Papers by Katarina Pavičić-Ivelja
As the very title suggests, in this thesis I will aim to provide a brief analysis of the science ... more As the very title suggests, in this thesis I will aim to provide a brief analysis of the science fiction genre as a critique and reflection of the soc
JEWS HAVE SIX SENSES Touch, taste, sight, smell, hearing ... memory. While Gentiles experience an... more JEWS HAVE SIX SENSES Touch, taste, sight, smell, hearing ... memory. While Gentiles experience and process the world through the traditional senses, and use memory only as a secondorder means of interpreting events, for Jews memory is no less primary than the prick of a pin, or its silver glimmer, or the taste of the blood it pulls from the finger. The Jew is pricked by a pin and remembers other pins. It is only by tracing the pinprick back to other pinpricks – when his mother tried to fix his sleeve while his arm was still in it, when his grandfather’s fingers fell asleep from stroking his great-grandfather’s damp forehead, when Abraham tested the knife point to be sure Isaac would feel no pain – that the Jew is able to know why it hurts. When a Jew encounters a pin, he asks: What does it remember like? (Foer, ch. 18) Memory took the place of terror. In their efforts to remember what it was they were trying so hard to remember, they could finally think over the fear of war. (Foer, ...
In his eight volume (and one novella) series The Dark Tower Stephen King presents a reader with a... more In his eight volume (and one novella) series The Dark Tower Stephen King presents a reader with an image of a world similar to our own, or it could ev
The following paper aims to analyze the historical background of the current happenings such as t... more The following paper aims to analyze the historical background of the current happenings such as the Kurdish endeavors towards independence and the strengthening of feminist thought, as well as cultural and political circumstances which put into motion a series of events that ultimately lead to a radical change in the political and social climate of the present day Syria. In the midst of a civil war, the Kurdish people seized the opportunity to fight for their own sovereignty in northern Syria, or as it is known by the Kurds – Rojava. Rooted in the strongly progressive idea of Democratic Confederalism designed by a Kurdish nationalist leader and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) founder Abdullah Öcalan, the Rojava Revolution is often deemed one of the greatest social experiments of our time. Even though the implementation of Democratic Confederalism may be in itself enough to highlight the importance of this revolution in the context of today’s Middle East, what is of even greater s...
Balkan Perspectives, 2020
This is feminist edition of Balkan Perspectives. We envisioned this edition as a first-person, th... more This is feminist edition of Balkan Perspectives. We envisioned this edition as a first-person, third-person testimony of women whose rights and fights have lasted for generations in the Western Balkans. The ethical horizon of this issue is inscribed in the expertise, experiences, reflections, data and facts of all female authors who are themselves part of the feminist struggle for equality. This brought repercussions, exile,
and an unwavering determination that these struggles would not cease. Here we open important topics, collect and summarise the status of women in the Western Balkans and propose solutions.
Antropologija, 2020
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to provide a critical review of the popular forms of representation of t... more ABSTRACT
This paper aims to provide a critical review of the popular forms of representation of the Revolution in Rojava and provide a departure from the Eurocentric perception of anti-capitalist/feminist movements, as well as to present possible forms of effective international cooperation devoid of the domination of the privileged Western views. Over the past years, the phenomenon of the Women’s Revolution in Rojava – officially known as the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria – has, thanks to its unique structure in the context of contemporary revolutionary movements and above all the specific theoretical background based on feminism, Democratic Confederalism and ecology, captured the attention of many Western left-wing movements and groups. But, while popularity among the Western left is unquestionable, what needs addressing, in the context of the aforementioned popularity, is a worrying level of orientalization and fetishization of the revolutionary struggle itself, as well as all of its participants – such as the members of the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) who have often been depicted inadequately and superficially, viewed through a Western, patriarchal lens that portrays women solely as objects intended for male enjoyment and subjects Middle Eastern women to the so-called ‘Western gaze’ even within ‘alternative’ spaces. It is possible to argue that the Revolution in Rojava is therefore mostly presented in two ways the interaction of which is most evident on the example of its female participants – which will be the focus of this paper. On the one hand, it became the revolution of stereotypical ‘beauties with guns’ whose beauty and gentleness represent a counterbalance to the barbarism of ISIS fighters, while their weapon wielding skills allow them to depart from the patriarchal norms only to the extent that is sufficient to fulfil the male fantasy of a ‘warrior woman’. On the other hand, the ‘Western gaze’ aims to reduce this truly innovative revolutionary social movement to an ‘exotic experiment’ which, though interesting, cannot be accepted as equal to the civilizational successes of the capitalist West and the privileged view of a large part of the left that operates within its framework, due to the West’s perceived superiority over ‘others’. By failing to rid the anti-capitalist feminist movements such as that in Rojava of the Western framework, the two previously mentioned narratives of the revolution contribute to the ‘perpetual otherness’ of many anti-capitalist feminist struggles, thus weakening and disunifying both women’s and left-wing movements. The constant perpetuation of the non-legitimate dichotomy between the ‘superior us’ (Western feminism / left) and the ‘inferior them’ (non-Western feminism / left) imposed by the hierarchical nature of Western capitalist societies – which results in a deepening of the division among related movements – renders cooperation and international action more difficult, while simultaneously enforcing the foundations of the existing patriarchal-capitalist status quo.
Key words: Rojava Revolution, YPJ, orientalization, objectification, Western gaze, anticapitalist feminism, eurocentrism
Zeničke sveske, 2018
Ako obratite pažnju na članke prisutne u raznim kako svjetskim tako i domaćim medijima, sasvim je... more Ako obratite pažnju na članke prisutne u raznim kako svjetskim tako i domaćim medijima, sasvim je lako primijetiti ne-mali broj naslova koji koriste neku varijaciju šablone 'Prva žena na/u __________'. Dok u samom isticanju i reprezentaciji navedenih žena u medijskom prostoru kao simbola pomaka unaprijed u kontekstu ostvarenja rodne ravnopravnosti ne postoji apsolutno ništa sporno, često slavljenje istih kao feminističkih ikona našeg doba isključivo na temelju njihove 'prvosti' ili pak slavljenje tek naizgled postignutog percipiranog društvenog napretka u pogledu uspješne uspostave inkluzivnog sistema lišenog nejednakosti, ponekad je u najmanju ruku pretjerano, ako ne i sasvim neutemeljeno. Dok se razlog za odbijanjem proglašavanja određene ličnosti feminističkom heroinom odnosi na djelovanje konkretne žene o kojoj se u određenom slučaju radi, razlog koji stoji iza općenitog odbijanja slavljenja 'prvosti' bilo koje žene o kojoj je riječ vrlo često leži u činjenici da isto ni na koji način ne predstavlja korak ka povoljnijem položaju za sve niti čini išta više od puke iluzije ukidanja sveprisutne društvenim uređenjem uzrokovane nejednakosti za koju je moguće tvrditi da disproporcionalno pogađa žene kao skupinu diskriminiranu kako na temelju roda tako i na temelju nebrojenih drugih faktora koji pak pogađaju i žene i muškarce.
As the very title suggests, in this thesis I will aim to provide a brief analysis of the science ... more As the very title suggests, in this thesis I will aim to provide a brief analysis of the science fiction genre as a critique and reflection of the socio-political climate. Namely, I will base my analysis on the events mainly surrounding the notion of reproductive rights of women present in Margaret Atwood's novel titled The Handmaid's Tale. The choice of a novel is such because The Handmaid's Tale could easily be regarded as one of the most applicable political critiques and most relatable reflections of a socio-political climate seemingly regardless of the time and place in which it is analyzed or to which it is compared. This extensive account of a society plagued by restrictions where women's reproductive rights seem to be completely absent proves to be an excellent ground for exploring socio-political inequality present in various times and places regarding women, but also all the people. Aside from drawing parallels with some current events that eerily seem to correspond to the events of the novel, I will also provide an analysis on three different levels:
1. An analysis of the notion of reproductive rights in a literal sense,
2. Reproductive rights as an allegorical representation of the Marxist theory of (social) reproduction,
3. Reproductive rights as a reflection of a dominant male-submissive female dynamics and the influence of that dynamics on other societal structures, explored through the concept of Jineology
The following paper aims to analyze the historical background of the current happenings such as t... more The following paper aims to analyze the historical background of the current happenings such as the Kurdish endeavors towards independence and the strengthening of feminist thought, as well as cultural and political circumstances which put into motion a series of events that ultimately lead to a radical change in the political and social climate of the present day Syria. In the midst of a civil war, the Kurdish people seized the opportunity to fight for their own sovereignty in northern Syria, or as it is known by the Kurds – Rojava. Rooted in the strongly progressive idea of Democratic Confederalism designed by a Kurdish nationalist leader and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) founder Abdullah Öcalan, the Rojava Revolution is often deemed one of the greatest social experiments of our time. Even though the implementation of Democratic Confederalism may be in itself enough to highlight the importance of this revolution in the context of today's Middle East, what is of even greater significance is the blossoming of women's rights in Rojava. Another one of Öcalan's pivotal ideas, known as Jineology (the science of women) puts none other than women at the very center of the revolution. By observing the work of the all-female Women's Protection Units (YPJ) it is clearly evident that the aforementioned ideology manifests itself in practice, not only in the battlefield, but in everyday life as well. In this paper I will try to provide an overview of the historical circumstances that allowed for a spark that started the fire of the Women's Revolution within one of the most patriarchal societies and among one of the most repressed minorities in the world today and further examine the significance of the current situation in Rojava.
Everything is NOT Illuminated: The Post-Holocaust Reinvention of the Jewish Identity, Jun 10, 2016
Jonathan Safran Foer's first novel " Everything is Illuminated " poignantly explores the subject ... more Jonathan Safran Foer's first novel " Everything is Illuminated " poignantly explores the subject of one of the most tragic events in human history – the Holocaust. However, the aforementioned work proves to be anything but an ordinary tale of woe and suffering. Through an intricate web of the protagonist's (and the very author's namesake) ancestry the novel familiarizes the reader with the circumstances which lead to a present day, young, American Jew making his way to Ukraine, the land of his ancestors, in search of truth about his Holocaust survivor grandfather. As the author himself does in the novel, I decided to shift the focus from the past onto the people of today which is the reason why in this essay I aim to further explore the impact of the Holocaust on present day Jewish identity, the changes it caused, and the imminent, irreversible mark it left not only on the Jews, but on the society as a whole.
In his eight volume (and one novella) series The Dark Tower Stephen King presents a reader with a... more In his eight volume (and one novella) series The Dark Tower Stephen King presents a reader with an image of a world similar to our own, or it could even be argued, an alternate version of its very own future tainted by germ warfare and a nuclear catastrophe of disastrous global consequences. Throughout the series, King draws upon various elements commonly present in futuristic and post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels (even though The Dark Tower does not fall, in its own right, solely under that single genre) one of them also being the possibility of travelling through time and traversing freely the boundaries between parallel universes. In the first book of the series King acquaints the reader with the character of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger on an epic quest to reach the now collapsing Dark Tower which is believed to be the nexus of all existence containing within itself all that is space and time. Throughout the entire duration of Roland’s quest, the reader is confronted with many a philosophical issue stemming from the notion of the collapsing Tower causing time and space to change and distort. The grandfather paradox and the bootstrap paradox (both temporal paradoxes) are only two of many philosophical issues put forth by King in what can be considered his magnum opus. I will hereby try to accentuate the significance of time and various temporal paradoxes and demonstrate why the understanding of the aforementioned in the novels is crucial for successful and more comprehensible reading of the series.
Harold Pinter's second full length play and one of his best-known works, 'The Birthday Party, fol... more Harold Pinter's second full length play and one of his best-known works, 'The Birthday Party, follows a set of unique and intricately complicated characters confined within the walls of a 1950s English seaside boarding house not too far from London. To offer better
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Papers by Katarina Pavičić-Ivelja
and an unwavering determination that these struggles would not cease. Here we open important topics, collect and summarise the status of women in the Western Balkans and propose solutions.
This paper aims to provide a critical review of the popular forms of representation of the Revolution in Rojava and provide a departure from the Eurocentric perception of anti-capitalist/feminist movements, as well as to present possible forms of effective international cooperation devoid of the domination of the privileged Western views. Over the past years, the phenomenon of the Women’s Revolution in Rojava – officially known as the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria – has, thanks to its unique structure in the context of contemporary revolutionary movements and above all the specific theoretical background based on feminism, Democratic Confederalism and ecology, captured the attention of many Western left-wing movements and groups. But, while popularity among the Western left is unquestionable, what needs addressing, in the context of the aforementioned popularity, is a worrying level of orientalization and fetishization of the revolutionary struggle itself, as well as all of its participants – such as the members of the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) who have often been depicted inadequately and superficially, viewed through a Western, patriarchal lens that portrays women solely as objects intended for male enjoyment and subjects Middle Eastern women to the so-called ‘Western gaze’ even within ‘alternative’ spaces. It is possible to argue that the Revolution in Rojava is therefore mostly presented in two ways the interaction of which is most evident on the example of its female participants – which will be the focus of this paper. On the one hand, it became the revolution of stereotypical ‘beauties with guns’ whose beauty and gentleness represent a counterbalance to the barbarism of ISIS fighters, while their weapon wielding skills allow them to depart from the patriarchal norms only to the extent that is sufficient to fulfil the male fantasy of a ‘warrior woman’. On the other hand, the ‘Western gaze’ aims to reduce this truly innovative revolutionary social movement to an ‘exotic experiment’ which, though interesting, cannot be accepted as equal to the civilizational successes of the capitalist West and the privileged view of a large part of the left that operates within its framework, due to the West’s perceived superiority over ‘others’. By failing to rid the anti-capitalist feminist movements such as that in Rojava of the Western framework, the two previously mentioned narratives of the revolution contribute to the ‘perpetual otherness’ of many anti-capitalist feminist struggles, thus weakening and disunifying both women’s and left-wing movements. The constant perpetuation of the non-legitimate dichotomy between the ‘superior us’ (Western feminism / left) and the ‘inferior them’ (non-Western feminism / left) imposed by the hierarchical nature of Western capitalist societies – which results in a deepening of the division among related movements – renders cooperation and international action more difficult, while simultaneously enforcing the foundations of the existing patriarchal-capitalist status quo.
Key words: Rojava Revolution, YPJ, orientalization, objectification, Western gaze, anticapitalist feminism, eurocentrism
1. An analysis of the notion of reproductive rights in a literal sense,
2. Reproductive rights as an allegorical representation of the Marxist theory of (social) reproduction,
3. Reproductive rights as a reflection of a dominant male-submissive female dynamics and the influence of that dynamics on other societal structures, explored through the concept of Jineology
and an unwavering determination that these struggles would not cease. Here we open important topics, collect and summarise the status of women in the Western Balkans and propose solutions.
This paper aims to provide a critical review of the popular forms of representation of the Revolution in Rojava and provide a departure from the Eurocentric perception of anti-capitalist/feminist movements, as well as to present possible forms of effective international cooperation devoid of the domination of the privileged Western views. Over the past years, the phenomenon of the Women’s Revolution in Rojava – officially known as the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria – has, thanks to its unique structure in the context of contemporary revolutionary movements and above all the specific theoretical background based on feminism, Democratic Confederalism and ecology, captured the attention of many Western left-wing movements and groups. But, while popularity among the Western left is unquestionable, what needs addressing, in the context of the aforementioned popularity, is a worrying level of orientalization and fetishization of the revolutionary struggle itself, as well as all of its participants – such as the members of the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) who have often been depicted inadequately and superficially, viewed through a Western, patriarchal lens that portrays women solely as objects intended for male enjoyment and subjects Middle Eastern women to the so-called ‘Western gaze’ even within ‘alternative’ spaces. It is possible to argue that the Revolution in Rojava is therefore mostly presented in two ways the interaction of which is most evident on the example of its female participants – which will be the focus of this paper. On the one hand, it became the revolution of stereotypical ‘beauties with guns’ whose beauty and gentleness represent a counterbalance to the barbarism of ISIS fighters, while their weapon wielding skills allow them to depart from the patriarchal norms only to the extent that is sufficient to fulfil the male fantasy of a ‘warrior woman’. On the other hand, the ‘Western gaze’ aims to reduce this truly innovative revolutionary social movement to an ‘exotic experiment’ which, though interesting, cannot be accepted as equal to the civilizational successes of the capitalist West and the privileged view of a large part of the left that operates within its framework, due to the West’s perceived superiority over ‘others’. By failing to rid the anti-capitalist feminist movements such as that in Rojava of the Western framework, the two previously mentioned narratives of the revolution contribute to the ‘perpetual otherness’ of many anti-capitalist feminist struggles, thus weakening and disunifying both women’s and left-wing movements. The constant perpetuation of the non-legitimate dichotomy between the ‘superior us’ (Western feminism / left) and the ‘inferior them’ (non-Western feminism / left) imposed by the hierarchical nature of Western capitalist societies – which results in a deepening of the division among related movements – renders cooperation and international action more difficult, while simultaneously enforcing the foundations of the existing patriarchal-capitalist status quo.
Key words: Rojava Revolution, YPJ, orientalization, objectification, Western gaze, anticapitalist feminism, eurocentrism
1. An analysis of the notion of reproductive rights in a literal sense,
2. Reproductive rights as an allegorical representation of the Marxist theory of (social) reproduction,
3. Reproductive rights as a reflection of a dominant male-submissive female dynamics and the influence of that dynamics on other societal structures, explored through the concept of Jineology