Panel Discussion – Croatian Subcultural Actors and Academic Research: Pula, 02/06/2026
On Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026, a panel discussion organized by the Pula Regional Center, was held at the Pula City Library titled Croatian Subcultural Actors and Academic Research: Punks, Skaters, Squatters, BMX Riders, and Ultras in the Book Series of the Pilar Institute Youth in Society
Speaking on subcultures were Dino Vukušić, PhD, one of the authors in the book series, and its editors and reviewers Marko Mustapić, PhD, and Benjamin Perasović, PhD, while the local perspective was represented by Edgar Buršić, PhD, from Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.
In his opening remarks, Marko Mustapić spoke about the reasons behind launching this book series, as well as its significance both for young researchers and for Croatian sociology. Youth in Society currently comprises three titles, all available in open access at the Pilar Institute portal: he book City, Street, Park and Bench – A Sociology of (Sub)cultural Practices of Young People in Zagreb by Dino Vukušić, PhD; None Better Than Our Politics – Forms of Politicality on the Punk Scene by Vanja Dergić, PhD, and Sport or Lifestyle – Freestyle BMX by Marita Ukić Zeman,PhD, with a fourth volume focusing on supporter groups also in preparation.
Dino Vukušić, PhD, followed with a more detailed account of his doctoral research, which has now taken the form of the book City, Street, Park and Bench. He argued that the research findings showed young people in the selected subcultural groups do not recognize typical class stratification; instead, their stratification is binary – society is divided into two categories: “us” and “them”.
Benjamin Perasović, PhD, also reflected on the significance of the book series, noting that over the past thirty or so only four titles had been published in this academic field in Croatia, and that Youth in Society would match that number in just over a year. He expressed satisfaction with the fact that the sociology of subcultural movements in Croatia is very much alive, and that it is quite likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, continuing to yield new insights into the society around us.
Finally, Edgar Buršić, PhD, from Juraj Dobrila University added local context to the study of subcultures – not only as a researcher, but also as a long-standing active participant in Pula’s subcultural life. The lively discussion with the audience that followed only underscored how significant this topic is for Pula, a city that has always been known – in Croatia and beyond, throughout its history – for its vibrant and diverse subcultural scene.
