Bøger af Mitja Velikonja

In this study I'm not asking "who Tito was in reality", what his role in history was or how he was praised/hated in his time. My subject of interest is diametrically opposite: What does he mean here and now to some? The phenomenon of nostalgia is my field of research, so my question is why for some Tito is still or (even more intriguingly) anew a positive figure. Why does he continue to be an inspiration for people even today? In this study, I do not look back, but around me. I¿m not interested in the old Titoism, but in the new one; not in Tito before and after, but only after. I¿m interested in his ¿life after death¿ or ¿life after life.¿ My questions do not relate to late Broz, but Tito that still ¿lives,¿ and not to an ¿unknown¿ Broz, but the well-known one ¿ Tito whose signifiers can still be seen in the streets, on facades, in souvenirs shops, in newspapers, at events commemorating his birthday or death, and in the fond memories and beliefs held by people across the former "Titös" Yugoslavia.

ust a game? This intriguing visual title looks deep into the underbelly of football (soccer) fandom, featuring a vast photographic archive of fans'' graffiti and street art captured by a pioneering ''graffitologist''. At the intersection of the street and sport we find themes of the day: how racial, ethnic, and class tensions play out in visual culture.On the fringe of sports culture are the Ultras, the football fans whose pyrotechnics, chants, wildly creative stunts, and hooliganism are infamous. Using selections from his archive containing hundreds of photographs of Ultras'' street art and graffiti, including everything from elaborate murals to stickers to "scratchitto" incisions and spray-paint duels, award-winning author Mitja Velikonja introduces readers to the visual iconography of a fascinating underworld.The Ultra subculture is built by "no-bodys," the anonymous (primarily) men whose attachments to their teams, specifically in Europe and post-socialist states, sometimes cross the lines into nationalist sentiments and militaristic "Blood and Soil" extremism. After examining general themes and trends in street art and tifo club graffiti, Velikonja embarks on a case study of fans from his native Slovenia and touches on the roles of neighboring football fans in the Balkan Wars. He continues with an analysis of political and socially progressive graffiti, local trends and circumstances, as well as its role in the United States. As he peels back layers of misinformation and misrepresentation, he cues our understanding of factional mindsets within histories of political instability, arguing for dissensus being a critical element to democracies. In the end, we understand that while always under siege, the ultra-fans require nothing less than fidelity and devotion, but precisely to what can be determined - it''s anyone''s game to call.

This interdisciplinary examination of present-day identities and histories of the former Yugoslavia explores relationships with the social, political, cultural and historical 'facts and fictions' that have marked the different parts of the region. It shows that while nationalism remains important other social dynamics also exert a strong influence.