Platform work is often characterised by economic insecurity, dehumanising control procedures, isolation, deepening racial, economic and gender inequalities, and other socio-economic problems. There are lively debates underway concerned with how to regulate or limit the negative effects of platform capitalism. This article reviews two of the most common calls for action – regulation and platform co-operatives. We argue that there is also an unexplored, complementary option, which uses the network effects of platforms to provide greater benefits for platform workers. To understand this alternative, we introduce the American Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) mechanism for employee buyouts, redefine the model according to the main cooperative values, and apply it to the platform economy. We conclude that there is a third option is available to governments and municipalities, namely to require an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in the local subsidiary of the platform company. Keywords: Platform economy, platform co-operativism, employee buyouts, platform ESOP
In its introduction, the paper defines the meanings of the words 'safety' and 'police'. Then it deals with different police organizations, their organizational structure and different police models of operation with the emphasis on studying the latest approach to the police work called community policing that is being introduced also in the Slovene police lately. Since the central topic here is local community safety, the paper deals with the community at which police work must be targeted. Then follows a study and analysis overview regarding the population's readiness to co-operate with the police. The empirical part of the paper presents an opinion survey among the Podravje Region population to find out to what extent people trust the police, how they are satisfied with the police work, what is the discrepancy between estimation and the expectations the Podravje population has for police officers, and how safe they feel. The survey shows the following: the Podravje population feels safe, people trust the police and they are ready to co-operate in solving safety problems. It has been ascertained that police officers fulfill people's expectations, because in dealing with people, the police were better than expected. Adapted from the source document.
In the article we report a series of experiments with volunteers designed to detect differences in behavioural characteristics among Slovenian, Dutch and international students. Using eight standard tasks from experimental economics, we investigate the differences using experimental measures of solidarity, trust, cooperation, positive and negative reciprocity, competition, honesty, and risk attitudes. No significant cohort effects in any of the eight decisions are found when we compare the Slovenian and international cohorts. Still, when comparing the Dutch and Slovenian cohorts, Dutch students are found to exhibit lower levels of solidarity, generosity and honesty. This points to differences in sociality between institutionally similar yet ideologically distant countries like Slovenia and the Netherlands. Keywords: cross-national study, experimental economics, game theory, sociality
Abstract. In the article, we discuss how the political communication and interpersonal influence found in discussion networks add to fragmentation of the political space and the strengthening of political parties at the extremes of the political continuum. To this end, we analyse the mobilisation potential held by discussion networks of people who position themselves on the margins of the left–right political spectrum and compare them with the networks of those positioned in the centre and those who do not align themselves politically. The analysis focuses on four features of discussion networks: size, homogeneity, frequency of political discussion, and frequency of trying to persuade others. The results of the analysis show the most extensive mobilisation potential is found among people in the centre of the political continuum, while people on the far right and far left have networks that are the basis of intense political communication with people holding different political views but lack opportunities for the broad network dissemination of their political views and attitudes. Keywords: discussion networks, political communication, left-right political orientation
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.
Slovenian folk pop is one of the most under-researched music genres in Slovenia. To learn more about it, we conducted research about the demographics of those who listen to it. The results show that this genre is popular principally among older, less-educated, religious, politically right-leaning people in the countryside, while it is also listened to by other segments of society, albeit to a smaller degree. We also found that there is no significant correlation between listening to folk pop and economic class and gender. This suggests that Slovenian society is stratified into various cultural formations, primarily with respect to education, religiosity, age, political affiliations and place of residence rather than economic class.
The war in Ukraine is the biggest, bloodiest and longest war in Europe since 1945. Its initial stage holds similarities with several other armed conflicts and wars in the last 50 years on Cyprus and in the territories of the former Soviet Union and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Among the cases in exYugoslavia, greatest similarity is seen with the war in Croatia (1991–1995). This conflict stemmed from two almost simultaneous breakdowns of multinational 'socialist federations' and their communist regimes that were similar in structure. The dissimilarity of the second stage of the war in Ukraine and the war in Croatia is primarily due to the processes of NATO and EU enlargement coupled with the USA's policy of using NATO enlargement and Ukraine as tools to harm and weaken Russia. The conflict about Ukraine and the promise of NATO membership given to it has become an indirect war between Russia and the US-led West, where Ukraine is the West's proxy and the main victim of the war. Like what occurred in Croatia in August 1995 and in Azerbaijan in September 2023, the final outcome of the war in Ukraine will be decided on the battlefield, not around a diplomatic table. Still, it will be very different from that in Croatia. Responsibility for the war in Ukraine and its consequences must be shared between the two direct belligerents, the co-responsible USA, and other NATO members. Keywords: Ukraine, Russia, Croatia, USA, NATO, internal war, interstate war
The particle still remains a challenge for linguists given that its meaning is determined each time it is used in a specific text. From a propositionality aspect, particles are a kind of communication by an author, including their mood; from a functional point of view, particle use can be either primarily in modal (interpersonal) or connecting (text) roles. It was particularly this communicative-pragmatic perspective, which includes the speaker or author in the system of dictionary explanations, accompanied by definitions of particles as part of speech, that featured among the many other reflections on language that occupied Prof. T. Korošec. The article therefore describes how the presentation of particles and particle use is solved in the new explanatory dictionary of standard literary Slovenian. The most comprehensive and functional semantic-circumstantial evaluation of particles can be found in lexical representation. Keywords: particles, particle use/role, modality, text, dictionary
When national authorities decide what activities will be needed to provide public goods & to what extent, they must also make a decision on the modes of allocation & distribution of public goods (which are the objects of public service provision) among users. In the practice of the EU Member States, a variety of diverse public service provision systems can be found. They vary between the public sector & the market, & they include numerous & highly diverse organizational forms of public service provision. A public enterprise is one of them. In the Slovenian legal regulation, a variety of problems arise due to the deficiencies in the existing public enterprise organization. These problems mostly result from some public enterprise status issues regulated under private law. The biggest problem of statutory regulation of the public enterprise status in Slovenia is certainly the absence of a special organizational model of the public enterprise. Adapted from the source document.
This article examines the condition of Indonesia's Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to carrying out a digital transformation, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to accelerate this transformation. This study found that Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises – MSMEs during COVID-19 have been in an unstable state due to the impact of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19related policies. Nevertheless, MSMEs have been supported by the government, academics, and digital media in efforts to revive and accelerate the digital transformation with a view to surviving. The use of social media has helped MSMEs' programmes and services optimise their business performance. Job simplification was introduced to more efficiently create and reach a broader range of consumers by doing promotion, service delivery, accessing media and cooperating with third parties. The speed at which the digital transformation has occurred is reflected in an improvement in MSMEs' entrepreneurial skills and competencies. Keywords: Digital transformation; MSME; Social Media; COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract. We examined the changing sense of control over one's life during epidemics. Using original survey data during the first lockdown in May 2020 our case study focuses on Ljubljana's multi-apartment buildings (MAB) which, due to the physical proximity of the residents and the common spaces/facilities represent a distinct case with its particular threats (infection spread) and potential resources (neighbourly support) for coping with epidemic-related problems. We found a dramatic drop in perceived control over one's life, from 75% of respondents in usual times to 35% during the pandemic. Accounting for a range of epidemic-associated occurrences in the building and among the residents our regression analysis shows their significant impact on residents' sense of control that highly exceeding those of the quality of life and of basic socio-demographic characteristics. While our case study demonstrates that the specific setting of an MAB can provide a valuable layer of human action in times of crisis, further research is needed to permit generalisations. Keywords: pandemic, perceived control over one's life, ontological security, multi-apartment buildings, wellbeing, control over one's life
The study of electoral campaigns is nowadays one of the very topical & popular themes in the field of the scientific-research work. Electoral campaigns can be defined in several ways & from several points of view. In this paper, a campaign is understood as a set of diverse activities performed to influence the electoral result. These activities can be studied according to the political-system, time-space, organizational & instrumental dimensions of their performance. The key purpose of the paper is to analyze & typologize the features of electoral campaigns of today's urban municipality mayors in Slovenia during their standing as candidates in local elections in 2006. By using various methodological & statistical approaches & tools, it was found out in the analyzed cases that electoral campaigns were an important part of the electoral process & that, according to planning features & implementing plans, they were very specific in all the studied municipalities. Because of this, the campaigns in the studied elections were characterized as particular & highly localized. Despite these particularities, four different types of campaigns were highlighted according to the groups of similar features: a) traditional campaigns; b) charismatic candidate campaigns; c) modern local campaigns & d) an intense campaign mosaic. Regardless of the particularities of the campaign activities & processes, it turned out that they played an important role at the local level of political activity. Adapted from the source document.
Agamben's paradoxical treatments of potentiality seem to leave little room for any robust theory of the subject, political or otherwise. His Aristotelian conception of potentiality entails, in the highest instance, "that potentiality constitutively is the potentiality not to (do or be)," which suggests that even if potential is realized, it is realized only by its lack of activity. Agamben's Aristotelianism is a thread that runs throughout his work, and by looking back to The Man Without Content, particularly his discussion of Marx, it is clear that the framework of potentiality means that it is impossible for him to see in Marx anything other than an odd combination of a "metaphysics of will", and man simply as a kind of natural, living being. This in turn shapes his later discussion in Homo Sacer of the entry of zoe into the polis, which founds Agamben's entire claim vis-a-vis bare life. His wager, namely that the question "In what way does the living being have language?" corresponds exactly to the question "In what way does bare life dwell in the polis?", equates the living being with its political, linguistic, and natural potentialities so completely that there seems to be no room for any kind of historically anomalous or collectively unprecedented subject, one that would break with history or disrupt everyday order. Agamben's work could easily be criticized from the standpoint of a Marxism that would stress the constructed nature of human potential and the necessity to think through forms of organization from within shifts in the nature of work. However, in order to stay closer to Agamben's Aristotelianism, it is far more productive to compare him to a thinker for whom questions of linguistic capacity and politics are also central, and also stem from a certain complex relation to naturalism, namely Paolo Virno. This paper will thus, via a careful reading of Agamben's Aristotelian conception of praxis and potentiality alongside Virno's work on the relation between language and labor, demonstrate the constitutive reasons why Agamben cannot consider any kind of substantial notion of the subject, and why Virno's more nuanced conception of capacity, which draws upon both rationalist and naturalist theories of the subject might constitute a more relevant alternative. Adapted from the source document.
