Tasks of intercultural education in the context of the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine initiated by the Russians makes one aware every day of the destruction of ideas and principles of peaceful problem solving developed over the years, and of the paradigm of cultural coexistence created in intercultural education. The aim of the article is to point out the need to undertake new tasks through intercultural education in the face of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Shaping a culture of peace, “making peace” has now become the leading task of intercultural education. The text points to the task of building on “good memory” as an opportunity and possibility of dealing with “bad memory”, the emancipation of national memories, the revitalization of heterology – the science of the Other, intercultural competences, the elimination of stereotypes and prejudices, one-sided negative and aggressive propaganda, etc. The article emphasizes the responsibility of intercultural education for creating the principles of democracy, revitalizing values symbolizing the common history with Ukraine, cooperation and collaboration in the process of functioning in European culture.

Cultural changes with war in the background – eliminating Russian culture from the space of Western culture as a form of solidarity with the nation and culture of Ukraine

The main axis of the article is the socio-cultural phenomena occurring since the outbreak of the Russian invasion in Ukraine in 2022, which has caused important changes not only in Europe, but also in other regions of the world. These changes have obvious political, economic, demographic, social and less obvious cultural dimensions. The latter take various forms, among which one is particularly controversial – it is the elimination of Russian culture from the cultural space of Western and other countries, among them Poland. This stems from solidarity with the Ukrainian people and an attempt to influence the attitudes of the Russian society, who, as research indicates, endorse the Russian invasion. The boycott mainly concerns artistic culture, symbolic in terms of the works of both living and deceased artists, contemporary and classical creations, both proand anti-war artists. Against this background, a public discussion unfolds on the legitimacy of all forms of boycott and the issue of collective responsibility. The theoretical context for the consideration of these phenomena is the concept of cancel culture. Empirical illustrations, on the other hand, are the studies on the discussed phenomena based on the opinion of students of social sciences.

Prejudice-based bullying against minorities. On the role of immigrant background and intergroup processes in explaining and limiting the phenomenon

Societies are becoming more ethnically and culturally diverse. This growing diversity offers new opportunities for both individuals and societies. At the same time, it also creates challenges such as a polarized political climate and an increase in hostile behaviour based on prejudice, such as ethnic discrimination and peer violence against immigrants. Recent research on the forms of bullying of minority groups by peers suggests that prejudice has some influence on specific patterns of bullying, but not enough attention has yet been given to this either in the conceptualization of bullying itself or in the design of intervention and prevention programs. It is therefore suggested that further research and the design of prevention programs could be targeted to give more attention to prejudice as one of the factors underlying this form of peer violence. The article is of a review nature and has been organized in a conceptual way, i.e. the focus is on prejudice-based bullying, which is the subject of research, but at the same time, arguments for the presented point of view will be presented to justify further empirical research in this problem area.

Developing professional competencies of teaching staff in the context of work in a culturally diverse environment on the example of the 2nd School of Intercultural Education

The aim of the article is to present the 2nd School of Intercultural Education (IISEM) “Strengthening the potential of children and youth with a migrant background” as an example of a cyclical training activity addressed to people involved in educational practice. The paper is a voice in the discussion on the professional competences of teachers, educationalists, psychologists, intercultural assistants, etc. who work in dynamically changing conditions of cultural diversity. Therefore, their competences should be systematically developed in the dialogical relationship between pedagogical theory and practice, in the process of lifelong education, taking into account the specificity of the environment in which the school operates and the challenges and needs existing in it. The article consists of three complementary parts. The first outlines the socio-cultural contexts of contemporary education. Against this background, the goals and specificity of IISEM are shown. The third part presents the methodological package “Towards the integration of Polish and Ukrainian students”, which contains scenarios of educational activities being the result of the work of IISEM participants in culturally diverse environments. The content presented in the text is the result of my own experience and observations resulting from five months of cooperation with the School participants as a mentor and the work of the editor of the substantive methodological package. These activities were accompanied by systematic consultations with IISEM participants, observation of classes conducted during the School (including the implementation of some of them), the evaluation of IISEM (using surveys and interviews with its participants) and analysis of the collected data. The content comprised in the text can be useful both to people interested in intercultural education, both in its theoretical aspects and in educational practice.

The Other in the space of cultural institutions. „Struggle” for accessibility – the case of the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia in Cieszyn

In the increasingly diversified world, openness to difference becomes a priority. This difference can be understood broadly. It may refer to people with foreign cultural experiences, with other cultural resources or with their shortage. It may also concern individuals or entire groups with special needs. Opening to the needs of such people and educating the society in this regard is one of the many tasks of cultural institutions. The need to make an institution more accessible is becoming a constantly growing challenge for its employees. The text addresses the problem of adapting cultural institutions to the legislative requirements introduced by the Act of 19th July 2019 on ensuring accessibility to people with special needs and the Act of 4th April 2019 on the digital accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public entities. This issue was discussed in reference to the research results obtained with the use of the case study method in the research conducted in the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia in Cieszyn. What was taken into account in those studies was architectural, communication-information and digital accessibility. The interviews conducted with museum employees were analysed.

Mobility of young adults from Central and Eastern European countries – a Polish-Czech-Slovak-Ukrainian comparative study

The young generation is treated as the future of society. This generation’s size, skills and knowledge, as well as economic activity, socio-cultural involvement, marital intentions and family (procreation) plans determine the quality of society. Thus, an important issue is the outflow of young people who decide to migrate abroad. It is therefore important to recognize both the current experiences and the life plans of the young generation in this field. In post-communist countries, the fall of the communist system had a major impact on the increase in mobility. Political, sociocultural and economic changes have contributed to the emergence of new migration-related phenomena and the so-called fluid migration, characterized by free movement of labour, massiveness, diversity and plasticity. The surveyed youth from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have experiences related to functioning within open borders, unlike the youth from Ukraine, where the borders are closed. Wioletta Danilewicz notices the existence of the so-called migration culture, i.e. the acceptance (by the participants of migration processes) that these are phenomena constituting an inherent element of their lives, despite their awareness of the unfavourable co-occurring elements. The research results presented in the text indicate that the surveyed young adults do not fully follow this trend.

Core value and related principles, qualities, attitudes as reflected in the University of Vienna Code of Ethics

This paper is an attempt to address the following research questions: What core value and its associated principles, qualities, and attitudes are reflected in the University of Vienna’s Code of Ethics? What perception of the university does this document reveal? The first part of this paper is a description of the essential historical facts pertaining to this university, its organizational structure and the formation of world elites. The second part explains the importance of the code of ethics as a means of helping to direct human conduct toward social, educational, and economic goals. The third part was focused on the main axiological quality (value), as well as the aretological (virtues/characteristics), normative (principles/norms) and behavioral qualities comprised in the content of the Code. The value marked most clearly in the Code of Ethics of the University of Vienna was responsibility. It is also a desirable attitude of university members that predisposes them to exhibit qualities such as honesty and loyalty. The principles of conduct specified in the Code included: legality, expediency, economy, openness, risk minimization, sustainable development, “face to face” communication in situations requiring confidentiality.

The Global South beyond cultural diversity. The discourse of exclusion in language textbooks

The aim of the article is to present the results of the analysis of the contents related to the Global South in language textbooks, which, due to the cultural aspects of teaching a foreign language, are of particular importance in intercultural education. The method of content analysis was used in the study, with inductive and deductive data coding in the Atlas.ti 7 program. The results show the ways of discursive exclusion of the Global South, characterized by one-sidedness and Eurocentrism noticeable in textbooks images of this world region. The collected data made it possible to distinguish such elements of the discourse of exclusion as victimization (linking the image of the Global South with various problems), exoticization (descriptions of the Global South in the context of traditional rituals or the richness of nature) and incapacitation (absence of representatives of the Global South in the texts or presenting them as passive beneficiaries of external aid). Despite the potential of shaping intercultural competences that language education brings, in the aspect of the Global South, it seems necessary to modify the content of textbooks in the direction of diversity, equal treatment of cultures, getting rid of the sense of superiority and ethnocentric attitudes.0

Messages directed to potential volunteers via Polish-language websites. An example of voluntary work in African countries

Internet communication is widely used by Polish NGOs in communicating with the public. It is also used by foundations and associations that organize volunteering in Africa. The purpose of this article is to characterize the communications concerning participation in volunteering in the African area, which have been posted on the Polish-language Internet by the aforementioned NGOs. This article presents theoretical issues relating to the Internet as a tool of communication in NGOs, the image of the Other in Polish society (in relation to Africa and the inhabitants of the continent) and volunteering in Polish NGOs. It presents the results of the author’s own qualitative research conducted using an analytical technique, the content analysis method. Messages posted on the websites of NGOs focus on the person of the volunteer experiencing exotic adventures and gathering attractive experiences, at the expense of presenting the beneficiaries of the volunteer’s activities. The described communications present reality in a way that perpetuates stereotypes, while conveying information about the professional, ethical and intelligent nature of the activities of foundations and associations.

„CAS is the hardest and easiest subject in school” – teachers’ experiences in the IB DP program. An interactive perspective

In the article, the focus is on the International Baccalaureate Program (IB DP), which places great emphasis on the comprehensive development of students by providing the necessary knowledge and practical skills while taking into account the student’s interests. Special attention is paid to the subject of CAS (i.e. creativity, activity, service) because when analysing the selected literature on the subject, we noticed that the topic of CAS, implemented as part of the international IB curriculum, is overlooked and not explored in pedagogical research. The issues discussed in the article are part of broader considerations devoted to the reconstruction of the social world of schools implementing the international baccalaureate program. The empirical material comes from 19 unstructured interviews with teachers of international schools in Poland and participant observations carried out in these institutions. Reaching for a qualitative research strategy and grounded methodology procedures, we reconstructed the methods of defining CAS by the surveyed teachers, as well as strategies for managing this subject. It turns out that CAS is perceived by the respondents as a distinguishing feature (showcase) of the international program, and the strategies (mentor and administrative) for managing this subject implemented by the coordinators are not permanent and absolute.

Social activities and the process of profiling the social world. The case of the right-wing and liberal interpretation of the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border

When in the second half of 2021 the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border rapidly inflamed, it became a subject of numerous articles published in major opinion weeklies of different ideological orientations. Their analysis using the profiling concept developed by Jerzy Bartmiński allowed to reveal two alternative profiles of people trying to cross Polish border from Belarus (illegal immigrant versus refugee) and different images of the social world hidden behind them, manifested in ideological (right-wing and liberal) language codes. According to J. Bartmiński’s concept, profiling is reconstructable practically in every text of culture, and the reconstruction of profiling makes it possible to obtain a cognitive definition, i.e. one that allows to present the way the speakers understand the events of the social world, the ways of ordering, categorizing and evaluating them. The reconstructed profiles were used in the analysed texts to generate different action patterns (defense of sovereignty versus helping people in a humanitarian crisis), which, however, have a common area, which is identifying the figure of external enemy and inner traitor.

Polarization: the polemic with the article “Fanaticism as an educational problem”

The criticism of the article “Fanaticism as an Educational Problem” focuses on the selective treatment of fanaticism symptoms, ignoring the role of political polarization and age in analysing this phenomenon. Gałkowski and Gałkowski’s article (2023) presents a valuable proposal for a minimal educational program, but it requires considering a broader social, cultural, and individual context in diagnosing fanaticism and applying effective tools to counteract this phenomenon. The starting point of the debate is the observation that fanaticism remains a negatively perceived label that excludes individuals or social groups, hence the need for clarification on how cultural diversity and intercultural communication can contribute to it. Fanaticism is associated with an existential crisis, but there are also specific developmental phenomena in children that can be mistaken for fanaticism. Literary works can help in understanding this phenomenon. The proposed examples indicate that fanaticism is primarily a group phenomenon characterized by action rather than solely an attitude to the truth. In preventing and dismantling fanaticism, it is important to consider emotions related to uncertainty and develop skills to cope with it. Finding effective alternatives to psychoactive substances in emotional regulation and violence prevention poses a challenge. Fanaticism can be present in the inertia of customs and can be recognized by sensitive young people in society’s reactions to demands for social change. The situation of individuals expelled at the Polish-Belarusian border highlights the difference between uncompromising commitment and fanaticism. Human rights should be respected without exceptions, and the willingness to accept external judgment distinguishes activists from fanatics. Building relationships free from fanaticism in communities, especially in the case of refugees, requires considering the atmosphere and pedagogy of the place, which play a crucial role in combating fanaticism.

Stop and think. Thinking against fanaticism

Piotr Kowzan’s polemic proved that the issue of fanaticism remains an important educational problem, but also more broadly: a social one. Formulating a response to a polemic allows for rethinking and clarifying some themes. It also turns out to be important to return to the very definition of fanaticism as well as to point out that the problem is important because fanaticism threatens primarily people of value: those who perceive values and are actively engaged in their realization. In our response to the polemic, we try to point out three issues that are important in our opinion. Firstly, we emphasize that fanaticism is always harmful, and although this harmfulness is not always significant, even in the best case, fanaticism is harmful at least to the fanatic himself. Secondly, we oppose the claim that countering fanaticism can be as destructive as fanaticism itself. Thirdly, we maintain the claim that the basic symptoms of fanaticism are: an inability to make any compromises and a rejection of the very possibility of making an exception to an accepted rule of action. In conclusion, we recall Hannah Arend’s vitally important call to maintain a balance between activity and reflexivity.

Refugees as a challenge for intercultural education

The article presents the author’s concept of the continuum of intercultural relations referred to the cultural differences concerning refugees. This concept is based on the distinguishing of four stages of relationships: narrowly understood tolerance, cognitive interest, intercultural dialogue and cultural symbiosis. The ordering criteria used to distinguish the stages were: the sign of emotions related to the culturally Other, the sociocultural identity of the interacting individuals (especially people from the society that receives refugees), and the presence or absence of direct interaction between an individual representing the receiving society and the refugee. The concept of the continuum is presented against the background of the ideas underlying the emergence and development of the idea of intercultural education in Poland.

To green Ukraine and to those green meadows... The Eastern borderlands of the Second Polish Republic as an object of sightseeing interest for Poles – an attempt at a summary

This article is an attempt to look at selected factors accounting for the popularity among Polish tourists a few years ago of the area known as the Eastern borderlands of the Second Polish Republic (Pol.: Kresy). Methodologically, the autoethnographic study involves an analysis of desk research (the 2019 CBOS survey and the observations made by other researchers). Starting from the CBOS quantitative data recording the scale of Poles’ trips in this direction, the author looks at selected qualitative circumstances which may, to some extent, be behind the preferences diagnosed in the survey, but also behind the broader interest in these sites. The considerations include the (geo)political reality, specific (Eastern borderland-like) experiences, Polish traces, literature, film and Galician and migration myths – assigned to three main thematic areas (Europeanization versus a good national self-sense, Polish traces, and literature, films and myths). Although the essence of the considerations seems to favour Ukraine, the “question of priority” was left – as it is the case in quantitative research – open, focusing on broadening the context of the whole issue.

Japanese religious syncretism

Syncretism is a conceptual model that signifies the alliance, amalgamation, or combination of the assumptions of different religious, philosophical and cultural systems that are objects of interest in cultural, religious and social studies. Nevertheless, less attention has been paid to this process as an educational phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the issues related to Japanese religious syncretism. It comprises the presentation of the main religious currents and spiritual traditions present in contemporary Japanese culture, as well as the idiosyncrasies associated with their peculiarities that carry the potential for informal cross-cultural education. This translates into some peculiar features of the cultural identity of the Japanese with their eclectic and inclusive qualities. In contrast to the negative connotations associated with syncretism in the context of the European cultural milieu and Christian dynamics, Japanese syncretism in this regard has positive connotations because it implies reconciliation between religious traditions and communities that would otherwise be considered as competing with each other. Insights into the nature of religious syncretism in contemporary Japan as a process of heterogeneous fusion of faiths and beliefs (and the resulting traditions, rituals and symbols) present in the public space and sacred architecture, and identified in cultural discourse, will specify the capital for cross-cultural learning and cross-religious tolerance.

Cooperation of migrants with Polish diaspora organizations as a factor of social capital growth in a multicultural society

The article concerns the activity of the Polish community in Canada in the context of social capital. It presents the results of sociological empirical research carried out using an online questionnaire survey among Canadian Polish youth who cooperate with a Polish community organization and the one that does not undertake such cooperation. The respondents participating in the study function in the multicultural society of Canada on a daily basis, which – as it turned out in the course of the analyses – creates an opportunity to acquire and accumulate social capital resources. The article also describes selected theoretical concepts regarding this resource. Their analysis was made by taking into account three components that appear in Robert Putnam’s approach: trust, norms and connections of the respondents. It was presented how respondents define trust itself and what level of trust they have in relation to selected social groups. Their view on the relationship between belonging to social organizations (e.g. The Władysław Reymont Foundation) with norms and morality was also described. The article also presents the frequency of respondents’ contacts with selected groups and their opinions on social organizations. The empirical considerations allowed to verify the research hypothesis that cooperation with The Władysław Reymont Foundation is conducive to the social capital of migrants.

Identification and sense of pride among young Americans of Polish and Tibetan origins

Ethnic diversity in the United States is a dynamic phenomenon that affects all aspects of the country’s social, economic and cultural life. This is one of the characteristics that defines American identity and makes the United States one of the most diverse countries in the world. The article focuses on the identity of young Americans of Polish and Tibetan origins living in the Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York). Students attending Polish and Tibetan Saturday Schools were selected for the study. These are two distinct ethnic groups, but it is assumed that maintaining the cultural heritage of their ancestors is what characterizes both of them. The research results confirm this thesis and indicate that the sense of identity is a natural need of a young person, expressed in a dual cultural pattern and a developmental task that should be undertaken. In both studies, a strong sense of pride in ethnic origin emerged, although it was articulated in different ways by young people. Students from both groups presented high cultural competences in their country of origin and country of residence.

Children’s intercultural education in Germany (the case of the activities of Familienzentrum Lebenshilfe Elmshorn day care centres)

The article contains considerations on intercultural education in Germany based on the example of Familienzentrum Lebenshilfe Elmshorn day care centres. Against the background of these considerations and referring to the thesis that early intercultural education provides an opportunity to develop lasting competences in the field of broadly understood coexistence, the German concern for intercultural education, care, help and support is presented. The Federal Assisted Living Association in the district of Pinneberg offers initiatives in this area through six integrated day care centres in Elmshorn, Pinneberg, Appen-Etz and Wedel. On the basis of the analysis of the activities undertaken in the city of Elmhorn and in day care centres, integration activities are shown – the ones that take place both in an intercultural perspective and in the family space. The article emphasizes that early intercultural education broadens thinking about education, understanding that a child is a learning entity striving for self-fulfillment, developing their own strength and possibilities in the process of “dialogue” with an adult. Early cultural education is also a path to peaceful coexistence based on mutual knowledge and understanding.

Youth and the values of the democratic social order. A report from dynamic and comparative studies

The text is a presentation of the preliminary results of team research on the attitude of students towards the value of the renewal of social order, reconstructed in Piotr Sztompka’s “renewal decalogue”. On the basis of the results of the exploration carried out 30 years ago on “Youth in relation to the values and norms of social life”, a new scientific research was designed. It was carried out at several Polish and Ukrainian universities, in a group of students from several faculties. Ten values and forty norms of social life were assessed twice on a six-point scale. The respondents were first asked to indicate to what extent they considered certain values of social life as personally important and how they influenced their lives in various social situations. Then, they had to assess to what extent the given norms are noticed in their environment and are present in contemporary social life. The research report contains the results of the exploration of only a part of the study cohort, 272 students of pedagogy from Polish universities and 91 students from pedagogical universities in Ukraine. The obtained results were additionally compared with those obtained three decades earlier in a group of students of the same faculty.

Motivations of students coming from Eastern Europe to study in Poland – international, local and institutional context

The article comprises a presentation of the motivations that accompany students coming from Belarus, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine when deciding to study in Poland. The theoretical framework for examining the motivation of foreign students’ migration decisions is the push-pull factors model by Everett Lee. The analyzed material comes from an online survey of foreign students studying at the University of Wroclaw and the Maria Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin in December 2022 and January 2023. The study focuses on the factors that attract foreign students to specific destinations in three contexts: international (why Poland?), local (why a particular city?), and institutional (why a particular university?). The pull factors of greatest importance for foreign students from both universities turned out to be economic and cultural ones. The evaluation of the level of democracy in Poland was also significant. Taking into account the local context, it is worth noting that Wroclaw and Lublin attract not only with their original educational offer but also with their “urban atmosphere,” a “climate” conducive to ethnic difference. Social networks – understood as having family or friends in the country, the city of study or the chosen university – turned out to be the least important for the decision to study in Poland.

Intercultural education in the face of disability culture. Activities of selected NGOs in Lesser Poland Voivodeship – an empirical illustration

The article adopts a cultural understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities. Its purpose is an attempt to discuss disability as a minority culture in the context of the opportunities presented by intercultural education. From the perspective of the sociology of minority groups, the extent to which the dominant group’s perception of minority as cultural one is shared by the minority itself is relevant. In order to look at in-group concepts of education (using the Klon/Jawor database), the documents of NGOs from Lesser Poland Voivodeship involved in the education of people with disabilities were analyzed. The article refers to the minority nature of disability, the culture of people with disabilities, the state of expert literature on the education of this minority, and the results of our own research. It is based on an analysis of the literature on the subject and a study of the data collected from organizations dealing with people with disabilities, which set goals and tasks of an educational nature. The results of the conducted research indicate that there is a small number of initiatives aimed at building a culture of disability and that they are scattered, which in turn implies a lack of an institutional network of disability culture (at least in Lesser Poland Voivodeship).

Survival strategies of Ukrainian student-refugees (in the perception of general secondary school teachers)

The aim of the article was to identify and characterize survival strategies adopted by Ukrainian refugee students in general secondary schools. The study was grounded in qualitative research within the interactionist perspective, with the use of thematic analysis. The empirical material was collected through in-depth narrative interviews with twelve teachers from six schools located in cities of various sizes. The research revealed and described three main strategies employed by refugee students: distancing strategy (from teachers, education, and peer groups), engagement avoidance strategy (in classwork and homework), and non-learning of the Polish language strategy. The primary function of these strategies was to simulate the performance of school duties and assume the role of a learner. The strategies were students’ responses to the imposed situation of sudden and compulsory functioning in school in a foreign country, without knowledge of the teaching language and without preparation for participation in advanced secondary education. The strategies constituted a response to the lack of systemic, flexible, and functional solutions stimulating the adaptive processes of refugee students. The article concludes with practical implications regarding the necessity of developing a coherent concept of education for refugee students, as well as migrants who do not present sufficient competence in the Polish language at the secondary level.

Research and educational project “Ukrainian Teaching Materials 2022” for Wrocław’s pre- and early school education – a presentation of survey results

Alongside the tragic consequences of the armed conflict, the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022 resulted in an upheaval within the educational system in Poland. This situation posed challenges for Ukrainian children arriving in Poland as well as for teachers and students in educational institutions where refugee children were being admitted without restrictions. The author’s research and educational project “Ukrainian Teaching Materials 2022” for Wrocław’s pre – and early school education in 2022 aimed to support the development of language skills among refugee children in their native language and in Polish, and to support preschool and early school teachers in this endeavour by providing them with appropriately prepared methodological packages. A diagnostic survey identified teachers’ needs regarding methodological materials. At the same time, a follow-up focus group interview conducted 30–40 days later presented teachers’ reflections and experiences in teaching in linguistically and culturally diverse groups during the initial period of the war migration. The project was also aimed to raise awareness among teachers and to cultivate an open attitude towards using bilingual and Ukrainian-language materials in working with children with war migration experience. Due to the collected extensive research material, the research findings were divided into two parts: the first part presents the theoretical and methodological context of the project as well as the results of the survey. In contrast, the second part presents the results of the focus group research and discussion based on the literature review.

The article highlights changes in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) in Singapore. In response to the country’s current and future needs, the government has been introducing various mandatory programs aimed at integrating ethnic groups and developing human resources through education. The aim of the article is to recognize the importance attributed to CCE in educational policy and to discuss the currently implemented approach. The diagnosis takes into account the broader social, political and historical context of the country, in which CCE is embedded.

This study is a review (content analysis of the literature) supplemented with actual indications and a proposal for a project that can be implemented by researchers representing universities from several countries. The aim is to show how universal design and broadly understood accessibility relate to the idea of intercultural education, or how they rather stem from it. Additionally, it will be important to develop these ideas within the thinking about the changing university – open and accessible to everyone as much as possible. Due attention will be drawn here to important issues from the point of view of the priorities and prospects of the European Union’s policy, also because of the obvious need to change the social reality towards the frequently mentioned inclusion. The ending will comprise the guidelines and recommendations for those designing future activities, those implementing ready-made solutions, as well as for theoreticians who try to organize their knowledge in this area.

The aim of the article is to carry out a literature review concerning the principles of cultural child rearing among Indigenous people in Canada as regards traditional practices and their contemporary adaptation in the shadow of the historical trauma of colonization. The main categories of analysis are cultural connectedness and cultural child development related to Indigenous understanding of child autonomy, discipline, spirituality, building relationships and community in Canadian Indigenous societies. In the first part of the article, the focus is on the importance of cultural connectedness and five areas of connectedness crucial to a cultural framework by which Indigenous knowledge is transmitted, preserved and promoted. In the second part, the principles of traditional child development in contemporary Indigenous practices with some examples such as the “Four Hills of Life” are explored. In conclusion, there is a brief reflection on Indigenous ways of child rearing in the context of its barriers and opportunities.

Recently, there has been an intense increase in interest in brain research findings among education professionals. In response to the needs of teachers, a number of proposals have appeared on the market, which are in fact so-called neuromyths, i.e. theories or methods, with an unclear theoretical basis and unproven effectiveness. Despite this, they are widely used in many countries. The purpose of the article is to check whether the obtained results will be related to the specific socio-economic situation of a given country. The study included 171 teachers from Poland and Israel. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that had already been used for this purpose in other countries. The results indicate that the factor significantly differentiating the studied groups, was the place of residence. Polish teachers scored better on questions about facts of brain structure, but were more likely to believe false claims involving eating sweet things, brain neuroplasticity or the need to drink water. Israeli teachers, on the other hand, were more likely to accept as true false claims related to bilingualism, to simultaneous stimulating both the left and right hemisphere, to giving children a lot of educational toys, doing multitasking and using media. This may be a result of socioeconomic and cultural differences, concerning, among other things, the use of scientific publications, media or university subjects.

This article presents the problem of immigrant integration in Poland. The research objective was to analyze the degree of integration of the immigrants with the host (Polish) society. The authors adopted the concept of 5 dimensions of integration as the theoretical basis for their research. The studies were carried out using a survey questionnaire. They lasted from November 2022 to March 2023 and were carried out via the Internet. 224 immigrants took part in the research. The condition for participation in the study was residence in Poland for at least 2 years. The respondents were asked, among other things, about free practice of one’s religion, access to places where one can practice religion (churches, temples, mosques, etc.), making and maintaining acquaintances, encountering discrimination/hostility on the part of Poles, importance of religion and tradition in adapting to life in Poland, the choice of Poland in the event of the possible re-deciding on the choice of residence place or a possible change of residence place. The analysis of the indicators revealed that the vast majority of the respondents (61%) had integrated with the host society to a great extent. However, a large group of immigrants (39%) who had problems with integration was also identified.

The theoretical and methodological framework of the undertaken considerations is determined by the basic conceptual categories – the linguistic image of the world, culture and values. In the analysis of their educational context, some assumptions were adopted from the field of linguistics and sociolinguistics (the perspective of the cultural context in linguistic research), social and cultural anthropology (with particular focus on its anthropocentric-cultural trend), axiology (its phenomenological orientation) and cognitive psychology (its cognitive-developmental theories). At the same time, the assumption was made that the study of the linguistic image of the value of friendship appreciated by learners from the Polish-Czech borderland enables treating language as a source of knowledge (anchored in their own experience and culture) about the ways they understand the world. In the analysis of qualitative empirical material, a reductive and expansive method of data processing was used, as well as the assumptions of the interpretative approach to the analysis of the statement meanings in the context of: understanding the respondents’ thoughts, critical common-sense understanding and theoretical understanding. In preparing a full description of the linguistic image of the value of friendship preferred by children, a phenomenological approach was also used, consisting in moving from individual textural-structural relations of meanings and the essence of the respondents’ experiences to a synthesis in the form of a description of their axiological experiences.

The article comprises a static scientific-analytical review of the values and life meanings of Ukrainian youth in the conditions of war. The instability of the situation is characterized by the life circumstances that continue for a long time and significantly go beyond the social and natural norms in which people are used to living. In this social context, the value paradigm of a person is changing. On the basis of statistical data, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the problems that concern Ukrainian youth today was carried out, the types of their social activity, life priorities and meanings, dominant factors that influence the process of personality formation were determined. It is also stated in the study that the formation of the young people’s value foundations during the war is influenced by their emotional and psychological state, which in most cases is not stable and has a contradictory and changeable character. Extremeness and categoricalness in assessments, frequent changes in emotional moods and priorities in young people are a result of the experienced stress. Some important generalizations are made regarding the restructuring of the value sphere of young people under the influence of such a tragic socio-political phenomenon as war.

The situation in Ukraine caused by war since 2014 and the intensification of hostilities from 2022 have led many Ukrainian citizens to emigrate. Living in other countries requires the need to adapt to often different cultural conditions. Intercultural sensitivity is an important dimension of intercultural communication competence that determines if individuals effectively adjust to a new reality. This study aims to adapt the most widely used tool for measuring intercultural sensitivity, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (2000) by Chen and Starosta, to Ukrainian conditions. This article comprises a presentation of a Ukrainian version of the questionnaire for measuring cross-cultural sensitivity, along with its psychometric properties. The obtained results showed that Chen and Starosta’s five-factor model of intercultural sensitivity (IS) did not fit the Ukrainian cultural context. A confirmatory factor analysis of the previous adaptations of IS, showed that the best model for the present study was the Serbian model. Therefore, we created a four-factor IS model containing 15 items (α-Cronbach’s 0.841). These factors, along with the items included in the Ukrainian version of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, were based on the 24-item Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) formulated by Chen and Starosta. This study contains a proposaal of an alternative model of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale that is better suited to Ukrainian culture. The questionnaire with a key is attached to the article for other researchers to use in their studies.

The text addresses the key competencies of the future relevant to the labour market from the perspective of students of the humanities and social sciences. It is based on the research carried out in three universities: in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (a total of 603 students were surveyed) in 2022 as part of the Erasmus+ project grant KA220-HED. Research results indicate that students perceive critical thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills as the most important for future work, given that creativity is ranked in the middle of the three universities by students. Students ranked low emotion management, time management skills and digital competencies in the labor market. In terms of gender in the 4Cs, there are differences – for men, critical thinking is more important than for women, while communication and cooperation are more important for women. There are no differences in assessing the importance of creativity – this reflects the stereotypical image of differences between occupations perceived as more male and female.

The phenomenon of exclusion, marginalization and disadvantage is experienced by many social groups, especially the – culturally, nationally or religiously – Others. The article is a continuation of an earlier text published in the journal Edukacja Międzykulturowa [Intercultural Education], which concerned the theoretical foundations of multiple discrimination and a review of the research conducted in the intersectional paradigm. In this text, the focus is primarily on the analysis of research on multiple discrimination against mothers of children with disabilities. The research was aimed at learning about their experiences and answering the question: Do the surveyed women feel discrimination? And if so, does this unfair differentiation affect them because they belong to more than one group? To obtain an answer to thess research questions, in 2023 I conducted six narrative interviews with mothers of children with profound disabilities. The analysis of their narratives made it possible to conclude that they experience differentiation by others due to more than one criterion. In their case, the first factor of discrimination is gender – the female one, which intersects with another (or others): woman – a mother of a child with disability; woman – a person who does not work. The narrators share their experience of being stigmatized due to their appearance (too well-groomed, and therefore not sufficiently devoted to the child), educational and caring competences (responsible for the child’s behaviour that is inconsistent with social norms) and due to the abandonment or limitation of their professional career.

The European refugee crisis of 2015 had a profound impact not only policies, but also narratives related to migration. The article is aimed to analyse how the European refugee crisis was narrated in Polish textbooks on geography and civics – two subjects that cover contemporary socio-political events within their curricula. It looks at the textbooks not only as a source of information but also as a political and pedagogical mirror that reflects the ongoing discussions in society. The article builds on the vast scholarship on how the refugee crisis was narrated in Poland and investigates whether and to what extent the same patterns are reflected in the textbooks. Mixed methodology is used in the article to identify the main narratives and themes in the samples of Polish textbook. According to the study the narrations are less extreme and explicit than in the public discourse, they are also often incoherent and inconsistent, and hardly human-centred. While they are not explicitly politicized, they often replicate the main narrative frames from the media discourse.

The representation of the Romani culture in Western popular culture has long been based on stereotypes and prejudices of those who are not part of it. These stereotypes have shaped the common perception of the Romani. Cultural studies are focused on literature relevant in the postcolonial and critical discourse analysis. In the works created for the D&D games set in the fictional world of Ravenloft, one can find the Vistani, an ethnic group inspired by the Romani. What is shown here is how the portrayal of the Vistani coincides with the stereotypes pointed out by researchers in popular depictions of the Romani culture and how the viewers receive such characterizations nowadays. This exploratory study points out how the stereotypes and culture coding work in speculative fiction (namely fantasy genre) and how the portrayal of fictional culture could have real-world implications.

In the article, the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) is highlighted in the context of intercultural education and the ways are identified in which modern technologies can support the development of intercultural competencies. The authors analyze the theoretical foundations of intercultural education and the practical aspects of using ICT in the process of intercultural learning. By integrating ICT with intercultural education, it becomes possible to promote both the understanding of cultural diversity and collaboration skills in a globalized world. On the basis of the presented foundations of intercultural education, it is pointed out that ICT enables global access to information concerning different cultures, fostering understanding and tolerance towards intercultural differences. In their discourse, the authors focus on the possibilities of creating interactive educational environments using ICT, which stimulates active participation in the cultures of other communities. The article demonstrates that the use of ICT allows for the personalization of the teaching process, adapting it to the individual needs of students and supporting the development of their intercultural competencies. Additionally, the significance of virtual reality (VR) and distance learning in the context of intercultural education is analyzed, emphasizing their role in stimulating intercultural situations and global cultural exchange.

What about this ethnocentrism? An essay on the margins of Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking

The history of national and ethnic minorities in Poland is a story about how they constantly have to create space for their existence and coexistence in Polishness. During the Second Polish Republic, nationalist and liberalist tendencies clashed in public space. The authorities of the Polish People’s Republic saw minorities merely as folk varieties of Polish culture. This had one goal: to create a homogeneous state. The 2005 Act on National, Ethnic Minorities and Regional Languages confirmed Poland’s multiculturalism. Work on the act coincided with the development of views on ethnicity and ethnocentrism in Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking. Today, many representatives of minority groups postulate the need to amend the 2005 Act. The aim of the article is to reconstruct Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s thinking about “ethnicity” and “ethnocentrism”, because his scientific reflection well explains the socio-cultural nature of both phenomena. The article is composed of three parts. The first part is a reconstruction of the concept of “ethnicity”. The second is a reconstruction of the cultural pattern of “ethnocentrism”. The third is an attempt at reflection resulting from the application of Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s views in the process of understanding today’s dynamics of political activities/emancipatory struggles of minorities in Poland.

Community and individualism in constructing one’s own identity

The presented text falls within the perspective of narrative research, the development of which is a consequence of the linguistic breakthrough in social sciences. For this reason, the presented article begins with a brief description of the essence of this breakthrough. I consider narrativity and narration as a linguistic (and thus characteristic of a linguistic breakthrough) way of being in the world, a way of constructing the social world and a type of identity of a contemporary human. The subject of critical reflection in the presented text will be the story of the heroine of the Oscar-winning film by Paweł Pawlikowski, titled “Ida”. Considering this story as a case study, I will show the importance of community and individualism and the tensions between these categories of memory and oblivion in working on my own identity (i.e. the way to myself).

Migration as an “independent variable” of intercultural cognition. Challenges for the contemporary teacher

This article is aimed to look at ‘migration’ as a complex social category to support teachers in their preparation for working with students of diverse cultural backgrounds. In all likelihood, the national composition of Polish school will change significantly shortly. Students with complex and non-obvious immigrant experiences will dominate in the first stage. Like an “independent variable”, they will condition the course of social relations, including school relations. Supporting each teacher in extensive preparation for responsible work with students with different cultural experiences becomes a professional necessity and a (self-) educational challenge. As a first step, teachers should, therefore, become familiar with the typology of migration. This knowledge will make it easier for them to determine with whom they are working, i.e. with which baggage of cultural, identity, and migration experiences the other Person comes to them. Secondly, the practical preparation of educators should include intercultural education content to realistically respond to emerging expectations (of students and parents) and the resulting changes and even difficulties. Thirdly, the teacher should understand that, especially, mass immigration is associated with the emergence of overlapping identities, attitudes (including resentment) and the hybridisation of social life. Anticipatory education for a common and promising European future requires the courageous formulation of questions and the search for ways to solve them. For the time being, however, there is a perceptible gap in the intercultural preparation of teachers. It should be reduced as soon as possible because a new society is forming. Its formation should be responsible and accepted by the parties to this process, i.e., the contribution of the educational processes should be crucial.

On the problems of identity formation in adolescence – the borderlines of conceptualizing self-knowledge in the face of crisis

The issue of identity formation during adolescence requires consideration of multiple theoretical perspectives and socio-cultural contexts. Identity, being a dynamic process, is analyzed from the viewpoints of humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, sociology, and cultural anthropology. In this paper, an analysis of contemporary conditions of this process has been undertaken, with a particular focus on risk factors and development determinants. The authors of this text emphasize the significance of early experiences as an identity matrix influencing later mechanisms of integration during adolescence. Referring to E.H. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, identity crises are presented as natural phenomena that, under certain conditions, can lead to either integration or disintegration of personality. In this context, the difficulties faced by young people in the process of self-creation of the “Self” are highlighted, especially in the face of specific risk factors. Given that experiencing a crisis can be both an opportunity and a threat to development, depending on the support and resources of the individual, the need for prevention and education in counteracting risky behaviors and supporting healthy psychosocial development of youth is emphasized.

„A capital marriage” – about the potential of mixed marriages in the context of the theory of social and cultural capital

The leading subject matter of this study is the theory of social and cultural capital in the context of the functioning of mixed marriages and multicultural families that they constitute. Two parts are distinguished in my study. In the first one, the theoretical foundations are described of the introduced concepts of capital – the theories of P. Bourdieu, J. S. Coleman, R. Putnam and F. Fukuyama are referred to. In the second part, selected threads are discussed of the research into mixed marriages in relation to the theory of social and cultural capital. The study is aimed at indicating the importance of social and cultural capital rooted in the realities of family life on the example of mixed marriages and their families. The application of the theory of social capital helps to explain the phenomena occurring in social life. The presented study is an attempt to distinguish the elements that build intra-family capital, which translates into shaping intra-family relationships and influencing the external environment. Due attention was also paid to the issues of language and communication within and outside the family, as well as contacts with religion, tradition and customs in the situation of daily experience of diversity by members of multicultural marriages and families.

I dwell here and live but they didn’t teach me about this. On problems of local and regional education in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship

In the paper the problem of improper functioning is undertaken of local and regional education in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. The issue emerges from interviews conducted with museum staff members, culture animators, and residents of some municipalities during three research projects in years 2015–2022. The starting point for the discussion is the assumption that local cultural heritage is a valuable resource that, if properly used, can foster local development, while omitting it in educational practices weakens the potential of local communities. On the basis on the analysis of in-depth interviews and focus groups, the factors underlying the weakness of local and regional education in the voivodeship are distinguished: historical (complicated past) and contemporary, which include neglecting the education system, permanent underfunding of cultural institutions, but also difficulties related to intergenerational transfer and negative demographic trends. I present regional education as an element that potentially strengthens the integration of local communities and economic development: knowledge about the past improves the processing of heritage into resources used in the arena of territorial marketing. I also attempt to demonstrate that the fragmented past of the voivodeship, which as a result of an administrative decision has merged historically different areas and traditions, can be a potential that, by combining regional and multicultural education, can be a value used in sustainable development processes.

The New Silesia project and its implications for identity

The issues presented in this article are a continuation of previously published research results on the socio-cultural implications of the „construction” of the New Silesia during the period of state socialism. In the process of building the flagship industrial centres of Upper Silesia, recruitment policies and propagandaeducation and manipulation activities aimed at recruiting a multitude of workers played a key role. The emerging agglomerations have become a kind of isolated space – a new socialist world for the new man. The presented empirical material, analyses and interpretations reveal the situational context for the emerging identity of the New Silesians. The discursive analysis made it possible to identify identity processes in terms of identity deconstruction and the production of a homogeneous (simple) identity. The deconstruction of identity was the result of educational procedures, which I recognised – following Michael Foucault – as procedures of discipline. The theoretical construct with which I interpreted the identity condition of the participants in the study is Jozef Tischner’s concept of ‘sheltered people’.

The adoption of new research paradigms in the development of tools and methods for working with children in a multicultural environment

W artykule przeanalizowano działania prowadzone przez badaczy i badaczki w ramach międzynarodowego projektu „NEW ABC – Networking the Educational Worlds: Across Boundaries for Community Building”, realizowanego w unijnym programie badań i innowacji Horyzont 2020. Projekt ten charakteryzowała innowacyjna metodologia, łącząca aspekty badawcze i integracyjne, wykorzystująca paradygmat Participatory Action Research (PAR), współtworzenia, a także holistyczne podejście do dziecka („whole child approach”), podejście oddolne oraz zaopiekowania i empatii. Warto podkreślić, że aktywizujące metody związane z pedagogiką przygody oraz teorią zakotwiczenia w środowisku lokalnym były kluczowymi elementami projektu, pomagającymi dzieciom polskim oraz tym z doświadczeniem migracji realizować stworzone przez nich projekty społeczne. Animowane przez pary nauczycielsko-asystenckie dzieci używały do tworzenia zajęć specjalnego spacerownika miejskiego umożliwiającego im zakorzenienie się w lokalnej kulturze oraz dziedzictwie miejsca zamieszkania. Artykuł szczegółowo omawia, w jaki sposób zastosowane metody skutecznie przyczyniły się do realizacji założonych celów projektu, podkreślając ich istotną rolę we wspieraniu wszechstronnego rozwoju dzieci w międzykulturowym środowisku edukacyjnym.

Functions of the discursive construction of Others/Strangers in selected cabaret sketches

The aim of the study is to identify and describe the function of the discursive construction of Others/Strangers (hereinafter: O/S) in selected cabaret sketches. The data collection method was searching sources. The analytical material consisted of seven sketches from Polish cabarets, selected systematically using the following criteria: time of publication, popularity and topic. Critical Discourse Analysis in the approach of Ruth Wodak and Martin Reisigl was used for the analysis, looking for the application of discursive strategies (naming, adjudicating, arguing, perspectiveizing, strengthening and toning), which allowed for the reconstruction of the discourses used in the studied sketches and then determining the scope of the functions of discursive construction of O/S. The results of the analyses show that in the studied sketches, the discursive construction of O/S is carried out within the framework of the main perspectives: the discourse of representatives of the Other, the discriminatory discourse and the supporting discourse, and fulfills three main functions: ludic, critical-reflective and integrative. The scope of individual functions (especially the critical and reflective function) is varied – more or less unambiguous (from clearly stigmatizing discrimination, through balancing between breaking and strengthening stereotypes, to criticism of both discriminatory and supportive discourse).

Integration of Polish migrants in Thuringia and the phenomenon of “casual interactions”

The article presents the results of qualitative research on the migration of Poles to Germany to the state of Thuringia. One of the goals of the research conducted in 2023 was to learn about the ways in which migrants build relationships with the local community, their contribution to social and cultural integration, and the main barriers that appeared in the integration processes. The author conducted free, focused interviews, which were subjected to qualitative analysis. The surveyed people demonstrated a particular approach to the process of social and cultural integration. The analysis of the respondents statements shows the importance of the phenomenon of casual interactions, which concerns everyday conversations, interactions in specific social contexts or non-committal, polite responses to the inhabitants of the host country. The author points out that although casual interactions are not intended to be permanent, in the form of short, unfocused conversations they create opportunities to learn the language, adapt social and cultural elements or internalize norms, which creates achievable effects in the form of social and career advancement and properly ongoing integration processes.

Children – Polish migrants in Hesse: the educational context. Research report

The article covers the educational context of the functioning of Polish children in the conditions of migration on the example of Hesse and is a message from the research. It takes into account selected socio-cultural aspects and analyses of statistical data from Hessian government institutions with the use of literature on the subject. It is an attempt to show the situation of the Polish diaspora in Hesse, with particular emphasis on the education of Polish children in German public schools, their extracurricular learning and cultural adaptation. The text contains methodological and demographic notes showing the migration background. The content pertains to Poles in Hesse compared to other populations, taking into account the demographic structure and age categories, including school-age children. The part of the article concerning the school education of Polish children in Hesse contains a presentation of the school system in Hesse and its legal basis, as well as the theoretical context of the functioning of foreign students in Germany. It includes research conducted in Germany on cultural socialization and the source of cultural identity of students representing national minorities in German schools. The school education of Polish children in Hesse is complemented by the characteristics of extracurricular education, including Polish schools (weekend forms) and Catholic Missions in Hesse, as well as the activities of the Deutsches-Polen Institut. The whole ends with conclusions.

Tolerance in the opinion of pedagogy students – building openness and acceptance in the educational environment

Tolerance is the foundation of a society based on mutual respect and understanding. It is of vital importance in the communication of people and the search for intercultural dialogue. The importance of the category of tolerance becomes crucial in education, as it reflects the values that should guide it. The article shows the results of a study of understanding the concept of tolerance and the behavior of students of pedagogy, who now, in the course of rapid social, political, economic and educational changes, meet people of a different religion, culture, nationality. The opinions are presented of the respondents on the importance of tolerance in academia, especially in the training of future teachers and the development of their professional attitudes, taking into account the role of education as a process that provides an opportunity to change inappropriate beliefs and behavior. Some recommendations are formulated for education in the spirit of tolerance, which should be permanently included in the tasks of modern pedagogy and school. It is emphasized that in every educational activity, being guided by the idea of tolerance enables systematic interaction and communication and creates an opportunity to systematically open up to other people and their views.

Identity and attitudes of academic youth – a Polish-Czech comparative study

The article is a report on comparative studies carried out in the PolishCzech borderland in 2022–2023 among pedagogy students of Polish and Czech universities. The research was placed in the objectivist paradigm and the survey method was applied. The study was aimed at determining the sense of identity of young people, at learning about values, attitudes towards other nations and types of intergroup interactions taking place in the borderland. In order to check whether there are statistically significant differences between the groups in the responses to individual questions, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. In the context of the obtained results, it can be concluded that academic youth from the Polish and Czech parts of the borderland attribute significant importance to belonging to one biological species inhabiting the earth (no statistically significant differences between groups). Polish youth are similar to their peers living in the Czech Republic. The similarities pertain to identification in the system: person – gender – nationality, to positive attitude towards other nations and to values. There are statistically significant differences between the two cohorts in their attitudes towards individual nations and in their assessment of the types of social interactions occurring in the borderland. The specificity and differences have their sources in the sociocultural, political and economic situation of the country in which the young live and in the educational system to which they have been subjected. The future is a never-ending project that is constantly changing. Borderland research is the analysis of contexts in which the construction of the vision and the use of the realities of the existing social space take place. Research on academic youth provides information not only about its condition and the image of contemporary borderland, but also about its desired shape.

Transpedagogy or student-professor discourse on transculturality

This article is the germ of the concept of transcultural pedagogy based on reflections of female pedagogy students at [author’s] University related to the lecture “Introduction to transcultural pedagogy”. This lecture was given in the academic years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 by the author of the text; it was probably the first lecture in Poland dedicated entirely to the application of the idea of transculturality into pedagogy. In principle, it was attended by second-year female students of the following master’s degree courses: Pre-school and Early School Education and Special Needs Education (additionally, a few fourth-year female students of Pre-school and Early School Education took part in the course on an optional basis). At the end of the course, the students produced essays on their perception of transcultural pedagogy. They gave written permission to make use of their work for scientific analysis, being aware that their perspective would be presented as a voice in the discussion on transcultural pedagogy in Poland, to which Jerzy Nikitorowicz and Marta Guziuk-Tkacz (2021) invited. This analysis is a qualitative study. It employs elements of grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2009) in the way that categories and subcategories were generated from the analysis of student papers. The qualitative data analysis software QDAMiner Version 5.0.12 with an individual licence was used to generate categories and subcategories.

Toruń’s heritage of regional research. Review article of the book: Region as shared responsibility, edited by Joanna Cukras-Stelągowska and Agnieszka Wałęga

The (un)exploited potential of new media in dialogue and cooperation in the cultural space in the Polish-Czech borderland in the Cieszyn Silesia region. Review article of the book by Paulina Żmijowska: New media in intercultural social communication in the Polish-Czech borderland

Laudation on the occasion of the awarding and ceremonial presentation of the Juliusz Ligoń Silesian Award to Professor Zenon Jasiński. Upper Silesian Pantheon in Katowice, February 29, 2024

Report from the Congress of Rhetoric: Rhetoric – Education – Innovation. Warsaw, April 17–19, 2024

International Scientific Conference: Pedagogy in relation to the values and norms of social order: ideas – discourses – research. A report from the conference accompanying the ceremony of awarding the honorary doctorate of the University of Silesia in Katowice to Professor Jerzy Nikitorowicz. Katowice, June 25–26, 2024