Suchergebnisse

The family is one of the basic social institutions of human
society. The behaviour of individuals is to a great extent moulded by
influences within the family not only during the socialization process
at early ages, but also after they have reached maturity. The way in
which the family system operates has important demographic consequences.
Reproduction takes place within the family, and fertility is affected by
the combination of events occurring within and shaped by the prevailing
family system in a society. The family is an important decision-making
unit, and in societies where the extended family system1 is prevalent,
decisions by couples regarding fertility behaviour may be strongly
influenced by the larger family network. Hill [11, p. 271-72] has
identified some crucial decisions made over the reproductive career of a
couple. He suggests that these decisions are largely influenced by the
parents and other relatives concerning (a) when to marry, (b) how soon
to have first child, (c) whether to use birth control and method to be
used, (d) when to have second and later children, and (e) when to stop
child bearing. Davis and Blake [4] point out certain intermediate
variables which an individual learns during the sociali¬zation process,
e.g., acceptability of universal marriage, permissibility of sexual
abstinence, the long absence of either spouse and the frequency and
timing of sexual intercourse, etc. All of these have direct bearing on
fertility in the long run.

To step up technological progress & enhance the personal & soc welfare of workers, the Soviet gov is showing increased interest in the automation (AUTO) of mfg processes. Actually AUTO is already a reality in Soviet industry; it increases production, decreases production costs & raises the workers' standard of living. Striking achievements have been made in the chemical, petroleum, metallurgical, & electrical power industries. It has become possible to handle certain operations at extreme conditions of temperature for the first time in history. Soviet industry has produced a number of new types of specialized equipment - electronic potentiometers, pyrometers, etc. Machines can now replace some types of intellectual work; for instance, the BESM machine performs 8,000 arithmetical operations per second. Workers are experiencing a signif increase in real wages & a shortened working day as a result of AUTO. The development of automated systems can take place most effectively where there is general planning for it in the country, a possibility only in collective societies such as the USSR. A detailed econ analysis reveals the order in which the AUTO process is best applied to the various industries. The working out of a sound method for assessing the econ advantages of AUTO is a major problem; primary factors are labor productivity, production costs &the speed of recovery of capital outlay. AUTO calls for a more highly skilled LF educated by a national network of courses & Schs. Many studies on AUTO are currently being published in the USSR. B. J. Keeley.

The question in the title is used to provoke curiosity & stimulate thinking about what future res may be available. The answer may be yes but how can researchers know they are telling the truth? The problem is increasing with the use of opinion research (OR) results in courts. Professional societies need to assist the courts in the assessment of weight given to evidence through the establishment of standards & procedures. OR'chers may increasingly be used as expert witnesses & should consider whether they are willing to submit their res to rigorous cross-examination. Researchers must prepare now to meet the exacting demands to be made of OR in the future outside the court: OR will take its place with other res in a joint attack on problems of national life, such as, desegregation, recession, etc. OR reports must more frequently be put through a procedure of rigorous verification. What is necessary to permit OR'chers to tell the truth? (1) They must find it through better cooperation from R's & checking responses against records known to be accurate & determining what accuracy has been achieved. (2) Interviewers & other intermediaries must perform more effectively. Perhaps, professional interviewers will be required. (3) Accuracy is needed in processing, coding, & analyzing the responses & by testing each of these steps. (4) The user must understand the results correctly. Other essentials are adequate time, a real problem which can be solved, & good performance by supporting services. Correction of weaknesses should not be postponed since this increases the risks & severity of crises that occur. J. D. Twight.

"Am 1. Mai 2004 sind zehn neue Länder der Europäischen Union beigetreten. Bulgarien und Rumänien werden 2007 folgen. Im Dezember 2004 wird der Europäische Rat über die Aufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei entscheiden. Innerhalb von wenigen Jahren wird sich die Gemeinschaft der 15 Mitgliedsländer also um 12 bzw. 13 Länder erweitern. Passen die neuen Länder kulturell in die EU? 1. Der normative Bezugspunkt: Eine Antwort auf die Frage setzt die Definition eines normativen Bezugspunktes voraus. Die für die Europäische Union konstitutiven Werte werden aus dem Primärrecht der EU abgeleitet. Dabei unterscheiden wir verschiedene Wertsphären - Religion, Ökonomie, Politik, Familie und Geschlechtsrollen etc. - und bestimmen inhaltlich, welche Vorstellungen die EU als verbindliche Werte definiert. 2. Die Deskription: Wir prüfen dann, ob die Gesellschaftsvorstellungen der EU von den Bürgern der EU unterstützt werden und ob es zwischen den Mitgliedsländern und den Beitrittsländern signifikante Unterschiede gibt. Empirische Grundlage der Analysen bilden Sekundäranalysen von repräsentativen Bevölkerungsbefragungen (u. a. 'European Value Survey'), die in den Mitglieds- und Beitrittsländern durchgeführt und in denen die Bürger nach Werteeinstellungen gefragt wurden. Die deskriptiven Befunde werden zeigen, dass es in der Tat erhebliche Kulturunterschiede zwischen den Ländern gibt. 3. Die Erklärung: Länder sind keine soziologisch relevanten Kategorien, sie müssen aufgelöst werden in soziale Bedingungsfaktoren, die 'hinter' den jeweiligen Ländern lagern. Wir versuchen die Wertvorstellungen der Bürger durch Rückgriff auf drei zentrale Makrovariablen zu erklären: a. Modernisierungsgrad einer Gesellschaft, b. Kulturell- religiöse Traditionslinie eines Landes und c, Politisch-institutionelle Ordnung eines Landes." (Autorenreferat)

International audience ; The evolution of Bronze Age (BA) societies in the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) and Near East (NE) was punctuated by crises which were synchronous over the region. These turbulent periods occurred at the end of each Millenium between 3200 and 900 BC. Whether called « transition phases », « black ages », « intermediate periods » etc., they give the tempo of the BA cultural phasing in the region. Depending on the territory concerned, the Chalcolithic era ended ca 3200-3000 BC, the Early BA (IV, the last phase of EBA) ended ca 2300-1900 BC ; the Middle BA ended ca 1550-1450 BC ; the Late BA ca 1200-1050 BC. These « rupture » phases correspond in some cases to the transformation (or the destabilization, or the disappearance) of major complex economic and politic systems at a regional scale all over the EM and NE. The timing of these occurrences was paralleled by climatic events characterized by one or several intense droughts between 3250-3000 BC, 2500-1900 BC, 1200-900 BC. The territorial dimension of the relationships between this climatic instability and the sociocultural changes raises questions, especially with regard to the modification in soil and water resources, and the related socioeconomic organization necessary for their control and conservation. Illustration of the territorial aspect of the political and economic challenges related to rapid environmental changes, is based in marginal territories of Egypt, the Levant, central Syria, Middle Euphrates valley. These examples allow to discuss the role of the variability in geographical constraints in the history of the BA States concerned. ; L'histoire des sociétés de l'âge du Bronze en Méditerranée orientale et au Proche-Orient a été ponctuée d'une succession de périodes culturelles instables qui se sont produites vers la fin de chaque millénaire av. notre ère (3200-3000 ; 2200-1900 ; 1200-900). Ces phases, appelées « de transition », « âges noirs », «âges intermédiaires » etc., rythment la périodisation culturelle de l'âge du Bronze. Les dates varient selon les régions et les territoires : le Chacolithique se termine vers 3400-3000 av. notre ère ; l'âge du Bronze ancien IV se termine entre 2300 et 1900 av. notre ère, l'âge du Bronze moyen vers 1550-1450 av. notre ère, l'âge du Bronze récent entre 1200 et 1050 av. notre ère. Ces phases, où l'organisation de systèmes économiques et politiques régionaux complexes a été transformée, déstabilisée voire détruite, ont coïncidé chronologiquement avec des évènements climatiques rapides et intenses, caractérisés par des pics de sécheresse entre 3250-3050, 2500-1900 et 1200-900 av. notre ère. Une instabilité climatique générant des problèmes de gestion de ressources a donc accompagné, d'une certaine façon, des enjeux d'organisation socioéconomique de territoires sensibles. Les données archéologiques montrent des modifications de ressources en territoires qui précèdent, accompagnent ou suivent des changements de répartition, quantité et destination des productions agricoles, des ressources alimentaires et financières, des systèmes de distribution, de contrôle, etc. Des exemples choisis dans les territoires de marges (Egypte, Levant, Syrie centrale, vallée moyenne de l'Euphrate en Turquie et Syrie) illustrent la dimension territoriale de ces changements et de leurs impacts, et permettent de discuter le rôle de la variabilité des conditions géographiques dans l'histoire de ces Etats.

International audience ; The evolution of Bronze Age (BA) societies in the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) and Near East (NE) was punctuated by crises which were synchronous over the region. These turbulent periods occurred at the end of each Millenium between 3200 and 900 BC. Whether called « transition phases », « black ages », « intermediate periods » etc., they give the tempo of the BA cultural phasing in the region. Depending on the territory concerned, the Chalcolithic era ended ca 3200-3000 BC, the Early BA (IV, the last phase of EBA) ended ca 2300-1900 BC ; the Middle BA ended ca 1550-1450 BC ; the Late BA ca 1200-1050 BC. These « rupture » phases correspond in some cases to the transformation (or the destabilization, or the disappearance) of major complex economic and politic systems at a regional scale all over the EM and NE. The timing of these occurrences was paralleled by climatic events characterized by one or several intense droughts between 3250-3000 BC, 2500-1900 BC, 1200-900 BC. The territorial dimension of the relationships between this climatic instability and the sociocultural changes raises questions, especially with regard to the modification in soil and water resources, and the related socioeconomic organization necessary for their control and conservation. Illustration of the territorial aspect of the political and economic challenges related to rapid environmental changes, is based in marginal territories of Egypt, the Levant, central Syria, Middle Euphrates valley. These examples allow to discuss the role of the variability in geographical constraints in the history of the BA States concerned. ; L'histoire des sociétés de l'âge du Bronze en Méditerranée orientale et au Proche-Orient a été ponctuée d'une succession de périodes culturelles instables qui se sont produites vers la fin de chaque millénaire av. notre ère (3200-3000 ; 2200-1900 ; 1200-900). Ces phases, appelées « de transition », « âges noirs », «âges intermédiaires » etc., rythment la périodisation culturelle de l'âge du Bronze. Les dates varient selon les régions et les territoires : le Chacolithique se termine vers 3400-3000 av. notre ère ; l'âge du Bronze ancien IV se termine entre 2300 et 1900 av. notre ère, l'âge du Bronze moyen vers 1550-1450 av. notre ère, l'âge du Bronze récent entre 1200 et 1050 av. notre ère. Ces phases, où l'organisation de systèmes économiques et politiques régionaux complexes a été transformée, déstabilisée voire détruite, ont coïncidé chronologiquement avec des évènements climatiques rapides et intenses, caractérisés par des pics de sécheresse entre 3250-3050, 2500-1900 et 1200-900 av. notre ère. Une instabilité climatique générant des problèmes de gestion de ressources a donc accompagné, d'une certaine façon, des enjeux d'organisation socioéconomique de territoires sensibles. Les données archéologiques montrent des modifications de ressources en territoires qui précèdent, accompagnent ou suivent des changements de répartition, quantité et destination des productions agricoles, des ressources alimentaires et financières, des systèmes de distribution, de contrôle, etc. Des exemples choisis dans les territoires de marges (Egypte, Levant, Syrie centrale, vallée moyenne de l'Euphrate en Turquie et Syrie) illustrent la dimension territoriale de ces changements et de leurs impacts, et permettent de discuter le rôle de la variabilité des conditions géographiques dans l'histoire de ces Etats.

Unternehmen der chemischen Industrie, deren Produktion mit Risiken behaftet ist, sehen sich seit den 1980er Jahren verstärkt öffentlicher Kritik ausgesetzt. Ursachen sind zum einen eine Reihe von Chemieunfällen (Bhopal, Seveso, Schweizerhalle etc.), die zum Teil weltweit Aufsehen erregten, zum anderen der gesellschaftliche Wertewandel, der mit sich bringt, dass Menschen ihr Umfeld mehr beeinflussen wollen. Zivilgesellschaftliche unternehmerische "Stakeholder" wie Umweltverbände und Nachbarn sind weniger bereit, die Risiken der Produktion als Nebenwirkung der positiven Effekte (wie etwa Arbeitsplätze und Produkte, die einen hohen Lebensstandard ermöglichen) zu akzeptieren, sondern fordern verstärkt Informationen über die und Mitsprache an der Unternehmenspolitik. "Akzeptanz" ist zu einem neuen Standortfaktor geworden, der den Unternehmen ein positives Image bei Investoren und Kunden und eine höhere Motivation der Mitarbeiter bringen und zudem das Risiko verschärfter Regulierung durch den Staat mindern kann. Eine Möglichkeit, den neuen Standortfaktor Akzeptanz positiv zu beeinflussen, ist für Unternehmen die Schaffung eines neuen "Interaktionsraumes", in dem Dialoge mit den zivilgesellschaftlichen Stakeholdern geführt werden können. Unternehmensdialoge sind Verfahren, die von Unternehmen initiiert werden, um mit relevanten gesellschaftlichen Gruppen oder nicht-organisierten Bürgerinnen und Bürgern Probleme im thematischen oder räumlichen Umfeld des Unternehmens verständigungsorientiert zu diskutieren und Handlungen oder Handlungsoptionen zu bewerten (vgl. Hansen et al. 1996). Bei den Dialogen kommt es, so sie bestimmten Qualitätsprinzipien wie Fairness, Effizienz oder Kompetenz genügen, zu einem Machtressourcentausch der beteiligten Akteure: Die Unternehmen gewähren den Dialogpartnern Einfluss, die Stakeholder übertragen einen Teil ihrer Glaubwürdigkeit auf das Unternehmen. Dadurch kann der Standortfaktor Akzeptanz zum einen bei den Dialogpartnern, zum anderen auch bei den nicht beteiligten Stakeholdern aus dem wirtschaftlichen, politischen und zivilgesellschaftlichen Umfeld gesteigert werden. In dieser Dissertation wird an Hand von Fallbeispielen deutscher und amerikanischer Chemieunternehmen untersucht, inwieweit Dialoge in der Lage sind, den neuen Standortfaktor Akzeptanz positiv zu beeinflussen, und welchen aus den Qualitätsprinzipien abgeleiteten Kriterien sie dazu genügen müssen. Konzeptionell ist die Arbeit zum einen in der Wirtschaftsgeographie mit den Unternehmen-Umfeld-Modellen sowie der Standortwirkungsanalyse verankert, zum anderen nimmt sie Anleihen bei sozialwissenschaftlichen Ansätzen wie der Regulations- und der Arenatheorie. ; Since the 1980s, the manufacturing of chemical products has been increasingly criticized by the public. The various chemical accidents that have occurred since then (such as Bhopal, Seveso, Schweizerhalle etc.) are one cause for the negative publicity worldwide; another reason is the change in values of Western societies, which has brought about people's desire to have a stronger influence on their environment. Company stakeholders as environmental activists or neighbors alike are less prepared to accept the risks of chemical production for the sake of their positive effects (incl. job creation; products enabling a high standard of living etc.). Instead, they increasingly ask for more information about and more say in company policies. "Acceptance" has become a new location factor for companies that strive for a potentially better image with investors and customers, better motivated employees as well as a lower risk of governmental regulation. One possibility for companies to positively influence the new location factor "acceptance" is to create a new "interaction space" within which the company can initiate a dialogue with its stakeholders from civil society. If this dialogue can satisfy certain principles such as fairness, efficiency or competence, the dialogue partners are able to exchange so-called "power resources": a company grants influence on company policy to the stakeholders who in turn transfer part of their credibility to the company. As a consequence, the location factor "acceptance" is improving with respect to the company's task and societal environment. Through case studies of German and American chemical companies, this dissertation examines if dialogues are able to positively influence the new location factor acceptance and which criteria these dialogues have to comply with in order to be successful. Research conducted in this dissertation is based on economic geography which emphasizes company-environment-models as well as company influence on its environment. Additionally, the conceptual framework has been enriched with social science concepts such as regulation and arena theories.

"Der Vortrag präsentiert Ergebnisse von Analysen zum Wandel von Konsumstrukturen und Disparitäten des Verbrauchs privater Haushalte in Deutschland. Das Konsum- bzw. Verbrauchsverhalten von Individuen und Haushalten stellt nicht nur einen wesentlichen Aspekt des Alltagshandelns dar, sondern bildet auch eine Quelle für die individuelle Wohlfahrt und das Wohlbefinden. Zudem werden Lebensstandards, aber auch der soziale Status vielfach an Niveau, Art und Qualität des privaten Verbrauchs gemessen, und dem Konsum wird auch eine Schlüsselrolle für die Konstituierung und das Verständnis von Lebensweisen und Lebensstilen zugeschrieben. In den aus Budgetlimitationen und -entscheidungen resultierenden Konsumausgaben der privaten Haushalte manifestieren sich daher soziale Ungleichheit und kulturelle Unterschiede gleichermaßen. Die dem Vortrag zugrundeliegenden Analysen von Verbrauchsmustern und -disparitäten zielen insbesondere darauf ab, die Perspektive der primär auf die Analyse von Einkommensungleichheiten konzentrierte Ungleichheitsforschung durch den Blick auf die Ausgaben- und Verwendungsseite zu ergänzen und zu erweitern. Die Analysen stützen sich auf die - der Forschung erst seit kurzer Zeit zur Verfügung stehenden - Mikrodatensätze der Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichproben (EVS) der amtlichen Statistik der Jahre 1983, 1993 und 1998 (sowie u. U. auch 2003). Veränderungen der Verbrauchsstrukturen über die Zeit sowie Disparitäten zwischen sozio-ökonomischen Gruppen werden anhand einer Klassifikation von elf funktionalen Verbrauchskategorien (Nahrungs- und Genussmittel; Wohnen, Bekleidung, Gesundheit etc.) - unter Verwendung von regressionsanalytischen Verfahren - untersucht. Das besondere Interesse gilt dabei dem Vergleich der Verbrauchsstrukturen von ärmeren und wohlhabenderen Haushalten - operationalisiert über relative Einkommenspositionen - sowie der Bestimmung von Tendenzen der Konvergenz oder Divergenz von Verbrauchsstrukturen in der zeitlichen Entwicklung. Darüber hinaus richtet sich die Untersuchung auch auf die Analyse von Unterschieden in den Verbrauchsstrukturen zwischen west- und ostdeutschen Haushalten sowie die Prozesse der Anpassung von Verbrauchsniveau und -strukturen in Ostdeutschland an die westdeutschen Standards." (Autorenreferat)

Economic liberalization, privatization and the process of accumulation of the initial capital in post-socialist societies have led to formation of the section of private owners which seemingly disappeared in the course of socialist transformations. As a new social phenomenon which is to be called, the new section of private owners, especially those which possess the essential by scale means of production, started acquiring various notions. As a rule sociologists, using the Marxist methodology, continue calling this section bourgeoisie or capitalists. Marxism defined capitalists as representatives of the ruling bourgeois class, which possess capital and obtain the surplus value by exploitation of employed labor. The major task of the paper is to analyze the notions belonging to the category of owners of the big private business and their correlation according to the criteria of social stratification, which distinguish such a phenomenon as availability of social subjects (that is social subjectness) in the post-socialist transformations. The communities and groups which perform concrete functions in the social structure of the society are defined as its social subjects. The social group which appears as the independent and active one in the social, economic or political sphere is considered the social subject. The social subject is, first of all, characterized by certain ways of the action and consciousness common for the social group. In so doing the social subject is distinguished by the corresponding values, interests, demands and life style.The analysis of the notions which determine the social group of the owners of big private business has shown that the term capitalists, which is widely used in the present western sociology, is the most acceptable one for the scope of this section. At the same time this term has a negative and ideologized shade in the post-socialist societies. The terms businessman and bourgeois, besides emphasizing the business and class aspects of social stratification, have other meanings that may cause the terminological confusion. On the other hand, to define this section one can use the term owners of big business which reflects adequately the main categories of operationalization of this social group in post-socialist societies, i. e.: 1) the origin of economic and social assets (inherited or earned), degree of their transformation into rent; 2) economic potential of the group (the scale of wealth, property and level of incomes); 3) political and social potential of the group (the scope of power and management functions); 4) socio-cultural potential (the level and character of education, qualification, values and ideology, etc.). All these criteria reflect simultaneously the subjectness of this political group in the society. ; Стаття присвячена аналізу проблеми категоріального охоплення соціальної групи великих власників. Автор зазначає, що найбільш прийнятним є термін «капіталісти», яке має широкий вжиток у сучасній західній соціології. Водночас, цей термін у постсоціалістичних суспільствах має негативний та заідеологізований відтінок. Терміни «підприємець» і «буржуа» крім позначення бізнесових та класових аспектів соціальної стратифікації мають й інші значення, що може викликати термінологічну плутанину. Тому для позначення цієї групи можна користуватися терміном «власники крупного капіталу», який адекватно відображає основні критерії операціоналізації цієї соціальної групи у постсоціалістичних суспільствах.

В статье подчеркивается, что на мировом рынке страховых услуг одной из самых распространенных форм создания страхового фонда является взаимное страхование. Это система страхования, обеспечивающая страховую защиту имущественных интересов физических и юридических лиц на некоммерческой, взаимной основе путем консолидирования необходимых для этого средств в обществах взаимного страхования. При взаимном страховании каждый страхователь одновременно является членом страхового общества. Проводится исследование состояния современного мирового рынка взаимного страхования. Во многих развитых странах взаимное страхование является важным условием формирования полноценной конкурентной среды, оказывает серьезное противодействие значительной концентрации в страховой сфере, необоснованному росту цен на страховые услуги. Отмечается, что в Российской Федерации пока зарегистрировано всего лишь 12 обществ взаимного страхования. Существующая законодательная база (отсутствие законодательной возможности у российских страховых обществ осуществлять личное страхование, ограничения по количеству членов общества и др.), а также невысокий уровень страховой грамотности населения (недостаточная информация о взаимном страховании, его преимуществах перед коммерческой формой страховой защиты) являются главными причинами медленного внедрения данной формы страхования в нашей стране. Это в свою очередь сильно тормозит развитие всего страхового рынка России. В таких условиях общества взаимного страхования просто не могут составить конкуренцию коммерческим страховым компаниям. Делается вывод, что успешное продвижение взаимного страхования в Российской Федерации может стать серьезным шагом к расширению рынка страховых услуг для хозяйствующих субъектов и населения страны, а также позволит внести весомый вклад в укрепление всего мирового рынка взаимного страхования. ; The article emphasizes that the mutual insurance is one of the most widespread forms of creation of insurance fund in the global market of insurance services. It is an insurance system, which provides an insurance protection of property interests of natural and legal entities on a nonprofit, mutual basis by consolidation of means, which are necessary for this purpose in mutual insurance societies. In case of mutual insurance, each insurer, at the same time, is the member of an insurance company. The authors research the development of the modern global mutual insurance market. In many developed countries, the mutual insurance is an important condition of formation of the full-fledged competitive environment, and it seriously counters considerable concentration in an insurance sphere, and an unreasonable price rise for insurance services. The paper points out that until now only 12 societies of a mutual insurance have been registered in the Russian Federation. The existing legislative base (lack of legislative opportunity in the Russian insurance companies to carry out personal insurance, restrictions regarding a number of members of society, etc.), and also low level of the population insurance literacy (insufficient information on a mutual insurance, its advantages in comparison to a commercial form of insurance protection) are the main reasons of slow introduction of this form of insurance in our country. In its turn, the existing legislative base strongly slows down the Russian insurance market development in general. In such conditions, mutual insurance societies simply are not able to compete with business insurance companies. The authors came to a conclusion that successful advance of a mutual insurance in the Russian Federation can become a serious step towards the insurance services market expansion for economic entities and the country's population, and also will enable to make a powerful contribution to the strengthening of global mutual insurance market, in general.

The internet has not as yet transformed the majority of Asian nations into open, liberal and democratic societies. Although it has had a significant impact, particularly on business, advertising expenditures, gaming, ICQs and other such aspects of consumption and entertainment, and in some parts of Asia (particularly in well‐networked nations like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and others), its development and impact have been uneven, predictably tending to follow the existing patterns of socio‐economic development. One area which has not received much scholarly attention is the internet and religion, which is significant in that structural characteristics and trends appear to be privileging the phenomenon of global Christianity, at the cost of the traditional religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism which have dominated Asian societies. The tendency for internet and evangelical Christian cultures to converge in a number of key Asian nations (and predictably, for both to be absent in other nations at the opposite end of the techno‐cultural spectrum) results in an alternative mapping and conceptualization of Asia in which communicatively and culturally 'open' societies are contrasted with 'closed' ones, a distinction which is the more pronounced because it is corroborated by several cultural parameters (the history of the nation's interaction with foreign powers in the age of European imperialism, economic development, communications policies and infrastructures, ethnicity, religious tolerance, and so on). This mapping re‐writes many received groupings and associations of Asian nations in terms of ethnicity, religion and political affiliations.Internet n'a pas encore changé la majorité des nations asiatiques en sociétés démocratiques, libérales et ouvertes. Il a eu une forte incidence, notamment au plan affaires, dépenses publicitaires, jeux, messageries instantanées (ICQ) et autres aspects liés à la consommation et aux loisirs, ainsi que dans certaines régions d'Asie (en particulier dans les nations dotées de réseaux: Singapour, Japon, Corée du Sud, Hong‐Kong, Malaisie, Taiwan, etc.). Pourtant, son développement a été irrégulier suivant, comme on pouvait s'y attendre, les schémas existants d'expansion socio‐économique. Les intellectuels se sont peu attachés à un domaine, à savoir internet et la religion, alors qu'il est significatif puisque tendances et caractéristiques culturelles semblent privilégier le Christianisme mondialisé, aux dépens des religions traditionnelles tels l'Hindouisme, l'Islam et le Bouddhisme qui ont dominé les sociétés asiatiques. La tendance à la convergence d'internet et des cultures chrétiennes évangéliques vers plusieurs nations asiatiques cruciales (et, de manière prévisible, à leur absence d'autres nations situées à l'autre extrémité du spectre techno‐culturel) produit une cartographie et une conceptualisation alternatives de l'asie où des sociétés 'ouvertes' au plan communications et culture sont mises en opposition avec des sociétés 'fermées', distinction particulièrement prononcée car elle correspond à plusieurs paramètres culturels (histoire nationale de l'interaction avec des puissances étrangères à l'époque de l'impérialisme européen, développement économique, politiques et infrastructures de communications, ethnicité, tolérance religieuse, entre autres). Cette cartographie récrit nombre des regroupements et associations établis de nations asiatiques en termes d'ethnicité, de religion et d'affiliations politiques.

The Society of 27 Book Lovers in Kaunas that functioned in 1930–1940 played an important role in the history of Lithuanian culture. It signified the outset of the organized bibliophilic movement in Lithuania. The society, brought together by Vytautas Steponitis, Paulius Galaunė, Viktoras Cimkauskas and other like-minded people, contributed immensely in shaping the tradition of bibliophilic activity, upraised the culture of the Lithuanian book, and developed aesthetic circulation and bibliophilic book publishing (10 publications were published). All of thiswas done by a dozen (ranging in number from 15 to 21) devoted book lovers and bibliophiles par excellence. Their bibliophilic hobby transcended the boundaries of amateur activities, and the Society operated as a professional publishing house giving rise to the publishing of scientific periodicals of book science. The article, based on the archivesof this Society kept in the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, analyses personal expression of the members of the Society, their interrelationships, seeks an answer leading to the fact that extremely prominent figures managed to get together for fruitful bibliophilic activities, examines the atmosphere that prevailed in the amateur meetings of the Society of 27 Book Lovers, publishing and various other activities in the daily life. It is not intended to bring to light all the members of the Society, the article focuses only on some of the most prominent personalities and those moments of their activity that have not been previously examined by other researchers. It was concluded that the rotation of the amateur members of the Society of 27 Book Lovers was natural, determined by various life circumstances: the Society, which launched its activities in 1931 had 15 members, and until 1940, another 12 new members joined in, however the Society lost 10 of them as well. The number of seceding members was determined by the distancing of some members from bibliophilic ideas, lack of time (professional activities, positions of high responsibility), etc. However, the core of the Society (about 10 to 12 people) remained stable at all times and ensured the productive work of the Society. The productive activities of the Society were directly influenced by the chairmen elected for the term of 3 years (V.Steponaitis, Kazys Bizauskas, Juozas Balčiūnas-Švaistas), however, other members, even without being on the board, acted as contributors to various activities. The Society operated according to a very formalized procedure (recording of meetings, board meetings, excursions and other activities, approval of minutes, etc.), however, at the same time the archives of the Society testify that a cosy amiable atmosphere of communication and a sense of humour prevailed. This group of people was of one mind, they knew each other for a long time, almost all of them were of the same generation and of similar age. Differing political views did not interfere with bibliophilic activities. The correspondence of the members of the board on the failures of the publishing of publications reveals intercommunion, the realized meaning of the cultural work, the significance of V.Steponaitisas a personality uniting the Society in its activities. The activities of the Society of 27 Book Lovers demonstrated that such work could be carried out only by a strong group of exceptional figures, the activities of whom distinctly represented the elite bibliophilia, and hence, the tradition of the organized bibliophilic movement organically stemming even from the 19thcentury. The 27 Book Lovers managed to extend this tradition. ; 1930–1940m. Kaune veikusi XXVII knygos mėgėjų draugija suvaidino svarbų vaidmenį Lietuvos kultūros istorijoje. Ji žymėjo organizuoto bibliofilinio judėjimo pradžią Lietuvoje. Vytauto Steponaičio, Pauliaus Galaunės, Viktoro Cimkausko ir kitų bendraminčių suburta draugija daug nuveikė formuojant bibliofilinės veiklos tradiciją, kėlė lietuviškosios knygos kultūrą, ugdė estetiškos tiražinės ir bibliofilinės knygos leidybą (išleista 10 leidinių). Visa tai atliko keliolika (jų skaičius svyravo nuo 15 iki 21) pasišventusių knygos mėgėjų ir bibliofilų par exellance. Jų bibliofilinis hobis peraugo saviveiklinio darbo ribas, draugija veikė kaip profesionali leidykla, davusi pradžią knygotyros mokslinės periodikos leidybai. Straipsnyje, remiantis Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių bibliotekoje saugomu šios draugijos archyvu, nagrinėjama draugijos narių asmenybinė raiška, jų tarpusavio santykiai, ieškoma atsakymo, kas lėmė, kad itin ryškios individualybės gebėjo vienytis vaisingai bibliofilinei veiklai, kokia atmosfera tvyrojo XXVII knygos mėgėjų susirinkimuose, leidybinės ir įvairios kitos veiklos kasdienybėje. Nesiekta atskleisti visų valdybos narių, koncentruojamasi tik į kai kurias ryškiausias asmenybes ir tuos jų veiklos momentus, kurie anksčiau dar nebuvo nagrinėti kitų tyrėjų. Prieita prie išvados, kad XXVII knygos mėgėjų narių kaita buvo natūrali, nulemta įvairių gyvenimiškųjų aplinkybių: 1931-aisiais pradėjusi savo veiklą turėdama 15 narių, draugija iki 1940m. pasipildė dar 12 naujų, bet taip pat dešimties narių neteko. Išstojusiųjų skaičių lėmė kai kurių nutolimas nuo bibliofilinių idėjų, laiko stoka (profesinis užimtumas, aukštos atsakingos pareigos) ir pan. Vis dėlto draugijos branduolys (apie dešimt–dvylika asmenų) visą laiką išliko stabilus ir užtikrino produktyvų draugijos darbą. Rezultatyviai draugijos veiklai tiesioginės įtakos turėjo trejiems metams renkami valdybos pirmininkai (jais buvo V.Steponaitis, Kazys Bizauskas, Juozas Balčiūnas-Švaistas), bet ir kiti nariai, net nebūdami valdyboje, buvo įvairių darbų pagalbininkai. Draugija veikė pagal itin formalizuotą veiklos tvarką (susirinkimų, valdybos posėdžių, ekskursijų ir kitokios veiklos protokolavimas, protokolų tvirtinimas ir pan.), bet kartu draugijos archyvas liudija, kad kasdienėje jos veikloje vyravo jauki draugiška bendravimo atmosfera, nestokota humoro. Kolektyvas buvo susigyvenęs, dauguma buvo seniai pažįstami, beveik visi tos pačios kartos, panašaus amžiaus žmonės. Skirtingos politinės pažiūros netrukdė bibliofilinei veiklai. Archyve išlikęs valdybos narių susirašinėjimas dėl leidinių spausdinimo nesėkmių atskleidžia tarpusavio santykius, įsisąmonintą kultūrinio darbo prasmę, V.Steponaičio, kaip draugiją vienijusios asmenybės, reikšmę draugijos veikloje. XXVII knygos mėgėjų veikla rodo, kad tokią veiklą galėjo vykdyti tik stiprus išskirtinių asmenybių kolektyvas, savo veikla aiškiai atstovavęs elitinei bibliofilijai, taigi organiškai dar iš XIX a. einančiai organizuoto bibliofilinio judėjimo tradicijai. XXVII knygos mėgėjams pavyko ją pratęsti.

"Mit Beschluss vom 27. Januar 2000 hat der Deutsche Bundestag die Bundesregierung beauftragt, regelmäßig einen Armuts- und Reichtumsbericht zu erstatten. Am 25. April 2001 hat die Bundesregierung den ersten Armuts- und Reichtumsbericht vorgelegt. Der Bericht und die zeitgleiche Vorlage des 'Nationalen Aktionsplanes zur Bekämpfung von Armut und sozialer Ausgrenzung 2001-2003' (NAP'incl) bei der EU-Kommission waren der Beginn einer kontinuierlichen Berichterstattung über Fragen der sozialen Integration und der Wohlstandsverteilung in Deutschland. Am 19. Oktober 2001 hat der Deutsche Bundestag die Verstetigung der Armuts- und Reichtumsberichterstattung beschlossen und die Bundesregierung beauftragt, jeweils zur Mitte einer Wahlperiode einen entsprechenden Bericht vorzulegen. Mit der Vorlage des Berichts 'Lebenslagen in Deutschland - der 2. Armuts- und Reichtumsbericht der Bundesregierung' setzt die Bundesregierung den Auftrag des Parlaments um. Die Erstellung des 2. Armuts- und Reichtumsberichts wurde in einem regelmäßigen Diskussions- und Beratungsprozess von Experten aus Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft begleitet. Der bereits im Zuge des ersten Berichts begonnene Dialog aller Akteure aus Politik, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft wurde entsprechend dem Bundestagsbeschluss vom 19. Oktober 2001 im Sinne einer stärkeren Vernetzung durch geeignete Schritte intensiviert, der interministerielle Koordinierungsprozess innerhalb der Bundesregierung zu Fragen von Armut und sozialer Ausgrenzung wurde fortgeführt. Nichtregierungsorganisationen (Wohlfahrtsverbände, Selbsthilfeinitiativen, Nationale Armutskonferenz etc.), Arbeitgeber, Gewerkschaften, Kirchen, Länder und Kommunen sind in einem 'Ständigen Beraterkreis' aktiv beteiligt. Die wissenschaftlichen Leiter der im Zusammenhang mit der Berichterstattung durchgeführten Forschungsprojekte sind in einem wissenschaftlichen Gutachtergremium vertreten. Darüber hinaus wurde der wissenschaftliche Diskurs in Kolloquien und Foren vertieft. Schließlich schafft die Veranstaltungsreihe 'FORTEIL - Forum Teilhabe und soziale Integration' der Bundesregierung einen Rahmen, um in der Öffentlichkeit die Diskussion über Fragen der sozialen Ausgrenzung zu vertiefen, den strategischen Ansatz zur Stärkung sozialer Teilhabe weiterzuentwickeln und die Perspektiven der Armutsbekämpfung durch Vernetzung der Ansätze weiter zu verbessern." (Textauszug)

Victor Sokolov's article «Genesis and features of the functioning of illegal libraries in Ukraine: historical and socio-political factors» examined the peculiarities of formation, characteristics and peculiarities of illegal libraries, as well as socio-political factors, social conditions and main directions of these collections, mainly in Ukraine. The purpose of the proposed article is to identify and study the characteristics of illegal libraries, study their types, analysis and generalization of information about the peculiarities of the creation and operation of these collections in Ukraine, as well as characteristics of the main forms and directions of their activities. In his work, the author widely used general scientific and historical research methods: comparisons, analogies, deductions, descriptive, analytical, typological methods, as well as historical-comparative, historical-genetic and other methods of scientific research. The author proved that the most developed were the illegal libraries of political organizations and circles, which collected literature from various fields of knowledge, but most of them were publications in the social sciences (history, philosophy, sociology, etc.). Many illegal libraries, including marxist organizations and circles, were interconnected in centralized systems. In terms of the number of books, the funds of some illegal libraries of political organizations can be compared with the funds of public, church-parish, county and township libraries. However, most of them had up to 300 books. However, their activities had a certain impact on the socio-political life of society, on the formation of consciousness, cultural and educational level, mostly, the lower strata of the population. It was found that in the context of police persecution, «employees» of illegal libraries quickly adapted to new circumstances and needs of readers and often changed the forms, methods, principles of work in order to steadily pursue the main line of these collections – to disseminate certain ideas and principles of public life. Illegal libraries often operated under the guise of self-education, literary and artistic, public, women's, family and leisure, educational and other societies and clubs. In general, they were characterized by the presence of almost all organizational and structural subsystems that had official public libraries: they had a fund of various types of documents, a catalog, a contingent of readers, facilities, library staff and documentation. In illegal libraries, for the first time, active forms and methods of book promotion were born, which were used and researched during communication with users of book collections, whose reading needs were also periodically studied. It was found that illegal libraries, including political organizations and circles, performed both educational and ideological tasks, and organizational (they became organizational centers of political struggle, in particular the premises of illegal libraries were a place of appearances, a point of agitation and propaganda, storage of revolutionary literature, etc.). A study of the history of illegal libraries, in particular, political organizations, educational and cultural-educational societies, proves that certain democratic, progressive elements of library development were formed in their activities, some of which were inherited and developed by domestic library science and practice. ; Досліджено історичні фактори виникнення та особливості функціонування нелегальних бібліотек в Україні у ХІХ–ХХ ст. Виявлено та охарактеризовано основні види і специфіку їх культурно-просвітницької та бібліотечної діяльності. Проаналізовано своєрідність організаційної роботи нелегальних бібліотек в умовах підпільного існування, соціально-політичні чинники їх розвитку у загальному контексті історичних подій та особливостей політичного та культурно-освітнього життя суспільства. Висвітлено суспільне значення функціонування нелегальних бібліотек, місце і роль їх бібліотечної та культурно-просвітницької діяльності у поширенні читання, знань, просвітництва та у піднесенні загального рівня свідомості та політичної культури соціально активних, переважно нижчих, прошарків населення, а також у розвитку бібліотечної справи країни в цілому.

Victor Sokolov's article «Genesis and features of the functioning of illegal libraries in Ukraine: historical and socio-political factors» examined the peculiarities of formation, characteristics and peculiarities of illegal libraries, as well as socio-political factors, social conditions and main directions of these collections, mainly in Ukraine. The purpose of the proposed article is to identify and study the characteristics of illegal libraries, study their types, analysis and generalization of information about the peculiarities of the creation and operation of these collections in Ukraine, as well as characteristics of the main forms and directions of their activities. In his work, the author widely used general scientific and historical research methods: comparisons, analogies, deductions, descriptive, analytical, typological methods, as well as historical-comparative, historical-genetic and other methods of scientific research. The author proved that the most developed were the illegal libraries of political organizations and circles, which collected literature from various fields of knowledge, but most of them were publications in the social sciences (history, philosophy, sociology, etc.). Many illegal libraries, including marxist organizations and circles, were interconnected in centralized systems. In terms of the number of books, the funds of some illegal libraries of political organizations can be compared with the funds of public, church-parish, county and township libraries. However, most of them had up to 300 books. However, their activities had a certain impact on the socio-political life of society, on the formation of consciousness, cultural and educational level, mostly, the lower strata of the population. It was found that in the context of police persecution, «employees» of illegal libraries quickly adapted to new circumstances and needs of readers and often changed the forms, methods, principles of work in order to steadily pursue the main line of these collections – to disseminate certain ideas and principles of public life. Illegal libraries often operated under the guise of self-education, literary and artistic, public, women's, family and leisure, educational and other societies and clubs. In general, they were characterized by the presence of almost all organizational and structural subsystems that had official public libraries: they had a fund of various types of documents, a catalog, a contingent of readers, facilities, library staff and documentation. In illegal libraries, for the first time, active forms and methods of book promotion were born, which were used and researched during communication with users of book collections, whose reading needs were also periodically studied. It was found that illegal libraries, including political organizations and circles, performed both educational and ideological tasks, and organizational (they became organizational centers of political struggle, in particular the premises of illegal libraries were a place of appearances, a point of agitation and propaganda, storage of revolutionary literature, etc.). A study of the history of illegal libraries, in particular, political organizations, educational and cultural-educational societies, proves that certain democratic, progressive elements of library development were formed in their activities, some of which were inherited and developed by domestic library science and practice. ; Досліджено історичні фактори виникнення та особливості функціонування нелегальних бібліотек в Україні у ХІХ–ХХ ст. Виявлено та охарактеризовано основні види і специфіку їх культурно-просвітницької та бібліотечної діяльності. Проаналізовано своєрідність організаційної роботи нелегальних бібліотек в умовах підпільного існування, соціально-політичні чинники їх розвитку у загальному контексті історичних подій та особливостей політичного та культурно-освітнього життя суспільства. Висвітлено суспільне значення функціонування нелегальних бібліотек, місце і роль їх бібліотечної та культурно-просвітницької діяльності у поширенні читання, знань, просвітництва та у піднесенні загального рівня свідомості та політичної культури соціально активних, переважно нижчих, прошарків населення, а також у розвитку бібліотечної справи країни в цілому.