TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

When they steal our words…

The paper addresses issues related to the growing social phenomenon that has disturbing consequences for practice – in this case, everyday academic life in Poland. It consists of the critical categories of contemporary humanities; its “first words” are given content very distant from their original, traditional meanings. The meanings of these categories are often reversed, given secondary meanings or even made meaningless. As a result, many words are used as empty labels, fashionable words intended to add dignity to the speaker. The article’s author, referring to the metaphor of “stealing” words, raises three specific issues. Firstly, it presents a register of “stolen” words, three of which are the subject of detailed analysis – evaluation, quality, and dialogue. The second issue is a detailed analysis of the mechanisms governing changes in the meanings assigned to each of these categories and the effects associated with using “stolen” words in the everyday life of academies and dormitories. Finally, the issue of the “perpetrators of the theft” was raised. The author claims that one of them is the “seventh enemy from the seventh world of the field” – an entity that creates the everyday life of academic life, regardless of its place in the university’s social hierarchy.

Cultural anthropology and educational evaluation

The paper describes the connections between cultural anthropology and educational evaluation. It starts from the history of anthropologically oriented educational evaluation, when a qualitative-oriented approach emerged from a dominant, post-Tyleran tradition. It analyses connections between anthropological evaluation and anthropological paradigms, in particular the phenomenological one. The next section explores the notion of culture, a central category for ethnographic research, making anthropological evaluation distinctive from other research using a qualitative methodology. It presents the discussion about the notion of culture and the meaning of an inclusive approach to the research on school cultures. The third part describes distinctive features of anthropological evaluation, contrasted to the “traditional” anthropology. In the fourth part, conclusions from a postmodern critique of the linguistic turn are described: involvement in the power/knowledge relationships, an ontoepistemological status of collected data, fluidity and ambiguity of the evaluator’s roles. The next section covers probably the most obvious aspects of anthropological evaluation – the methodological implications. The last, sixth part presents challenges for doing evaluations in anthropological settings: keeping the integrity of the roles, reflecting on the biases, limitation in influence on change, “competition” with the postpositivist approach, and logistic difficulties.

The growing importance of evaluation in a dynamic socio-political reality

The article focuses on evaluation, which remains of unflagging popularity and interest in many scientific disciplines and areas of social life. The article is divided into three parts. Firstly, it attempts to outline the variety of theoretical contexts of the relationship between education, science, evaluation and state policy in this respect. The second part presents arguments for the need to practice educational (seflevaluation) – especially its dialogic forms in schools, resulting from the experience gained in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the results of research carried out in primary schools in Szczecin. The third part covers issues related to the importance of developmental evaluations in education, consisting of democratizing organizational culture, opening social discourse and supporting patterns of institutional reflexivity. In literature this is described as “participatory research”, “interventional research” in which the researcher conducts the analysis at the same time also thinking about using its results to formulate the recommendations regarding public policy or for the purposes of creation and support of organizations acting in the best interest of the researched community. This article presents a fragment of results of a research – its subject being “Diagnosing needs and expectations of students and teachers in primary schools in Szczecin days before returning to school” – conducted in May 2021. Comfort-Stretch-Panic model, created by Karl Rohnke, has been used as a theoretical framework for said research.

Decisions and motives of young female teacher candidates to participate in the October 15, 2023 parliamentary elections

In this article we present the results of the author’s research, conducted immediately after the parliamentary elections of October 15, 2023. The purpose of the research was to identify the electoral activity of people who are studying preschool and early childhood education, and preparing for the teaching profession. We consider their activities as a priority in developing pro-social attitudes of their charges. The study used the method of diagnostic survey. For the analysis presented here, we used the part on the questions of participation of female respondents in elections and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. The survey was conducted among 265 female students aged 18 to 26 (the average age was 21.4), in the teaching faculty in all five years. The study notes significant differences in the election declarations of respondents, compared to the general population of Poles with active voting rights. For the most part, respondents have made a choice of different ideas represented by specific electoral committees than the electorate of their parents, or people from the local environment. The voter turnout and the choices of the respondents give hope for an appreciation of democratic values and the laying of the foundation for building a civil society.

The evolution of game play. Subordination of spontaneity to arbitrary conventions

Among the many issues that are raised in the context of the development of preschool children, among others, there is the one devoted to the issue of play and games. However, the need to play does not cease with the end of the developmental stage that is childhood. Playing as a natural need of the species homo sapiens, along with cognitive activity (the need to learn) and social activity, are considered elementary forms of human activity also in adulthood and old age. In considering the evolution of playfulness in games, the fact of the identity of the concepts of “fun” and “play” and the possible differences in the meanings of these two concepts were emphasized. The vividness of play may be subject to discipline. The existence of a large body of literature on play (children’s, adult) sometimes relegates the analysis of the process of evolution of play activity into play (cycle: play-game). Certain categories of fun and games are very clearly arranged in a temporal sequence related to their appearance and the transition of one into another (fun into games). This issue is not one of the well-studied, but some outline of this thought can already be described.

Teacher autonomy, agency and innovation in the language of contemporary pedagogical and jurisprudential terminology. A linguistic-pedagogical study

The article examines the concepts of teacher autonomy, agency and innovation from a linguisticpedagogical perspective. The research material was selected with the use of the method of searching the existing documents. The documents included selected encyclopaedic articles and legal texts concerning the teacher and his pedagogical activity. The authors used the theoretical framework of cognitive semantics in the form of conceptual integration theory when analysing the material. Autonomy as a pedagogical phenomenon has a broad and well-established lexical basis in both encyclopaedic and legal texts. The second concept, agency, has a very narrow dictionary and theoretical basis. The use of the last of the category, innovation, is limited to only some authors and their texts. Besides, the issue of innovativeness appears in legal texts sporadically and, as a rule, in relation to the school and not to the teacher. On the basis of the results obtained, it was proposed to treat the title terminological triad as an amalgam, in which the enumerated terms form a unity on the one hand, while on the other hand each of them expresses one aspect of the whole, which shows the multifaceted nature of the teacher’s pedagogical activity.

Developing a culture of trust in schools from the perspective of principals. Communication from qualitative research

This article looks at the mechanisms for building a culture of trust in the school environment, as described by the leaders of selected schools. Trust, like other phenomena of social life, is relational in nature and is a key value that determines the quality of interpersonal relationships. The school is treated as a place for the accumulation of trust resources for the multiplication of social capital. A culture of trust is a dynamic system of values, norms and behaviours that are the source of people’s sense of security and willingness to support others. The text takes the form of a research communication and aims to present ways of understanding, developing and sustaining good relationships at school based on a foundation of trust. The practices of creating a trusting environment have been reconstructed from the statements of headteachers of four schools in and around Warsaw. In this way, a kind of anatomical model (structure) of trust was obtained, consisting of the competence and professionalism of principals and teachers, teachers’ freedom and autonomy, the priority role of cooperation, and organisational transparency. The principals of the schools selected for the study are developing their own practices for building a critical culture of trust.

Strategies for supporting gifted foster care pupils

The issue of gifted children growing up in a natural family environment has been addressed quite widely. However, small amount of research regarding gifted children residing in the foster care environment is noticeable. At the same time, the issue of having, developing and supporting abilities is extremely significant, especially with regard to pupils of foster care environments deprived of their primary developmental environment, which is the family. Foster care environments can also effectively support the potential of their pupils. The publication is an attempt to answer the question of what support activities are undertaken in the foster care environment in relation to gifted pupils? The research method is case studies. The research indicates various forms of support for gifted pupils: the organization of additional activities, depending on the interests or abilities of the pupil or the financial support as the one they need for the future process of independence, as well as emotional support and others. At the same time, some differences are visible between the activities of institutional and family care, as the latter definitely more often uses the help of psychological and pedagogical counseling centers or organizations supporting gifted students, even if in the form of funded scholarships.

Resistance as a manifestation of subjective orientation. Considerations on the margins of social work

This paper attempts to analyse the concept of resistance in social work. The category of resistance is characterized by a multiplicity of meanings, which means that it is understood in many ways, depending on civilizational and cultural contexts. Reflections on the concept of resistance in the humanities and social sciences are neither simple nor straightforward, as each discipline has its own view of this category. The analyses carried out in this study are interdisciplinary, but the point of reference is social pedagogy and social work developed by it. The aim of the article is to present the achievements of the category of resistance, taking into account three ways of interpreting it: as an individual reaction of the person receiving the help, as a reaction of the person receiving the support to the relationship with the professional, as a reaction of the participants of the social welfare system to local practices, institutional and governmental policies. In the discourse of social work, it is more common to see resistance as an individual reaction and a reaction to contact with a professional, and less so as a manifestation of subjective orientation, which is a resource to reach for in the face of oppressive practices. Therefore, the article devotes special attention to this issue. The whole analysis is complemented by a reflection on the challenges faced by social work education, through which the aim is to activate the resistance competences not only of the people supported, but also of the professionals themselves. The content analysis was based on a review of Polish and foreign literature presenting the issue of resistance in relation to social work.

Selected areas of women’s functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland (compared to European Union countries)

The aim of the research is to analyze research reports, articles and diaries showing how women function during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subject of my analyzes was quantitative and qualitative data showing differences in the functioning of women and men during the pandemic, along with their real and potential consequences from the perspective of gender equality. Although I was mainly interested in the situation of women in the text, the adopted perspective of gender equality required me to often (for comparative purposes) compile data regarding men. The article attempts to answer the question: What changes in particular areas of women’s social functioning have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? I decided to use nonreactive research using the method of analyzing existing data. My research shows that the Covid pandemic has caused unfavorable changes from the perspective of gender equality, not only in Poland, but also in other countries belonging to the European Union. Women suffered health consequences, felt exhausted by their duties and returned to stereotypical social roles. Despite the attempts to eliminate gender inequality in European Union countries (including Poland), the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reversed progress in these activities.

Careerist and egotist: resistance of Polish ‘childfree’ women to social pressure of having children. Analysis of the messages on TikTok platform

This article delves into the phenomenon of intentional childlessness within the context of many societal pressures prevalent on he Internet and specifically on the social platforms. It encompasses an exploration of recent scientific research and inquiries into the choice of childlessness, with a focus on the #childfree movement on TikTok. The presented study of an author covers an analysis of Polish content related to intentional childlessness on TikTok, dissecting the methods of social shaming directed at individuals opting for a child-free lifestyle, the defensive strategies employed by the child-free community, and the psychological phenomenon of the “authority rule”. This research approach sheds some light on the complex social dynamics surrounding the decision to remain child-free in the face of societal expectations, offering significant insights into contemporary attitudes towards this contentious topic within the TikTok community. This particularly concerns childless women who are almost expected to embrace motherhood as an obligation. TikTok is their space for spreading their views and defending their own position.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

Culture and education in the face of permanent change. Introduction

W każdym społeczeństwie występują zarówno procesy kontynuacji, jak i zmiany. Kontynuacja zapewnia ciągłość życia społecznego. Umożliwia podtrzymywanie więzi między pokoleniami, zachowanie tradycji, przejmowanie przez młode pokolenie wiedzy i umiejętności ludzi starszych. Kontynuacja umożliwia istnienie trwałych wartości, wzorów, sposobów działania oraz rozwiązywania problemów, utrzymywanie przyjętego stylu życia. Jest to istota transmisji kultury. Zmiana społeczna jest także ważnym, choć naruszającym status quo elementem funkcjonowania społeczeństwa. Od najdawniejszych lat dokonują się w nim wszakże zmiany demograficzne, warunków życia ludności, relacji między ludźmi, modyfikacje stylu życia, przemiany pokoleniowe (Szymański, 2021, s. 99–100).

School in the discourse of polish cabarets

The study aims to identify problems related to school and school education present in cabaret discourse and the way they are presented. The cabaret is an interesting research area and field of analysis of social problems, including issues related to educational policy. The data collection method was source searching. The analytical material consisted of eight sketches of Polish cabarets, selected according to the criteria: time of publication, popularity, and topicality. The data analysis method belongs to a group of approaches called critical discourse analysis. Applications of discursive strategies described by R. Wodak and M. Reisigl were sought. The results show that in the discourse of Polish cabarets, the school is presented as a subordinate contractor of political and legal regulations. It characterises with low social prestige, which is built on the low assessment of school teaching in terms of content, the low prestige of the teaching profession, and the low assessment of the student’s role. In relations between these entities, the discourse of scolding and disciplining appears as the manifestation of power and hierarchy; of infantilisation and sexism.

The multidimensionality of educational failure – didactic perspective

The paper focuses on educational failure, exposing its multidimensional nature. The author’s thesis is that it is an implication of many circumstances that shape the image and place of failure in educational systems. The subject of analysis was the persistent and even increasing size of school delays, especially on the mega-scale. Attention was paid to the ambiguity of understanding the “school failure” and its types. An important impetus for considering the multidimensionality of educational failure from a didactic perspective became the observed transformations in educational philosophy and the accompanying complex conditions of the educational process in the 21st century, including modern technologies, humanisation of educational interactions, parallelism, and permanence of education. They prompt a reinterpretation of “school failure”. Moreover, the paper shows the pejorative consequences of failure, including suicidal thoughts and acts. The specific dimension of failures in the form of their peculiar “inheritance” through successive educational stages was also signaled. The article is part of the current of activities aimed at restoring school failure to its proper rank in scientific research and theoretical reflection, as well as in teacher education and training programmes.

Public school towards the inclusion of students with disabilities – diagnosis of selected problems

At the heart of inclusive education is ensuring that students with disabilities have access to high-quality education in a mainstream setting. The way to achieve this goal is to build a new model, a school better adapted to the needs of all students. The paper aims to present the school situation (educational and peer) of students with disabilities against the background of everyday educational practice implemented in many Polish mainstream schools. Adopting the position on the teachers’ fundamental role in designing the development and learning environment, the focus was mainly on their educational activities and attitudes towards inclusive education. Critical points of the didactic and educational process have been identified, which hinder the transition from school routine to education open to the diverse needs of all pupils, including those with disabilities. Significant obstacles to building cooperation, exchanging knowledge among students, and, consequently, increasing the level of social relations were identified, among which the legitimisation of individualistic values, often reinforced by the mechanism of competition, may be particularly important.

The atmosphere of dialogue in classes I–III of the culturally diverse borderland

The Polish school is constantly changing, which is associated with rapid economic and political changes. We observe very intense population movements taking the form of mass migrations. For these reasons, in the paper, we present the essence of the borderland and its typology, the formation of the intercultural identity of a person from the borderland. It is on the border of cultures that children going to school exchange information, learn about other customs, values, learn respect and tolerance. It depends to a large extent on the teacher/educator, who should build a good atmosphere of cooperation between the educational team of the multicultural borderland. The subject of interpretive research was the ways of defining the work of teachers in grades I–III of the multicultural borderland, indicating the tasks carried out at that time, the meanings given to them by teachers of grades I–III in the Lubuskie Province using non-standardised interviews. The research showed a positive picture of the situation. The respondents’ statements indicated a great need to introduce intercultural education to the school reality.

“Łejery” Theater – education through art on the example of the activities of Primary School No. 83. Emilia Waśniowska in Poznań (selected problems)

Primary School No. 83 Emilia Waśniowska in Poznań is known in Poland as “Łejery”. It is a unique institution in the country because, although it is a “systemic” school, it implements its educational programme through art, is based on selected assumptions of non-directive pedagogy, and the main educational means at the school is broadly understood theatre. The subject of the author’s study is to present the theatre operating at Primary School No. 83. “Łejery” in Poznań as a means of comprehensive education for children and young adolescents. The author, based on sources (websites, sources evoked – interviews with Jerzy Hamerski) and observations made from September 1 to December 22, 2023, as well as the literature on the subject, considers education at Primary School No. 83 in Poznań, presents the figure the founder of the Poznań “Łejery”, and analyses the ways of using theatre in the education process of children and youth attending the described school.

Challenges to teachers’ psychological safety in the workplace – pilot studies in the municipality of Strzelin

The study aims to show how teachers’ interactions with students, parents or legal guardians, and colleagues in the workplace affect educators’ sense of psychological safety. To this end, the survey and in-depth interviews were carried out among teachers of public educational institutions in the municipality of Strzelin (in the Lower Silesian Province). A noticeable scarcity of studies on the aggressive acts directed against educators and their consequences was the inspiration to undertake them. Publications on increasing the levels of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic aggression among students are much more common. The obtained research results show that many teachers feel “left behind” in the face of the aggression they experience, expressing the view that they cannot count on help and understanding from either the Ministry of Education and Science or their immediate superiors. Furthermore, the measurements showed that educators need to be more adequately assimilated knowledge of the legal protection to which they are entitled and are also unaware of ministerial initiatives to provide psychological support for teachers. The conducted pilot study argues in favour of the desirability of pursuing subsequent in-depth research addressing the issue of teachers’ psychological safety.

Empowerment as an improvement in teacher activity

The paper aims to present the concept of empowerment as a means to modernise the teacher’s organisational activity. As a result of literature review, the article provides an interpretation of empowerment, emphasising its potential to drive transformative changes in various educational contexts. Additionally, the text elucidates the benefits that can arise from restructuring the current school system, teaching methods, and collaborative practices. The research conducted by the McKinsey group was used to highlight the personal qualities essential for the effective implementation of empowerment across different organisational forms. Furthermore, attention is directed towards the drawbacks of empowerment, including the potential for teacher abuse of power and coercion, resulting in the suppression of student subjectivity and independent action. To sum up all the considerations, it is underscored that the teacher and students, with their unique strengths and weaknesses, play pivotal roles in organising the teaching process, fostering a school team dynamic through the application of empowerment principles.

Students’ attitudes to the infodemic phenomenon in the perspective of improving media literacy in academic education

The article presents the results of a study that aimed to analyse students’ attitudes towards infodemic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The author adopted the interpretation of infodemic as a process of spreading an excess of untrue information, which complicates the evaluation and selection of reliable content. The research problem was the question of students’ attitudes towards false information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research sample consisted of 37 students of pedagogy. The research was conducted in a qualitative research paradigm. The results indicated that the surveyed students had a positive and stable organisation of their own knowledge, beliefs, feelings, and such forms of behaviour and expressive reactions as are necessary when confronted with infodemic. The respondents declared that they search for content in various sources and make a critical comparison and identification of false content. Despite this, they do not have a sufficiently in-depth knowledge of how to debunk false information. They feel the need for a great deal of cognitive effort to verify content. Therefore, the author makes recommendations for the formation of critical media literacy – as a way of building social resilience to disinformation and other disorders of the information age.

A person’s individuality as the source of coping with uncertainty and risk. Reflection of Jan Szczepański’s individuality conception in connection with current mindfulness techniques

The paper attempts to answer the question: how could human individuality be a resource making it possible to cope with the experience of feeling uncertainty and risk? Jan Szczepański’s idea of individuality defines the structure and functions of that dimension of the human condition. It tries to explain the sense of man’s inner world and their reflexivity in struggling with the negative consequences due to the social organisation of collective life. An analytic view of individuality included in this concept allows for revealing the emergency nature of personal identity affected by dialogue between the inner world and the internalised outside world. The discussed concept might increase the attempt to synthesise it with the vision of mindfulness. The effect of it is a unique underlining role of loneliness in the individual process of human development and captures the moral character of individuality (hipo-egoic phenomena).

Art of magic artists, theaters actors and their sense of quality of life

The sense of quality of life is a subjective attitude towards the assessment of satisfaction with one’s own life. They can be divided into four spheres: psychophysical, psychosocial, subjective, and metaphysical. 210 people participated in the study – 53 illusionists, 52 theater actors, and 105 people who did not engage in activities related to public appearances. The groups were compared in terms of the sense of quality of life, and the study used the Sense of Life Quality Questionnaire by Straś-Romanowska, Oleszkowicz, and Frąckowiak (2004) in a modified version by Mróz et al. (2017). Theater actors and magicians had a higher level of satisfaction with the psychosocial sphere and a general level of quality of life compared to the control group (which has neither experience nor education related to stage performance). In terms of the psychophysical and metaphysical spheres of the sense of quality of life, theater actors were characterised by a higher level of satisfaction compared to people who did not engage in stage activity. In the conducted study, no statistically significant differences between groups were observed in relation to the subjective sphere of the sense of quality of life.

Off-road culture in the perspective of hybrid functioning

Life in the modern world has shifted to some extent in the functioning of individuals in many areas. This paper focuses mainly on such spheres as communication, tracking and sharing information, and sport-related cultures, which take on a new meaning in the hybrid reality. These fields combine to create and enable a new type of human interaction. Reporting, commenting, or posting information on sports achievements is not a novelty, but currently this state of affairs is significantly gaining in importance and expanding to tracking information about the private life and functioning of people practicing various sports disciplines. Cultures that have developed around various physical activities are much more able to expand and promote a particular sport by publishing information in the digital space. It is particularly important in relation to disciplines that are not popular or are extreme or high-budget sports. Thanks to the presence of these activities in the virtual space, it is possible to promote, disseminate them, and gain a larger group of enthusiasts.

Communication in Japanese collectivist culture – selected concepts

Japan is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. Although there is an indigenous minority Ainu ethnic group from Hokkaido Prefecture and indigeneous inhabitants of the Riukiu (Okinawa) archipelago, the Japanese communally share the core values that form the core of their sense of cultural and national identity. Hall and Hofstede’s concepts provide a reference point for the present reflections on specific aspects of the Japanese cultural code, encompassing the sociological and psychological concepts of uchi-soto, honne-tatemae, and wa. Awareness of the role the Japanese attribute to social harmony helps sensitise the unique communicative culture of the Japanese and, under certain circumstances, to break down cultural barriers. Internalising this attitude can help a non- Japanese demonstrate proper social etiquette and maintain communicative harmony. My own experience of experiencing cultural difference in Japan from the perspective of a woman, a European, and a Polish researcher, provided a direct impetus to analyse the underlying cultural concepts that underlie Japanese communicative culture, as well as the perception of the dichotomy of Self versus the Other.

Cinematic images of the Donbas space after 2014 in selected war-themed films

The paper aims to analyse the spatial representation in contemporary Ukrainian films created after 2014, set in the Donbas region and revolving around the ongoing war. As I reference the specific spatial context, my analysis is grounded in the framework of spatial turn. It also is crucial for me to delve into the history of Donbas and the portrayals of this place in Ukrainian cinematography. Film ecocriticism constitutes a significant context, particularly concerning representations of natural and postindustrial landscapes, often ravaged by human actions, especially in the context of warfare. Referring to the concept of landscape, I rely on Arnold Berleant’s perspective, noting that culturally transformed landscapes hold the same value as natural ones, and every landscape contributes to shaping cultural traditions. In my study, I employ textual film analysis derived from general structural analysis. My considerations encompass productions, such as Klondike (2022) directed by Maryna Er Gorbach, Reflection (2021) and Atlantis (2019), both directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych, as well as Bad Roads (2020) directed by Natalia Vorozhbyt.

A tangle of cultures, a tangle of images. Dinh Q. Lê photographic memory fabric

The paper aims to present the issues of post-memory arising from the photographic and video art works of Dinh Q Lę. The specific technique used by the American-Vietnamese artist can be described as “fabric” due to the post-media processing in the form of interwoven photographic strips connected to create an innovative combination dedicated to the connections between East and West, the sacred and the profane, and colour contrasts. Deconstruction of the initial material creates unconventional iconographic combinations that blur the clear meanings recorded in the image, with the aim of their secondary reconfiguration, often marked by traumatic war events. The peculiar form of expression seems to reflect the dynamics of a complex form, ambiguity, and allusion, which is no longer just an automatic reproduction of reality, but a creative field of transformations, weaving, entanglement of threads overlapping various spheres of reference, animation of the meanings of words transformed into moving images that reflect them. The subject of the considerations outlined in this article is an exhibition entitled Dinh Q.Lę. Le fil de la mémoire et autres photographs organised between February 8 and November 20, 2022 at the Musée de Quai Branly.

Elżbieta Górnikowska-Zwolak, Polityka – edukacja – płeć kulturowa. Z perspektywy antropogiki społecznej [Politics – education – gender. From the perspective of social anthropogics], Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katowice 2021, pp. 252