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Sport is a rich source for memory culture. Conspicuously, sport regularly declares an event to be historical while it is still ongoing. This includes transforming the sport event into one of broader cultural, especially national significance. Using a number of examples from different sports, this article discusses how and why sport, for already more than a hundred years, continuously contributes to national memories. It will argue, that it is first of all the serial organization of standardized (and thus comparable) competitive events that enables sport to continuously declare and remember historical moments. Sport produces an endless series of events that can possibly become historic; simultaneously, all sports organize (‘their’) memory in such a systematic manner that the claim for historicity can be made with good reasons. On the one hand, it is the comparison with hundreds of past events that allows an ongoing or even an upcoming event to be marked as ‘historic’. On the other hand, retrospectively, this ongoing comparison guarantees that the historic moments of the past will be referenced repetitively and thus remembered. Analyzing these foundational mechanisms which represent sport to a global audience allows for a better understanding of the otherwise seemingly irrational and excessive role of sports in national memory cultures.
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In Hungary, fencing, especially saber fencing is considered a national sport and an inherent part of Hungarian national identity. Although Hungary, following France and Italy, was one of the pioneers in developing the fencing sport in the second half of the nineteenth century, only in the course of the irst half of the twentieth century did Hungary take the lead in developing new techniques, tactics and training methods for saber fencing. As a result, between 1908 and 1964 Hungarian saber fencers dominated the international individual and team competitions. Almost all the gold medals at the Olympic Games in saber fencing in that period were won by Hungarian athletes. In this paper, it will be argued that saber fencing was of major importance in the remaking of the Hungarian State which collapsed at the end of the First World War as part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (K. und k.) and had to be rebuilt as an independent, sovereign nation. The conditions for peace concluding the First World War for Hungary were laid down in the Treaty of Trianon (1920) that was perceived as a ‘dictate’ by the Hungarians. The state institutionalization of fencing, at that time in the form of sport fencing growing out of war and duel fencing, took place in the framework of the Hungarian Army, was supported by the highest Hungarian authorities and succeeded to counterbalance the impact of the Treaty of Trianon. Major driving forces for the remaking of the Hungarian state and the reconstruction of Hungarian identity were influenced by internal and external factors. The internal factors include on the one hand, the establishment of institutes for military fencing and gymnastics education by the Hungarian authorities in the second and the third decade of the twentieth century and, on the other hand, the efforts of outstanding fencing masters educated in the K. und k. Army, like László Borsody in the supervision of these institutes. One of the external factors was the active sports diplomacy of the Netherlands, a neutral country during the First World War, aimed at bringing back the Hungarian fencing federation into the international fencing networks after Hungary was excluded from international sports competitions after the First World War because it sided with the Central Powers.
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The photo of football star Mesut Özil together with Turkish President Erdogan sparked a controversy in German media with a political backlash in 2018. Criticism was manifold and linked to the athlete’s representative function and the authoritarian style of Erdogan. However, the reasons for such strong reactions are much less superficial. Deep cultural reasons lay the ground for criticism on Özil. German identity has assumed a patriotic representation of athletes before the founding of the state itself and is deeply integrated in today’s identity. How does this cultural-historical aspect matter today? The early 21st century has been a partial break with this tradition and a shift towards a more inclusive identity. However, since the European refugee crisis the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) demands a revival of traditional German identity. Insecurity in public opinion went beyond the AfD. Other parties have recognized the need to defend German identity and values vis-à-vis authoritarian ones. The general clash of identity, culture and politics heavily influence the backlash on an apparently unpolitical photo by Mesut Özil, who has been used as a political scapegoat.
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This article is an attempt to present the main determinants of social work in Poland. In the appearance of specifics of this profession, institutional and personal context were taken into account. Institutional aspect describes changes within social assistance, wfich took place after 1989. In the area of personal skills description focus on three important elements that create the silhouette of social worker. These are: knowledge, abilities and ethical values that this profession should be characterized by. In this area not without significance is the issue of social assistance clients, who are the recipient group of social assistance. It is them, who mostly create the direction of development of modern social work, and more broadly – social assistance.
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Poland is one of the leading countries in terms of the number of children referred to as euro-orphans. Care of a parent deprived of about 100 thousand. minors. The negative effects of migration can be seen in a variety of areas - from the consequences for the country, for the local community, the family, but especially for children, their life, development and education. Family is family migration destabilized, operates differently than the family complete, and thus interferes with children normal growth and development. In this situation, you need specific institutional arrangements aimed at helping eurosierotom. The institutions of the euro aid workers are mainly orphans - schools, psychological and pedagogical, social welfare centers, churches, but also the police, prosecutors and courts. Activities in this area deal with state and local government departments as well as various associations and foundations that operate for the benefit of families and children at risk.
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Questionnaires are a popular tool in surveys assessing the value and availability of space. The correctness of survey results has to be analyzed during the statistical processing of questionnaire data. This study proposes a paired comparison method for evaluating natural and anthropogenic resources that support recreation planning in the region of Warmia and Mazury. The gathered data have been analyzed in view of the consistency coefficient of individual questionnaires and the coefficient of concordance determined for the entire group of experts. The proposed methodology relies on statistical formulas developed by Kendall. A list of key attributes for recreation planning in the analyzed area has been developed. Statistical methods were deployed to validate the analysis of consistency and concordance of questionnaire data.
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Purpose – The goal of this paper is to explore the possible influence of certain economic factors over the FDI inflow in South-East European (SEE) countries and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. We compare the situation in 7 countries from the region of South-East Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia and 7 countries from the region of Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Research method – We apply a holistic approach based on panel data for a twenty-two-year period from 1995 till 2018. The analysis was effectuated through a panel unit-root test. The dependent variable is FDI net inflow (as % of GDP). The study takes into account the following economic variables: annual percentage growth of GDP; labor productivity as GDP per person employed; government consumption as percentage of GDP; inflation rate as annual percentage of GDP deflator; labor force with advanced education (% of the total working-age population with advanced education) and labor taxes and contributions (% of commercial profits). Results – The results indicate that there are differences between the factors that influence the FDI inflow in these two groups of countries. For the South-East European countries government spending, labor force with advanced education, inflation and labor taxes and contributions were the factors that have significant influence over the FDI inflow. For the Central and Eastern European countries all of the included independent variables appear to be significant factors in attracting FDI inflow. Originality / value – In the literature we can rarely find analyses of economic determinants for FDI inflow in the selected groups of countries. Also, the period of twenty-two years from 1995 till 2018 provides novelty of the results and of the conducted analysis.
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Purpose – An assessment of the level of social capital in the context of ethnic diversity using the example of the Podlaskie voivodeship. Furthermore, showing the relationship between social capital and local and regional development.Research method – Quantitative and comparative analyses of selected indicators of the surveyed territorialunits (powiats of the Podlaskie Voivodeship) while maintaining the criterion of ethnic diversity. Data from the Central Statistical Office (Local Data Bank) and the National Electoral Commission for the period 2010-2018 were used.Results – The level of social capital is higher in multi-ethnic powiats, in particular as far as the civic dimension is concerned, which is measured by the use of passive and active voting rights. Similarly, the number of foundations, associations and social organizations per 1,000 inhabitants is higher in multiethnic powiats. As far as the level of entrepreneurship is concerned, the majority of powiats of diversified nationalities is insignificant, while single-nation powiats have higher rates in relation to membership in sports clubs.Originality / value / implications / recommendations – A thesis which is popular in the subject literature that ethnically diverse areas are characterized by lower social capital is not true in the case of the Podlaskie voivodeship, in which ethnic groups have been present for centuries. Consequently, it may be assumed that ethnic diversity has a negative impact on the level of social capital only temporarily.
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Purpose – The paper presents the analysis of the situations of high values of SFA observed in European Union countries during the years 2002-2017. They were assessed in terms of their specific character as well as due to their frequency and the reasons of their occurrence. The analysis aimed at isolating those economic factors that create the risk of the occurrence of high SFA levels and thus contribute to the increase of public debt to a considerably larger degree than the budget deficit would imply.Research method – The analysis is based on Eurostat data concerning the values of SFA for European Union countries. In the years 2002-2017 it comprised 431 observations. They have been analyzed in terms of the average values (both nominal and absolute), the share of positive and negative values and the frequency of the occurrence of high values in general and in particular countries. Subsequently, using case study methodology the Author analyzed the situation of countries with considerable shares of high values of SFA.Results – The analysis has shown that high values of SFA are most frequently the effect of state interventions during economic crises. In most countries the increase of SFA values was temporary (e.g. in Ireland). The second reason is the risk of bankruptcy. Such patterns were observed in Greece and Cyprus. While in Cyprus the increase of SFA values was only temporary, in Greece the position still remains difficult. The third reason of an increase in SFA values lies in the investments made by pension system institutions. Such situations took place, among others, in Finland and Luxembourg.Originality / value – The added value of the paper is connected with the case studies of countries with particularly high values of SFA. They were selected on the basis of data comprising 16 years and in total there were 431 observations for 28 countries of the European Union.
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Purpose – The main purpose of the paper is to systematize the concept of intellectual capital of an enterprise, assess the effectiveness of the use of intellectual capital and analyze its impact on the added value.Research method – The paper uses the intellectual capital analysis method during the period 2009-2017 using the VAICTM intellectual added value factor and is based on data from financial statements. The basic statistical tool, which is the arithmetic mean was also used for the study.Results – The study showed that the intellectual capital of PKN Orlen is increasing as is the difference between the market and accounting values of the company. The main source of growth is human capital.Implications – The result of the study are conclusions in the form of practical recommendations for PKN Orlen in the area of intellectual capital development.
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Purpose – The purpose of the article is to present the essence of innovation and possible innovative activities affecting the increase in the efficiency of personal data management in medical entities. The article analyses the impact of selected institutional aspects on innovative activities that can be undertaken by medical entities to increase the efficiency of personal data management.Research method – The article was prepared on the basis of a review of selected literature on innovation, secure processing of personal data, as well as the author's own observations.Results – As a result of the advancement of information technology in medicine, new data processing possibilities are created. The complexity of processes and procedures for processing personal data increases and that jeopardises their security.Implications / recommendations – Effective, innovative resource allocation is necessary, which determines the security of personal data being processed.
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Purpose – The aim of the paper is to identify the key urban development challenges in Poland and to verify the opinions of Polish mayors about them.Research method – The research used the quantitative method in the form of a survey conducted among 460 leaders of Polish cities together with desk research analysis including the data from the official statistics and reports from 2014-2018.Results – It was established that in their political agendas mayors include the postulates presenting a traditional approach to sustainable development, which is directed at the economy, society and the environment, but underestimates environmental issues. They are not aware of the new development challenges, but focus on the traditional, infrastructural and economic priorities.Originality / value – For the first time in Poland the results of comprehensive research on the priorities of city development that were declared by mayors are presented. They include the latest determinants for sustainable development, such as: the technological revolution, the management of ethnical and cultural diversity in urban communities, the depopulation and degradation of city centres and also circular economics. The findings of the research fill an existing gap in knowledge about the city leaders’ points of view on the challenges facing modern cities and thus define a political climate for the implementation of the principles of sustainable development.
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The paper focuses on the modern perspective on work and the functioning of individuals on the labour market. Advantages and disadvantages of the current changes in the labour market are discussed in the context of an individual’s life.
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The aim of the article is to present comprehensively and assess the results of the pension security reform implemented in 1999. The evolution of the initial scheme and current concepts of new reforms are presented, followed by the author’s suggestions for alternative directions for further changes.
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This essay defends the claim that democracy—the rule of the people—is only possible by means ofa constitution. In John Searle’s analytical approach, democracy is based upon the distinction between regulativeand constitutive rules; the latter create institutional realities which increase the capacity of human societies tomobilize their resources most effectively for a good social and political order. A case in point is the concept ofthe “will of the people,” which populist movements in several liberal democracies have been invoking as the trulyauthentic source of democratic rule. The author raises the question of whether modern-day dictatorships can bebased upon the idea of democracy.
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This article aims to analyze abuse of a country’s constitution as a unique means by which fundamentalchanges can be introduced to the country’s political system. The term “abusive constitutionalism” is used todiscuss the shift of the political system toward decreased democracy by means of changes to the constitution, asin the case of Hungary. In contemporary Poland, abuse of the constitution has entailed the creation of a parallelsystem via ordinary legislation passed rapidly by a simple parliamentary majority.The thesis of this paper is that “abusive constitutionalism” and an “abused constitutionalism” stem froma crisis in liberal democratic constitutionalism as a motivating force and moral signpost in the public sphere.In the place of democratic constitutionalism, there has been a return to emotion-laden conceptualizations of thepolitical community. Primordial bonds, unquestioned traditional values, and founding myths are perceived asmore meaningful than the law and the constitution. This sort of return to the past has its historical validation,but it is also a reaction to the growing complexities of the contemporary world and its risks. Another importantempirical context for abusive constitutionalism is the negative constitutional consensus of a passive electorate. Oneindicator of a negative constitutional consensus is the population’s lack of interest in the democratic functioningof the public sphere.
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This paper discusses the results of two empirical research projects on consumer micro-loans in Poland recently conducted at the Institute of Applied Social Sciences (University of Warsaw) and the Institute of Justice. The text summarizes the main findings of both studies and focuses on their main common thread: the various dimensions of social exclusion among average consumers who enter the loan market. The text argues that individuals who take consumer loans usually experience financial exclusion, which in turn prevents them from obtaining the cheaper credit available from banks. At the same time, by entering the loan market individuals de facto exclude themselves from effective legal protection (from courts and administrative bodies), which should be provided as an element of the rule of law in a democratic state. Building on these premises, the concept of “cascade exclusion” is proposed as an analytical framework for theses on interrelated dimensions of exclusion.
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The aim of the article is to define a certain type of argumentation, which has been scarcely described so far in either Polish or foreign literature in the field of argumentation theory, and thus to systematize the problems of research on semantic procedures in argumentation. The analysis of the ways in which a modification of meaning can affect the power of arguments inclines to distinguish a new type of argumentation - semantic argumentation. The concepts of persuasive definition and classification as well as methods of their application in the formulation of an argument will also be analyzed. The definition of semantic argumentation proposed here may give rise to some problems, typical when introducing a new concept, which is why the second part of the article is devoted to the issues related to the proposed shape of the definition. The definition is necessary for further research on semantic argumentation, its typology and for the assessment of its correctness.
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The introduction of elements of rhetoric to systemic teaching in primary and secondary school in 2017 responds to the needs of educating a student as a rational and active participant in interpersonal communication. However, it causes problems arising from both theoretical issues and practical solutions. The teachers encounter numerous difficulties related to the definition, choice of speech topic, giving the student a pattern of speech and the specificity of evaluating speech behaviour, as well as resulting from linking the topic of speech with a plot or literary hero. The revision of the school textbooks published after the entry into force of the new curriculum in 2017 shows the mentioned set of problems, which have been discussed in the article.
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