It is truly amazing what you can learn about a people or culture by simply living among them. In the past week, we have learned about the basic philological principles that underlie the Serbian language, as well as the historical developments that have formed the current social and political states of the country itself. In this immersive program format, I can immediately step outside the classroom, and begin to experience how our learning may actually apply to the narrative of those who live in Belgrade. There are some fascinating topics that have been covered in our first week, ranging from how to flirt with a local, to public health issues related to the Roma minority, to the architectural ideologies that underlie the construction of New Belgrade.
There was one situation in particular that has certainly framed my thinking about the Serbian world-view. During a lecture regarding the architecture of New Belgrade, we came across a building that had been built so solidly with reinforced concrete that it had withstood 78 days of intensive bombing by NATO in 1999. To paraphrase, the lecturer made a comment about how this building had been able to survive three Tomahawk missiles, while our towers had not survived a plane. A certain chill could be felt within the room, and students shot clandestine glances at each other, trying to figure out if we had heard him correctly.
Though we may have left class that day slightly offended, I think that this moment provided an incredibly important glimpse into the collective psyche of the Serbian people. For them, the 78 days of NATO bombing that decimated cities throughout the former Yugoslavia and killed thousands of civilians would seem the equivalent of our experience with the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In making an off-hand jab at the structural integrity of the World Trade buildings, it was a subtle attempt to poke at the American ego, telling us that the Serbians have been through much worse, but also that they empathize with our experiences as well. While I knew that there was some residual resentment of Serbians toward the West, this certainly placed my perspective in context and will certainly inform my further interactions with native Serbians.
Another fascinating topic that we covered this past week was the Roma people, a historically persecuted ethnic minority found throughout Europe. Though this minority is extremely heterogenous, comprising a diversity of languages and religions, their phenotypic appearance has largely prevented their assimilation into society. Having been socially marginalized for centuries, our lecturer Dr. Ivan Đorđеvić stated that the Romani were “essentially living in a parallel universe,” which included a separate underground economy, intermarriage, and an extreme lack of access to public resources. Like many public health experts, Ivan believes issues such as the high prevalence of child marriages (> 50% for girls under 18) are largely due to the social marginalization of this minority. Rather than an ineffective, ethnocentric approach by simply banning child-marriages, he proposes alternative modes must be considered to bring sustainable improvements in health, leading to increased integration of this minority.
In studying the Romani, there were many connections that could have been made between the their collective experience and the ethnic minorities we have in the United States, particularly considering the recent developments regarding in the influx of Mexican migrants. Our policies have historically been ineffective in addressing the undeniable rise in illegal immigration, while also failing to acknowledge the major public health issues that are preventing those who are already living within the US from economic and social assimilation.
All in all, this first week has been a flurry experiences, showing us both the joys and sorrows of Belgrade. I’m looking forward to enjoying all Belgrade has to offer, while also keeping in mind the reasons why we have decided to study public health in this region in the first place!
Though Serbia lost to Brazil, it was a blast watching Serbian football with the home crowd.