{"id":123826,"date":"2026-03-07T16:50:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T15:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/department-of-history\/research-activities\/social-history-workshop\/arhiva-odrzanih-radionica\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T14:38:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T12:38:04","slug":"archive-of-past-workshops","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/department-of-history\/research-activities\/social-history-workshop\/archive-of-past-workshops\/","title":{"rendered":"Archive of Past Workshops"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026.<\/h3>\n

Theory under the Spotlight: Workshop in Osijek Brings Together a New Generation of Historians<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Organised by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, and the Doctoral Study Programme in Modern and Contemporary Croatian History in the European and Global Context at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, the second Social History Workshop entitled \u201cWhat Is Theory For?\u201d was held on 23 May 2026. This year\u2019s workshop raised the question of the extent to which a theoretical framework is necessary for historical research and how it influences the formulation of research questions and the interpretation of historical sources.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the programme, Asst. Prof. Luka Peji\u0107, PhD, welcomed the participants, emphasising that the aim of the Social History Workshop is to create an institutional platform for young historians interested in social history. He highlighted the importance of presenting current research, networking, and exchanging research experiences among young historians, noting in particular that, thanks to its co-organisation, this year\u2019s workshop went beyond a local framework and included doctoral students from other universities. He especially stressed the importance of theoretical literacy among historians for high-quality historiographical production. As chair of the programme and organising committee, he also thanked his collaborators Valentina Kezi\u0107, Franka Maslov, Nikola Toma\u0161egovi\u0107, PhD, and Veronika Zavr\u0161ki.<\/p>\n

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The workshop opened with a plenary lecture by Assoc. Prof. Branimir Jankovi\u0107, PhD, from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, entitled \u201cOn the Use and Abuse of Theory for the Life of a Historian\u201d. The lecture provided a valuable introduction to theoretical and methodological issues that were further developed throughout the workshop. A very engaging discussion on the state of contemporary Croatian and regional historiography followed the plenary lecture.<\/p>\n

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The programme was divided into three thematic blocks. In the first, Franka Maslov presented theoretical and methodological approaches used in her doctoral research on male and female homosexuality in Croatian society from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Doctoral student Marko Koli\u0107 spoke about gender history through the example of studying the role and position of women in medicine in Croatia between the two world wars, while Perica Vuji\u0107 presented on the language of historiographical discourse using history textbook discourse as an example.<\/p>\n

The second block was opened by Nina Gaguli\u0107 with a presentation on the theory and methodology of oral history and contemporary perspectives and challenges related to this research method. Doctoral student Dora Tomljanovi\u0107 problematised the issue of economic nationalism \u201cfrom below\u201d, while Martin Zeli\u0107 presented theoretical and methodological problems of new cultural history using the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek during the First World War as a case study.<\/p>\n

In the final block, Rebeka Puhalo discussed the role of theory in military history research using the example of the 761st Tank Battalion in the Second World War. Ilija \u0160u\u0161ak emphasised the necessity of interdisciplinarity in contemporary historiography, while Luka Vrbani\u0107 concluded the workshop with a presentation devoted to archival arrangement and the role of archivists in shaping future historiography and collective memory.<\/p>\n

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Each block was followed by discussions in which participants and members of the audience asked questions, offered comments, and exchanged research experiences, further fulfilling the fundamental idea of the workshop.<\/p>\n

Through its diverse presentations and stimulating discussions, the workshop once again opened important questions concerning established theoretical and methodological models and historiographical paradigms. Ultimately, this new edition of the Social History Workshop reaffirmed the necessity of theoretical literacy and constructive discussion for high-quality historical scholarship.<\/p>\n

Text: Lana Trabak<\/p>\n

Photographs: Danijel Jela\u0161<\/p>\n

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2025.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Social History in Focus: First Social History Workshop Held at FFOS<\/h3>\n

On Friday, 9 May, the first Social History Workshop was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. The event, conceived as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and research experience on certain aspects of history from below, with an emphasis on the social history of the 19th century, brought together around twenty participants. In addition, the workshop provided a new opportunity for historians interested in social history topics to network.<\/p>\n\n\t\t