The paper sets out to present an outline of what is in fact a fullyfledged social theory, termed socioeconomic structural ism. The paper focuses on a number of concepts regarding the economic sphere, such as property and various types of labor. The style of presentation isalthough not deliberate drawn onnevertheless akin to that of Weber’s.

During recent economic crisis 2008 – 2010, the economic policy of internal devaluation in the Baltic States earned the applause of exponents of the neoliberal orthodoxy. How to explain the choice and ability of the Baltic States to maintain the fixed exchange parity? Economists look for conventional costbenefit calculation. The paper advances culturalist NeoWeberian argument, elaborating the concept of “nation neoliberalism” of Henri Vogt and the research of Eric Helleiner on the contribution of national currencies to the modern nation building. Because of the destruction of the national Baltic States by Soviet occupation in 1940, postcommunist transformation in the Baltic States was restitutionally oriented. Hard national currency, modelled after “that old good Litas, Lats, or Kroon” of the interwar time became a central symbol of national identity along with national flag, anthem and coat of arms. This “monetization” of the Baltic identities predisposed indigenous Baltic peoples to embrace the neoliberal model of capitalism and to accept the cost of the defence of currency peg during the crisis. The success was ironically selfdefeating, as it enabled Baltic nations to join European Monetary Union, which conclusively disenchants the money by abolishing national currencies.

There are significant hints of a strong relationship between the dynamics of real estate markets and financial crises from the second half of the 19th century until today. In spite of research accumulation, it is seemingly ignored that since the late 19th century several financial crises were caused by real estate bubbles, depending on the distinct characteristics of real estate markets. The paper supports the idea that real estate and financial crises show indeed similar and congruent characteristics since the 19th century. This concerns (1) the inherent tendency towards speculative bubbles, (2) the growing significance of globalized finance, (3) credit practices, (4) the close relationship between the banking system and real estate markets and (5) between the real estate business and the stock market. However, the investigation into real estate markets is not only interesting for understanding and explaining the genesis of modern economic crises, but also contributes to the understanding of the emergence of practices of speculation, the indebtedness of private households and social inequalities. Further research on real estate markets promises the contribution towards a better understanding of actors, practices and institutions in modern market society.

The aim of this article is to present formal organisations employees’ attitudes towards organisational change explanatory model. Initially, main results of conducted desk research on uptodate literature in the field are presented. The analysed secondary data sources mainly consist of research results on social phenomena accompanying organisational change. Three main conclusions of desk research constitute a basis for the explanatory model itself: an existence of noticeable need of bridging gaps between paradigms, necessity of taking a more balanced view on distance in employees attitudes towards change initiative and explaining relationship between individual attitudes and organisational culture. Next, the theoretical model of employees’ attitudes towards organisational change explanation is presented. It is developed on a basis of three distinguished concepts: Pamela S. Tolbert’s and Lynne G. Zucker’s microinstitutional theory, Krzysztof Konecki’s integrated organisational culture model and Paul J. Di Maggio’s and Walter W. Powell’s organizational field concept. Finally, the capabilities and challenges related to empirical application of presented explanatory model are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to present and analyze the foundations and premises of Nazi cultural policy, and the bodies responsible for its implementation, the two most important ones being: National Socialist Society for German Culture and the Ministry of National Enlightenment and Propaganda of the Reich. Policy in this case is interpreted as intentional activity of the authorities in the field of culture, aimed at influencing the attitudes and identity of the population of the Third Reich. The analysis covers the most important documents, statements and declarations of politicians and their actual activity in this domain. Adopting such a broad perspective allowed to comprehensively show both the language and the specific features of the messages communicated by the Nazi authorities, and its impact on cultural practices.

The lively debate about the socialization and in specific way about the exclusion practices in schools all over Europe Union imposes the necessity of framing new forms of peaceful interactions between nonhomogeneous social groups. Starting form this core issues, this awareness has been rooted into an actionresearch project named SMILEY, (Social Mindedness In LEarning CommunitY, funded under the Lifelong Learning ProgrammeComenius, and carried out from January 2011 to December 2012). SMILEY wants to present an “exit strategy” based upon the centrality of the social dimension of development, expressed by values, social cohesion, solidarity and respect for gender equality: examples of what “social mindedness” means for the European society. This target was achieved through an integrated system of “online” and “offline” activities catalysed by an elearning platform hosting an ERPG (Educational RolePlaying Game) named “YourTown” connecting students and teachers from the partner countries: Italy, Turkey, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom. SMILEY project shed a light upon some interesting remarks in order to better understand the

Social capital is considered from at least several viewpoints – as trust, institutions acting as mediators between the state and the individual, and a network of the individual’s relationships. In the third approach, it can be also called the individual social capital. In the discussed research, it was measured using the resource generator based on the concept of T.Snijders. The research carried out among 369 respondents aged 18 – 34, who were also Internet users and had at least secondary education, allowed to diagnose the level of their individual social capital and identify diversifying factors. Primarily, the analysis revealed that greater Internet experience and its more intensive use are linked with a higher level of individual social capital. These factors had more importance than sociodemographic characteristics – age, sex or the level of education.

The article describes the commodification process, focusing on the sphere of labour. The specificity of the approach consists of treating labour as a component of the systemic transformation of the Polish society. The Polish people, on their way from real socialism to market democracy, are undergoing a particularly intense commodification process. This process has been intensified by Poland’s accession to the European Union and by globalisation, due to participation in supranational market systems at the regional (European) and global levels. Empirically, the commodification process has been analysed using awareness studies. Subjects were young inhabitants of Warsaw with higher education, and the study results were additionally related to nationallevel research. The labour sphere is seen here as a key element of the wider social reality and it is studied empirically in terms of individual orientations which the subjects exhibit towards normative social models. The processes of commodification and decommodification are seen in the context of the systemic transformation from centralisedautocratic to the marketdemocratic models of society. Attention has also been paid to the role of the welfare state, whose key function is to protect citizens from major risks, including the risk of being unemployed. The empirical study clearly shows the specificity of labour in commodification processes. Labour was shown to be an element that stands out from the other elements of the social system.

The purpose of this article is to present and analyze the foundations and premises of Nazi cultural policy, and the bodies responsible for its implementation, the two most important ones being: National Socialist Society for German Culture and the Ministry of National Enlightenment and Propaganda of the Reich. Policy in this case is interpreted as intentional activity of the authorities in the field of culture, aimed at influencing the attitudes and identity of the population of the Third Reich. The analysis covers the most important documents, statements and declarations of politicians and their actual activity in this domain. Adopting such a broad perspective allowed to comprehensively show both the language and the specific features of the messages communicated by the Nazi authorities, and its impact on cultural practices.

From the point of view of social policy, the need of security is considered as the indispensable part of functioning and development of every society. Citizens’ participation avers that the inhabitants will have the possibility of taking part in making decisions about their own surrounding, which results in development of the sense of security. The actions taken in the social space initiate the existence of the selfaware civil society. This article’s main aim is to discuss the possibilities of assuring the social security through civil commitment and their active participation in the public life. The formal instruments that occur in the system of Polish law (i.e. a participation in the open debate, a participation in the elections, a legislative initiative) have been analyzed. Those instruments enable to the residents the participation and codecision making and, what follows, they contribute towards forming broadly defined security.

My paper deals with the significance of introducing the cultural component in foreign language teaching as well as the necessity of developing young people’s sensitivity to culture, especially to art and literature. In the article, the basic definitions and relevant terms connected with culture are discussed, according to the current status of glottodidactic knowledge. The question of how and to what extent should the cultural component be introduced in the school is also raised. Moreover, the aims of teaching cultural elements as well as their role and importance in foreign language learning are presented. In the final part of the text I describe an example of a practical pedagogical application of the cultural component, which can be used during English classes. This crosscultural studies project consists of three lessons, focused on a chosen aspect of British culture, namely the creation of two representatives of the 18thcentury art and literature. The presentation of this project supports the thesis that the combination of teaching language together with cultural elements is possible. It also serves as an example of how to achieve this aim and, simultaneously, how to make lessons both educational and untypical, which means more entertaining for the students. All in all, the aim of the article is to emphasise the need for aesthetic education as well as to raise teachers’ and educators’ awareness of the aforementioned problem.

At present, not only the representatives of the world of science, but also ordinary inhabitants of the Earth follow evolutionary theories with interest. They ask themselves questions such as: Who are we in reality?, How have we developed in the history of humanity?, Have we indeed, as claimed by Charles Darwin, evolved from creatures who physically and intellectually were, colloquially speaking, no match for us?, Where are humanity and the human heading for and what will humans look like in the future?, What will the world be like in a few centuries? At a time when the dispute between the opponents and propagators of the theory of evolution is still hot, many scientists – assuming that evolution indeed takes place – wonder where this evolutionary process will lead us.

This paper offers a reflection on educational discourse with particular focus on pedagogical discourse about youth. It begins with terminological and methodological assertions. Making a distinction between the discourse of educational practice and pedagogical discourse, I attempted to identify some types of discourse about youth which have become prominent in pedagogical research. To grasp the characteristics of the discourse I referred to quite a wide selection of pedagogical texts which provide data about the ways of problematisation of the theme of youth. They included monographs devoted to youth, research reports and articles from pedagogical periodicals, published in the last decade. My research tools in the qualitative analysis of the texts were two basic analytical categories: ideological dominants (the concept of youth, dominant values attributed to young age and youth) and interrogative dominants (fundamental practices of formulating questions about youth, problematisation, and typical conceptual categories). The typology of discourses about youth derived from empirical studies was used to construct a theoretical model of the analysis of integration of knowledge about youth. The concluding section poses several questions pointing at some potentially interesting areas for future research into heterogeneous sources of knowledge about youth.

The elderly are currently becoming one of the subjects of a global culture. As a consequence of a substantial increase in the number of individuals belonging to this age-group, the social status of the elderly is constantly growing. This change has resulted in science “re-accustoming” with the issue of the old age, and the culture has been promoting its new and medially attractive quality. This article analyzes the relevance of the stereotypes and prejudices conditioning the quality of life among the elderly. The authors discuss the new challenges resulting from the demographic revolution that is taking place right now. The examples employed here are to facilitate turning the theory of active aging in a friendly environment into practice. Nevertheless, the authors are aware that this change will not be an easy or a swift process.

In article author takes advantage of sociological theory of German thinker – Ulrich Beck – to analysis of contemporary football. He assumes that idea of cosmopolitanization developed by Beck instances interesting analytical tool to the scrutiny of that sport. The concept of cosmopolitanization emphasising on interpenetration of global flows and local environment appears as adequate to such examination. From one perspective some actors in global football field (eg. FIFA) put a lot of pressure on the rest actors (expelling national teams from countries with unstable political situations), but on the other hand football field constitutes a mixture of various influences, different kinds of “cosmopolitanization” (“coerced”, “latent”, “non-deformed”) and local dimensions of modernity. In the case of football fans it is justified to cover every day experiences with football by notion of “banal cosmopolitanization”. The author considers necessity to create the new units of analysis in exploration of contemporary football. Units from classical sociology, derived from world of first modernity need to be replaced (or enriched at least) by ones prepared in result of cosmopolitan turn in social sciences. Simultaneously, like other spectrums of social life (science, politics, identities and so on), football is found under influences of conditions of global manufactured uncertainty and risk. In article there are a few instances of risks connected to football.

It was a daunting task before the Nehru-led government to frame a suitable policy of governance for secluded North-Eastern states which were completely separated from the mainstream British India. Due to the historical background as well as the geographical location of the region the government of India has long been tried to integrate the North-Eastern states with mainland India keeping social and cultural institutions of that region unaltered. With the continuous pursuance of protective and proactive role by the government growth scenario of the North-Eastern states has turned out to be satisfactory. Per-capita income has also been growing at a moderate rate and poverty both in absolute and relative term and inequality are declining. However, the worrying factor is that growth is pronounced where government is acting as principal economic actor. In addition, most of the North-Eastern states have demonstrated very poor fiscal condition and solely relying on central assistance. Economic integration sought under a decentralised development model on the failed promise of bringing equitable development across the North-Eastern states has acted as an incentive to raise the demand for special constitutional arrangements, separate state or country based on ethnicity or identity. Finally, occasional use of coercive forces, doling out of funds, and providing autonomy without accountability are the adhoc measures often used by the state to settle the unsettled culturo-social and politicoeconomic issues rooted in the Indian soil based on the notion of the abortive post-colonial Indian nationhood. Resultantly, the grand Indian nation state would certainly suffer from hyper-paranoia and a dreamer for “welfare state” will continue to be interrogated amidst the quagmire of movements based on identity and ethnicity.

The number of articles, books, and film documentaries reporting on lessons taught using a multimedia whiteboard is growing year by year. Numerous photographs and recordings show happy faces of children and their teachers. Also, test reports leave no doubt as to the attractiveness of activities supported by this modern media tool. But do all learners approve of learning with an interactive whiteboard? What determines the level of acceptance? I tried to obtain the answer to these questions in the course of research conducted in primary education classrooms as part of grant 495-NP.

This article presents the results of research conducted on the research sample of N=388 teachers in rural secondary schools. The aim of the research was to answer the problems concerning knowledge and activities undertaken by teachers in rural secondary schools in the prevention of the phenomenon of cyberbullying. The method used in this study was diagnostic survey. The research technique was individual, categorized interview, based on the author’s interview questionnaire. The collected data shows that educational classes are the most popular preventive actions organized in secondary schools in rural areas on the safety of children and young people in the Web. As part of preventive actions, the majority of teachers take the conversations with students to raise their awareness in the area of the dangers associated with the use of the Web. Analyses flow requests that the level of knowledge of the actions and initiatives organized by the institutions, especially the local environment, as well as the level of knowledge of websites and telephone hotlines among teachers in rural secondary schools is low. Such a low level of knowledge will translate into the quality of preventive measures implemented by teachers, especially in the aspect of information strategy.

The purpose of this article is to analyse a northern Norwegian legend. Working with legends will provide a cultural insight and can thus be a gateway to establish knowledge structures. The main purpose of this paper is to reveal some of the diversity that a legend contains, and show that an analysis of this type of text can be a tool for dissemination and discovery learning. The analysis in this article is made from a multi-perspective approach: a literary perspective, religion, historical, mythical and folkloric perspective. The word legend is characterized in Norway as religious texts. The proper Norwegian term for the text being analysed here is actually “sagn”. However, I choose here in the English language to use the word legend instead.

Results of some research performed in Poland have evidenced a relation between the aggressive behaviour of adolescents and the parental attitude perceived by them as improper. According to the results of the earlier studies of authors, significant differences were observed between the levels of aggression manifested by girls and boys and in certain dimensions the aggression of adolescent girls was higher than that of boys. Recently study was undertaken to check the stability of differences related to the sex and aggressive behaviour of adolescents. The research was conducted twice. First in the year 2002 (stage I) and again after 10 years in 2013 (stage II). The data for analysis were collected in the Questionnaire of Perception of Parental Attitudes composed by Plopa and the Questionnaire on Aggressive Behaviour prepared by Wójcik. At the stage I the subjects were 86 young people (56 girls and 30 boys) aged 17 – 19, and in stage II, in 2013, the subjects of the study were 80 adolescents (40 girls and 40 boys) aged 17 – 19. The comparative analysis of the results from 2002 and 2013 has shown a limited stability of relation between the perception of parental attitudes as improper and aggressive behavior of adolescents as well as sexual differentiations of aggressive behavior.

This paper addresses some issues that I consider to be particularly important in order to better understand and possibly countervail the phenomenon of violence. It especially focuses on the following points: a) the concept of violence; b) the Seville Statement on Violence and the possibility of revisiting and updating it; c) emotional and cultural factors as causes of violence; d) a proposal of a new perspective on the study of the relations between ingroup and outgroup; e) the possible role of the awareness of the existence of death in the context of human violence; f) the necessity of including violence against animals in the study of human violence.

Children’s individual experience gained within families may lead to the development of both prosocial and aggressive behaviours. The aim of the paper is to analyse the phenomenon of aggression in the family environment. Extensive specialist literature indicates that there are often many co-occurring factors that determine child aggression. Children live in a dysfunctional family, in conditions of poverty and parental pathology, experience parental hostility and violence, are neglected, their vital biological and psychological needs are not met, they undergo inadequate upbringing training. They also experience aggression in sibling relations. Thus, the family provides them with comprehensive aggressive education for years. An important issue is to prevent and control aggression in the family. It is not easy and requires actions at three levels: social, individual and family. The article also presents an interesting intervention model in a sibling aggression situation.

The Seville Statement on Violence (SSV) was originated by a launched UN-Committee of the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) in the late seventies of the past century. Its final product, elaborated by more than twenty scholars from different scientific disciplines and from all continents, was presented in 1986 at the VI Coloquio Internacional sobre Cerebro y Agresión (CICA) in Seville. Three years later, it was endorsed by the 25th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris. Its main message was that violence, and consequently war too, are avoidable and aggressiveness can be tamed. The present article comments what were the main reasons which urged to elaborate it, and some difficulties found on the way.

In the domain of interpersonal relations empathy has been widely regarded as a valuable tool for peacebuilding. Past research has shown that if enough empathy is extended to a victim of violence, insight into the victim’s plight tends to give pause to the aggressor and also prompt bystanders to help. While the victim is the sole recipient of empathy in an interpersonal conflict, elevating the concept of empathy from an individual level analysis to a group level analysis encounters further complications. In intergroup conflicts, both parties in the conflict stand to receive empathy. In light of this, one theoretical question is whether both kinds of empathy, those directed to the ingroup members and the outgroup members, have similar utilities in peacebuilding. We reference the literature on intergroup contact and intergroup threats, to scrutinize the role of empathy in intergroup conflicts. We argue that ingroup and outgroup empathy have the opposite effects on group violence – directing empathy to the outgroup results in the denouncement of aggression, whereas directing empathy to the ingroup may lead to a desire to counterattack. Thus, rather than boosting the overall amplitude of empathy, striking the right balance is the key of leveraging empathy towards peace.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the contribution of self-esteem and locus of control in generating in the youth an aggressive coping strategy in a social conflict situation. The study made use of a proprietary questionnaire to study the coping strategy of youth in a social conflict situation (KSMK), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and the questionnaire to Study the Locus of Control (KBPK) created by G. Krasowicz and A. Kurzyp-Wojnarska. Empirical studies were carried out in junior high schools [Polish: gimnazjum] in Wroclaw and the surrounding area. They involved 811 adolescents (414 girls and 397 boys) aged 13 – 15. In the light of the performed studies it was stated that low general selfesteem in youth and strong belief in the influence of others on positive or negative effects of events play a particular role in the choice of aggressive strategy of young people to cope in a social confl ictsituation.

The article deals with the problem of parameterisation in social sciences and humanities. Questioning the accuracy (and, most of all, the effectiveness) of strictly qualitative assessment of previous publication activity (expert assessments) leads to a concentration on quantitative criteria made as objective as possible; the most important of these criteria is based not on publication, but on quotability, which is considered to reflect the reception of the works of a given researcher. On the basis of indicators applied to a representative sample of professors from the fields of sociology and pedagogy, an analysis of publication record and its influence on science was made with the use of quotability (in the framework of Google Scholar database), and the result was subsequently compared to the results of Professor dr hab. Ryszard Borowicz (recognized in both fields).

The article raises the question of adoption in the analysis of rural areas and communities of its inhabitants, research perspective of social economy as a paradigm allowing for exploration of issues from the economy, and often studies of neoclassical economics and sociology. The first part of the text is characterized by research linking economic and sociological studies and assumptions of socio-economic research, research pointing to the benefits arising from them, while the second refers to a specific area of own research, which using the accepted paradigm, allow the enrichment of socio-economic analysis of rural areas.

The article points out the need of educational research on the illiteracy phenomenon in the societies, where compulsory education is enforced. The scale of illiteracy and lack of knowledge about functional illitera cy in the present time poses a number of challenges for science. The most important are: identification of groups with reading and writing deficits and etiology of illiteracy phenomenon, reflection on the essence of functionally illiterate adults learning, the role of school and other agents of socialization in reading and writing development, literacy opportunities in the workplace or the contribution of the arts to popularize adult literacy and breaking social taboo, which is inability to read and write in highly developed countries.

This article refers to the research and analysis by Professor Borowicz, dedicated to how primary socialization influences educational opportunities for students at the first threshold of selection. The author transfers the mechanism of the selection process presented by Borowicz into the field of early childhood education and describes the relationship between primary socialization and school achievement of young pupils. The author analyzes three groups of factors influencing the fate of a child’s school performance: psychological, social and pedagogical. The author uses the categories of pupils’ personality to connect these factors. She recognizes influences of family and primary socialization as key determinants of school achievement. She proves that the concepts of professor Borowicz are still current and exist in contemporary scientific discourse.

The dominant paradigm for a number of decades of neo-liberal economy has not signifi cantly weakened even times of economic crises referred to as the largest since the Great Depression. Moreover, for a long time we were witnessing the moving logic of economic activities to other spheres of social life. The process of marketization of the public sphere is constantly progressing. It should, therefore, take the debate over its reach and impact on the functioning of the community. We need to ask yourself a number of questions, the answers to which will be crucial for our life as a community. These questions about the moral, ethical and social boundaries of the market put in a rather provocative way Michael Sandel. Adopting a broader debate over them is essential, because the important aspects of our existence both in terms of individual and as a community will really on that. Does the knowledge, information, our body, clean air, access to education, to health care are goods? Are they subject to the rules of supply and demand? Is the market mechanism the best way to distribute them? Is there a legitimate way? Answers to these questions should not be limited to the discourse of the efficiency measure, which sometimes seems to dominate public discourse and especially political. This discourse should be conducted in relation to the concept of social justice and equality as marketization processes inevitably lead to the emergence of new dividing lines and the growing social inequality. This current refl ection on society was constantly present in publications of Richard Borowicz. These questions he asked yourself and his readers for a long time. It is a pity, that now he is not able to participate directly in this discourse.

This text is an attempt to subjectively consider of the issue of equality, on the topic of which Ryszard Borowicz in 1988 wrote a monograph entitled “Równość i sprawiedliwość społeczna” [Equality and Social Justice]. The author, referring to a historical and legal overview of the notion of the citizen, tries to suggest that it is the political system that determines the status of its citizens. What is more, it also determines not only their legal situation but also the scope of their subjective rights, freedoms and obligations. The general principles enshrined in the constitution are the means that the legislator uses to show the citizens which values he considers the most important and which are intended to guide social change. The main goal of the authors’ deliberations is to signal the need to continue research on equality, especially given that the notion of equality should be considered from a wider perspective, for example taking into account the change of the political and legal system.

This article is a comment on Ryszard Borowicz’s text of 1992 on the post-1989 emigration of young people from Poland and on the debate inspired by Marek Okólski’s text of 2012 on the modernising impet of emigration. Three issues are being discussed in this article: 1) the adequacy of the „brain drain” concept, 2) relations between international migrations and modernization and 3/ some examples of empirical research on this problem.

The article highlights the relationship between transformation of the gender contract and the evolving social perceptions of motherhood in contemporary Poland. As it is assumed in line with my paper’s empirical analysis, motherhood is one of social nodal points as well as a constitutive point for women’s experience. However, the change to the ways in which motherhood is socially constructed in contemporary public and private spheres reflects the on-going transformations of the public and the private realm. Within the former and the latter, new conceptions of gender contract are being constantly proposed and are negotiated. By the same token, motherhood gradually moves from within its nature-driven and strictly private conceptualisation to becoming a social construct re/formulated in contemporary Polish public sphere. Within that process, both proponents and, especially, opponents of women empowerment voice their concerns.

An attempt to assess the structure of the studied families, patterns of their functioning, home and environment provision of toys stimulating children’s development, as well as verification of possible relationships between these variables was undertaken in this study. In order to give suggestion of typology of families there was an analysis of clusters. The study involved 126 families with children aged from 3 to 18 months. Following instruments were used: AHEMD for children aged 3-18 months and HOME for children aged 0-36 months “Interview and observation”. On the basis of the cluster analysis five types of families were distinguished – “Families with training parents”, “Families with caring parents”, “Families with parents overcoming difficulties”, “Families with elitist parents” and “Families with not-involved parents”.

Economic and political changes in Europe, particularly in the last decade have led to an increase in the cultural diversity of its citizens. Latvia, which received a troubling legacy from the former Soviet Union – a diverse ethnic mix, also found itself EU. In 1989, after nearly fifty years of Soviet domination it regained its independence and stood on the way of reform and transition from a totalitarian to an independent style of governance. Among the many problems that appeared in front of this small country in 2004, there were also those that are lively debated in contemporary Europe. Some of them are laws for immigrants and minority rights. Analysis of past and present situation in Latvia seem to be particularly important to the events which have recently been seen in Ukraine which is an another country of the past Soviet Union – and after 1990 also the Russian – sphere of influence. Article deals with the integration process, with Latvian law regulating issues of citizenship, minority rights and the status of the state language as conforming to international standards. It also deals with the education of national minorities in Latvia. Bilingual education proposed to the minorities has goal to integrate the Latvian society as a whole, to build a multicultural state based on unity. Bilingual education also enables the acquisition of language skills allowing the free movement on the labor market. This ensures both the protection of ethnic and religious identity by providing the understanding of the language and culture of the country of residence. Problems of this young state are still waiting for a solution by the future government in Latvia. This small Baltic country, for ten years, is integrating multinational community of its own country into the tissue of Western Europe to which it was a stranger till the year 2004.

The article concerns the state of political awareness of contemporary Russians. It must be noted that the vast majority of Russians are characterized by apathy with a very strong separation between the private and the state spheres. The state sphere is understood through stereotypes and myths shaped by the state-owned media and it is characterized by the emotional mentality and the besieged fortress syndrome, with an increasing level of alienation and a feeling of hostility towards all „others”. In the private sphere, there is a predominance of vegetative thinking and, in many areas (especially in the North Caucasus), of tribal or post-tribal mentality. Only a small minority is characterized by this type of thinking, that is characteristic of a totalitarian political gnosis. Such criteria of the existence of totalitarian political gnosis as an objective foe or an aspiration to save the world (or at least a part of it) are met only by a small portion of the Russian society.

The active and direct participation of the state in the process of education was a very important and significant element that put the position of the main ideological-political formations in the interwar period in opposition to concepts constructed at the turn of the twentieth century. At the time of regaining independence, the state could be considered as one of the main subjects that were import_ant for rebuilding the awareness and collective identity of Polish people’s citizenship. Therefore, this text deals with the school and the army – institutions of educational influence during the Second Polish Republic – as the subjects of educational influence.

The text is an attempt to use of Richard Borowicz research as inspiration. The aim is to broaden the perspective of research on the problem of social selection in the education system by adding a psychosocial aspect. The article contains a theoretical reference in order to allow for an explanation of the effectiveness of the mechanism of auto-selection and placement of it in the social practices of everyday life. Interactional perspective makes the problem of social inequalities present in the experience and consciousness of man. On the other hand individualistic tendencies in society are the conditions under which self-selection mechanism can both be forced out from public awareness, as well as subject to deregulation. The latter phenomenon may lead to equal opportunities.

This text should be perceived as an review article in which the content of the monograph Social Inequalities in Access to Education… by Richard Borowicz allows for the presentation of his heritage which is leftfor the next generation of sociologists and educators. The text therefore exposes the approach to the profession of sociologist which was characteristic of Ryszard Borowicz, his scientific workshop and inspirations that we may draw from in relation to how to analyze the surrounding reality, how to communicate what we have determined, how to make methodological choices and, within them, choose the methods. At the same time, the text presents the continuity of the research into sociology of education in Poland, preserved also thanks to the research by the Author of the book discussed here. What is worth emphasizing is the diagnosis and assessment of the Polish transformation at the beginning of the twenty-first century in the context of young people’s educational fates (and their determinants), which is dominant in the monograph. The essence of Ryszard Borowicz’s research interests is the study on school selections. Therefore, the text contains an attempt at analyzing the findings in the book Social Inequality… relating to the mechanisms of selection in the educational system, including the analysis of the relevance of specific content, links with the findings by other researchers, and most of all, with the Author himself – his beliefs, motivations, and attitudes, which distinguished him in the scientific community.

The aim of this article to reconstruction the vision of the young scientist in humanities (characteristics, competences, optimal progress requirements) written by Ryszard Borowicz based on available references and historical sources. This is the first research to focus this vision has not been noted anywhere through the R. Borowicz’s books and articles. It presents the results of a research based on historical method allowing to combine all the data from different sources from content analysis to delthi technique.

Processes of selection of schools have already constituted the object of the Doctoral Dissertation of Professor Ryszard Borowicz, prepared under a scientific supervision of Professor Zbigniew Kwieciński, and also of his numerous books and papers published throughout his whole scientific career. One of the leading concepts applied in the projects carried out by Professor Ryszard Borowicz was the meritocratic concept. Application of that theory in the explanation of phenomena taking place in the contemporary education system has been subject of critical analysis. Besides, the possible directions of studies have been proposed concerning the selection of schools, including the university-level of education. A number of questions have been raised worth answering, especially in face of dynamic transformations taking place in the Polish society that are somehow a consequence of belief in education that was supposed to create stratification mechanisms enabling promotion of positively selected individuals, according to the relation “merit-award”. With consideration for the Professor’s achievements, and for current indicators, some phenomena have been presented that currently exist in the system and are directly related with the problem of selection of schools.

The article is devoted to Professor Ryszard Borowicz, his research and critical analysis of the changes taking place in the Polish higher education. Ryszard Borowicz was their researcher, witness and participant, as well as, in many aspects, also their co-author, fulfilling many political, management and social functions in that period. The article aims to analyze the transformation of the Polish higher education from the point of view of Borowicz’s critical position, whose research interests were centred on revealing hidden forms of inequality in access to education. The analysis presented in this article is concentrated on the three most import_ant processes: (a) massification of higher education, (b) marketisation of higher education and (c) demographic decline as the most import_ant factors influencing the availability and quality of the education offered by the Polish higher education institutions. The text contains references to a large number of disputes and debates that I had with Professor Ryszard Borowicz throughout the past decade, for which unfortunately I did not manage to thank him.

The article presents a specificity of dynamic research based on panel studies. On the basis of chosen examples, including long-term Polish nationwide research, the field of panel studies application as well as difficulties in the implementation of the studies were indicated. The main purpose of this publication was to present some aspects of methodical research tools of panel study projects, that are conducted both by individual researchers and research teams. Basing on examples, panel studies diversified in terms of scope, measurement techniques, sampling and problem assumptions, were presented. The article starts with the research conducted by Ryszard Borowicz at the turn of the sixties and seventies, that includes one typical study cycle of Nicolaus Copernicus University – the research coveres the whole education cycle. Then, the article describes Polish Panel Survey POLPAN research that has been conducted since the end of the eighties. Besides determining individual trajectory of Polish fortunes, the research introduces innovative approach to social structure in a dynamic perspective. The Social Diagnosis panel studies project, of which the first round of studies was held in 2000, was in turn presented in this article with a special emphasis on defining and sampling methods, as well as mechanisms of dealing with the sample’s “mortality”. The last example included in the article, presents the research conducted by Zielonogórski Center (Ośrodek Zielonogórski), in which the panel studies method is particularly applied to the field of pedagogical studies. The comparison of such different projects, in particular studies from the seventies and contemporary studies, allowed to indicate several points differentiating research tools, and in addition, opportunities that are created by using modern technologies in the area of data collection, reaching respondents and dissemination of study results.

The purpose of this article is an attempt to show the development of Polish social work based on the works of Prof. Ryszard Borowicz. In the text were subjected to scientific reflections definitions and the main categories of research described by the author, which may be a starting point for the development of the theory and practice of social work (human dignity, work, equality and social justice, the auto-selection). The author devotes attention to questions of education and social work tasks facing contemporary social work. Text analysis R. Borowicz has allowed many findings. The main thing is that social work is transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary science that combines the traditions of different disciplines (especially sociology, pedagogy, social policy), the creation of social theory and practice should benefit from the experience of the world, but without forgetting the native and most importantly you need think about the future, and not focus on the present, because there will be more social problems and new needs that challenge for social work. Notably, many of the issues raised by the researcher is still valid and therefore worth reaching for his works and re-discover them.

The article is an attempt to take a scientific controversy with one of the many valuable scientific texts written by professor Ryszard Borowicz. The article is an attempt to take a scientific controversy with one of the many valuable scientific texts written by professor Ryszard Borowicz, the eminent sociologist and educator. Posed by Professor Borowicz thesis in the analyzed text on some of the consequences spread of higher education in Poland are inspiring a deep and thorough analysis of the current condition of higher education, with particular emphasis on non-public education. Reference was made to selected parts of the article of Professor Ryszard Borowicz indicating that professor rigorous evaluation can only be some problems recognizing of the higher education in Poland from only one perspective.

Richard Rorty postulates that we relinquish relying on the “Platonic” idea of something common to us all, something uniting us with others, and cease the search for both universal justifications and truths. Rorty fears, and backs his fears with examples from history, that referring to something uniting us may serve those who shall state that there is some right, true model of living, of collective cooperation, and that only one form of social and political organization is right for us. Because if there is a truth about human beings, about relations with others, then in accordance with the traditional way of thinking, we should act on it, and any opposing action, freethinking, should not take place. Each and every human being should act according to fixed – uncovered – standards, and those who disobey should be directed onto the right path. In short, one of Rorty’s firm beliefs is that the idea of human being, of truth, particular perspectives determine our choices – perhaps this is how Rorty’s intuition may be expressed within one sentence. But is such an opinion justified? In the hereby article I shall say it is not; whether we are universalists or constructivists, our choices may be of the same kind. At the same time, having the same metaphysical or constructivist beliefs, we may arrive at quite different choices.

Euroorphanhood concerns of older people whose children are staying abroad for a long time (in the project at least 12 months). Traditional network of support in Polish society is based on familiocentrism. According to this theory, the younger generations have obligations to the oldest members of their families which arising from the bonds of blood. Phenomenon of interest to us is its existential dimension (quality of life) and essential (quality of life). It is equally important, the objective (defined state of affairs) and subjective (personal sense of quality of life) approach. Euroorphanhood is a development phenomenon, because of a large spatial mobility of the younger generation on the one hand and quickly extending of the human life cycle. In this approach euroorphanhood will be subjected to empirical testing – it will be a comparative study in three countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Poland.

The article concerns Thomas Mann’s view on culture and on anthropology. The analyses of the works by the German writer point at the relations between his conception and Fridrich Schiller’s conception of man as a sensuous and sprititual being. Mann’s works, such as Death in Venice or The Magic Mountain are the literary equivalent of the unfinished essay on aesthetics On Spirit and Art. The author stresses the important role of eroticism in the description of culture. Eroticism should be conceived in a wide sense, not only in relation to bodily desire, but as a basis of aesthetic experience. Seen from this angle, Mann’s writings contain a series of reflections about culture and about man, reflections rooted in the modern conceptions presented by Kant and Schiller and later developed by contemporary psychoanalysis and the philosophy of existence.

This article presents an educational internet forum, which was a part of the blended learning project the author led throughout the academic year 2011/2012 parallel to the course Introduction to the Cultural Studies at the University of Gdansk. As a result of the project the site http://wiedzaokulturze.wikispaces.com was created by a group of sixty-five Cultural Studies students. Students’ task was to take part in two discussions each semester by sharing their opinion on the topic the teacher proposed. In total they left 260 comments on 20 discussion forums. Each discussion forum was closed two days before the next class, so it prepared for the subsequent discussion. The aim of this article is to demonstrate whether participation in online discussion develops the competence necessary to lead a face to face discussion, the key ability that should be improved by humanistic education. Year-round care of the project helped to make many observations that can be used as a guide for teachers who plan to moderate the educational forum. This paper presents examples of discussion topics, analyzes students’ comments and proposes methods for moderating internet discussion. The experience gained during the project leads to the conclusion that, although the Internet educational forum solves some of the problems of traditional discussion, it generates another ones. The most serious of them result from the separation of time and space and lack of natural interaction. As explained by research results and statistics collected after closing the project, the online discussion is more cool, intellectual and less spontaneous. Because of this fact the educational forum threads should be planned as a preparation for written assignment.

With the passage of time William Shakespeare’s dramatic works became a great inspiration to artists from the area of popular culture. The bard’s masterpieces are often used by filmmakers, including those who create animated movies. The Shakespearian motifs can appear in animated movies in many different ways: starting from accurate adaptations, through movies just slightly inspired by the plot of the dramatic works, ending up with films that refer only to particular characters or popular scenes from the plays. The elements of Shakespearian works may serve as an inspiration for completely new stories, they may also act as an insignificant quirkiness or as a sign of intellectual curiosity. This article’s aim is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the animated adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, indicated for young viewers. On the one hand the techniques used by animators give a chance to find new visual expression of the bard’s plays and let us watch well-known, classic stories in a modern context. On the other hand – what is confirmed by the survey presented in this article – casual approach to Shakespeare’s works, instead of bridging the gaps between the dramatist and young participants in media and culture, may increase the distance between them.

One of the basic conditions of human life (and the ways of experiencing it) is that it is temporal and the our lifetime is limited. Today we observe fast technological changes, access to a lot of information and frequent necessity to execute tasks quickly, which is why many people experience limits of time necessary to perform their action. Conscious of their own mortality, people also experience the limits of their own lifetime. In this context, the question, what would it mean for a given individual “to make proper use of time” seems to be quite important. Research was conducted on a group of 127 students. The objective of the research was to obtain answers to exploratory questions: What are the individual concepts of that, what does “proper time use” mean for students (both in short-term perspective and lifetime perspective). In order to discover the individual concepts of “proper time use”, a questionnaire containing open questions was constructed. Th e questions were connected with three time use perspectives: a week of study, a week of holidays and the whole life. It corresponds with the division made by Popiołek (2010) into two perspectives, in which time is captured by the man: every day time and lifetime. Answers were categorized. The most frequent criteria of “proper time use” were: attaining objectives (74%), pleasure and seeking sensations (61%), relations with other people (49%), personal development (34%) and life satisfaction (30%). Definite majority of the answers were general and pointed to a lack of deeper reflection on their lives, on “how I would like to make use of my lifetime”. The results obtained may have application value – based on them, initial postulates were proposed for work on increasing self-consciousness of students in the respect of time management.

The aim of this study was to determine the functioning of mothers in terms of communication and styles of education, including family structure, gender and age of the adolescent. Hypotheses were based on the assumption that if a mother is the most important person in the family, then there will be no differences between single mother and the mother from complete family in the assessment of communication and styles of education in adolescents’s opinion. It was assumed that the assessment of the quality of the relationship will be affected by gender and age of adolescents. There were studied 148 adolescents with complete families and 237 who raised by single mothers, using a Parent Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS) and a Survey of Upbringing Style. Analysis of variance revealed that communication with the mother is satisfying, regardless of family structure, which strongly differentiate the democratic parenting style, and gender-style liberal. There were seen a significant interaction between gender and age of adolescent, conditioning the open communication and interaction with the mother adolescent age and family structure substantially influences on the liberal loving style.

Issues brought up of the role of the victim in the genesis of the offence of the homicide stayed in the article. Crime (including homicide) is an act occurring in the specific social and cultural context. It is a result of special links between the perpetrator and the victim and circumstances which decision-making processes of both subjects called. In the end the perpetrator is taking this process motivated action with desire for achieving the potential purpose which also desire for avoiding the danger can be. However victim carrying out specific activities of the everyday life she created opportunities or delivered to the possibility for fulfilling the criminal purpose. Largely of studies of crime concerning issues this issue from a perspective of the perpetrator is usually discussed with omitting the participation of the victim. The offence of the homicide is of special importance in this context above all on account of the express occurring report between perpetrator and with victim. Establishing the system of features creating the potential of victims was a purpose of the article. Since victimisation and so has both immanent and contextual character he includes not only individual features but also is connected with a social and cultural sphere. The problem analysis is based on distinguishing of the scope of the „fault” the victim (according to the Mendelsohna typology) in the context of the established motive for the homicide. Research problems adopted in examinations refer to the relational, situational, personality prospect what allowed for the multifaceted problem analysis, establishing essential areas of the victim potential of individual categories of victims. In examinations methods of the interview and searching secondary sources were used. Analysis of research arrangements is focused on indicating features predestining victims to the role (what the team of an immanent traits of the victim potential) and of victim risk factors (comprising the contextual aspect of the victim potential). The arrangements gave the possibility of formulating recommendations for the purposes of the prevention.

The aim of this article is to analyze the efficiency of the three currently working on the Polish side bilateral textbook commissions (Polish-German, Polish-Lithuanian and Polish-Ukrainian). Its added value lies, firstly, in rarely undertaken in the literature comparative research – the author’s ambitions go beyond simple description of several different textbook committees. Secondly, in the formulation of concrete conclusions, which to some extent can be applied in practice. The used research method was studying the documents. Using the technique of critical analysis of the content the author revealed similarities and differences in the functioning of the three institutions in terms of: the history of creation; tasks, procedures and organization of their work; discussed topics and appearing controversies; the effects of undertaken actions. On that basis, she formulated the conviction that a decisive impact on the effectiveness of the mentioned institutions have the following factors: ambitions and chosen by commissions course of action, the framework of states’ educational policies, the political support of the governments, wide debate on commissions’ findings, attitudes of the societies on the both sides of the border and objective factors like: time, stage of nation-building process and partners’ financial capacities.

The purpose of this article is to examine the role and importance of music in society. In particular, attention is paid on the educational value of art sound and musical skills of Poles and their participation in the musical culture. The main question is the question of the quality of these skills and socialization processes of individuals to music. The aim of the paper is also to discuss the institutional problems and obstacles of music education as well as to focus on the problem of the reproduction of the non-sensitive to music generations. The text is composed of four main parts. In the first of them there are discussed the general issues related to the role of music in society, including the process of acquiring musical skills and aesthetic dispositions (in the sense of Pierre Bourdieu), allowing individuals to take an active part in the musical life of the community. The focal point of the discussion also concentrates on such topics, as integration and communication power of music in society within the meaning of Alfred Schütz. The second part of the text contains the reflections on the educational role of music, including its ability to connect people, and shaping them socially desirable traits. The third part of the article refers to the issue of the musical competences of Poles, based on available quantitative data. The latter are useful to discuss the problem of intergenerational inheritance of weak music competences, and therefore the phenomenon of the reproduction of musical “illiteracy”. The fourth section provides some reflection on the specific consequences of music education system in Poland. In particular, the attention is paid to the issues such as the low level of participation in musical culture, and the regression of listening in the sense of Theodor W. Adorno.

The article contains the overview of research on the beliefs of pre-school and primary school teachers (n = 100) about developing the plurilingual competence in children. Research shows that the teachers highly appreciate the scientific, practical and motivational values of developing the plurilingual competence, but they lack knowledge about the teaching methods and tools and organizational forms that can be used for the development of plurilingual competence in the early stages of education. When discussing the results I analyze i.a. (a) the reasons for not taking actions aimed at the development of individual plurilingualism indicated by the respondents and (b) the actions taken declaratory by the respondents in the context of the objectives of plurilingual education.

The article presents the reality of Palestinian pupils living in Israel. In the first part of the article I present geo-political situation of that area. I also show how educational system is influenced by military conflict situation. I indicate the areas of exclusion and system strategies of non-equal treating Palestinian minority, however I also show some positive signs of exclusion patterns’ transgression (in multicultural schools with special programs). The most important issues connected with Palestinian students education are presented according to area of linguistic subjects and the strategies of cultural disinheritance.

The category of nostalgia is the element of artistic message frequently used in popular music, which influences the reception of a particular song. In their activity musicians refer to the musical past by employing cultural references and utilise fashions present in a certain environment for their own benefit. This category is present in lyrics and music, in the stage shows (performing live, festivals, TV shows) and promotional activities (interviews, promotional video clips for the songs). Such referring to tradition became a constant element of artistic communication, anchoring the music in the past and taking into account the cultural specificities. Definitional capturing of nostalgia is not entirely possible: research into this category require approaches which take into account the aspects of context important for decoding the cultural content. Interpretive tools used by semiology or cultural studies allow to depict the elements included in the form and content of music and lyrics. They indicate the presence of nostalgia as a category determining the reception of artistic work.

Positive psychology successfully takes the first steps to explain what makes people happy, drawing on the tradition of twentieth-century psychology, as well as evolutionary psychology and neuropsychology. In addition, its statements seem to resonate with the philosophical tradition of Far East, which sources of happiness and well-being sees apart from the ‘self ’, denying the individualistic desires connected to the satisfaction of vain ego that demands – metaphorically speaking – honors and immediate pleasure. However, with its ideas positive psychology perfectly fits into current commercial philosophy of ‘slow movement’, which encourages people to find joy in everyday activities, focus on self-development, derive satisfaction from small pleasures, cultivate their hobbies and social contacts. Because ‘slow movement’ is firmly connected with the specific kind of market, therefore, though positive psychology suggests distancing from the issues of material problems, it becomes – as if in spite of itself – another positioning value, which only determines the status of individuals.

The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretical and empirical explanation of how the consumer socialization works with children of 7/8 years. This paper poses questions about the way brands are discussed in social situations in the environment of school class. It explores children’s socializations into consumer-brand relationships and the influence that marketing texts have on their everyday social experiences. The analysis of children’s talk about brands is critical in order to understand the ways that brands (with parents, siblings and peers) socialize them into consumer culture. The first section presents contemporary discussion of children’s consumption phenomena. The second section emphasis on researching with 14 groups of primary Polish pupils in Lublin. It uses data analysis born of in-depth interviews analysis. This study is based on principles of cultural studies and discourse and functional analysis which approach as a means to enhance richness and uniqueness in the area of children’s consumption. In order to understand children’s brand consumption the paper indicates five main functions emerged from the data: 1. Exploring consumer culture through play and gratification 2. Seeking safety in an overabundance 3. Identification and gender socialization 4. Belonging to a group and rivalry 5. Utilitarian functions. Author argues that consumption ideology and their discourses are not increasingly define children’s everyday social experiences. 7/8-year-olds were not a coherent group significantly interested in brands and consumption, but on the other hand, they were not a group that did not interested in them at all. Counter to the (mainly polish) literature children have not extensive knowledge of brands and brands are not so emerging in their lives.

This article attempts to answer the questions: how hip-hop subculture participants perceive their own environment, how to refer to the stereotypes about themselves and what values they most identify with. Author’s interest in the subject stems from the mnearly 20-year presence in hip-hop in Poland and everyday and abusive relationships often convinced of hip-hop to the areas of social pathology. The study involved 60 people who identify with the subculture of hip-hop teenagers aged 16 – 18 years in the majority of high school students. The research method was a structured interview. The results show an interesting and internally varied image of hip-hop subculture. Interesting may be differences in views on the environment from the perspective of respondents gender. Girls look more critically on their own subculture and often admit that the group use drugs and violence occurs. Respondents represent a complex picture of the world highlighting the significance of musical texts in the description of their reality. Participants evaluate their own subculture rather as a happy people, with life goals related to the plans of other ordinary teenagers. Everyone in hip-hop subculture express aversion to the police and presenting its own internal code of conduct and values. They are reluctant to paint graffiti on monuments, but didn’t bother of destruction the facade of other buildings, and railcars. They have no sense of uniformity required by declaring that hip-hop is not only the dress code, but a lifestyle.

The aim of this paper is to present Japanese comics (manga) and cartoons (anime) with sexual content called hentai. I briefly review some history of Japanese art and culture, in which sexuality has always been a legitimate subject for art and which forms the cultural underpinnings of manga. I summarize the erotic themes and visions of manga with sexual content, including female and male homosexuality (yuri, yaoi), heterosexuality (ecchi, bakunyū/kyonyuu), BDSM (kinbari), transvestitism (futanari), children (lolicon, shotakon). In conclusion, I pose the question of the need to adopt the right perspective to understand the often surprising manifestations of Japanese sexuality.

Narration in Pedagogy – Meaning, Research, Interpretations

The author addresses the position of narratives in the field of educational studies, the meaning of narratives, methodological conditions for research into narratives as well as the possibilities and limits of interpretation related to narrative research. The author argues for the importance of narratives for educational studies, because as a field of knowledge and academic discipline it relies on access to particular forms of individual experience. Educational studies need access to experience related to the subjectivities of those involved in educational processes – educators and pupils. Narratives as a departure point for learning about and understanding another person, her relations with others, intentions and course of her educational actions – as an educator or a pupil – is an important area for educational studies, which promises to open new perspectives of knowledge.

Evolution of International Society in the New Dynamics of International Relations

In the classical meaning, the international society consisting of sovereign states plays a role of an international environment in the international system. Taking into consideration the dynamic transformation in the world politics after the Cold War, globalization, the strengthened international interdependence in its vertical, as well as horizontal realms, and the institutionalization of international social and political spheres fuels the discussion about the future of the international society, its inner structural changes, common norms, values, and rules. The thesis of the paper is the claim that the changes in international state-society reflecting the dynamic of world politics and the global trends do change the character of the international society, but do not change its essence. A growing and seemingly lasting process is strengthening the role of culture and identity in shaping the new structure of the international society.

American “Post-soap Opera” – A New Generation of TV Series not Only on Television

The purpose of this article is to analyze the cultural phenomenon of new generation TV series, called „post-soap operas”. They have changed the entire formula of TV series as a genre, e.g. the way they are watched and distributed. „Post-soap operas” constitute also the main factor of the so called „collective intelligence”. In the article a new genre of TV series has been examined through the examples of two popular shows: Lost and Fringe. J.J. Abrams – the main producer of those series – is considered a visionary and genius by many. His products are perceived as the quintessence of „post-soap operas”. Popular TV series become international blockbusters and are distributed legally through television and DVD and illegally by the Internet. This phenomenon occurs also in our country – Polish subtitles for episodes of popular TV series appear on the Internet in less than 24 hours after they have been aired on American television. Internet is full of websites created by fans and TV producers aimed at sharing information and files. They also works as a opinion sharing platforms used for discussions about favorite TV shows.

What Volunteers Cause Social Change? – Comparative Research of Volunteer Groups Working with the Disabled

The aim of the study was to compare two groups of volunteers who work with people with disabilities: volunteers working in organizations led by social innovators and volunteers who are not affiliated to such organizations. The results show a different picture of both groups in the area of the declared value, objectives and attitudes towards people with disabilities. Volunteers working with social innovators have lower rates of misanthropy, higher individual indicators of social capital, and a higher rate of partnership and innovative attitude. The paper presents guidelines how to work with people with disabilities to maximize their integration into society and create social change.

Methodological Culture and Reporting Empirical Research Published in the Leading Polish Journals on Education

The article provides a methodological review of research reports published in the main Polish journals of education. The query encompass the papers published in the seven journals from 2008 to 2011. Ones of the properties which have been observed are: research strategy, research question and hypothesis, type of sampling, size of sample, method of data collection and data analysis, and include type of statistical analysis. The results show that reports where quantitative strategy was used are overrepresented. In many cases generalization of research results has been done by authors. Moreover, this generalization was independent from type of sampling, research strategy and design. There was not differences in the scope of report transparency. The analysis also points out the diversity of research strategy due to affiliation of authors and overrepresentation of authors from two universities.

E-learning as a Diffusion of Innovation in the Rural Areas of the European Union

Early observations show that the introduction of e-learning to the rural areas of the EU has brought fewer advantages than had initially been expected. Results of international research – interpreted by means of the sociological theory of diffusion – indicate that economic profitability does not have much influence on the pace of disseminating that innovation since rural inhabitants – both those following e-learning courses as well as those who have not yet done so – largely feel that that type of education has a variety of advantages including the lowering of its costs. It seems that its social profitability has a crucial influence on the poor dissemination of this new form of teaching and learning. E-learning has not yet found its niche in the value systems or educational experiences of Europe’s rural populations, since – rather like other forms of education – it does not automatically improve the capability of coping with current day-to-day problems. A better adaptation to the needs of rural inhabitants through the perception of various types of deficits hindering the usage of this type of education is intended by the so-called innovative e-learning, implementing new and generally innovative solutions to the pedagogical, technological and organisational fields which overcome existing limitations through a greater flexibility of ways of potential participants accessing e-learning proposals as well as greater adaptation to individual needs.

Engagement in Parenthood against the Background of the Contemporary Family

Parental experiences are integrated into a complex system of cultural, social and economic processes. Dichotomous view of reality in which the high valuation of family and parenthood in Poland follow in the wake of negative demographic indicators contradict presented assessments. So there is a question about causes of the current state and how the issue of functioning in parental roles relates to the postmodernism, for which affirmation of independence and lack of commitment is characteristic. This paper presents an attempt to define involvement in parenting and research project that came as a result of searching an answer to the question about the correlation between parental involvement and self-creation of adults. Because parenting expresses interpersonal dimension of the individual activity, its quality has two-subjective consequences, i.e. it affects both sides of the parent-child relationship. Therefore, the second aspect of reported studies concerns the correlation between parenting involvement and education, recognized in terms of parental attitudes. The results indicate the possibility to notice implications of parental involvement expressed in self-creation experience of adults and desirable condition of child development, as defined mainly by parental attitude of acceptance. Involved parents actively participate in the care and upbringing of children and such activity promotes a sense of self-improvement. The idea of self-creation as a result of the parental role contradicts the attitude defined as freedom from children (called childfree), according to which the care and education of children are the source of limited individual development.