Name and Surname
Julija Perhat
Affiliation
Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka
Contact email
Julija.perhat@gmail.com
Short Biography
Julija Perhat earned her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Rijeka in 2025. Her interdisciplinary research sits at the intersection of philosophy of language, epistemology, and political philosophy, with a central focus on the ethical, semantic, and political implications of pejoratives, slurs, and the broader linguistic structures that influence social power dynamics.
She has authored several publications, co-edited an academic volume, co-authored a high-school textbook on Philosophy and has forthcoming research that continues to expand the theoretical landscape on slurs and polarization. She frequently presents at international conferences.
Perhat collaborates on the project Epistemic Challenges of Populism (University of Rijeka) and on the international project Learning Amidst Disinformation and Social Conflict, funded by research councils in the UK, Croatia, and Canada. She has also led several science-popularization projects aimed at strengthening public understanding of philosophical issues. She further deepened her research as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Philosophy (Slovak Academy of Sciences) in Bratislava, where she spent four months working within an international academic network.
She contributes to academic community building as course director of the Philosophy of Language and Linguistics conference in Dubrovnik and through her roles in research centers such as Center for Women’s Studies (Rijeka), HDAF (Rijeka) and Center for Language Research (Rijeka).
Research abstract
Speaking Futures: Youth, Slurs, and the Politics of Language examines how young people in Croatia and the wider Western Balkans use, interpret, and contest slurs as part of their everyday and online linguistic practices. Positioned at the intersection of philosophy of language and political epistemology the project investigates slurs not only as offensive expressions but as tools through which youth negotiate identity, belonging, and political possibility. Recent national data showing the widespread presence of hate speech among Croatian youth, combined with escalating uses of slurs in public and digital spaces, underscore the urgency of this inquiry. Digital platforms further complicate these dynamics: the rapid circulation of slurs through memes, videos, and viral posts intersects with shifting moderation policies, enabling new—and at times more permissive—forms of political expression.
Focusing on youth agency, the project explores how slurs shape boundaries of inclusion and exclusion, reinforce or challenge nationalist narratives, and participate in political polarization. A central component is a bilingual survey conducted in Croatia and Serbia, designed to document the frequency and contexts of slur encounters, identify which slurs are perceived as most and least offensive, and capture youth reflections on how such language relates to nationalism, Europe, and community belonging. Comparative and interpretive analyses will illuminate both cross-linguistic patterns and culturally specific meanings.
By integrating empirical data with conceptual analysis, the project offers a new lens for understanding how linguistic practices influence youth political imaginaries in a region marked by historical tensions, democratic fragility, and evolving digital governance. The findings will contribute to academic scholarship as well as policy-oriented discussions through public presentations and collaborative workshops. Ultimately, the project aims to generate actionable insights into how slurs shape youth culture and political engagement, and how more inclusive and participatory futures in the Western Balkans might be imagined.