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Journals / Politik Ekonomik Kuram / 2026 / Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3

The Ghost of the Yugoslav Past: Memory, Yugo-Nostalgia, and Consumption

Yugoslav Geçmişin Hayaleti: Hafıza, Yugo-nostalji ve Tüketim

Damla Bosnalı Doyuran(Hacettepe Üniversitesi Doktora Öğrencisi)0000-0002-4750-8771
Pages
1316–1334
Publication Date
2026-09-27
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

However, they also indicate that Yugo-nostalgic consumption has the potential to reconstruct the ideal of the “Yugoslav Dream,” grounded in Yugoslavia’s distinctive socialist system, historical background, and collective memory, through consumption practices.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Yugo-nostalgia is defined as a multidimensional phenomenon through which longing for the Yugoslav past is reinterpreted through memory, belonging, and consumption.
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Key Findings & Data:The findings show that Yugo-nostalgic consumption objects operate in line with the characteristics of postmodern consumption practices.
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Conclusion & Impact:However, they also indicate that Yugo-nostalgic consumption has the potential to reconstruct the ideal of the “Yugoslav Dream,” grounded in Yugoslavia’s distinctive socialist system, historical background, and collective memory, through consumption practices.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Yugo-nostalji · Tüketim · Hafıza

Abstract

Yugo-nostalgia is defined as a multidimensional phenomenon through which longing for the Yugoslav past is reinterpreted through memory, belonging, and consumption. Symbols associated with the Yugoslav past, images of popular culture, and everyday consumption objects become commodified and circulate within the market, often being regarded as superficial, commercialized, and empty signifiers. This study examines the relationship between Yugo-nostalgic consumption objects, collective memory, identity, and consumption in the post-Yugoslav space. It aims to understand how consumption objects related to the Yugoslav past materialize in the postmodern period and become part of popular consumption practices. In this context, the main research question asks whether consumption practices related to the Yugoslav past, which is frequently rejected in the post-Yugoslav geography, point to a bottom-up form of active remembrance with historical and cultural significance. Therefore, the theoretical framework of the study is based on Velikonja’s distinction between the “culture of nostalgia” and “nostalgic culture.” The study adopts a qualitative research design. Visual materials related to Yugo-nostalgic consumption objects, selected through purposive sampling in the cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, are examined through semiotic analysis. The findings show that Yugo-nostalgic consumption objects operate in line with the characteristics of postmodern consumption practices. However, they also indicate that Yugo-nostalgic consumption has the potential to reconstruct the ideal of the “Yugoslav Dream,” grounded in Yugoslavia’s distinctive socialist system, historical background, and collective memory, through consumption practices.

Özet

Yugo-nostalji Yugoslav geçmişe yönelik özlemin hafıza, aidiyet ve tüketim üzerinden yeniden anlamlandırıldığı çok katmanlı bir fenomen olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Yugoslav geçmişe ilişkin semboller, popüler kültür imgeleri ve gündelik tüketim nesneleri metalaşarak piyasa içinde dolaşıma girmekte, çoğu zaman yüzeysel, ticarileştirilmiş ve içi boş göstergeler olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu araştırma post-Yugoslav alanda Yugo-nostaljik tüketim nesnelerinin kolektif hafıza, aidiyet ve tüketim ile ilişkisini incelemekte, Yugoslav geçmişe ait tüketim nesnelerinin postmodern dönemde nasıl maddileştiğini ve popüler tüketim pratiklerinin bir parçası haline geldiğini anlamlandırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çerçevede araştırmanın temel sorusu post-Yugoslav coğrafyada sıklıkla reddedilen Yugoslav geçmişe dair tüketim pratiklerinin aşağıdan yukarıya gelişen, tarihsel ve kültürel karşılığı olan aktif bir hatırlama biçimine işaret edip etmediğine yöneliktir. Bu nedenle araştırmanın kuramsal çerçevesi Velikonja’nın “nostalji kültürü” ve “nostaljik kültür” ayrımına dayanmaktadır. Araştırma nitel araştırma desenine dayanmaktadır. Bosna-Hersek, Sırbistan, Hırvatistan ve Slovenya özelinde amaçlı örneklem yoluyla seçilen Yugo-nostaljik tüketim nesnelerine dair görseller göstergebilimsel analiz yoluyla incelenmektedir. Bulgular, Yugo-nostaljik tüketim nesnelerinin postmodern tüketim pratiklerinin karakteristiğine uygun biçimde işlediğini göstermekte ancak Yugo-nostaljik tüketimin Yugoslav geçmişin özgün sosyalist sistemine, tarihsel arka planına ve kolektif hafızasına dayalı “Yugoslav Dream” idealini tüketim pratikleri üzerinden kurma potansiyeli olduğunu göstermektedir. Dolayısıyla Yugo-nostaljik tüketim sadece geçmişin piyasaya sürülmesinden ibaret olmadığı gibi post-Yugoslav toplumlarda bugünün politik ve ekonomik hoşnutsuzluklarından hareketle geçmiş ve gelecek ile ilişki kuran çok katmanlı ve ironik bir ilişki olarak okunabilmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Doyuran, D. B. (2026). The Ghost of the Yugoslav Past: Memory, Yugo-Nostalgia, and Consumption. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3, 1316–1334. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1987680

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