FACEBOOK AND POLITICS. THE USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS BY POLISH POLITICAL PARTIES

The paper presents results of the research project that explored the mode in which Polish political parties use their Facebook profiles. The findings of the analysis prove that interactive and multimedia aspect of social networking is employed only in a limited degree. Party profiles are not used as a platform of the information on party activity distribution. Even basic contact data is not available on each of analyzed profiles. Moreover, as was expected, there is no clear association between the technical sophistication of the specific party profile and the position of the party on political market. Parties which are leaders of the ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) use are not dominating in terms of both possessed resources and the role played in parliamentary politics.

Child migrants are one of the risk factors of the modern education system in Russia. In addition to the potential problems associated with the cultural differences between the indigenous population and migrants, there is also the problem of “closed” migrants. Often migrants and their families, including secondand third-generation migrants, form isolated communities within which the adaptation and socialization of new migrants and the generation of youth takes place. On the one hand, these groups play the role of “softadaptation”, when migrants and their children are offered the tested models of behavior in the new conditions of life. On the other hand, not all the models proposed by the group can be acceptable by the traditions of the indigenous population, and sometimes they are opposed to the culture and traditions of the host country. Moreover, the views accepted in the group can cause morbid socialization of migrants. Under these conditions, the school has a task of preventing the negative impact of the isolated national groups on the younger generation. The purpose of the study is to analyze the account of migrant children in social networks in order to identify signs of socio-psychological and cultural adaptation, to determine the influence of national groups and communities in social networks on the formation of a person’s personality. The paper covers the reactions of children to publications on the topic of interethnic communication. It also includes recommendations to teachers on the definition of exposure to the influence of groups and communities in the social networks of migrant children.

This study examines factors involving the acceptance of social networks for academic purposes. A survey was applied to 290 graduate students as a quantitative methodological design. The main finding is that students thought that greater use of social networks for academic purposes would improve interaction and feedback among peers and also would improve teaching-learning processes. Also, students considered their skills as sufficient to use social networks for academic purposes, expressing their intention to incorporate them into the subjects dynamics.

The article examines the main types of possible offenses on the Internet and the existing problems in identifying those liable for these offenses. At the same time, the cross-border nature of offenses in the network and ways to solve problems with bringing individuals to justice for such crimes are taken into account. The issues of liability of web site owners, administrators of social networks, operators of non-bank electronic payment systems, distributors of virtually coordinated dangerous games and other subjects are considered. In addition, the article analyzes the difficulties in identifying the subject of liability for offenses in the network when they use VPN technology, private network Tor, non-indexed sites that are part of the Dark Internet. Also, the offenses that arose with the advent of the Internet, such as theftof virtual property, fraudulent enrichment on clicks by robotic agents, and others are investigated. The proposal to create a non-governmental international court on the Internet to block the violator’s activity in network is being considered.

The paper presents the ethnography of virtual phenomena and processes, conducted in the social, educational and cultural spheres of the Internet. It describes the most important features of the global network and shows all its aspects which are the subject of ethnographic studies at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the University of Silesia in Katowice, i.e. the communication process and its semiotic character, the process of creating social networks, education supported by social media, virtual self-help groups for stigmatised people, and cyberbullying.

Generation Z as a Forecast of the Coming Planetary Civilization

The article analyzes the features of “Generation Z” as a harbinger of future planetary civilization. Attention is paid to information and digital technologies that affect the world community, rapidly transforming it into a single world, forming a “digital generation” that is effectively adapted to the new socio-cultural reality and feels more “citizens of the world” than their own country. The article analyzes the features of “Generation Z” as a harbinger of future planetary civilization. Attention is paid to information and digital technologies that affect the world community, rapidly transforming it into a single world, forming a “digital generation” that is effectively adapted to the new socio-cultural reality and feels more “citizens of the world” than their own country. The most important condition for their socialization is the construction of social reality, adaptation to new environmental conditions, its symbolization, separation of “their world”, restructuring of environmental conditions according to the thesaurus, built under the influence of macro- and microsocial factors, according to its symbolic universe. The interconnected processes of globalization and informationalization of society are revealed, which directly blur the boundaries of the modern interstate system, creating a contradictory and heterogeneous global society with a cosmopolitan worldview. The cosmopolitan approach is substantiated, which, overcoming state borders, allows to go beyond national practices, promotes their integration into the new world context through the establishment of a “compromise” of cultural, religious, ethnic and other differences. Cosmopolitanism is becoming a worldview and ideological platform and ontological unity of the planetary community. The modern generation needs to find its own way of mastering society. In order to understand the vicissitudes and metamorphoses of the modern world, we need a different perception of reality and the transformation of worldviews, values, the formation of a new identity. It is important not only to act locally, but also to think globally, systematically, taking into account particular and universal interests, immediate and long-term goals. The formation of a single world community, the formation of a global civil society, which in the long run must necessarily be formed as a result of overcoming fragmentation and the formation of a holistic world – „eternal peace” is becoming increasingly apparent.

Many members of a society deal with their everyday problems on their own, but there are people who look for and receive support from other individuals, groups and institutions. Social networks are considered important providers of resources accumulated in and of services delivered by the local community. The article is focused on social support networks of families living in big city in comparison with families living less urbanized communes. The first part of the analyses presents social support networks in various theoretical approaches. The main subject of empirical reflection are the resources available to these families as a result of informal social relations. The main conclusions are that informal social network of studied families is important for solving their every-day problems and the main resource of support for them are close relatives, then friends and the most rarelyneighbors, but the patterns of support expected and received within informal networks vary according to age and quality of residence. The paper is based on the results of the research conducted in 2008–2009 (the quota sample – 500 families living in Lodz and 1000 families living in less urbanized communes) within the project “Social network and local partnership in counteracting social exclusion and intergenerational transmission of poverty” (Nr H02E 021 29) coordinated by author.

Young people are increasingly engaging in contacts via social media. Although this activity is primarily a form of entertainment, students also treat social media as a learning-supporting tool. The aim of the studies presented in this paper was to determine whether using Facebook as an e-learning platform brings satisfying academic performance. Additionally, the application of the gamification feature was examined. Two quasi-experiments were conducted in which some of the subjects took part in traditional classes, while others participated in asynchronous classes conducted on social media. The results of the first experiment demonstrated that a Facebook-run e-learning course contributed to higher grades, while the second experiment showed the opposite effect. Gamification had a neutral or negative impact on the grades. The results are discussed in the context of differences between the designs of the two Facebook courses. The paper makes suggestions for future SNS-based or SNS-assisted classes. It is proposed to use informational feedback instead of a controlling one. Additionally, the use of team work is encouraged. The discussion includes a reflection on students’ autonomy.