General information
Code: N5-0396 Kočan
Period: 1.1.2025 - 31.12.2026
Project leader at FDV: doc.dr. Faris Kočan
Co-financiers: Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost.
Research activity: Social sciences
Abstract
The project “The Hidden Agency of the Demonized: Alternative Socio-Political Ordering(s) in Southeast European Post-Conflict Societies” explores how individuals and groups in post-conflict societies challenge dominant political and social structures and what role they play in reshaping existing socio-political orders.
In many societies of Southeast Europe, marked by the legacy of wars and ethnic conflicts, political systems often rest on ethnonational divisions and institutionalized forms of political power. At the same time, however, these environments also contain practices of critical agency and resistance that seek to transcend such divisions and create alternative forms of social and political coexistence.
The project focuses on the question of how and why certain forms of critical social agency succeed in challenging dominant socio-political orders, while others remain marginalized or fail to produce broader societal impact. Particular attention is given to linking the micro level - the actions of individuals, groups, and local initiatives - with the macro level of broader political, social, and historical structures that shape post-conflict societies.
The empirical research is based on a comparative analysis of case studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, where researchers will examine different forms of critical agency, civic initiatives, and practices of resistance. Through fieldwork, interviews, and the analysis of social processes, the project investigates under which conditions such practices influence broader socio-political relations and when and why their effects remain limited.
The aim of the project is to develop a framework for understanding the relationship between power and resistance in post-conflict societies, and to contribute to a deeper understanding of social processes in Southeast Europe.
The project is led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faris Kočan (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences). The research team includes Assistant Anđela Đorđević, Assistant Dr. Melika Mahmutović, Prof. Dr. Rok Zupančič, and Assistant Aleksandar Jekić.
The phases of the project and their realization
The project “The Hidden Agency of the Demonized: Alternative Socio-Political Ordering(s) in Southeast European Post-Conflict Societies” is structured into several interconnected phases that together aim to better understand how practices of critical agency challenge dominant socio-political orders in post-conflict societies.
The first phase of the project focuses on conceptual and theoretical framework. During this stage, the research team conducts a comprehensive review of the existing literature on peacebuilding, resistance, and socio-political transformations in post-conflict societies. The goal of this phase is to identify key theoretical approaches and develop a conceptual framework for analysing the relationship between power and resistance.
The second phase is dedicated to empirical research. The project concentrates on case studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, where researchers examine different forms of critical agency, civic initiatives, and practices that challenge dominant socio-political arrangements. Through fieldwork, in-depth interviews, and the analysis of local social dynamics, the project collects empirical evidence on how such practices emerge and operate in post-conflict contexts.
In the third phase, the collected data are systematically analysed and interpreted. The research team compares the identified practices of critical agency across the selected cases in order to understand why certain initiatives succeed in influencing broader socio-political dynamics, while others remain marginal or fail to achieve lasting impact.
The final phase of the project focuses on theoretical development and dissemination of results. Based on the empirical findings, the project attempts to develop a framework for scrutinizing the relationship between power and resistance in post-conflict societies. The results will be shared through publications, conference presentations, and engagement with the wider research community.
Research Organisation
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/22605
Researchers
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/22605
Citations for bibliographic records
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/22605
Key words
alternative orders, bosnia and herzegovina, etnonationalism, kosovo, post-conflict societies, power, resistance, western balkans
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG16 | Peace, justice and strong intitutions
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