Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better understand agenda setting by international human rights organizations in the online environment and at the same time contribute to agenda-setting theory. The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the area of human rights is clarified, and agenda-setting and related concepts are discussed. Design/Methodology/Approach – The study focuses on how attention is drawn to human rights issues in online communication by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International. A content analysis of online forums of HRW and Amnesty International was conducted by monitoring their web sites and Facebook and Twitter pages over a period of 3 months. In addition, two expert interviews with representatives of Amnesty Finland were conducted to better understand how the organization's online communication activities relate to its policies in drawing attention to human rights. Findings – Based on this study, drawing attention to human rights issues is a goal that leads to active online communication. NGOs aim at attracting attention to their issues online by initiating a dialogue via online forums and motivating the public to participate in activities that may influence the media and the political agenda. The existing agenda-setting research tends to emphasize the role of journalists in setting the public agenda, and mentions NGOs primarily as a source for journalists and as a political player. The online environment shows, however, that that these NGOs mostly aim at setting the public agenda to create social change, while the media and political agenda are also not forgotten. Research limitations/implications – This study suggests that the interdependence of the media, public and political agendas is more complex than has thus far been considered in agenda-setting theory, especially in the current online environment. It investigates online agenda-setting by two international NGOs, but does not discuss the role of the media or the public at large in their relationship with these NGOs. As this study has a limited time-frame, a content analysis over a longer period and interviews with representatives of a wider variety of NGOs could be a next step. Future research could also compare the online communication of NGOs with that of profit organisations. Practical implications – The findings show how agenda setting is supported by intricate multi-platform activities in the present-day online environment by the organizations studied in order to initiate a dialogue on societal issues. This suggests that in the online environment, the media, public and political agendas are becoming increasingly interrelated and within this triangle the public agenda seems to be gaining further in importance. Originality/value – The impact that NGOs have on today's society is growing, and hence studying their online agenda setting is valuable from the perspective of corporate communication. International NGOs early on recognised the value of online communication. ; peerReviewed
Key words: e government, innovation, innovation diffusion and adoption theory, E. Government diffusion, e. Government adoption, studies, comparative aspect. The object of this work – e. Government diffusion and adoption. The aim of this work - to analyze and evaluate e. Government diffusion and adoption. To support this aim four tasks were set: 1) to provide e. Government conception, implementation and rewiew of e. Government tools and show the importance of e. Government; 2) to present the innovation diffusion and adoption theory; 3) to deliver the diffusion and adoption of e. Government theoretical review, 4) identify the factors influencing e. Government diffusion and adoption; 5) an overview e. Government dissemination of the extent of cross-border dimension and analyze e. Government diffusion and adoption in Lithuania making aspect. The analysis of e. Government diffusion of Lithuania as compared with other countries on this subject dealt with aspects related to the theoretical and empirical context. It follows that E. Government diffusion and adoption studies are a relatively new topic and little studied phenomenon. As evidenced by the existence of e Governance development assessments carried out in Lithuania and abroad, the analysis, the majority of currently proposed e. Government decisions are analyzed only from the quantitative side, dispensed with the need for comprehensive quality of the population of e. services research. E. Government - is an excellent tool to improve communication between government and citizens, public and private sector, and make these relations simpler, more interactive and meet citizens' needs. The main findings of the work is that e. Government diffusion and adoption problems are global, that is to say, all the states face similar social, financial, personal, communication, cultural and other barriers. E. Government servises in diffusion process in Lithuania and other countries is influenced by the convenience, savings in time, money and the ability to communicate and work directly (on – line) mode. Such an exercise is a clearer way, does not require bureaucratic procedures and transparent. E. Government suppressors - e. Government rough public services system, lack of opportunities, lack of demand, a large distance between the public and the government. The study showed that the e. Government diffusion of government services are not the conditions are right and still suffer from the problem of digital divide, especially in rural areas and between mature and low-income people in Lithuania. It appears that in e. Government acceptance, very importance of preparation, so it is important to draw attention to the barriers that may interfere with this process, which requires a special e. Government incentive policies. Therefore, it is necessary to take the lead in promoting the e. Government services, the involvement of neighborhoods, local governments, the media and most citizens, preparing them training with the full awareness and promoting understanding of the various campaigns and events. It is important to convince the public that the e. Government can simplify the work is easy and rewarding cause.
The study engages with a controversial theoretical debate on 'global resistance' in the context of the anti-war movement. Through an empirical case study of four anti-war organizations in Britain, the thesis critically evaluates dominant globalist theoretical discourses and their state-centric critiques from the perspective of 'critical theory in political practice' and seeks to develop the theoretical debate further. Acting as a critical mediator in between the metatheories and micropolitics of resistance, the author examines how the theoretical discourses 'resonate' with the premises of the current anti-war movement; what the theories fail to consider in terms of political practice; and to which extent the values and normative visions embedded in their broader political projects relate to the movement. The research demonstrates that the connection between the theories and the political practice is not only inadequate but also problematic in many regards. The divergences between the globalist frameworks and the premises of the movement are particularly substantial; convergence with the state-centric approach is found more often. Although it also succeeds in illustrating serious problems in the globalist frameworks, the thesis argues that the state-centric approach is not without problems either. All three theoretical approaches have a problematic tendency to resort to a dualistic 'either-or' logic in conceptualizing power, effective strategies and the primary context of resistance which represents a clear diversion from the understandings held within the movement where analyses and conceptions are overlapping and mixed, echoing often a 'both-and' approach. The globalist frameworks are problemactic also because in conceptualizing the multitude and global civil society as consensual global political collectives, they fail to take into account political conflicts and power struggles within the movement. The study shows that below the surface there are many political conflicts and struggles going on. Transforming the movement into something more permanent and global is an extremely challenging endeavor, one that cannot be established 'from above'. Instead of defining their political projects of resistance in a way which enables their conceptualizations to be detached from practice and their normative visions and suggestions to diverge from the premises of the movement, the theories must closely engage with the movement in order to establish an emancipatory dialogue in the true sense of critical theory. The study contributes insights for developing the theoretical debate further, suggesting that a 'both-and' approach instead of an 'either-or' would not only reflect more accurately how the relationship between the local and global – and many other concepts as well – are conceived within the movement, but would also provide a more productive and comprehensive perspective for conceptualizing power and resistance in the context of social movements generally. While revealing many ongoing political conflicts and power struggles between the organizations studied, the thesis brings forward problems and tensions also within the movement and suggests it would benefit from a more open discussion about the complex relationship between unity and diversity.
Key words: e government, innovation, innovation diffusion and adoption theory, E. Government diffusion, e. Government adoption, studies, comparative aspect. The object of this work – e. Government diffusion and adoption. The aim of this work - to analyze and evaluate e. Government diffusion and adoption. To support this aim four tasks were set: 1) to provide e. Government conception, implementation and rewiew of e. Government tools and show the importance of e. Government; 2) to present the innovation diffusion and adoption theory; 3) to deliver the diffusion and adoption of e. Government theoretical review, 4) identify the factors influencing e. Government diffusion and adoption; 5) an overview e. Government dissemination of the extent of cross-border dimension and analyze e. Government diffusion and adoption in Lithuania making aspect. The analysis of e. Government diffusion of Lithuania as compared with other countries on this subject dealt with aspects related to the theoretical and empirical context. It follows that E. Government diffusion and adoption studies are a relatively new topic and little studied phenomenon. As evidenced by the existence of e Governance development assessments carried out in Lithuania and abroad, the analysis, the majority of currently proposed e. Government decisions are analyzed only from the quantitative side, dispensed with the need for comprehensive quality of the population of e. services research. E. Government - is an excellent tool to improve communication between government and citizens, public and private sector, and make these relations simpler, more interactive and meet citizens' needs. The main findings of the work is that e. Government diffusion and adoption problems are global, that is to say, all the states face similar social, financial, personal, communication, cultural and other barriers. E. Government servises in diffusion process in Lithuania and other countries is influenced by the convenience, savings in time, money and the ability to communicate and work directly (on – line) mode. Such an exercise is a clearer way, does not require bureaucratic procedures and transparent. E. Government suppressors - e. Government rough public services system, lack of opportunities, lack of demand, a large distance between the public and the government. The study showed that the e. Government diffusion of government services are not the conditions are right and still suffer from the problem of digital divide, especially in rural areas and between mature and low-income people in Lithuania. It appears that in e. Government acceptance, very importance of preparation, so it is important to draw attention to the barriers that may interfere with this process, which requires a special e. Government incentive policies. Therefore, it is necessary to take the lead in promoting the e. Government services, the involvement of neighborhoods, local governments, the media and most citizens, preparing them training with the full awareness and promoting understanding of the various campaigns and events. It is important to convince the public that the e. Government can simplify the work is easy and rewarding cause.
PurposeThe paper aims to integrate central ideas about corporate ethics into an overall framework of corporate governance in modern market economies. A proposal for an adequate understanding of corporate ethics is outlined and, with this understanding as a background, problems of justification and implementation of corporate ethics are to be discussed.Design/methodology/approachIn its philosophical part, the paper draws heavily on ideas developed around the German philosophical school of "methodological constructivism" (not to be confused with "radical constructivism") which goes back to the works of Lorenzen, Mittelstraß, Kambartel, Gethmann, Janich, Wohlrapp et al. and which unfolds and defends a concept which C.F. Gethmann proposed to designate as "cultural pragmatism" as against the concept of "natural pragmatism" which originated in the USA. In its management part the paper relies on an interpretive approach to understand (reconstruct) the "raison d'être" of the private corporation in today's market economies and its implications for management and management theory.FindingsThe process of justification of norms, intended to give useful orientation to our common life, must start on the pragmatic (instead of the semantic) level by reconstructing those basic differences and notions which have (thus far) proven as being successful for the coordination human actions. This is in our case the difference between peaceful conflict resolution (which is dialogic in character) and the use of power (in its manyfold forms). Corporate ethics is, thus, understood here as a dialogical concept which contributes to the public interest (and national law) of making peace in and between societies more stable, and this by peacefully solving such conflicts with corporate stakeholders which result (or may result) from the choice of means (strategy) with which a corporation tries to make profits. It is in this capacity that corporate ethics adds a second dimension to the economic responsibility of management of private corporations which is to make sufficient profits (for the firm to survive under competitive conditions). This second dimension is part of what is called today corporate social responsibility. Integrating corporate ethics into the management process (planning, organizing, staffing, directing, control) requires that the principle of "primacy of corporate ethics" dominates all decisions and activities of the corporation, especially in dilemma situations.Originality/valueThe paper is part of the old dispute (in management theory, company law, etc.) about the "modern corporation and private property" stimulated (anew) through the seminal work of Berle/Means as early as 1932 and, later on, through institutional economics ("corporate governance"). It contributes to this discussion the proposal to integrate some (new) philosophical ideas of "cultural pragmatism" (a term proposed by the German philosopher C.F. Gethmann to mark the difference to the well‐known "natural pragmatism" which originated in the USA) into management theory; moreover, some steps are made towards a conceptional framework of corporate ethics with the aim in mind to gain a new understanding of the relationship between private business and the public interest.
AbstractDespite the importance of part time farming in a wide variety of agro‐rural systems, our knowledge of the phenomenon is far from complete. The absence of a seminal theory on the subject may be due to its diverse nature and the complexity of the issues involved. Different disciplines (geography, economics, political science, sociology and demography) have contributed to theory but the farm family has seldom been a focus in pan time farming studies. The author makes the case for a farm family approach. Decisions about income and labour allocation are dependent upon labour resources, customs and attitudes of the family. Farm family structures are dynamic and related to the dynamics of part time farming. Replacing the term "part time farming" by "multiple job holding" would neutralise a continuing focus on farming and encourage the examination of the farm family as the central decision making unit. The author concludes that studies should be at two levels. Empirical studies need to be placed in their socio‐political context while macro‐level studies would be enriched by noting the filtering role of the farm family.RésuméMalgré son importance dans de nombreux systèmes agricolcs ou ruraux, l'agriculture à temps partiel est loin d'être bien connue II manque une théorie de base, sans doute en raison de la diversité et de la complexité du phénomene. Differentcs disciplines (géographic, économie, science politique, sociologie, démographic) ont apporté leur éclairage, mais la famille agricole a rarement étéétudiée dans le cas de l'agriculrure à temps partiel, et l'auteur propose une approche dans cette direction.Ce sont les ressources en travail, les habitudes et les attitudes de la famille qui déterminent en fait les décisions concernant l'allocation des revenus et du travail. Les structures familiales sont dynamiques et évoluent avec l'agriculture à temps partiel. Si on remplace "agriculture à temps partiel" par "pluriactivitc", on déplace l'attention dc l'agriculture vers la famille agricole comme unité de décision. En conclusion, l'auteur en vient à distinguer deux niveaux de recherche: les études empiriqucs d'une part, qui doivent être situées dans leur contexte socio‐politique, et d'autre part les études macro‐sociales qui devraient s'enrichir en précisant le rôle actif de la famillc agricole.KurzfassungTrotz der Bedeutung der Nebenerwcrbslandwirtschaft in einer Reihe unterschiedlieher ländlich‐agranscher Systeme, ist unser Wissen über das Phänomen noch sehr unvollständig. Das Fehlen ciner fruchtbaren Theorie über den Gegcnstand kann auf seine Verschiedenar‐tigkeit und die Komplexität der damit verbundencn Sachverhalte zurückgefuhrt werden. Unterschiedliche Disziplinen (Geographic, Ökonomie, Politikwisscnschaften, Soziologie und Demographic) haben Beiträge zur Theorie geleistct, aber die landwirtschaftliche Familie war selten zentraler Punkt dcr Untcrsuchungen über die Nebenerwerbslandwirtschaft. Der Autor schlägt einen mehr auf die Landfamilie bezogenen Ansatz vor. Entscheidungen über die Allokation von Einkommen und Arbeit hängen von den verfügbarcn Arbeitskräften, Gcwohnheiten und Einstellungen dcr Familie ab. Familienstrukturcn in der Landwirtschaft sind dynamisch und hängen mit dcr Dynamik von Nebenerwcrbslandwirtschaft zusammen. Die Ablösung des Begriffs "Nebencrwerbslandwirtschaft" durch den Begriff "Mehrfachbe‐schäftigung" würde die andaucrndc Konzentration auf die Landwirtschaft in ihrer Wirkung bedeutungslos werden lassen und zur verstärkten Untersuchung dcr landwirtschaftlichen Familie als zentralen Entscheidungseinheit führen. Der Autor schluβfolgert, daβ For‐schungen auf zwei Ebenen durchgeführt werden solltcn. Empirisehe Erhebungen müssen mehr in ihren sozialcn und politischen Kontext eingcordnet werden, und Untersuchungcn auf der Makroebcne könnten durch Beachtung der Filterrollc der Landfamilie eine Be‐reicherung erfahren
Military culture has occupied a central place in the constitution of constructive knowledge amongst the French intellectual elite since the beginning of the 17th century. The royal engineers , whose trade is rapidly institutionalized and developing in the 17th and 18th centuries, are important agents and vectors of this complex of practical knowledge backed by geometry, mathematics and the new physics. Despite the recent scientific advances in structural mechanics and strength of materials, it is mainly the knowledge in geometry and mathematics that are put forth in the military architecture and engineering treatises as fundamental and strategic for the engineer, be they considered as prerequisites for access to the physical sciences, as necessary tools for good design and their in-field concretization, or as a reliable training method of rational thinking. Antoine d'Alleman is " Chevalier and citizen " of the city of Carpentras, which at the time was the capital of the Comtat Venaissin. He is a specimen of this generation of architects and engineers, having studied a good number of military and scientific treatises, implementing his knowledge throughout a long career as topographer surveyor and hydraulics engineer in this papal territory, an independent state landlocked in the French kingdom. He designed and conducted in the Comtat important civil engineering works representative of those undertaken in the neighboring French provinces by the Corps of military engineers: roads, dikes, canals, aqueducts and water supply for cities, cartography. He also designed important buildings, hospitals, churches and chapels, at Carpentras and Orange. Besides his professional activity, he undertook the project of writing a treatise of architecture. The review of the mathematical parts of these manuscripts informs us of the relationship that such an engineer could establish between theory and practice: a partial mathematization of the topographer surveyor's graphical and in-field operations, yielding a reliable foundation to ...
The independence did not put an end to France's presence in its former colonies, which continued to take the form of cooperation. This cooperation, defined as technical and cultural assistance between two theoretically sovereign countries, is expressed in particular by the provision of human capital by France. There appear to have been two key steps in establishing this cooperation: the first is based on the negotiation of cooperation agreements with the inhabitants of independence and the second on their renegotiation in the 1970s. These renegotiations resulted in an external and internal 'legal normalisation' of the situation marking a clearer statement of the sovereignty of young independent nations 1, since externally this 'new' cooperation is governed by pre-established standards similar to those applicable to international cooperation and is accompanied internally by the adoption of a 'statute under common law for French co-workers abroad' 2. Cooperation raises multiple questions. The continued presence of the former coloniser — in another form — in independent states is broadly understood in three ways by historiography. Some studies focus on the issue of national and international sovereignty, interests and political issues. Others prefer to treat it as an epistemological and philosophical problem, that of the reality of decolonisation, particularly in the fields of science and knowledge. Finally, the topic raises a reflection on those who give it life on the ground, i.e. the men and women who take part in it. The latter approach is preferred here because it allows 1 Jean Touscoz, 'La "normalisation" de la coopération bilateral de la France et les pays Afrique francophones (legal aspects)", International Studies, Vol. 5, No 2, 1974, p. 208. 2 ibid., p. 219. ; International audience The independences, which ended in theory in the sovereignty of the young nations, did not dedicate the end of the link between ex-colonized and colonizing countries. This link was transformed into "cooperation" i.e. into a ...
'Im Zentrum dieses Aufsatzes steht das 'Lesen' und Interpretieren von Affekten. Dies soll am Beispiel einer diskursiv-dekonstruktiven Analyse von Interviews mit 'Care'- bzw. Hausarbeiterinnen sowie deren Arbeitgeberinnen, die die Verfasserin im Rahmen einer ethnographischen Studie durchgeführt hat, diskutiert werden. Es wird gezeigt, wie eine dekonstruktive Lektüre von Affekten zu einem Verstehen (a) der Einbindung des Subjekts der Aussage in einen diskursiven Rahmen und (b) der Intensität in der Begegnung zwischen 'Care' - bzw. Hausarbeiterinnen und deren Arbeitgeberinnen beitragen kann. Diese Begegnungen ereignen sich in einem 'heterotopischen Raum', d.h. einem heterogener Raum, der auch von den Folgen affektiver Ereignisse durchzogen ist. In diesem Zusammenhang meint Affekt eine mehr oder weniger organisierte Erfahrung, eine Erfahrung wahrscheinlich mit ermächtigenden oder entmächtigenden Konsequenzen, die auf der Ebene dieser Begegnungen wahrnehmbar ist, aber nicht unbedingt ausgesprochen und damit 'eingeschrieben' ist. Ausgehend von den Redeweisen derjenigen, die diese vergeschlechtlichten und ethnisierten Räume bewohnen, stellt der Beitrag folgende Fragen: Wie können die Begegnung zwischen Care- und Hausarbeiterinnen und ihren Arbeitgeberinnen auf der Basis affektiver Bezüge gelesen werden? Wie können wir Affekte als einen Moment der Intensität in diesen Beziehungen aufspüren? Wie kann die Lektüre von Foucault, Derrida und Spivak zu einer Theoretisierung von Affekt beitragen?' (Autorenreferat)
"Über das elektronische Publizieren und die Frage darüber, was «open access» eigentlich bedeutet, herrscht in den unterschiedlichen Wissenschaftskulturen ein je eigenes Verständnis, was sich in einer je spezifischen Umsetzung niederschlägt. Grundlegende Differenzen in den hermeneutischen und empiristischen Wissenschaftskulturen bezüglich der zugrunde liegenden Informationsmodelle erzeugen ebenso grundlegend verschiedene Bedeutungsfelder von den Schlüsselbegriffen wie 'open' und 'access'. Der Beitrag sucht die Perspektiven für die Geistes-, Sozial- und Kulturwissenschaften und insbesondere deren Innovationspotenzial in diesem Bereich zu bestimmen." (Autorenreferat)
В статье анализируются монои мультилинейные концептуальные подходы к развитию человечества, представленные в трудах таких выдающихся интеллектуалов как Н.Я. Данилевский, О. Шпенглер, А.Дж. Тойнби, Т. Парсонс, И. Валлерстайн, Ф. Фукуяма, Л.Н. Гумилев, С. Хантингтон, Гж. Колодко, Л.С. Васильев, Ю.И. Семенов, М. Музилис, Б. Витрок и др. Подчеркивается, что разнообразие линий социально-экономического развития народов основывается на различиях двух доминирующих макротипов цивилизации «европейского» и «азиатского». В контексте этих и локальных цивилизационных различий рассматриваются модели социально-экономической трансформации постсоциалистических стран; при этом особое внимание уделяется российскому вектору посткоммунистического транзита, в основу анализа которого, по мнению автора, может быть положена теория евразийства Л. Гумилева, Н. Савицкого, Н. Трубецкого и концепции современных российских авторов С.Г. Кордонского, В.Б. Пастухова, О.Э. Бессоновой и других ученыхThe discussion of transformation outcomes has become increasingly tense in the recent years and is now challenging contemporary social sciences. Two major approaches can be distinguished today. According to one of them, transformation is a linear process and it refers to logical transition from non-market to market economy. Such understanding of social development constitutes the classic theory of modernization (W. Rostow, T. Parsons). Similar lack of alternativeness is also a characteristic of the increasingly popular world-system analysis (I. Wallerstain). Yet it can be argued that institutional structure and value systems, which determine the inner logics of social development, are not so universal in nature. The end of 1990s has seen the rise of new theories of non-European modernity, the variety of capitalisms and the trend towards distinguishing modernization from westernization. These ideas have received much support in developing countries. We too argue that the difference of transformation outcomes in European and Eurasian areas cannot be adequately explained in terms of single-vector deterministic model. The reason for the emerging variety of socio-economic developments may very well lie in the inner civilization differences between countries. We argue that both, Marxist and liberal unitarisms with their optionless evolutionary approaches to certain sociohistoric organisms, ignore the interconnection of common and particular in the human history and thus become a subject to discussion. Along with unitarian approach, according to which the development processes within particular sociohistoric organisms follow a single logic in human history, there also exists a pluralist multilinear approach. It implies, that humanity is represented by a set of relatively autonomous historic entities, each of which has a certain life cycle with its own stages of birth, development and decease. The concept of monolinearity has been criticized as far back as in the late XIXth century by a Russian historian N. Danilevsky, whose notion of civilization concurrency ('ryadopolozhennost' tsivilizatsiy') [Danilevsky 2003] suggests that along with some universal essentials civilizations may have very specific goals of development and their own criteria of civilization's successful reproduction. Danilevsky is also the author of the idea that among the factors, which stipulate multilinearity of historical process and the variety of options of social development, a special role belongs to the type of civilization we choose. He also produced his own theory of cultural-historical types: '…civilization is a notion far more extensive than science, art, religion, political, economic or social development taken alone. Civilization includes it all. I am saying that even religion itself is a notion inferior to that of civilization.' [Danilevsky 2003, p.129]. He reckoned that such analysis of history-dependent types of civilization can help explain many phenomena in the past, the present and the future of different peoples, especially since he had learned about the particularities of Russian culture and history. Although he never criticized the Romano-Germanic culture, Danilevsky completely denied its universality and perceived his native Russian civilization as its equal but essentially different counterpart. In XXth century the popularity has come to such advocates of historical pluralism as O. Spengler, A.J. Toynbee, L. Gumilyov, S. Huntington and others. By accepting the possibility of concurrent development for countries, which belong to different civilizations, one does not have to deny the universality of technologies of existence in the very broad sense of its meaning. Although what we must consider is that institutional structure and value systems, which regulate development processes within certain social organisms, may not, and usually are not, universal in nature. Thus it makes sense, that different civilizations and, consequently, national states, which fall under these civilizations, are very likely to develop along different vectors. The institutional theory has also produced a hypothesis, according to which there exist different institutional matrices that can be regarded as latent mechanisms of functioning and reproduction of sociohistoric organisms. The matrix acts as a stable and historically dependent set of interacting institutions that are specific for particular civilizations. By applying this logics in comparative analysis of Eastern and Western macrocivilizations some Russian economists argue that in historical perspective Eastern matrix persistently features non-market mechanisms of distribution, centralized state and the priority of collective values over individual ones. The existing variety of development paths can generally be reduced to the differences that arise between two dominating types of civilization, which contingently can be referred to as European and Asiatic. The first one emerged from ancient polises and, basically, represents the chain of societies with private property, the balance between civil society and civil institutions, advanced personality and the priority of individual values. The latter type Asiatic one is historically connected to Asian despotisms, the domination of state property, all-powerful government institutional structures, the lack of civil society and so forth. We rely on the explanatory concept of basic institutional structures, which distinguish Eastern civilizations from Western ones the so called relations of power-property. This concept has been developed by an outstanding Russian orientalist L. Vasiliev in his works from 1960s 1990s. It is peculiar that in the course of human history this type of civilization has been dominating geographically as well as historically. And it also explains why in the XXth century etacratism (in other terms, etatism or statism) has developed in the countries, which fall under the Asiatic civilization area. Yet it should be underlined that there is no such necessity as to draw the dividing line between monolinear and multilinear approaches. We cannot as well ignore the experience of the previous centuries, which has been institutionalized in verifiable sources. This experience provides evidence of completely different options of social development not only for the organisms that have literally become history, but for those which survived until today. Some of them progressed from savagery feudalism and then onto capitalism; some have initially turned to the Asian mode of production and have only recently developed the advanced forms of capitalism (postindustrialism); the others got 'stuck' in a non-market phase of development and adapted it to the circumstances of contemporary global system. Yet we are only able to speculate within a definite historical horizon, that is measured by the life of a few nearest generations. The point is: there is no sense in crossing swords regarding the future of humanity beyond the XXIst century. Starting from the end of 1990s the Western literature brings an increasingly bigger number of publications, which support theories of non-European modernity and variability of development and attempt to separate modernization concept from westernization. These ideas have gained a lot of support in developing countries, where authors draw attention to the lack of explanatory power of existing social theories, which are incompatible with non-Western forms of contemporary society. According to multilinear approach in the modern world there coexist several main civilizations with distinct institutional, axiological and behavioral characteristics. These civilizations are connected with dominating religious systems. As applied to Central European, Southern European and Eurasian areas (post-communist countries, which are in the process of transformation) these religious systems are Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Islam. The social, economic and political situation in the corresponding countries is essentially different in a number of aspects. Moreover it explains the variation of development paths and the outcomes of liberal reforms in many post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Consequently we argue that these civilization particularities must be closely studied. Even today many European researchers and analysts are still convinced that social and economic order of contemporary Russia is not essentially different from that of the developed European countries a still another type of capitalism. One of the most popular approaches is the so called variety of capitalisms approach [Drahokoupil 2009]. According to this approach the variety of social and economic systems, which exist in contemporary Europe, may be reduced to several fundamental forms (e.g. 'liberal market economies', 'controlled market economies' or even 'dependent market economies'). So it, basically, reduces the problem of determining the outcomes of various policies to the problem of diagnosing various states of capitalism in different countries depending on the structure of its economic institutions and the presence of foreign capital. Yet it is never discussed how and why Russia and its predominantly 'orthodox' post-socialist neighbours deviate from any of these classifications. Etacratism in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe was enforced from the USSR. The ones that resisted most were the countries which already had the most experience of market economy, some forms of civil society and the rule of law in the course of their history. During the 45 years of Soviet domination these countries have always been the most unreliable periphery of the 'true socialism'. All of them belonged to Catholic and Protestant Christian cultures. At the same time, etacratism voluntarily and rather autonomously developed in countries, which have never known capitalist relations and had a different history China, Vietnam and Mongolia. The contemporary societal system, which formed in CEE countries, was a result of a single anti-communist revolution of 1989 -1991, which according to V. Ilin had a system nature. These revolutions were encouraged by the idea of catch-up modernization. In CEE and Baltia the original goal of transformation, which included higher standards of mass consumption, social state and technological modernization was rather quickly reduced to two basics which represent the idea of progress market economy and competitive democracy (political pluralism along with democratic freedom) [Ilin 2006, p. 262-266]. The development in Russia, as well as some other countries of the former USSR, went in a different manner. The achievements of market economy and liberal democracy were far more modest than in the CEE neighborhood. We hold the following conceptual viewpoint on Russia's development. The contemporary Russian society, as well as Soviet, belongs to a particular civilization (Eurasian), which is essentially different from European (Atlantic) in relation to its institutional structure and system of values. Thus, in the social space of Europe there actually exist at least two substantially distinct 'Europes'.
Nowadays urban safety represents a very complicated theme which doesn't need simple or simplistic solutions, but diversified answers.This work tries to analyze and present the political safety strategies adopted by Tuscany that enter the Modern Governance theory since the n.38, 16th August 2008 Regional Law, which was titled "Regional strategies in favour of Tuscan Community safety politics". That means a new government style which, instead of the old hierarchic model, is characterized by more cooperation between the State and the non state actors inside the sphere of public and private decisions. As a consequence, the work examines the role that the different social actors will have to take up in order to achieve an aim or social safety. This last one constantly advances. At the same time the work introduces the concept of supportability, declaring the necessity to pursue a new safety idea: the supportable safety.This new safety conception can represent the liveability level which can really be realized in a certain geographic place according to both criminality level and the sense of insecurity spreading and the fear of criminality in people, in consideration of the social and economic development reached in a certain area. All this is sensibly minimizing the traditional concept of unsafety meaning as public order and security preservation. Now a new idea of liveability is growing. In it the unsafety sense is not directly linked to criminality, but it is instead linked to other factors: noise, nightnoise, pollution, urban decay, traffic (besides family and social disease). As a consequence of the new problems linked to urban safety,we cannot think to achieve our aim with criminal politic administration based on repression and prevention of crime, but on a wise politic management of quality life. The complexity of the urban safety theme justifies the distribution of this job on more social and institutional actors. Safety doesn't only represent the most important monopoly of the Central State, but it becomes a task of the Local Government which want to govern, as well as it becomes a task of the people who want to take part of city government. ; Parlare di Sicurezza Urbana significa, oggi, parlare di un tema complesso, e che ha pertanto bisogno di risposte variegate e non semplici, o peggio semplicistiche. Questo lavoro intende presentare ed esaminare le politiche di Sicurezza adottate dalla Regione Toscana che, a partire dalla Legge Regionale del 16 Agosto 2001 n. 38, titolata appunto "Interventi regionali a favore delle politiche per la sicurezza della comunità toscana", si inseriscono nella teorica della Modern Governance, intesa come nuovo stile di governo, distinto dal modello del controllo gerarchico e, invece, caratterizzato da un maggior grado di cooperazione tra lo Stato e gli attori non statuali, all'interno di reti decisionali pubblico/private. Nell'ambito di tale ottica, vengono esaminati i ruoli che i vari attori sociali dovranno ricoprire per la realizzazione di un obiettivo, la sicurezza sociale, che per sua stessa natura si caratterizza come un tema costantemente in progress. Contestualmente, viene introdotto il concetto di sostenibilità, affermando così la necessità di perseguire una nuova accezione di sicurezza, la cosiddetta Sicurezza Sostenibile.Tale nuova concezione di sicurezza può rappresentare il grado di vivibilità realisticamente realizzabile in un certo sito geografico, in considerazione sia del livello di criminalità sia della diffusione della sensazione di insicurezza e della paura di criminalità nella popolazione, e in considerazione del livello di sviluppo economico e sociale raggiunto in un determinato territorio. Si attenua così sensibilmente il tradizionale riferimento alla sicurezza intesa come mantenimento dell'ordine e della sicurezza pubblica, e si abbraccia un concetto ampio di vivibilità, in cui le cause dell'insicurezza non sono direttamente collegate alla criminalità ma ad una serie di fattori pro-duttivi del disagio del vivere urbano: rumori, schiamazzi notturni, inquinamento ambientale, degrado urbano, traffico in eccesso (oltre che problemi di disagio sociale e familiare). Questo profondo ampliamento delle problematiche insite al tema della sicurezza urbana offre lo spunto per considerare tale fenomeno, estremamente complesso, come non più governabile esclusivamente mediante la gestione delle politiche criminali fondate sulla prevenzione o repressione dei reati, bensì attraverso la sapiente gestione di una pluralità di politiche declinate sulla qualità della vita. Il carattere di complessità caratteristico della sicurezza urbana giustifica, così, la distribuzione del compito di intervento su un ventaglio di attori sociali ed istituzionali. La sicurezza non costituisce più l'esclusivo monopolio dello Stato Centrale, ma diviene impegno delle Amministrazioni locali e sovralocali che intendono governare il territorio, e compito dei cittadini che intendono partecipare del governo della città.
The present issue of the JOURNAL OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS is the last edition under my responsibility. In January 2015 the quite recently elected board of the ISA-Research Committee 51 will take up its work and Fabio Giglietto, Professor at the Department of Communication and Human Studies of the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" (http://www.uniurb.it) and research fellow of the Center for Sociocybernetics Studies (http://www.sociocybernetics.eu), will commence as the new journal editor. During the last four years Fabio Giglietto, already was a member of the editorial board of our Journal. I wish him and the new board continued success and all the best for the upcoming period. The current edition includes articles applying several theoretical aspects of complexity analysis on different empirical cases. In their article "Reflections on the Complexity of Ancient Social Heterarchies: Toward New Models of Social Self-Organization in Pre-Hispanic Colombia" Nathalie Mezza-Garcia, Tom Froese and Nelson Fernández face the limitations which hierarchical and centrally controlled systems have in their information processes with respect to manage large-scale crisis and challenges. With reference to historical examples in pre-Hispanic Colombia, specifically the cultures of the Zenú, the Muiscas and the Tayronas, the authors propose that creating and analyzing computer models of their heterarchically and decentralized processes of management could provide a broader perspective on the possibilities of self-organized political systems. In his article "The Paradox of Social Ties after the ICT Revolution: A Second-Order Observation" Saburo Akahori explores what kinds of distinctions are used when the change of social systems is observed. His analysis refers on the question of significance of social ties in Japan, which has repeatedly been emphasized in recent years. One example is the frequency of use of the Japanese word kizuna which means bond. It sounds odd because conventionally kizuna indicates intimate, continuous relationships, not temporary relationships. Even though the word kizuna means strong ties, now it also implies weak ties. Here the author asks for the reason why the strange usage of the word kizuna has become acceptable. Patricia E. Almaguer-Kalixto, José A. Amozurrutia, Chaime Marcuello Servós present in their paper "Policy Processes as Complex Systems: The case of Mesoamerican Sustainable Development Initiative" a research methodology for analyzing policy processes that are defined at the global level but implemented locally. The interrelations between these two levels pose great conceptual challenges in explaining the changes, transformations and continuations occurring in this complex process based on empirical information. Understanding the policy process as a complex system, the paper proposes analyzing macro, meso and micro levels as subsystems of the total process, identifying the interrelations between policy action, actors and discourses. The paper takes the example of the Mesoamerican Sustainable Development Initiative (MSDI) of the Puebla Panama Plan (PPP), a regional integration plan for a new 'Mesoamerica' that originally included the seven Central American countries and the southern states of Mexico. In her paper "Sustainable Technology Assessment and Sustainable Scenarios of Techno Social Phenomena" Michiko Amemiya-Ramírez describes sustainable technology as a technological subsystem with marginal or no negative impacts on other technological systems, as well as the environment, the society and the economy. To identify such technologies it is necessary to describe their behavior and their present and future interactions with those systems. Due to social dynamics, a complete assessment to identify sustainable technologies requires a hard systems analysis and a soft system analysis. A hard system analysis is useful to assess the interactions, behavior and characteristics of the technology quantitatively. A soft system analysis is convenient to describe other characteristics and interactions through qualitative and non measurable characteristics. For further issues of the JOURNAL OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS we invite scholars who have their background in the field of systems theory, sociocybernetics, information- and communication science and who apply this for studying various social phenomena regarding their complexity and dynamics, to submit articles for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS. For submitting articles authors need to register with the journal prior to submitting. People who want to register have the option to register as a reader or as an author. Every reader or author can register by themselve using the journal's website. After clicking the register item they will be guided through the registration process. After registration they will be able to login by username and password and then authors may submit their papers. The system will immediately confirm the submission and will automatically trigger the review process. Authors will get an email with a URL that will enable them to track its progress through the editorial process once they are logged in. We recommend to review the "About the Journal" page for the journal's policies, as well as the "Author Guidelines".
Introduction. In modern society, there is a growing demand for the spread of prosocial practices, among which the leading role is given to the volunteer movement. In this regard, the actual pedagogical task is the education of a prosocial person - a member of the public, whose activity is focused on the gratuitous societal service and is resulted from altruistic motives. Students are potential members, who can be involved in such activities. Student community is considered as a special social group, which is characterised by the highest degree of civic activity, the desire for self-organisation and self-realisation in various spheres of life.The aims of the research presented in the article are to identify and analyse the attitude of youth to different types of volunteering; to justify the need for support and development of the volunteer movement as one of the main conditions for the safe and sustainable existence of society.Methodology and research methods. The research was based on personal and socio-cognitive approaches to the process of education of the new generation, as well as on the key provisions of the theory of social security. The methods of focus group research, interviews, questionnaires and Internet surveys were employed as tools for information collection. The data obtained were generalised and processed using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, including content analysis, percentage analysis, correlation analysis through Pearson coefficient and factor analysis (principal component method, varimax rotation). The calculations were made with the use of the statistical software package SPPS 17.Results and scientific novelty. The phenomenon of volunteering is considered as an important factor of social solidarity and social trust and as a form of safe prosocial behaviour of the individual. Based on the responses of respondents, who took part in the surveys, typical ideas about the motivation of the volunteer, his or her personal qualities and conditions of familiarising with various volunteer practices are identified, studied and generalised. The authors built up a psychological profile of a modern young man, capable of voluntary selfless acts for the benefit of others. Three groups of factors of formation of prosocial behaviour in the youth environment are allocated: social and ecological, educational and civil, cultural and religious. The types of volunteer activities are ranked according to the degree of their influence on the social well-being of the people around them in society according to the potential of gratuitous benefit for other people. From the perspective of the Russian Government and student community, it was revealed that there are some differences in assessing the potential of volunteerism in terms of the importance of selfless actions that contribute to human well-being in society. Conflicting priorities defined by the survey participants, and, the range of activities proclaimed in the Concept of development of volunteerism (volunteering) in the Russian Federation until 2025, can be connected with students' insufficient awareness on voluntary projects or can be indicative for the risks of socialisation of young people.Practical significance. The present research, on the one hand, enriches the field of knowledge about the essence of safe prosocial behaviour of the individual and, on the other hand, this study has a practice-oriented significance, as it can serve as a basis for the development of methods of psychological and pedagogical impact on the development of human readiness for prosocial behaviour, implemented through voluntary activity. ; Введение. В современном обществе растет запрос на распространение просоциальных практик, среди которых ведущая роль отводится волонтерскому движению. В связи с этим актуальной педагогической задачей становится воспитание просоциальной личности - субъекта, деятельность которого ориентирована на безвозмездное служение обществу и обусловлена альтруистическими мотивами. Таким потенциальным субъектом является прежде всего студенчество как особая социальная группа, характеризующаяся наибольшей степенью гражданской активности, стремлением к самоорганизации и самореализации в различных сферах жизни. Цели представленного в статье исследования - выявить и проанализировать отношение в молодежной среде к различным видам волонтерства; обосновать необходимость поддержки и развития волонтерского движения как одного из главных условий безопасного и устойчивого существования социума. Методология и методы. Работа базировалась на личностном и социально-когнитивном подходах к процессу воспитания нового поколения, а также на ключевьгх положениях теории социальной безопасности. В качестве инструментария сбора информации применялись методы фокус-группового исследования, интервью, анкетирования и интернет-опроса. Полученные данные обобщались и обрабатывались с помощью качественных и количественных методов анализа, в том числе контент-анализа, анализа процентньгх соотношений, корреляционного анализа с применением коэффициента Пирсона и факторного анализа (метода главньгх компонент, варимакс-вращения). Расчеты производились с использованием пакета статистических программ SPPS 17. Результаты и научная новизна. Феномен волонтерства рассмотрен как важный фактор социальной солидарности и социального доверия и как форма безопасного просоциалъного поведения личности. На основе мнений респондентов, принявших участие в опросах, изучены и обобщены типичные представления учащейся молодежи о мотивации волонтера, его личностных качествах и условиях приобщения к различным волонтерским практикам. Составлен психологический портрет современного молодого человека, способного на добровольные бескорыстные поступки во благо других людей. Выделены три группы факторов формирования просоциалъного поведения в молодежной среде: социально-экологические, образовательно-гражданские, культурно-религиозные. Виды волонтерства ранжированы по степени их влияния на социальное благополучие отдельных сограждан и общества в целом и по расположенности студентов заниматься той или иной добровольческой деятельностью. Обнаружены различия в оценках потенциала добровольческой деятельности и в распределении ее видов в зависимости от предпочтительности и важности, с точки зрения студенческой молодежи и государства. Несовпадение приоритетов, обозначенных участниками опроса, и направлений деятельности, декларируемых в Концепции развития добровольчества (волонтерства) до 2025 года, может быть связано с недостаточной осведомленностью студентов о волонтерских проектах либо указывает на существование рисков социализации молодых людей. Практическая значимость. Проведенное исследование, с одной стороны, обогащает область знаний о сущности безопасного просоциалъного поведения личности, с другой - обладает практико-ориентированной значимостью, так как может служить основой для разработки способов психологопедагогического воздействия на формирование готовности человека к такому поведению, реализующемуся через добровольческую деятельность. ; The reported research was funded by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research according to the research project № 18-313-20001. ; Исследование выполнено при финансовой поддержке РФФИ в рамках научного проекта № 18-313-20001
Introduction. In modern society, there is a growing demand for the spread of prosocial practices, among which the leading role is given to the volunteer movement. In this regard, the actual pedagogical task is the education of a prosocial person - a member of the public, whose activity is focused on the gratuitous societal service and is resulted from altruistic motives. Students are potential members, who can be involved in such activities. Student community is considered as a special social group, which is characterised by the highest degree of civic activity, the desire for self-organisation and self-realisation in various spheres of life.The aims of the research presented in the article are to identify and analyse the attitude of youth to different types of volunteering; to justify the need for support and development of the volunteer movement as one of the main conditions for the safe and sustainable existence of society.Methodology and research methods. The research was based on personal and socio-cognitive approaches to the process of education of the new generation, as well as on the key provisions of the theory of social security. The methods of focus group research, interviews, questionnaires and Internet surveys were employed as tools for information collection. The data obtained were generalised and processed using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, including content analysis, percentage analysis, correlation analysis through Pearson coefficient and factor analysis (principal component method, varimax rotation). The calculations were made with the use of the statistical software package SPPS 17.Results and scientific novelty. The phenomenon of volunteering is considered as an important factor of social solidarity and social trust and as a form of safe prosocial behaviour of the individual. Based on the responses of respondents, who took part in the surveys, typical ideas about the motivation of the volunteer, his or her personal qualities and conditions of familiarising with various volunteer practices are identified, studied and generalised. The authors built up a psychological profile of a modern young man, capable of voluntary selfless acts for the benefit of others. Three groups of factors of formation of prosocial behaviour in the youth environment are allocated: social and ecological, educational and civil, cultural and religious. The types of volunteer activities are ranked according to the degree of their influence on the social well-being of the people around them in society according to the potential of gratuitous benefit for other people. From the perspective of the Russian Government and student community, it was revealed that there are some differences in assessing the potential of volunteerism in terms of the importance of selfless actions that contribute to human well-being in society. Conflicting priorities defined by the survey participants, and, the range of activities proclaimed in the Concept of development of volunteerism (volunteering) in the Russian Federation until 2025, can be connected with students' insufficient awareness on voluntary projects or can be indicative for the risks of socialisation of young people.Practical significance. The present research, on the one hand, enriches the field of knowledge about the essence of safe prosocial behaviour of the individual and, on the other hand, this study has a practice-oriented significance, as it can serve as a basis for the development of methods of psychological and pedagogical impact on the development of human readiness for prosocial behaviour, implemented through voluntary activity. ; . Введение. В современном обществе растет запрос на распространение просоциальных практик, среди которых ведущая роль отводится волонтерскому движению. В связи с этим актуальной педагогической задачей становится воспитание просоциальной личности - субъекта, деятельность которого ориентирована на безвозмездное служение обществу и обусловлена альтруистическими мотивами. Таким потенциальным субъектом является прежде всего студенчество как особая социальная группа, характеризующаяся наибольшей степенью гражданской активности, стремлением к самоорганизации и самореализации в различных сферах жизни.Цели представленного в статье исследования - выявить и проанализировать отношение в молодежной среде к различным видам волонтерства; обосновать необходимость поддержки и развития волонтерского движения как одного из главных условий безопасного и устойчивого существования социума.Методология и методы. Работа базировалась на личностном и социальнокогнитивном подходах к процессу воспитания нового поколения, а также на ключевых положениях теории социальной безопасности. В качестве инструментария сбора информации применялись методы фокус-группового исследования, интервью, анкетирования и интернет-опроса. Полученные данные обобщались и обрабатывались с помощью качественных и количественных методов анализа, в том числе контент-анализа, анализа процентных соотношений, корреляционного анализа с применением коэффициента Пирсона и факторного анализа (метода главньгх компонент, варимакс-вращения). Расчеты производились с использованием пакета статистических программ SPPS 17.Результаты и научная новизна. Феномен волонтерства рассмотрен как важный фактор социальной солидарности и социального доверия и как форма безопасного просоциалъного поведения личности. На основе мнений респондентов, принявших участие в опросах, изучены и обобщены типичные представления учащейся молодежи о мотивации волонтера, его личностных качествах и условиях приобщения к различным волонтерским практикам. Составлен психологический портрет современного молодого человека, способного на добровольные бескорыстные поступки во благо других людей. Выделены три группы факторов формирования просоциалъного поведения в молодежной среде: социально-экологические, образовательно-гражданские, культурнорелигиозные. Виды волонтерства ранжированы по степени их влияния на социальное благополучие отдельных сограждан и общества в целом и по расположенности студентов заниматься той или иной добровольческой деятельностью. Обнаружены различия в оценках потенциала добровольческой деятельности и в распределении ее видов в зависимости от предпочтительности и важности, с точки зрения студенческой молодежи и государства. Несовпадение приоритетов, обозначенных участниками опроса, и направлений деятельности, декларируемых в Концепции развития добровольчества (волонтерства) до 2025 года, может быть связано с недостаточной осведомленностью студентов о волонтерских проектах либо указывает на существование рисков социализации молодых людей.Практическая значимость. Проведенное исследование, с одной стороны, обогащает область знаний о сущности безопасного просоциалъного поведения личности, с другой - обладает практико-ориентированной значимостью, так как может служить основой для разработки способов психологопедагогического воздействия на формирование готовности человека к такому поведению, реализующемуся через добровольческую деятельность.
