The Multi-Mediatized Other : The Construction of Reality in East-Central Europe, 1945–1980

Dagnosław, Demski and Anelia, Kassabova and Ildikó, Sz. Kristóf and Liisi, Laineste and Kamila, Baraniecka-Olszewska, eds. (2017) The Multi-Mediatized Other : The Construction of Reality in East-Central Europe, 1945–1980. L'Harmattan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest. ISBN 978-2-343-11863-5

Preview

Text The Multi-Mediatized Other. The Construction of Reality in East-Central Europe, 1945–1980 - 120dpi.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (107MB) | Preview

Abstract

World War I changed the optics on the Other significantly. The old social order fell; the old values supporting the network of relations lost their overtones under the new circumstances. Then, the interwar period brought a new order, based on the ruins of the older social divisions and, politically, on the ruins of old empires. A recognition of ethnic divisions still existed—they preserved their weight—but the divisions began to be perceived and interpreted from many local points of view (new nation-states). Wartime seemed to be a period during which the image of the Other was especially in focus. As our focus shifted later to World War II and much attention was paid to photography as a new medium that created the illusion of providing a faithful record of reality. There was a visible contrast between the grotesque presentations in caricatures aiming to sketch and exaggerate, and photography, which aimed to depict “neutrally.” WWII, however, triggered extreme polarizations and these were reflected in the visual representations. The horrors of war, the tragic human losses, and the almost constant mortal danger caused shock and, after the war, invited reflection. A new era began. People still described their “reality” focusing on differences and the othering of the unknown, but they did it in a new way. The period after the end of WWII brought new state boundaries and new political relations in central and eastern Europe—that is, the Cold War started and the iron curtain was lowered—which to some degree prolonged mechanisms of othering established during WWII. The Other, as we presented in the third volume in the series, was still depicted as an enemy, an invader, and an occupant.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item