Projects / Programmes
MEDITERRANEAN SLOVENIA AS A CONVERGENCE POINT OF EUROPEAN HISTORY
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.01.00 |
Humanities |
Historiography |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H003 |
Humanities |
History and Arts |
history, Mediterranean Slovenia, boundary, borderland, historical demography, economic history, social history, identities, elites, urban area, rural area, digitalization of cultural heritage
Researchers (9)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The project “Mediterranean Slovenia as the Convergence Point of European Histories” focuses primarily on the contiguity, borderness and interactivity of the Slovenian Mediterranean environment, while placing said characteristics in the central position also through the view of historiography. Namely, central attention is given to the observation of the meeting, overlapping and intertwining of various political, economic and cultural worlds, flows of thoughts and ideas, and social forms and practices, which meet in said environment, as well as to the comparison of the indicated features with the Mediterranean ones. The placing of the history of the Slovenian Mediterranean environment into the European historiographical framework is based, in particular, on the application of the methodological apparatus, which is already established in European and world historiography and whereby we would like to place the studies of said environment side-by-side with the global studies, as well as on the application of information technology with a view to enabling the establishment of databases and processing thereof. Namely, it is a question of approaches, such as, for instance, the “macro” view of social and economic structures and periods “of long duration”, on the one hand, and “micro” view of the subjective world and history of individuals, on the other, while, at the same time, it is also a question of the comparative approach within the European context and other contemporary (both quantitative and qualitative) interpretation approaches. In terms of contents, the project will consider the following: the nature of economic and social contacts and ties in the Slovenian Primorska as a Mediterranean environment; social and economic developments and their effects in said environment; comparison of penal systems in the light of the function of the penal system and perceptions of jurisprudence in society; demographic (in particular, emigration) trends at the structural level and from the point of view of behaviour of individuals and small groups; social aspects of borderness; formation of national identities and national movements; multiculturality of maritime towns and Slavic reciprocity; cooperation between political, economic and cultural elites of various Slavic communities in the area of Trieste and Primorje; role of the clergy and the Church, political and cultural elites in said environment; impact of the border on the life of the border population and the formation and alteration of the ethnic image of territories; and the impact of the changes in border demarcation on identities and on social and private life of the Primorska “little man”. All these processes and phenomena will be observed in the light of the dynamics characteristic of the context in which they unfold and their specific Mediterranean nature placed in the European social-historical developments, i.e. in particular through comparison with the Central European environment.
Significance for science
The project results facilitate the development of science owing to the inclusion of Slovene history in the concatenation of European history, the use of the latest methodological approaches and upgrading of methodological instruments, the upgrading and further development of the basic research fields involved in the project, and the application of new technologies to the fields of historiography and intangible and tangible cultural heritage in the Slovene area.
In addition, the project has facilitated the development of science by generating new scientific findings related to the following topics:
- Redefinition of the relation between the city and its hinterland in the Primorska region;
- Analysis of agrarian economy and society, non-agrarian activities, mobility of the rural
population in the Primorska hinterland and its impact on the formation of cultural landscape;
- Conception of demographic indicators and models, and the inclusion of the local developments into the context of European demographic history;
- Presentation of economic specifics of Primorska coastal towns from the point of view of their geographical position in a coastal border area;
- Analysis of Habsburg and Venetian penalty codes, with special emphasis on the crucial
similarities such as the function of the penalty system and the perception of law in society;
- Mechanisms of the formation and restructuring of elites dependent on power shifts and
identity changes, and Slavic reciprocity in Primorska;
- Role of Primorska elites in the formation of Slovene national identity and nation;
- Attitude of the Church towards national movements, elites, and political groups and
authorities in Primorska;
- Presentation of social aspects of the border status, the impact of the border on people’s daily life and their life strategies, the impact of changing borders on the ethnic structure of the area.
The project also takes into account the common man’s experience by using research methods that, as far as research on the modern age is concerned, will take into consideration judicial records and personal documents such as applications, diaries, books of account, etc., which not only offer valuable insights into personal perception of social life, but also disclose concepts and value system of a certain society and its cultural practices. In order to study the 20th century history, we will use the methodology of oral history since personal narratives deepen the understanding of the past.
Special emphasis was dedicated by the members of the project team in applying new, transnational concepts in the field, following the contributions of international historiography (border studies, history of regions, comparative history, entangled history, history of multiethnic spaces).
Significance for the country
The project results enhance Slovene historiography from the points of view of both contents and methodology, thus enabling better inclusion and placing of Slovene history in the wider European historioraphic context.
In terms of historical research, the Slovene region of Primorska is an important subject of research both at national and European level since for centuries the area was a meeting point of not only political, economic and cultural currents characteristic of the Mediterranean and central Europe, but also Slovene, Italian, German, South Slavic and Ottoman worlds. In addition, the region used to function as the border area between eastern and western Europe due to which it witnessed a number of ethnic, national and ideological conflicts. Not only that it lies at the very intersection of all these elements, this part of Slovenia was and still is the Slovene gate onto the Mediterranean. Its cultural and historical heritage is of vital importance for a comprehensive understanding of Slovene culture and history as it, partly different from the heritage of continental Slovenia, complements the latter. So far, it has not been fully integrated into Slovene national consciousness and identity yet.
The research project has therefore facilitated the inclusion of Mediterranean topics into Slovene historiography as it has investigated thematic segments that complement the agenda of Slovene historiography. The project has led to discovery of new scientific findings and basic scientific principles by analytically and synthetically addressing the impacts, intensity and causality of certain social and cultural shifts in the area. By placing the research results within the larger social and historical context, the project will improve the understanding of this basic research field and facilitate the development of Slovene scientific terminology.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
