At a ceremony held on Friday, 6 November, at the SEECEL building, Professor Stjepan Lakušić, Rector of the University of Zagreb, presented the Rector’s Award for the 2025/2026 academic year to Ana Aračić, Petra Budimir-Bekan and Mirta Pavlović, three undergraduate sociology students at the Faculty of Croatian Studies. The students wrote their award-winning paper, Perceptions of the Portrayal of Women in Trap Music and Young People’s Attitudes towards Women, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Ivan Perkov.

A total of 363 people aged 18 to 25 took part in an anonymous online survey. Respondents who listened to trap more frequently were more accepting of the standards of physical appearance portrayed in the genre. They were also more accepting of how trap music depicts relationships between men and women, as well as success, money and status. The researchers found no statistically significant association between how often respondents listened to trap and whether they held traditional attitudes about gender. The findings also showed that respondents could recognise a portrayal of women as sexualised and still find it acceptable.

The ceremony was held as part of University of Zagreb Week. The Rector presented 123 awards across five categories, recognising work by 538 students. Ten other students from the Faculty of Croatian Studies also received the Rector’s Award, bringing the Faculty’s total to 13 students recognised for five papers this year.

A poster exhibition featuring the award-winning work is open to the public until 13 November in the foyer of the SEECEL ceremonial hall at Radoslava Cimermana 88 in Zagreb.

Congratulations once again to Ana, Petra and Mirta and to their supervisor, Ivan Perkov!