Jelena Kupsjak

Complex relations of care sustain our lives and are necessary not only for the survival of humans and nonhumans alike, but also for our flourishing. Structured through various mechanisms, from kinships to states, care produces ambivalent and uncertain forms of intimacy and relatedness. This conference aims to address anthropological approaches to care, health, and wellbeing in the Balkans, acknowledging both the disruptions of Covid-19 in the care networks as well as other crises that have compounded in recent decades. While the term/notion “Balkans” is fraught with ambivalent meanings and associations this conference aims to move away from Balkanism (Todorova, 2009) and dichotomous frameworks to rethink the Balkans as a site of knowledge production that is not just ‘catching up’ with the West. What theoretical and methodological issues have anthropologists faced in their research in the Balkans? Do these experiences open or illuminate broader theoretical concerns? How do people in the Balkans relate to one another within caring relationships themselves? What does care look like in practice and what does it entail? How are caring relationships shaped and changed? What does wellbeing mean in the Balkans?