules, regional tensions and global interests, and the local socio-economic problems and international aspirations of countries in the region in terms of their position in the so-called Belt and Road Zone.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 25, 2021
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Feb 22, 2021
The needs analysis of the UPSKILLS project is the foundation for all subsequent project activitie... more The needs analysis of the UPSKILLS project is the foundation for all subsequent project activities. The survey of the business sector(s) hiring linguists and language professionals is the fourth step in the analysis. For this task, we administered surveys to representatives of companies that hire linguists/language specialists. The target group consists of employers from digital and data-intensive sectors, who currently might fail to identify language and linguistics graduates as a target talent pool for their business. This group is additionally expected to benefit from the co-construction and dissemination of a specific job profile with associated competences, skills and knowledge.
In recent years, Serbia has seemingly been standing out as the leading partner of China in Centra... more In recent years, Serbia has seemingly been standing out as the leading partner of China in Central and Eastern Europe, and even – relatively speaking – a significant one on a global scale. The two countries state that they share a close and longstanding friendship, which is regularly mentioned in the context of joint ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ projects that are actively being implemented or planned. However, this narrative seems to have emerged – or at least significantly intensified – only after the start of a closer economic cooperation. This paper analyzes the said change in discourse, aiming to establish when it occurred and how far its reach is, with the goal of using the answers to these research questions as a basis for understanding the underlying governing mechanisms. The hypotheses put forward are that the discourse on Sino-Serbian cultural ties emphasizing the idea of a close and long-standing friendship started only after an increase in the political and economic coopera...
The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socioeconomic development of ... more The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socioeconomic development of certain nations in that region, coincided with thorough examinations of nationhood, ethnicity , and cultural identity in theory, research, and policies on a global level. Following an era of imperialism, a presumed shared set of ideas and values—a sort of common worldview—allowed for the perceptions of East Asia as a relatively homogeneous whole, regardless of the many conflicts that had previously occurred between its peoples. This chapter examines contemporary academic research to determine who is perceived as East Asian when sampling populations today. Scholars blend nations into this collective label indicating ethnic and cultural belonging, and special focus is placed on discerning which nations are included and in what way. Case studies of methodological approaches in referential literature analyze whether research designs have begun to take into account the vast cultural diversity...
As a vivid and influential media for recording human experiences and communicating with a wide an... more As a vivid and influential media for recording human experiences and communicating with a wide and random audience, film is inevitably followed by auto-censorship of the author and censorship of the state or society. In the history of censorship, different cultures have imposed different levels of control based on the existing codes of decency in order to assure that all elements of the film have a certain function within the storyline. Since the 1960s, Western cinema has been expanding the allowed boundaries for depicting sexually explicit content because changes in the society made it necessary to include such methods in the depiction of love, intimacy and other complex aspects of romantic relationships. On the other hand, in societies that were not affected by the sexual revolution in such a way, romantic relationships are represented using other means, and sexually graphic films are either censored or not distributed because the explicitness does not lead to a better understanding of the portrayed characters and their relationships. In this paper we argue that the difference in the depiction of abstract concepts, such as love and intimacy, can be used to estimate the scope, i.e. the constituting elements of the concepts’ meaning in a certain culture.
We examined the film adaptation of the novella “Lust, Caution” (Se jie), which was officially distributed in two differently edited versions – one for China and one for the West, in addition to unofficial or pirated versions for both markets. Differences in the versions were isolated and transcribed. The romantic relationship between the two main characters was treated as a signified element and appropriate signifiers were isolated from the transcribed material. The different signifiers, as well as additional elements from the identical parts of the film, were analyzed as constituents of the meaning of intimacy and love. It was found that the modes of representation significantly differ, and these differences were then used to estimate the scope and characteristics of the concepts of intimacy and love in China and the West. The concept or meaning was observed as a uniform social convention on the content of an abstract term, without considering the variations in individual views. We argue that sexual explicitness functions as a mean for representing the Western concepts of intimacy and love which are formed in a sexually open society, whereas the same images presented to the Chinese public translate into exploitation and sexual licentiousness as they have no narrative function. Conversely, Chinese concepts of intimacy and love are presented through methods that build on the characteristics of the Chinese society, tradition and culture. The topic of this paper is put into the context of enhancing cross-cultural communication and exchange through the exploration of codes of decency.
The 20th century in China was marked by struggles to implement social changes that would on one h... more The 20th century in China was marked by struggles to implement social changes that would on one hand enable the state to reinforce its national, political and economic strength, while on the other hand bridge the gap between Western modernity and Chinese tradition. A large role in the quest for a modern China was played by Chinese intellectuals after the Revolution of 1911, namely the May Fourth Movement which included both Mainland and overseas communities. The social revolution was followed by literary movements which embodied the rise of individual intellectual consciousness. One of the main concerns of the authors was whether there is any use in attempting a revolution or individual political engagement in a society which is based on a strong collectivist tradition and an ideology that presupposes constant change. A logical step in dealing with this issue was rejecting all tradition and adopting either completely new ideologies, or ideas from the West. However, any social change, although based on individual action, would have to be implemented onto the nation as a whole, which meant that it could only be grafted onto the existing worldview. Also, the intellectuals were aware that completely rejecting the past might weaken the state’s national strength. This meant that modern individuality and revolution had to be considered in light of the traditional view on society and change.
In this paper we consider the use of literature as a vessel for social change in China between the two World Wars. Through the interpretation of Western ideas, literature and characters in Chinese writing, we examine the way authors attempted to balance the Western individualist ideals with the Chinese collectivist ideology. We focus on essays and literary works written by prominent Chinese intellectuals in their attempt to find the best possible way to raise awareness for the need for social change. We explore the methods used to convey social issues, while also discussing the actual value and effect of writing as a mode of instigating social change through individual action. The interpretation of Western theories and concepts in the Chinese context is also considered, especially the application of the Western idea of female emancipation onto the idea of the general liberation of individualism. The results of these intellectuals’ struggles are interpreted in the context of the formation of modern individuality in China, which represents an exemplary model of a Western notion with Chinese characteristics – an approach that was later used for the adoption of other ideas and ideologies from the West.
Rezultati studija među-kulturalnih i među-nacionalnih razlika decenijama pronalaze primenu u sfer... more Rezultati studija među-kulturalnih i među-nacionalnih razlika decenijama pronalaze primenu u sferi upravljanja i poslovanja, dok se u naučnim krugovima brojnih disciplina čije se metode primenjuju u ovim multidisciplinarnim analizama često raspravlja o validnosti prikazanih procesa istraživanja i zaključivanja. Oslanjajući se na objavljene kritičke radove, pre svega na kritiku nacionalnih modela Gerta Hofstedea (Geert Hofstede), u ovom radu razmatramo metodološke karakteristike komparativnih psiholoških istraživanja Ričarda Nizbeta (Richard Nisbett) predstavljenih u studiji The Geography of Thought – How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why. Razmatramo metodologiju istraživanja kroz tri aspekta: 1. ključne pretpostavke na kojima je izgrađena hipoteza – definiciju kulture/nacije, poimanje prirode razmišljanja i percepciju veze između pripadnosti kulturi i načina razmišljanja; 2. način uzorkovanja – veličinu uzorka i kriterijume odabira subjekata; i 3. način zaključivanja – opravdanost generalizacije i tumačenja korelacija. Sumirajući metodološke probleme analiziranih istraživanja razmatramo moguće načine prevazilaženja istih u budućim studijama.
Abstracts by Jelena Gledic
Talks by Jelena Gledic
As discussant: (Im)Possibilities of economic cooperation without political influence: The presenc... more As discussant: (Im)Possibilities of economic cooperation without political influence: The presence of East Asian countries in the Western Balkans
The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socio-economic development of... more The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socio-economic development of certain nations in that region, coincided with thorough examinations of nationhood, ethnicity, and cultural identity in theory, research, and policies on a global level. Following an era of imperialism, a presumed shared set of ideas and values – a sort of common worldview – allowed for the perceptions of East Asia as a relatively homogeneous whole, regardless of the many conflicts that had previously occurred between its peoples. This chapter examines contemporary academic research to determine who is perceived as East Asian when sampling populations today. Scholars blend nations into this collective label indicating ethnic and cultural belonging, and special focus is placed on discerning which nations are included and in what way. Case studies of methodological approaches in referential literature analyze whether research designs have begun to take into account the vast cultural diversity of East Asia, current trends of multiculturalism and globalization, and massive migrations, as well as how Japan is positioned within these methodologies. As today's science is likely the basis of tomorrow's policies, this study offers a relational approach to ethnic and cultural identities, while stressing the importance of responsible research.
As an introduction to potential research on cultural characteristics in the perception of emptine... more As an introduction to potential research on cultural characteristics in the perception of emptiness, this text deals with the case of Confucianism. Our aim is to give a basic introduction to the concept of emptiness in Confucian thought, but also to stress the problems of researching cultural and national differences. We provide an examination of the various views on Confucianism, and also its position in today’s China, followed by an analysis of the place of emptiness in Confucian practices, source texts, and also its very methodology and discourse, with a brief overview of similar concepts in Daoism and Buddhism. Considering that even defining Confucianism is determined as problematic, and in view of the vast body of material, we emphasize that the given analyses should be viewed only as guidelines. This paper is not conceived as a complete or definitive answer to what emptiness is in the Confucian view, but rather a study of the possible approaches to the question. We challenge the idea of providing a single interpretation in favor of pointing out the possible directions in which particular research can be developed by choosing a specific approach, theory, and material that can be analyzed in detail. We conclude with an assessment of the possibilities of conducting empirical research in this field and the potential for advancements in theory.
The Review of International Affairs/Review of international affairs, 2024
In the past decade, Sino-Serbian relations have been at unprecedented heights, with China becomin... more In the past decade, Sino-Serbian relations have been at unprecedented heights, with China becoming one of Serbia's top trading partners and investors. At the same time, the strained relations between the EU and China, and especially between the US and China, pose a challenge for Serbia. The country is caught between its EU aspirations and orientation towards the global West on the one hand and its socialist heritage on the other. In this context, this paper employs a multifaceted approach to analyse Serbian public opinion towards China, presenting prevalent perceptions and positing underlying determinants. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, a nationally representative survey is studied, and the results are interpreted in the context of historical realities, contemporary economic ties, and local and geopolitical considerations. Key findings underscore the significance of economic well-being, local politics, and global power dynamics for shaping public sentiment. Furthermore, it is shown that contemporary sentiments reshape perceptions of historical periods, even for those who lived through them. This research highlights the complexity of factors steering public opinion while at the same time emphasising its malleability. Providing a nuanced portrayal of perceptions underpinning the Sino-Serbian "Iron Friendship", this research contributes to a broader understanding of the intricate dynamics characterising contemporary international relations.
Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2020
<jats:p>Long before China promulgated the official One Belt One Road initiatives, vast netw... more <jats:p>Long before China promulgated the official One Belt One Road initiatives, vast networks of cross-border exchanges already existed across Asia and Eurasia. The dynamics of such trade and resource flows have largely been outside state control, and are pushed to the realm of the shadow economy. The official initiative is a state-driven attempt to enhance the orderly flow of resources across countries along the Belt and Road, hence extending the reach of the states to the shadow economies. This volume offers a bottom-up view of the transborder informal exchanges across Asia and Eurasia, and analyses its clash and mesh with the state-orchestrated Belt and Road cooperation. By undertaking a comparative study of country cases along the new silk roads, the book underlines the intended and unintended consequences of such competing routes of connectivity on the socio-economic conditions of local communities.</jats:p>
Amsterdam University Press eBooks, 2020
The turbulent history of the Western Balkans has led to both diverse economic development in the ... more The turbulent history of the Western Balkans has led to both diverse economic development in the region and complex relationships with China, particularly for ex-Yugoslav countries. Examining the shadow economies associated with local Chinese communities in the region is therefore of particular interest. The aim of this chapter is to analyse the complex interplay of official policies and unofficial rules, regional tensions and global interests, and the local socio-economic problems and international aspirations of countries in the region in terms of their position in the so-called Belt and Road Zone.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 25, 2021
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Feb 22, 2021
The needs analysis of the UPSKILLS project is the foundation for all subsequent project activitie... more The needs analysis of the UPSKILLS project is the foundation for all subsequent project activities. The survey of the business sector(s) hiring linguists and language professionals is the fourth step in the analysis. For this task, we administered surveys to representatives of companies that hire linguists/language specialists. The target group consists of employers from digital and data-intensive sectors, who currently might fail to identify language and linguistics graduates as a target talent pool for their business. This group is additionally expected to benefit from the co-construction and dissemination of a specific job profile with associated competences, skills and knowledge.
In recent years, Serbia has seemingly been standing out as the leading partner of China in Centra... more In recent years, Serbia has seemingly been standing out as the leading partner of China in Central and Eastern Europe, and even – relatively speaking – a significant one on a global scale. The two countries state that they share a close and longstanding friendship, which is regularly mentioned in the context of joint ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ projects that are actively being implemented or planned. However, this narrative seems to have emerged – or at least significantly intensified – only after the start of a closer economic cooperation. This paper analyzes the said change in discourse, aiming to establish when it occurred and how far its reach is, with the goal of using the answers to these research questions as a basis for understanding the underlying governing mechanisms. The hypotheses put forward are that the discourse on Sino-Serbian cultural ties emphasizing the idea of a close and long-standing friendship started only after an increase in the political and economic coopera...
The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socioeconomic development of ... more The widespread Confucian revival in East Asia, along with the rapid socioeconomic development of certain nations in that region, coincided with thorough examinations of nationhood, ethnicity , and cultural identity in theory, research, and policies on a global level. Following an era of imperialism, a presumed shared set of ideas and values—a sort of common worldview—allowed for the perceptions of East Asia as a relatively homogeneous whole, regardless of the many conflicts that had previously occurred between its peoples. This chapter examines contemporary academic research to determine who is perceived as East Asian when sampling populations today. Scholars blend nations into this collective label indicating ethnic and cultural belonging, and special focus is placed on discerning which nations are included and in what way. Case studies of methodological approaches in referential literature analyze whether research designs have begun to take into account the vast cultural diversity...
As a vivid and influential media for recording human experiences and communicating with a wide an... more As a vivid and influential media for recording human experiences and communicating with a wide and random audience, film is inevitably followed by auto-censorship of the author and censorship of the state or society. In the history of censorship, different cultures have imposed different levels of control based on the existing codes of decency in order to assure that all elements of the film have a certain function within the storyline. Since the 1960s, Western cinema has been expanding the allowed boundaries for depicting sexually explicit content because changes in the society made it necessary to include such methods in the depiction of love, intimacy and other complex aspects of romantic relationships. On the other hand, in societies that were not affected by the sexual revolution in such a way, romantic relationships are represented using other means, and sexually graphic films are either censored or not distributed because the explicitness does not lead to a better understanding of the portrayed characters and their relationships. In this paper we argue that the difference in the depiction of abstract concepts, such as love and intimacy, can be used to estimate the scope, i.e. the constituting elements of the concepts’ meaning in a certain culture.
We examined the film adaptation of the novella “Lust, Caution” (Se jie), which was officially distributed in two differently edited versions – one for China and one for the West, in addition to unofficial or pirated versions for both markets. Differences in the versions were isolated and transcribed. The romantic relationship between the two main characters was treated as a signified element and appropriate signifiers were isolated from the transcribed material. The different signifiers, as well as additional elements from the identical parts of the film, were analyzed as constituents of the meaning of intimacy and love. It was found that the modes of representation significantly differ, and these differences were then used to estimate the scope and characteristics of the concepts of intimacy and love in China and the West. The concept or meaning was observed as a uniform social convention on the content of an abstract term, without considering the variations in individual views. We argue that sexual explicitness functions as a mean for representing the Western concepts of intimacy and love which are formed in a sexually open society, whereas the same images presented to the Chinese public translate into exploitation and sexual licentiousness as they have no narrative function. Conversely, Chinese concepts of intimacy and love are presented through methods that build on the characteristics of the Chinese society, tradition and culture. The topic of this paper is put into the context of enhancing cross-cultural communication and exchange through the exploration of codes of decency.
The 20th century in China was marked by struggles to implement social changes that would on one h... more The 20th century in China was marked by struggles to implement social changes that would on one hand enable the state to reinforce its national, political and economic strength, while on the other hand bridge the gap between Western modernity and Chinese tradition. A large role in the quest for a modern China was played by Chinese intellectuals after the Revolution of 1911, namely the May Fourth Movement which included both Mainland and overseas communities. The social revolution was followed by literary movements which embodied the rise of individual intellectual consciousness. One of the main concerns of the authors was whether there is any use in attempting a revolution or individual political engagement in a society which is based on a strong collectivist tradition and an ideology that presupposes constant change. A logical step in dealing with this issue was rejecting all tradition and adopting either completely new ideologies, or ideas from the West. However, any social change, although based on individual action, would have to be implemented onto the nation as a whole, which meant that it could only be grafted onto the existing worldview. Also, the intellectuals were aware that completely rejecting the past might weaken the state’s national strength. This meant that modern individuality and revolution had to be considered in light of the traditional view on society and change.
In this paper we consider the use of literature as a vessel for social change in China between the two World Wars. Through the interpretation of Western ideas, literature and characters in Chinese writing, we examine the way authors attempted to balance the Western individualist ideals with the Chinese collectivist ideology. We focus on essays and literary works written by prominent Chinese intellectuals in their attempt to find the best possible way to raise awareness for the need for social change. We explore the methods used to convey social issues, while also discussing the actual value and effect of writing as a mode of instigating social change through individual action. The interpretation of Western theories and concepts in the Chinese context is also considered, especially the application of the Western idea of female emancipation onto the idea of the general liberation of individualism. The results of these intellectuals’ struggles are interpreted in the context of the formation of modern individuality in China, which represents an exemplary model of a Western notion with Chinese characteristics – an approach that was later used for the adoption of other ideas and ideologies from the West.
Rezultati studija među-kulturalnih i među-nacionalnih razlika decenijama pronalaze primenu u sfer... more Rezultati studija među-kulturalnih i među-nacionalnih razlika decenijama pronalaze primenu u sferi upravljanja i poslovanja, dok se u naučnim krugovima brojnih disciplina čije se metode primenjuju u ovim multidisciplinarnim analizama često raspravlja o validnosti prikazanih procesa istraživanja i zaključivanja. Oslanjajući se na objavljene kritičke radove, pre svega na kritiku nacionalnih modela Gerta Hofstedea (Geert Hofstede), u ovom radu razmatramo metodološke karakteristike komparativnih psiholoških istraživanja Ričarda Nizbeta (Richard Nisbett) predstavljenih u studiji The Geography of Thought – How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why. Razmatramo metodologiju istraživanja kroz tri aspekta: 1. ključne pretpostavke na kojima je izgrađena hipoteza – definiciju kulture/nacije, poimanje prirode razmišljanja i percepciju veze između pripadnosti kulturi i načina razmišljanja; 2. način uzorkovanja – veličinu uzorka i kriterijume odabira subjekata; i 3. način zaključivanja – opravdanost generalizacije i tumačenja korelacija. Sumirajući metodološke probleme analiziranih istraživanja razmatramo moguće načine prevazilaženja istih u budućim studijama.
As discussant: (Im)Possibilities of economic cooperation without political influence: The presenc... more As discussant: (Im)Possibilities of economic cooperation without political influence: The presence of East Asian countries in the Western Balkans