"Do You Have Any Empties?"

Bottle Collectors’ Interactions in Public Spaces in Zagreb

Author(s): Dino Vukušić,Stephanie Stelko / Language(s): English Issue: 39/2016

This paper describes the practices of people who collect discarded bottles and cans during public events in Zagreb, Croatia, which they return to recycling centers in order to receive a bottle deposit needed to supplement their low incomes. In addition to an ethnographic section in which we briefly describe this underrepresented aspect of everyday life in Zagreb, we address the symbolics at play in bottle collectors’ interactions among themselves and with "bottle providers" – people who gather in public spaces and consume drinks from bottles and cans. In so doing, we describe how the presence of a marginalized social group becomes visible in public spaces.

"Dr House" - gra i semiologia

Author(s): Zbigniew Kloch / Language(s): Polish Issue: 19/2012

The paper describes how the characters of House, M.D. interact and relate to each other; it also discusses the role played by specific, semantically charged means of constructing narration. On one hand, the show largely maintains the model of a conventional medical drama, on the other, it deconstructs many of the characteristics inherent in the genre. The paper also attempts to explain the show’s huge popularity (for a certain time in the United States alone it reached 27 million viewers) achieved in spite of going beyond what an average viewer would expect, primarily by the show’s construction and by evoking ideas outside a classic medical drama.

"PROJEKT LADY" TELEVISION REALITY SHOW AS A TOOL FOR RESAPING PERSONAL BRANDING

Author(s): Jerzy Gołuchowski,Irena Kamińska-Radomska,Anna Losa-Jonczyk / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2/2016

Creating a personal brand is an important tool for professional development and success in life. The practical and research problem is the selection of the most effective methods of creating a personal brand. The aim of the article is an analysis of the innovative use of the reality show (The "Project Lady" in Polish Television TVN) as a method of shaping the personal brand using gamification. The paper deals with review of the process and the transformation of the personal image and with results of this program.

"The dangerous classes”: Hugo Grotius and seventeenth-century piracy as a primitive anti-systemic movement

Author(s): Eric Wilson / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2010

This essay discusses the historical and textual representations of piracy in the writings of Hugo Grotius, primarily De Indis/De iure praedae (1603-1608) and the Commentarius in Theses XI (c. 1600). Contrary to popular belief, Grotius, in stark contrast to Jean Bodin, was not an advocate of the constitutionally homogenous Nation-State. Rather, his central concept of divisible sovereignty, the lynchpin of the constitutional theory of his early writings, unambiguously presents us with the object of the heterogeneous State. In Grotian theory, the State may be “read” as a composite construction, with a residual degree of inalienable sovereignty accruing at each unit-level. Even if only unconsciously, Grotius describes a concurrent para-political sub-division of the state between institutional Government (the “magistrates”) and civil society, one that constitutes an operational system of governance within the Nation-State. Like his contemporary Johannes Althusius, Grotius’ theory allows for the emergence of a wholly “private,” albeit lawful, mode of authority. This is most apparent in Grotius’ treatment of the mercantile trading Company and its Privateering operations. The corporatist theory of sovereignty permits the Company’s private agents of violence, the legally ambivalent Privateer/Pirate, to be invested with a requisite degree of sovereignty. The Grotian theory of divisible sovereignty, investing the seventeenth-century Pirate band with legal personality, serves as a vital historical precursor to the quasi-statist (trans-) national criminal cartels of the twenty-first century. The Grotian Pirate/Privateer/Just Avenger, therefore, is a “nomad”: a liminal entity that simultaneously transverses both geographical and juro-political spaces, rendering him or herself in-determinable.

"This lofty mountain of silver could conquer the whole world”: Potosí and the political ecology of underdevelopment, 1545-1800

Author(s): Jason W. Moore / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2010

By the 1570’s, Potosí, and its silver, had become the hub of a commodity revolution that reorganized Peru’s peoples and landscapes to serve capital and empire. This was a decisive moment in the world ecological revolution of the long seventeenth century. Primitive accumulation in Peru was particularly successful: the mita’s spatial program enabled the colonial state to marshal a huge supply of low-cost and tractable labor in the midst of sustained demographic contraction. The relatively centralized character of Peru’s mining frontier facilitated imperial control in a way the more dispersed silver frontiers of New Spain did not. Historical capitalism has sustained itself on the basis of exploiting, and thereby undermining, a vast web of socio-ecological relations. As may be observed in colonial Peru, the commodity frontier strategy effected both the destruction and creation of premodern socio-ecological arrangements.

(In)visibility of the Displaced Populations: the Blind-Spot Effect

Author(s): Svitlana Balinchenko / Language(s): English Issue: 47 (02)/2020

In this paper, conflict-triggered internal displacement is reviewed through the visibility of migration affected groups, as well as their access to decision-making. The blind-spot effect in the migration studies extends the cognitive and social implications of the systems theory, and engulfs both hypovisibility through anopticism and pseudo-assimilation, and hypervisibility through panopticism and excessive control of the displaced citizens. In the context of the impact of IDP status on visibility assessment, I suggest supplementing the migration-studies’ concepts of “phlogiston” and “witch” with that of “ethanethiol”, thus starting a discussion on the role of the otherness marker in the migrantising of citizens. The case of protracted internal displacement in Ukraine due to the Russia-backed armed conflict serves as an illustration of the displaced populations’ visibility challenges and solutions.

(NE)USPEHI PREBIVALSTVENE POLITIKE

Author(s): Katja Boh / Language(s): Slovenian Issue: 30-31/1999

In the paper other than economic and biological determinants of fertility behaviour are discussed. The qualitative dimensions in the shaping of fertility decisions are given importance. Described is the "wealth flow theory” of material and non-material goods, and the theory of the "optimal family”, trying to maintain the balance between the "costs” of children and the " benefits” for the parents. In all modern societies wealth flows from parents to children, and material and non-material investments (time and energy) in children have grown to the extent that they destroy the balance between "costs” and "benefits” which results in the lowering of the "optimal” family size, and in turn influences the choice of low fertility strategies.

(НЕ)ЈЕДНАКОСТ ЉУДИ: ВЕЧНА – ПРЕДМОДЕРНА, МОДЕРНА И ПОСТМОДЕРНА – ИЛИ ДЕМОДЕ ПРАВНА ИДЕЈА?

Author(s): Jasminka Hasanbegović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 170/2019

This paper focuses on the idea of legal equality of human beings, and raises the following questions: Have the two Peters, Peter Westen and Peter Unger, been right when talking respectively of the empty idea of legal equality and empty ideas in general while criticizing analytic philosophy? Is the idea of legal equality of human beings empty, i.e. outdated? Can the idea of justice exist without the idea of equality? When did the equality of human beings arise as a legal idea? Was it in Ancient Greece? Which sophists argued for it? How did Aristotle understand it? What did the stoics think? Then, what was afterwards the perspective of Christianity and of all its different teachings (i.e. churches) on this idea, as well as on the legal practices radically denying it in modern times? Who was the liber homo from Magna Carta Libertatum, and how did liber homo become homo? And how did in modern times man transform into a human being who can be both male and female? Or, conversely, how did in modern times women, the coloured, the poor, the illiterate, the heterodox, and foreigners become human beings? What are the legal problems of the modern era that, before even being resolved, have been further enlarged and complicated by the postmodern equality issues (e.g. positive discrimination,the new, wider concept of legal subjectivity, legal protection of minorities, changed view on human homosexuality).

(По)граничността в многобройните ѝ изменения (Nira Yuval-Davis, Georgie Wemyss, Kathryn Cassidy, Bordering. Cambridge, UK, Medford, MA: Polity, 2019)

Author(s): Stephan E. Nikolov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2019

100 Jahre der ungarischen Geisteswissenschaftlichen Schule

Author(s): Éva Karádi / Language(s): German Issue: 14/2018

My main thesis, my working hypothesis, is the assertion that Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge came about in a confrontation with its original view, the views shared with his Budapest circle of friends and presented in 1917-18 by thes members of the so-called Sunday circle, in the Free Academy for Humanities. // I will try to prove this claim and to shed light on the emergence of the mature conception of the sociology of knowledge, the Mannheim thesis in this context and from this perspective.

12 Eylül’ün Gençlik Restorasyonu: Atatürk Ve Gençlik Isimli Kitabin Bir Değerlendirmesi

Author(s): Cihan Erdal / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 2/2013

Since 19th century, during the nation-state establishment periods and through 20th century, political roles were attributed to the youth, which were the result and the representation of the modernity. These roles have differed in different periods of the nations depending on the socio-economic and cultural changes, while the concept of youth is affected by such changes. There is a common discourse in Turkey which supports that after the military coup on September 12 and neoliberal policies applied by Turgut Özal’s government in Turkey, the youth became apolitical and a generation that stayed out of the politics was created. Did the September 12 regime really meant to have youth stay out of the politics? In this article, the effort of September 12 restorations towards rebuilding the youth will be analyzed through a collective work titled “Ataturk and Youth” published by National Education, Youth and Sports Ministry Youth Services General Administration.

150 years after the birth of Rosa Luxemburg: Actuality of her “Social Reform or Revolution”

Author(s): Vera A. Vratuša Žunjić / Language(s): English,Serbian Issue: 3/2021

The paper examines the actuality of Rosa Luxemburg’s Reform or revolution 150 years after her birth. The main method used is the content analysis of this important polemical pamphlet placed in the context of the time/space, i.e. when and where it was written, on the one hand, and today, on the other. The main finding is that Rosa’s work has remained relevant to our days since the capitalist mode of production is still characterized by internal contradictions producing barbaric consequences of exploitation and imperialist wars. These capitalist system’s consequences ensure the permanent actuality of the dilemma between socialism and barbarism confronted by Rosa Luxemburg throughout her life.

90-letni Zygmunt Bauman: Schopferkraft i jego dwoistość

Author(s): Tony Blackshaw / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2016

A brief history of international trade thought: From pre-doctrinal contributions to the 21st century heterodox international economics

Author(s): Carmen Elena Dorobăţ / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

The present paper outlines the development of international trade thought, from the pre-doctrinal contributions of Greek philosophers and scholastic theologians, through the theories of the first schools of economic thought, and up to modern and contemporary trade theories. I follow filiations of ideas in a chronological order, and show how theoretical investigation into the causes and effects of international trade—and the rationale for government intervention—has evolved over the last two centuries.

A Brief Scale to Measure Marital/Relationship Satisfaction by Domains: Metrics, Correlates, Gender and Marriage/ Relationship Status Differences

Author(s): Renata Glavak Tkalić,Tihana Brkljačić,Lana Lučić,Ines Sučić,Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2019

The aim of the study was to analyse psychometric properties of the Marital /Relationship Satisfaction Scale (MRS) developed for the purpose of this research, and its association with other well-being indicators. Additionally, differences in well-being between participants who were married or in a relationship and single participants, and gender differences were tested. The sample consisted of 1087 adult internet users from Croatia. We assessed general well-being, satisfaction with specific life domains, marital/relationship satisfaction and demographic variables. MRS proved to be a reliable single factor instrument which correlated moderately with all well-being indices, but highest with satisfaction with love life and family relations. Men and women did not differ regarding MRS. Participants who were married or in a relationship showed higher levels of well-being.

A case for Cosmopolitan, pragmatic sociology in the context of migrant youth integration

Author(s): Sirkka Komulainen / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Migration has become increasingly political and urgent on a global scale (Cuomo, 2011; Castles, 2014). Europe (the primary focus of this paper) has witnessed unprecedented flows and moves of migrants a great deal of whom are young people and young adults. Public discourses on migration matters continue to be polarised, especially around the migrations of young men. Nations that may have previously expressed a great deal of solidarity towards immigration are growing reticent in their public accounts.

A Case Study of Douban: Social Network Communities

Author(s): Ho Kiu-Chor / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2007

Established since 26th March of 2005, the social network service of "Douban.com" has accumulated 317,532 members by the 16th of November 2006.1 In a nation-wide survey “Web2.0 100 of China Internet Industry”, Douban is being rated as the 3rd largest service provider. With the main features of web2.0 applications, Douban allows its users to contribute to the multiple-media cataloguing system and display their media consumption experiences. This has made it possible for the users to form ever-growing virtual communities within and across the national boundaries of China as well as the Greater China region. This paper aims at exploring the socio-cultural impact of Douban's success and its implication on social networking web applications on Chinese communities. Based on individual users' interests in books, films, music and magazines, the large number of Chinese computer literate users are being connected on the Douban platform. Together they are contributing, sharing, displaying and forming interests groups on the basis of their respective media and cultural experiences. Despite their social differences, users from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and all other parts of the world seem to find a space of commonality in Douban and are reconstructing the cultural meaning of their Chinese identities by by an autonomous process to realize an imagined Chinese community online.

A comment on scarcity

Author(s): M. Northrup Buechner / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

Modern economics is based on the idea that every good and service is scarce, but the standard defenses of this premise by reference to zero prices and infinite resources are invalid. The concept of scarcity is defined and used to show that ordinary scarcities are not economic scarcities. The errors regarding scarcity are traced to the methodology of modern economics, and an alternative method is suggested for a science whose subject matter is real human beings. The concept of relative scarcity is explained, and used to illuminate some important aspects of the functioning of a market economy. Some of the consequences are identified for economics if economists recognized that universal scarcity is not a fact.

A Conceptual History of Political Regimes: Democracy, Dictatorship, and Authoritarianism

Author(s): Adam Przeworski / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2017

The labels we attach today to distinguish political regimes have histories. Applying them without understanding these histories is sometimes anachronistic and ethnocentric. I have little new to say about “democracy” and “dictatorship”, so that the discussion of these concepts is just a reminder. “Authoritarianism”, however, is a dubious neologism. I advance two claims: (1) In all regimes the power to command and be obeyed entails some dose of reason-giving, (2) What distinguishes regimes is the form and the extent to which the authority of rulers is monopolised by physical force. I conclude that the concept of “authoritarianism” adds little to the distinction between democracy and dictatorship.

A Conceptual Model for the Imaginary: The Role of Symbols

Author(s): Eugenia Ciocoiu,Eniko Bodea,Mădălina Dan,Ioan Chirilă / Language(s): English Issue: 57/2020

In life, decisions are not only taken by considering logical reasoning, but they are influenced by images, symbols, and myths. Moreover, in our multicultural and multiracial societies, we must express ourselves with attention, to use careful comparisons and especially neutral expressions. Symbols multiply the effect of words, and consequently, the risk of saying something wrong is increased. Also, if each person one discusses with will know how to decode your words is a wrong assumption. The symbols mentioned are also influenced by other factors, and they are part of a more comprehensive concept, namely the imaginary. This study is a conceptual review of the imaginary concept. There are many disciplines that study the imaginary, and many definitions for it, given by researchers coming from all fields, but there are few papers that explain how the imaginary is formed and how it influences our lives. By reviewing the literature, we have identified major limitations of the theories and models that treat the imaginary. Studying all those studies was useful for us because from the beginning we wanted to understand how the imaginary is formed and how it can be decoded, so we developed our own framework. The key conclusion of this paper is that symbols are a useful concept for understanding imaginary, since they can be seen both as forms of communication of the intangible culture, but also as productions of the imaginary. By settling symbols in the middle of our conceptual model, imaginary can be easier understood and further used in other scientific investigations.