Migratorni, strateški I ideološki aspekt povratka na selo u savremenoj Srbiji
Migratory, Strategic and Ideological Aspects of Returning to the Countryside in Contemporary Serbia

Summary/Abstract: Returning to the countryside is a complex concept that we frequently encounter during fieldwork, and its presence is becoming increasingly pronounced in public discourse. This paper aims to map and contextualize the migratory, strategic and ideological aspects of returning to the countryside, since environmental migrations, caused by environmental degradation, often serve as a framework for considering rural areas as an alternative to urban life. In the context of the Republic of Serbia, the return to the countryside has been institutionalized through rural development policies designed for demographic renewal and the revitalization of villages. However, the various aspects of returning to the countryside cannot be reduced solely to economic or environmental factors. They are intertwined with ideological narratives that also play a significant role. These narratives depict the countryside as a bastion of „authentic” values. In this respect, rural areas are represented and instrumentalized within a broader discourse of a return to tradition and „nature”, standing in opposition to urbanization and modernization.

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