Political aspirations of the Kazakhstani youth

In the article data presented from the sociological research conducted in 2015 indicate that the participation of youth in politics and the interest is very low. Monitoring of political orientations in the projection on regional identity showed some significant differences: the youth of the “Northern”, “Western” and “Eastern” regions is with a tendency to the “troubled” perception of the political situation, while respondents of “Southern” and “Central” regions with the “neutral” assessment of and with a high degree of political tolerance and displaying the ability to political discourse. The political profile of young Kazakhs is characterized by a greater degree of uncertainty. Also, the boundaries of political preferences are blurred: the main factors of the formation of the ideological and political positions are to the greater extent cultural (preferences and stereotypes) rather than social factors.

It is difficult to characterize Ukrainian society as fully active or passive, as, on the one hand, public participation and involvement in political life as well as large mobilization in situations where civil interests are violated are clearly visible, and, on the other, we can notice a decrease of political activity as a consequence of these events. The aim of the present work was to analyze and explain the specificity of the functioning of Ukrainian society in the years 2000 – 2012. The study was conducted with the author’s own designed tool based on the concept of ideal types developed by Max Weber. The analysis of political apathy used a dissonant category of political activity and the conclusions were drawn on the basis of whether the legislation of Ukraine promotes an active attitude of society and the extent to which the provisions of the law are reflected in real involvement of Ukrainian citizens in political matters. The results show that participation of Ukrainian society in different forms of political activity does not entail its full realization, while the fact that Ukrainian citizens got involved in public affairs excludes the recognition of Ukrainian society as fully apathetic. Thus, in the case of Ukraine, we are dealing with a hybrid society characterized by political activity with elements of political apathy.

Awakening of the young generation. Political activity of youth – a case study

In modern democracies, the fundamental type of political activities of citizens is electoral participation of all eligible groups. The appearance of the youth issue in the political discourse is the result of recognizing the young generation as a significant social group. The young generation is perceived through the prism of innovation, potential and driving force of any changes. In discussions about the future of democracy, the young generation appears very often as a sign of hope for a better world based on mutual understanding, respect, trust, and solidarity. The youngest voters have the potential to bring new values to social life thanks to which we can become a full-scale civil society. Therefore, it is important to mobilize this social group to exercise their full rights.

The paper aims to examine the political activity of young Georgians. The research statement of this paper is that the negative attitudes of young people toward social and political life can be attributed to political processes that do not take into account the interests of young people. In addition, the young generation is mostly politically active in the form of protests. To analyze this scientific objective, we have used several research methods based partly on secondary and primary sources, i.e., expert interviews were conducted online with Georgian researchers from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University. The paper is part of a series of papers on the opinions of the young generation of Georgians about democracy and democratization. The study is essential for analyzing the perception of the mentioned concepts among the generations in Georgia.

Legal and Practical Aspects of Voluntary Service in the Activities of Polish Political Parties

Voluntary activity is a form of civic activity, which is an essential part of modern, wellfunctioning democracy, both at the local and national levels. Popular ideas identify volunteering with work in community centers, rehabilitation centers for the disabled, hospices, nursing homes for the elderly, orphanages, and homes for single mothers. Meanwhile, as it was confirmed by the study of the Klon/Jawor and CBOS, voluntary activity is not just purely social and supportive one. Volunteers, as is the case in other countries, support with their work organizations of political nature – movements, committees, and political groups. The use of their support intensifies especially during election campaigns, when volunteers perform different tasks: gather signatures on lists of candidates in the election, organize rallies and campaign trails, lead wide campaigning – handing out leaflets and urging to vote for particular candidates or political parties, prepare handouts, and update web pages, blogs and profiles in social networks. This voluntary, and – what needs to be especially emphasized – also conscious involvement in political activity, is a manifestation of a particular group of civic participation in its political dimension.

Socio-economic and political activity of Poles in Volhynia, Podolia and Kiev region in 1864–1914. Introduction to the issues

This study revolves around selected aspects of the activity of the Polish community in the Kiev, Podolia and Volyn governorates in 1864–1914. Questions have been asked about the activities nature, scope, directions and conditions, as well as the numbers and social background of the Poles involved in work for the benefit of the country. The extent of Polish socio-economic and political work in Russia at the time largely depended on the policy of the Tsarist authorities towards the local Poles. The efforts made were indicative of their real aspirations and served not only to save Polish property, but also to maintain the national awareness of the Polish community in Russia. After the October Manifesto was proclaimed, the efforts resulted in a number of cultural, educational and publishing initiatives, coupled with the establishment of organisations and associations, and the pursuit of political activity. Interestingly, they were a consequence of the sometimes isolated efforts for the benefit of the country before 1905. After the First Russian Revolution, on the other hand, they evolved into an arena for Ukrainian Poles to express their aspirations. Their elites sought, among other things, to restore their due position in the social hierarchy based on their status and economic power.