Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Sex role – Balkan Peninsula – 20th century »

Jovan Cvijic was a great geographer from the first half of 20th century. In this article, we considered the issue of position and role that Serbia has at Balkan Peninsula, in the context of Cvijic's theory about 'characteristics of integration and permeation', as well as about the opposite 'characteristics of isolation and separation'. This theory has become important in recent time through its relation with the 'center-periphery' theory. The aim of this article is to compare Cvijic's images of the position of Serbia at the first half of 20th century with present situation.

Abstract The current study presents some aspects of syphilis in the Balkan Peninsula from the 19th century until the Interwar. Ever since the birth of modern Balkan States (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Serbia), urbanization, poverty and the frequent wars have been considered the major factors conducive to the spread of syphilis. The measures against sex work and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were taken in two aspects, one medical and the other legislative. In this period, numerous hospitals for venereal diseases were established in the Balkan countries. In line with the international diagnostic approach and therapeutic standards, laboratory examinations in these Balkan hospitals included spirochete examination, Wassermann reaction, precipitation reaction and cerebrospinal fluid examination. Despite the strict legislation and the adoption of relevant laws against illegal sex work, public health services were unable to curb the spread of syphilis. Medical and social factors such as poverty, citizen’s ignorance of STDs, misguided medical perceptions, lack of sanitary control of prostitution and epidemiological studies, are highlighted in this study. These factors were the major causes that helped syphilis spread in the Balkan countries during the 19th and early 20th century. The value of these aspects as a historic paradigm is diachronic. Failure to comply with the laws and the dysfunction of public services during periods of war or socioeconomic crises are both factors facilitating the spread of STDs.

Thufur (earth hummocks) are small periglacial landforms typical for subpolar latitudes, as well as for the high alpine areas at lower latitudes. Their presence in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula was spotted during the mid-20th century. In this paper we analyze morphometry and morphology of thufur in the context of physio-geographical conditions for their formation. The main aims are to inventorize the thufur in the study area and to determine the physio-geographical factors which enabled their formation at non-zonal elevations. Statistical analysis was performed on the sample of 305 thufur mapped in the field, measuring their circumference, height, and delineating their areas. Classification of the results revealed morphological varieties in terms of horizontal and vertical development. The elevation of the sampling location Ponor is 1,410 m a.s.l., which is considerably lower than the zonal periglaciation in Serbia, at approx. 1,900 m. Therefore, the role of relief as a climate modifier is analyzed in the context of conditions for the azonal development of periglaciation process. Topographical conditions for thufur formation were analyzed through slope inclinations and vertical dissection, determined using the Digital Elevation Model over Europe with 25 m resolution.

Defence date: 28 October 2005
Examining board: Prof. Marcus Banks, Oxford University, UK ; Prof. Victoria de Grazia, EUI/Columbia University, USA (supervisor) ; Prof. Robert M. Hayden, University of Pittsburgh,USA ; Prof. Regina Schulte, EUI/Bochum Universität, Germany (co-supervisor)
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digitised archive of EUI PhD theses completed between 2013 and 2017

Modern-day Trieste keeps following its tradition by maintaining its status of a border city for the Roman and Slavic civilization. For the new Croatian settlers who began to play an essential role from XIX century onwards the city was a window to the world and an attractive place for the contact with the European civilization. As the Croatian diaspora had to make difficult experiences in the 20th century as well as socio-political changes after 1990, especially on the Balkan Peninsula (the fall of communist regimes, the establishment of new structures of the European Union) substantially changed the relationship between Croats and Italians.