Andrej Gogora ed. 
- Jaroslava Panáková ed.
- Jaroslava Panáková ed. Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology
Abstract
This publication represents the first instalment in the series Challenges and Directions in Slovak Ethnology and Anthropology. The book offers a comprehensive and theoretically engaged examination of contemporary issues in Slovakia through the lens of local anthropology. It brings together leading Slovak ethnologists and anthropologists to explore themes such as political polarisation, migration, religious devotion, and methodological innovation.
The volume is divided into two sections. The first focuses on contemporary challenges, analysing key sociopolitical developments, including the assassination attempt on Slovakia’s Prime Minister, the housing crisis for Ukrainian refugees, and the evolving role of Marian devotion. The second section introduces emerging methodologies, highlighting new approaches in ethnographic practice, such as sensory ethnography in environmental anthropology and the integration of artificial intelligence into archival research.
Rooted in reflexive anthropology, the book engages with global academic debates while addressing the local realities of ethnographic practice in Slovakia. It critically reassesses the role of home anthropology, challenges the constraints of disciplinary traditions, and advocates for methodological pluralism. The volume is an essential contribution to the field, relevant to scholars of Central and Eastern European anthropology, ethnology, and cultural studies.
This open-access publication is a valuable resource for academics, students, and professionals in social sciences, fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue on Slovakia’s shifting sociocultural landscape.
Content
Integrating Sensory Methodologies in Environmental Anthropology, strany: 156-195 Full text
Conclusion, strany: 228-230 Full text
Information
Publisher: Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
Book type: edited book
Edition: 1.
Edition year: 2024
Edition place: Bratislava
Pages: 230
Language: English
Keywords:
home anthropology, societal challenges, innovative methodologies, reflexivity, Slovakia
ISBN 978-80-69127-00-5 (online)
Public license:
This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0
How to cite
ISO 690:
Gogora, A. - Panáková, J. ed.: Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology. 1 vyd. Bratislava : Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. 2024. pp. 230. ISBN 978-80-69127-00-5. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.31577/2024.9788069127005
APA:
Gogora, A., Panáková, J. ed(2024). Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology. Bratislava : Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. ISBN 978-80-69127-00-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/2024.9788069127005
Chapter details
In: Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology
Pavol Kosnáč 
- Justin Emory Lane
- Justin Emory Lane Polarization in Slovakia in the Context of the Assassination Attempt on the Prime Minister
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot at by an attacker on 15ᵗʰ of May in the town of Handlová after the cabinet meeting. The general consensus attributes the attack to high social polarization, but no agreement exists on who caused this polarization. That itself is a characteristic of a polarized society. According to the VDEM Project data, Slovakia is the third most polarized country in Europe, right after their neighbors Poland and Hungary. During May 2024, the dominant public sentiment in Slovak media and on social media was anxiety, followed by anger. Right after the attack anger grew substantially, while anxiety only slightly. What differed from the other attacks in the region is that typically, attacks that hurt or kill people bring the emotions of sadness and warmth into the forefront, while the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister did not. This suggests that even the segment of the population that condemned the attack had difficulty feeling empathy for the victim. At the same time, attempts to label the attacker as a ‘radical progressive’ or a ‘militant xenophobic nationalists’ and attribute him to the other side of the ideological spectrum became common. This suggests that the general consensus might be right—polarization is Slovakia is getting worse, and it is starting to manifest in the form of political violence.
Information
Pages: 32 - 57
Language: English
Edition year: 2024
Keywords:
assassination,
polarization,
social cohesion,
Slovakia,
Prime Minister
Public license:
This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0
How to cite
ISO 690:
Kosnáč, P. - Lane, J. E.: 2024. Polarization in Slovakia in the Context of the Assassination Attempt on the Prime Minister. In: Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology. 1. vyd. Bratislava : Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, pp.32-57. ISBN 978-80-69127-00-5. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.31577/2024.9788069127005.32-57
APA:
Kosnáč, P., Lane, J. E.. (2024). Polarization in Slovakia in the Context of the Assassination Attempt on the Prime Minister. Understanding Slovakia: Contemporary Approaches in Local Anthropology. Bratislava : Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 32-57. ISBN 978-80-69127-00-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/2024.9788069127005.32-57