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Polish political science is accused of not being as global as Polish sociology, or of not taking the scientific method and scientific theory very seriously. In contrast to the three basic social sciences (psychology, economics and sociology), political science is more limited to description and humanistic interpretation. One may ask why Polish political science, as it results from the above accusations, deviates slightly from the positivist pattern. The hypothesis suggests that this may be related to the education of the founders, the first managers of political science (directors of institutes, representatives of political science in the Central Commission of Scientific Degree). As it turns out, they were mostly lawyers, and to some extent historians. Graduates of basic social sciences were rare. Political science also lacks (considering textbooks) influential methodologists. As a consequence, there are fewer social methodological subjects in political science studies than in the other aforementioned fields of study.

The article aims to discuss the relationship between social policy and public policy and to identify its most important elements. Social policy is linked historically on the one hand with the economy and on the other - with sociology and political sciences. Theory of public policy exposes the role of public administration in achieving its objectives and allows for wider recognition of the tasks by linking them with other specialties. This makes it possible to achieve in practice synergistic effects of actions taken, and at the theoretical level - a more comprehensive assessment of the analyzed problems. The history of social policy in Poland, especially of the Institute of Social Economy shows that such a broad approach to social policy has been characteristic also in the past.

Social sciences, understood as critical and not neutral by nature, they should be equipped with specific competencies and sensivity. C. W. Mills these comptence define as sociological imagination - which is study of the relationship of history and biography, Giddens interpreted it as three basic senses: historical, anthropological, critical. The translation into political science would be a political theories imagination, it consist,, among over things like a: historicity of political phenomena, antisubstansialism, research self-awareness. Definition of political theories imagination I propose in the context of Wiktor Marzec's paper Rebelion and Reaction, which is a study from field of historical sociology, it's in itself a lot of inspiration for theorists of politics: research, theoretical and methodological. It is worth considering -in this context- fundamental categories of political science, like political subjectivity and the political, also revalidate in their range.

This book explores the issue of development-induced population displacement from the point of view of development studies and development ethics. Based on an ethical approach, specifies the measures to minimize the problems of displaced persons and strengthening their participation as a beneficiaries of development projects. The book combines a thorough examination of the most important causes of involuntary population resettlement with numerous references to ethical and social aspects of this problem. Ethical considerations have become a starting point for the analysis of the decision-making process in the most spectacular cases of development-induced displacement and resettlement, associated, inter alia, with the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, and the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River. In addition to the groundbreaking theoretical approach to the problem, the significant advantage of the book is to draw attention to the lesser-known causes of displacement and notable historical considerations. The interdisciplinary nature of the study is reflected in the application of ethical approach as a point of reference for considerations on the basis of development studies, decision-making mechanisms and legal framework for resettlement planning, defining the responsibilities and the nature of the displaced (DIDPs) and affected (PAPs) communities (rights-based approach).

Ghettoisation after the fall of the totalitarian system is having a "chance" to become one way still for the marginalisation and blocking the reconstruction process of healthy relations in the local communities. Of sources of theoretical considerations above ghettoisation it is possible to seek in deliberations E. Fromm concerning authoritarian character, inquiry M. Foucault in relation to idea initiated in seventeenth-century France of "great closing" and of E. Goffman's sociological examinations of the total institutions concerning the specificity of functioning. Ghettoisation as the new dimension totalisation is becoming part of reality of Polish cities gradually, irrespective of it, whether closed communities /gated communities/ are coming into existence discretionary of their future participants, or in relation to any form of the compulsion putting researchers before the need to develop effective frames teoretical and methodological allowing for their optimum analysing.

The aim of this paper is to present the Frankfurt School's critique of mass culture. The authors particularly seek to demonstrate that critical theory provides a specific interpretation of Marxist philosophy, reinterprets some of its central economic and political notions such as production, distribution, fetishization, consumption and also attempts to illuminate the place and the role of culture industry within global culture. As a conclusion it is argued that the Frankfurt School's approach, while it is still useful to social science programs, tends to be overlooked by social theorists.

The text points out the need for significant changes in the disability policies, which result from the paradigm shift from medicine to social issues. Three theoretical approaches are presented and briefly discussed, which might be helpful when analyzing the public policy towards disability and eventually be used when reformulating it. First, the biographical approach and the trajectory of everyday life are presented. Then, the problem is discussed in the context of the social exclusion followed by the analysis of the public policies from the perspective of the expected failure. Finally the text presents the differences between social and public disability policies and points out the advantages of the approach typical for public policy-related sciences.

The article links the prospect of theoretical research on the culture of the unemployed with the achievements of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, including the theory of fields (le champ), which is one of the key categories of his theory. A reflexive analysis of P. Bourdieu's theoretical concepts is helpful to explain the reasons for marginalization and exclusion on the example of long-term unemployment. Theoretical analysis showed that the reasons for marginalization lie not only in the entities subject to marginalization, but also are conditioned by general social changes, the social structure of a given country. Bourdieu's analyses are a good basis for programming public policy, the aim of which is to limit the social and economic effects of permanent unemployment.

More and more people around the world are using computer (video) games. The development of the gaming industry means increasing of its complexity in all aspects. Not only is the content represented in games continuously differentiating, but we also see the increasing diversity among their creators, users, researchers and the public. This article aims to draw attention to the possibility of using the concept of social capital in ludologists' research as well as in improving the quality of games and of the cooperation between social environments related with games. Social capital is understood here as a potential of interactions embedded in interpersonal ties and social norms, which can bring advantages for individuals, groups and societies. The author takes a closer look on: the main features of this multi-dimensional category; significant differences between human, social and cultural capital; as well as the positive and negative influences of social capital.

Galleys as the closed/ total institution, is regarding the whereabouts of the certain number of people isolated for a long stretch from the rest of society, remaining in the similar situation, of which the behaviour is under almost the total control of the staff of this institution. In the period of the antiquity slaves were the basic driving force of galleys but their fate resulted from the social status. In the period of the Middle Ages, galley slaves, called in Italian galeotti, they were free people, and their profession enjoyed the respect. Above all in France they have more and more often started with the 15th century to use galleys as the place of serving a penalty of imprisonment. This situation lasted to the mass scale till the XVIII century second-half, leaving in the social awareness stereotype of the galley slave.

The popularisation of code elaboration addressed to various social groups is one of the features of the modern world. However, among researchers of this phenomenon a full consensus on the moral validity and usefulness of this activity does not exist. The article closely reviews the literature with regard to the reasons for the creation of a moderate position on the codification of ethical standards. The essay brings closer the main concepts of ethical codes and positions for their adoption and rejection. Attention is paid to ways of increasing the effectiveness of codes and the ethical decision-making procedure in a manner that undermines supporters and opponents of codification approaches.

The subject of this study is the evolution of British public policy between 1900 and 2010 with to the special focus on budgetary, monetary and social policy, as well as policy towards the public sector. This period was characterized by a steady, yet non-linear rise in economic and social activity of the state. Sudden increases were caused by one of three categories of events: wars, economic crises and changes at the highest levels of government. As a result, the history of British public policy in between 1900 and 2010 is divided into the following stages: 1) 1900-1931 - decline of the liberal era; 2) 1931-1951 - steady increase in the state's economic activity; 3) 1951-1979 - systemic stabilization at a high level of state involvement in economic and social issues; 4) 1997-2007 - attempt to return to economic liberalism; 5) 2007-2010 - a period of volatility and the search for new public policy principles.

Space, place and identity have become keywords in social and cultural science. This article will briefly review one specific part of the complicated identity discourse, the question of social identity and space as an element of identity. This paper presents some views on space, globalization and identity and the relations between these categories.

Benefits from the social assistance system in Poland at the local level may be paid in cash or non-cash forms. The purpose of the article is to present selected benefits in the social assistance system and identify trends in changes occurring in the provision of social assistance benefits in 2012-2018. In the analysed period in Poland there was an increase in employment in the social assistance sector, with a simultaneous decrease in the employment of social workers. During 2012-2018, a negative trend was also observed, consisting in an increase in the number of recipients of benefits in the form of cash, with a decrease in the number of persons covered by non-cash support. In Poland the number of benefits in the social assistance system granted due to health dysfunction and disability has increased, while the number of benefits due to unemployment and poverty has decreased. The analyses carried out for the purposes of the article indicate that in Poland public policy in the area of social assistance consisting in the activation and strengthening of social assistance beneficiaries and the abandonment of redistribution of funds to those in need is only declarative.