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Politična participacija je ključnega pomena za delovanje in razvoj koncepta demokracije, saj predstavlja orodje, prek katerega lahko državljani izvajajo pritiske na politično elito. To vlogo zavzema poleg konvencionalne tudi nekonvencionalna politična participacija. Osrednji poudarek bo namenjen protestni participaciji, ki se najpogosteje opredeljuje kot ena izmed kompleksnejših oblik kolektivne akcije, skozi katero državljani najvidneje izražajo svoja prepričanja, hkrati pa najbolj jasno odraža nezadovoljstvo državljanov. Osredotočili se bomo na protestno participacijo v obdobju ekonomske krize, ki je leta 2008 zajela države Evropske unije. V okviru empirične analize se tako osredotočamo na dejavnike, ki so v zastavljenem obdobju privedli do izbruha protestne participacije, pri čemer nas zanimajo predvsem različne kombinacije vzročnih poti, ki jih ti dejavniki tvorijo. Ključno raziskovalno vprašanje se nanaša na možne kombinacije pogojev, ki v obdobju ekonomske krize rezultirajo v prisotnosti ali odsotnosti protestov v državah EU. Te kombinacije tvorijo naslednji dejavniki: materialna deprivacija, brezposelnost, razvitost civilne družbe in razvitost demokracije. Empirična analiza temelji na kvalitativni primerjalni analizi (QCA) oziroma bolj specifično na crisp-set QCA. Slednjo se uporablja za obdelavo kompleksnejših binarnih podatkov, pri čemer je cilj poenostavitev teh podatkovnih struktur v preprost in logičen zapis. S pomočjo izbrane metode analize smo prišli do ugotovitve, da do zastavljenega izida ne vodi le en sam pogoj ali ena sama kombinacija pogojev, temveč nastane več raznolikih vzročnih poti, ki lahko rezultirajo tako v odsotnosti kot v prisotnosti izida (protestnih akcij). ; Political participation is crucial for the functioning and development of the concept of democracy, as it represents a communication tool through which citizens can exert pressure on the political elite. Besides the conventional form, unconventional political participation has this role, too. The main focus will be on protest participation, which is most often identified as one of the more complex forms of collective action, through which citizens most visibly express their beliefs ; at the same time it reflects dissatisfaction of citizens most transparently. The highlight will therefore be on protest participation in the period of economic crisis affecting the countries of the European Union since 2008. In the context of the empirical analysis we focus on factors that led to an outbreak of protest participation within the set period. We are particularly interested in the various combinations of causal paths formed by these factors. The key research question therefore refers to the possible combinations of conditions, resulting in the presence or in the absence of protests in EU countries in times of economic crisis. These combinations are formed by the following factors: material deprivation, unemployment, development of civil society and development of democracy. Empirical analysis is based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) or more specifically on the crisp-set QCA. The latter is used to process more complex binary data, the aim being to simplify these data structures into a simple and logical notation. By using the selected method of analysis, we came to the conclusion that not only one condition or a single combination of conditions leads to the set outcome. Rather there emerges a variety of causal paths, which can result in both the absence and in the presence of the outcome (protest actions).

This study is focused on a small village in Tuscany and explores how citizens
evaluate the actions and communication strategies applied by the local government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted a combination of
qualitative and quantitative methods: semi-structured interviews with local administrators, and a survey with a representative sample of the local population.
The findings show a limitedly articulated yet meaningful relationship between
the central administration and the local one, a positive evaluation by citizens
of the local government's management of the emergency and, generally, good
social cohesion, albeit not fully supported by the engagement of civic cultures
that were heavily restricted by the socially restrictive measures imposed during
the pandemic.

Not much research has looked at how diversity and gender affect military professionalism and diverse groups perceive this concept. Using a qualitative approach, the study examined perspectives on military professionalism and unprofessionalism among diverse members of the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF). To ensure a diversity of participants, the study was based on the constructivist paradigm (multiple realities) as well as the Gender Perspective in the Albanian Armed Forces report (2013), which helps identify the varying impacts of such research on diverse groups of men and women. A total of 150 individuals participated in interviews and focus groups between October 2022 and August 2023. The findings show that professionalism and unprofessionalism each have distinct characteristics, where leadership is a key factor. This study sheds light on the members' experiences and how the latter affect the way in which professionals are perceived. Keywords: Albanian Armed Forces, Military Professionalism, Qualitative Research, Diversity

The article explores the relationships between young people's media choices,
technological preferences, and everyday life in connection to their cultural and
social characteristics. As such, it describes the conceptual framework of the media repertoires approach and selected methods. Media repertoires are approached
from a generational perspective, pointing out the conceptual and empirical challenges of such research. As one of the first attempts to conceptualise media practices at the intersection of family, educational and peer contexts, the article aims
to describe the qualitative research design of an empirical study that considered a
sample of 67 students aged 12 to 19. The sample is presented through an analysis of its sociodemographic characteristics, while personal media networks help
identify the teenagers' media preferences and their potential cross-connections.

We present an overview of media literacy definitions and related concepts and
strive to consolidate them to create a comprehensive media literacy definition.
Selected insights are then offered into the formation of media literacy, which we
acquired as part of qualitative research into young people's media repertoires.
First, we summarise a brief history of literacy and its social function, allowing
us to understand the phenomenon and role of new literacies. We next outline
existing definitions of media literacy, which we critically position in the context of
their origin. We continue by briefly presenting educational policies and media
literacy and conclude with insights into the contexts of youth media literacy,
focusing on their media experiences and incentives within families, education,
and among peers.

This paper focuses on understanding radio in the everyday life of young people:
the role it plays in the context of their family life; how it is positioned relative to
music; which novelties in the listening and selection of audio content do they practise. We rely on data from qualitative research performed in the project Media
repertoires among youth, which included semi-structured group interviews with 67 young people aged 12–19 years. The radio is not listened to on their own
initiative or individually, but with their parents; most often while they are driving
around in the car. Their everyday life is most notably marked by music, which they
primarily associate with listening on demand and at their own choice, through
digital devices. These media choices are complemented by podcasts, especially
among high school students.

Abstract. During a pandemic, it is essential that most people respect the measures in place so as to keep the health
crisis at bay. Still, a consensus must exist in society that
the measures imposed by government are truly needed,
just and legitimate, with several factors affecting whether
this is achieved. In the article, we present the results of
qualitative research (23 in-depth interviews) conducted
in Slovenia at the peak of the first lockdown, focusing
on how the study participants (women who were living alone during the first lockdown) perceived communication from the government and the public health
authorities that comprised the official crisis communication group for managing the pandemic in Slovenia. The
results present critical mistakes in communication that
shaped trust in the official communicators and failed to
motivate and encourage respondents to comply with the
recommended and prescribed protective measures.
Keywords: Covid-19, protective measures, risk communication, trust, fear appeal, solo-living women

Perceptions of professional identity and its formation during education at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana

Professional identity in social work can be described as a collection of identifiable and enduring professional qualities of social workers that bind them together as a professional group and make them different and unique compared to other professional groups. As the social work profession is devalued and stigmatized around the world, exploring the processes involved in developing a strong and positive professional identity is of great importance. The need to explore social work professional identity has been recognized in some places abroad and has mainly focused on researching professional identity formation during social work education. This paper presents findings on the definition and role of professional identity in social work, focusing on professional identity formation during education at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana. Qualitative research on social work students' perceptions of professional identity is presented, as well as suggestions for a more frequent and discrete treatment of the topic during the education of future social workers.

Impact of Covid-19 epidemic on the lives of residents of homes for old people
The year 2020 was marked by the Covid-19 epidemic, which had the greatest impact on socially vulnerable groups, especially old people. Based on qualitative research, the article explains the impact of measures to curb the Covid-19 epidemic on the lives of old people in the Ajdovščina Home for the Old People. During this period, social work found itself in a difficult situation and was forced to respond. In institutions for old people, it found itself in an unenviable position, as it had to adapt very quickly to new challenges - to maintain contact in a time that severely limited physical contact, and to enable communication between residents and their loved ones. The article connects homes for old people with the concept of a total institution and shows how social work in the home for old people coped with challenges during the Covid-19 epidemic. The impact of epidemiological measures and social isolation on people's mental health and everyday life is shown. The fundamental tasks of social workers in crisis situations are listed.

Leta 2005 se je v Evropski uniji govorilo o biogospodarstvu kot dolgoročni viziji, ki bo omogočila dvig konkurenčnosti, boljše izkoriščanje virov in zmanjšanje ogljičnega odtisa. Biogospodarstvo bo ena izmed ključnih usmeritev evropskih držav v bližnji in daljni prihodnosti. Smernice razvoja je začrtala tudi Evropska komisija, temu pa sledijo podporni inštrumenti, ki omogočajo vpeljavo akcijskih načrtov in strategij. Nekatere evropske države, med njimi vodilna Nemčija in Nizozemska, imajo tovrstni sistem že močno zakoreninjen v gospodarskih reformah, vse od krožnega gospodarstva, uporabe biomase, principa kaskade dodajanja vrednosti in vpeljave biorafinerij za nove produkte. Priložnosti so tako na vseh področjih, od kmetijstva, lesne in lesnopredelovalne industrije do ribištva in bioosnovane industrije. Namen raziskovalne naloge je bil preveriti dejavnike, ki vplivajo na razvoj biogospodarstva v Sloveniji. Raziskavo sem izvedel s poglobljenimi polstrukturiranimi intervjuji z več predstavniki iz industrije in raziskovalnih ustanov ter s kreatorji politik (državnih ustanov) in grozdov. Izkazalo se je, da v slovenskem prostoru nimamo strategije, namenjene prehodu v biogospodarstvo, in tako prihaja zgolj do kratkotrajnih primerov dobrih praks na tem področju. Zaradi nizkih industrijskih vlaganj, nerazvitega trga in nizke stopnje ozaveščenosti, tovrstnih produktov tudi še ni na tržišču kljub mnogim raziskavam, ki potekajo na tem področju. Potencial grozdenja pa ostaja neizkoriščen. ; Bioeconomy in the European Union was considered a long-term vision leading to increased competitiveness, better use of resources and reduction of carbon footprint already since 2005. Bioeconomy remains one of the key strategies by European countries in the immediate as well as more distant future. The European Commission developed the guidelines, which were followed by instruments enabling the implementation of action plans and strategies. In some European countries, among them Germany and the Netherland as the leading ones, such systems are already deeply rooted in their economic reforms. This includes circular economy, use of biomass, principle of added value cascade and biorefineries. There are opportunities in the field of the processing industry, different fields of biomass production and processing such as agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, food and wood processing, as well as general biobased industry. The aim of this research was to assess the bioeconomy opportunities and factors influencing bioeconomy. Our study was conducted by in-depth semi-structured interviews with several shareholders from industry, research institutions, policy makers and clusters in Slovenia. Surprisingly, we have observed, that in Slovenia, there is practically no strategy focusing on the transition towards bioeconomy, but only few short-term examples of good practice in this field. Although a number of research projects have been conducted in this sector, and considering very low availability of investments in this field, an underdeveloped market and low awareness-level, there are only few biobased products avaiable on the Slovene market. The potential of clustering has thus become been underexploited.

Abstract. This research aims to give insight into the processes of public interaction between the police and antigovernment protesters during the Coronavirus Crisis in Poland by evaluating crowd control mechanisms. It addresses the research question: where does the model of anti-government protest policing developed by the Polish Police during the Covid-19 pandemic lie on a continuum of antinomic ideal types of escalated force and negotiated management? The research is embedded in studies on protest policing and draws on an intertextual qualitative analysis of police statements and media news. It shows that the policing of protests was closer to escalated force. However, a hybrid model was involved that combined elements of coercion and negotiation. In terms of protecting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and police tolerance for community disruption, this particular form of policing is close to escalated force. Still, the communication between the police and the assembly participants, the extent and manner of the arrests closely mirrored both models. One dimension, the extent and nature of the force used, indicated negotiated management. Keywords: protest policing, contention, contentious politics, de-democratisation, Coronavirus Crisis, Poland

An overview of the results of the final theses of students of the Faculty of Social Work on social work with people with dementia
A meta-analysis of students' theses from the past five years (2016–2020) on the topic of social work with people with dementia is presented. Among the themes explored, work in institutions as well as work in the family setting of people with dementia predominate; community work topics emerge to a lesser extent. Thus, the role of social work and the use of social work methods are researched somewhat more in institutions, but again, only in individual institutions. However, this topic does not appear in research on people with dementia in the home setting. Most research is qualitative and based on non-random convenience samples using interviews as the method of data collection. Often, students explore the challenges and needs of those involved in caring for people with dementia, but with less emphasis on numbers. In the future, the focus will need to be on research on community and on (social) work with people with dementia in their home environments, and the use of social work methods and other forms of work with people with dementia need to be explored in more depth.

Članstvo Slovenije v Natu je označeno kot pragmatično, Slovenijo celo obtožujejo, da je nezanesljiv partner znotraj zavezništva. Delo raziskuje zgodovinske dogodke, ki so vplivali na pot Slovenije do članstva v Natu in analizira, kako zavezništvo dojema generacija, ki je članstvo uresničila in kako nanjo gledajo mladi Slovenci danes. Raziskava temelji na interpretativni paradigmi, saj želim razumeti dejanske odnose in dojemanje slovenskih geopolitičnih predstav. Domneva se, da lahko globlje razumevanje odnosov in dojemanj med Slovenci pomaga razložiti neskladnost med članstvom v Natu in domnevnim pomanjkanjem zavezanosti članstvu. Raziskava sloni na kvalitativnem pristopu. Uporabljeni podatki so bili zbrani s pomočjo polstrukturiranih intervjujev in razgovora s fokusno skupino. Tematska analiza je bila izvedena s pomočjo računalniške programske opreme za obdelavo kvalitativnih podatkov (Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software). Z raziskavo sem ugotovil, da je politični pragmatizem v Sloveniji prispeval k pomanjkanju zavezanosti zvezi Nato. Udeleženci raziskave so izrazili prepričanja, ki so razkrila nekaj glavnih sestavin slovenskega pragmatizma. Poleg tega raziskava razkriva pomanjkanje razumevanja zavezništva (tako med odločevalci kot v širši javnosti) ter da so Slovenci na zunanjepolitičnem področju bolj naklonjeni nevtralni drži. ; Slovenia's membership within NATO has been described as pragmatic ; even further, Slovenia has been accused of being an unreliable partner within the alliance. This study examines the historical events which influenced Slovenia's path to NATO membership and analyzes how this alliance was perceived among the generation who attained it and how it is perceived among young Slovenes today. This study is grounded in the interpretive paradigm since I am seeking to understand the underlying attitudes and perceptions of Slovene geopolitical imagination. It is believed that a deeper understanding of the attitudes and perceptions among Slovenes can help explain the incongruity between NATO membership and its alleged lack of commitment. A qualitative approach was chosen for this research. A thematic analysis of data obtained through interviews was conducted with the aid of Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software. This study found that political pragmatism in Slovenia has contributed to the lack of commitment to the NATO alliance. Participants involved in the study expressed beliefs which revealed several of the main ingredients of Slovene pragmatism. Further, this study found that despite its NATO membership, there is a lack of understanding of the alliance (among decision-makers and the general population) and that Slovenes prefer neutral foreign policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on older people's lives on a global scale but for some marginalised communities have seen a marked exacerbation of health and other inequalities. Research has highlighted the impact of the pandemic on lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) people's lives, but less has been documented about the experiences of LGBT+ older communities and how their specific needs have been mediated. Community-based advocacy organisations are central to promoting LGBT+ human rights in the UK through its social movements, and this paper explores their role and significance during a distinct period of the UK mandatory isolation. Drawing on a case study approach based on qualitative interviews with six key LGBT+ community organisations in the UK, we captured their insights into how they navigated support for older people when faced with limited resources and the challenges posed by mandatory physical and social distancing. We position these events in current discourse about structural and health inequalities for LGBT+ ageing in the UK.

Doktorska disertacija preučuje specifično usmeritev mednarodne ekonomije, in sicer področje politik razvojne pomoči. Znotraj tega vsebinskega okvirja smo se osredotočili na njeno učinkovitost predvsem zaradi aktualnosti problematike kot številnih s tem povezanih globalnih izzivov. Razvojna pomoč, kot osrednja tematika disertacije, predstavlja temeljni koncept, s katerim države poskušajo razreševati razvojne razlike v svetu. Preučevanje učinkovitosti razvojne pomoči je v okviru ekonomskih znanosti zelo perspektiven koncept, predvsem zaradi dejstva, da je prepad med razvitimi državami globalnega severa in globalnega juga večji kot kadarkoli, dosedanje študije, kot tudi modeli razreševanja pa niso ponudili učinkovitih rešitev za spremembe oz. izboljšanje trenutnega stanja. Vse omenjeno smo preučevali na skupini držav Afrike, Karibov in Pacifika (AKP) iz dveh glavnih razlogov. Prvič, ker je velika večina držav v skupini dolgoletnih prejemnic razvojne pomoči, in drugič, ker omogoča dobro podlago za preučevanje, saj v njo spadajo tako najrevnejše podsaharske države, kot tudi otoške države, ki so v zadnjih letih doživele hiter gospodarski napredek. Struktura disertacije temelji tako na teoretičnem kot tudi aplikativnem delu. V prvem delu, tako predstavimo temeljne teoretične pojme iz razvojne ekonomije odnosov sever-jug, zgodovino sodelovanja držav AKP-ja z različnimi mednarodnimi akterji in teoretične opredelitve razvojne pomoči in njene učinkovitosti. Drugi del je namenjen aplikativni raziskavi učinkovitosti politik razvojne pomoči. Države skupine AKP smo tako razdelili v dve skupini. V skupino A, kjer so tiste, ki so prejele več razvojne pomoči, in skupino B, kjer so tiste, ki so prejele manj. Predpostavljali smo, da so države, ki so prejele več razvojne pomoči, naredile večji razvojni napredek. Njihov napredek smo preučevali na petih ekonomskih in socialnih razvojnih indikatorjih: BDP na prebivalca, obseg izvoza blaga in storitev, smrtnosti otrok do petega leta starosti, rast pričakovane življenjske dobe in število migracij. Na podlagi pridobljenih rezultatov za posamezno področje smo nato generalno sklepali ali so politike razvojne pomoči dosegle svoj namen, torej ali so bile učinkovite. Iz vsebinskega vidika je disertacija izvirni doprinos k ekonomski znanosti pri preučevanju problematike sedanjega sistema podeljevanja razvojne pomoči in posledično njene učinkovitosti, raziskovanja razvojne problematike v državah skupine AKP ter predlogom razreševanja sodobnih izzivov mednarodnega razvoja. Prav tako zapolnjuje vrzel pri preučevanju koncepta mednarodnega razvoja s kvalitativnimi metodami raziskovanja, saj so obstoječe raziskave izrazito kvantificirane. Ker je disertacija napisana v slovenskem jeziku je tudi prispevek k maloštevilni literaturi na tem področju in k nadaljnjem raziskovanju mednarodne razvojne problematike in s tem povezanih globalnih izzivov. ; This PhD dissertation studies a specific direction of international economics — the field of development aid policies, and focuses on its efficiency, mainly due to the relevance of the issue, since it is associated with numerous global challenges. Development aid, as the central theme of this dissertation presents the underlying concept, with which countries attempt to resolve developmental differences around the world. Studying the efficiency of development aid in terms of economic sciences is a very promising concept, mainly due to the fact that the gap between the developed countries of the global South and the global North is larger than ever, and current studies, nor resolution models, offered any effective solutions for changing or improving the current state. All of the above was studied on the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) for two main reasons: Firstly, because the vast majority of these countries is a long-term beneficiary of development aid and secondly, because this provides us with a sound foundation for studying, including both the poorest Sub-Saharan countries and island states, which experienced rapid economic development in recent years. Thus the structure of this dissertation relies on both theory and application. The first part presents the fundamental theoretical terms from developmental economics, North-South relations, the history of cooperation among ACP countries with various international players and theoretical determination of development aid and its efficiency. The second part is intended for applied research of the efficiency of development aid policies. ACP countries were divided into two groups, group A with those receiving the most development aid and groups B with those receiving the least. We presumed that countries that received the most development aid made the most progress. Their progress was studied according top five economic and social indicators of development: GDP per capita, exports of goods and services, mortality of children under five years of age, growth in life expectancy and the number of migrations. Based on data retrieved for specific fields, we generally presumed whether development aid policies had achieved its purpose – if they were efficient. From the substantive aspect, this dissertation is an original contribution to the science of economics in its study of the problems in the existing system for distributing development aid and consequently its efficiency, to research of development problems in ACP countries and to proposals for meeting the modern challenges of international development. It also fills the gap in the study of the concept of international development through qualitative research methods, since existing research is extensively quantified. Since this dissertation is originally in Slovenian, it also adds to the scarce literature in this field and to future research of international developmental issues and the global challenges they bring.