The role of popular music in the construction of gender identities in postsocialist Serbia

Predmet ove disertacije je uloga popularne muzike u konstruisanju rodnih identiteta u postsocijalističkoj Srbiji. Fokus je na savremenim oblicima folk muzike. Polazim od teze da je scena ove muzike pokazatelj promena u društvu, pa tako i transformacije rodnih identiteta. Analiziram procese konstrukcije rodnih identiteta na estradi, odnosno među afirmisanim izvođačima i izvođačicama, ali i u uslužnim delatnostima gde rade neafirmisani. Cilj je da se mapiraju promene ne samo u odnosu na socijalistički period, nego i između različitih faza postsocijalističke transformacije. U tu svrhu koristim analizu tekstova pesama, video spotova i scenskih identiteta, kao i etnografiju odnosno posmatranje, neformalne razgovore i intervjue sa izvođačima i gostima u mestima gde se ova muzika svira i pušta. Nakon rekapitulacije najvažnijih procesa u socijalizmu, analiziram promene kroz različite faze postsocijalističke transformacije, pokazujući kako se menjala veza sa nacionalizmom i kako ovaj segment popularne kulture sve vreme prati, pa čak i anticipira uvođenje tržišnih odnosa. Analiziram njegov odnos sa najvažnijim narativima društva u transformaciji – nacijom i evropskim integracijama, ali i sa do sad zanemarenim pitanjima kao što su rad u ovoj vrsti muzike i klasno raslojavanje na sceni. Pokazujem kako on nudi mnogo više modela od paradigme koja mu se obično pripisuje – nacionalističke, heteronormativne i patrijarhalne, ali i kako ostaje čvrsto užljebljen u kapitalističke procese i odnoseThe topic of this dissertation is the role of popular music in the construction of gender identities in post-socialist Serbia. Its focus is on contemporary forms of folk music. My starting point is the claim that this music scene indicates changes in the society, as well as the transformation of gender identities. I will analyze the construction processes of gender identities in the show business, i.e. among the affirmed performers, as well as in the service sector where the non-affirmed work. The goal is to map the changes not only regarding the socialist period, but also between different phases of the post-socialist transformation. For that purpose I will use the analysis of song lyrics, videos and scene identities, as well as the ethnography, i.e. observation, informal conversations and interviewing the performers and the guests at the places where this kind of music is played and listened to. After recapitulation of the most important processes in the socialism, I will analyze the changes through various phases of post-socialist transformation and show how the connection with nationalism has been changing and how this segment of the popular culture is constantly following, even anticipating, the introduction of the market relations. I will describe its relation with the most important narratives of the society in the transformation – the nation and the European integrations, but also with the hitherto neglected questions such as working in this type of music and class division in the show business. I will likewise show that it offers many more models than it is usually attributed to – nationalist, heteronormative and patriarchal, as well as the way in which it remains firmly integrated into capitalistic processes and relation