Protesting out of Love for One’s Country: A discursive analysis of patriotic constructions in the 2024-2025 Serbian Student Protests

Studies on anti-governmental protests in hybrid and authoritarian regimes are often understood as driven by a general discontent towards the government. This thesis argues however, that by looking deeper at the protest discourse it reveals motivations embedded in attachment to the country. This study does not approach motivation articulated in the protest discourse as the personal drivers of individual participants, but as an underlying driver that operates on a patriotic logic. It examines how protest discourse articulates its actions as attachment, responsibility, and care toward the country, commonly tied to patriotism. Drawing on republican patriotism and taking the Serbian 2024-2025 protests as its case study, it analyses protests discourse depicted on banners across multiple events. Through the analysis it recognised particular discursive patterns that correlate with a patriotic logic. These patterns are collectively identified as three interrelated mechanism through which...Show moreStudies on anti-governmental protests in hybrid and authoritarian regimes are often understood as driven by a general discontent towards the government. This thesis argues however, that by looking deeper at the protest discourse it reveals motivations embedded in attachment to the country. This study does not approach motivation articulated in the protest discourse as the personal drivers of individual participants, but as an underlying driver that operates on a patriotic logic. It examines how protest discourse articulates its actions as attachment, responsibility, and care toward the country, commonly tied to patriotism. Drawing on republican patriotism and taking the Serbian 2024-2025 protests as its case study, it analyses protests discourse depicted on banners across multiple events. Through the analysis it recognised particular discursive patterns that correlate with a patriotic logic. These patterns are collectively identified as three interrelated mechanism through which protesting is constructed as patriotic: striving for the common good, moral framing and generational responsibility. Together, these mechanisms frame protest participation not as mere anti-governmental opposition, but as motivation driven by care and concern for one’s country.Show less

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Protesting out of Love for One’s Country: A discursive analysis of patriotic constructions in the 2024-2025 Serbian Student Protests