Suchergebnisse

The image of the European culture is given by the association of the concepts people – culture – history – territory, which provides certain local features. From this relation, we identify a cultural area with local, regional and national features beyond a certain European culture. Thus, we identify at least two cultural identity constructions on the European level: a culture of cultures, that is a cultural area with a particular, local, regional and national strong identity, or a cultural archipelago, that is a common yet disrupted cultural area. Whatever the perspective, the existence of a European cultural area cannot be denied, although one may speak of diversity or of "disrupted continuity".
The paper is a survey on the European cultural space in two aspects: 1. Europe with internal cultural border areas; 2. Europe as external cultural-identity border area. From a methodological point of view, we have to point out that despite the two-levelled approach the two conceptual constructions do not exclude each other: the concept of "culture of cultures" designs both a particular and a general identity area. The specific of the European culture is provided precisely by diversity and multiculturalism as means of expression on local, regional, or national levels. Consequently, the European cultural area is an area with a strong identity on both particular and general levels.

Scopul acestui studiu este de a identifica argumentele realismului stiintific, formulate de catre Alexander Wendt, pe baza carora statul se defineste ca persoana sau ca actor in sistemul de state. Voi vorbi despre aceste argumente si motivele pentru care acestea pot explica comportamentul statelorca actori rationali. In prima parte mi-am propus sa identific componentele teoretice din cadrul realismului stiintific, conform carora statele sunt autoorganizate, seamana cu organismele biologice, adica au o structura interna cu elemente constituente functionale care actioneaza in sens colectiv in virtutea reproducerii si supravietuirii sistemului, iar spre exterior acestea isi stabilesc limite/granite pentru a se defini ca o identitate. Pe baza componentelor biologice ale sistemului voi identifica si componenta cognitiva a unui stat, ceea ce il defineste ca o persoana psihologica cu interese, constiinta si memorie, astfel elementele constituente actioneaza in sensul supravietuirii identitatii colective. Fiind date functiile cognitive ale statului acesta isi va putea proiecta si strategii de relationare cu ceilalti actori statali. In a doua sectiune a lucrarii voi vorbi despre paradigma realismului ofensiv, din cadrul relatiilor internationale. Astfel pe baza structurii teoretice din realismul stiintific voi extrage conceptele cheie si le voi operationaliza, sau cel putin le voi asocia cu asumptiile mai aplicate din realismul ofensiv formulate de John J. Mearsheimer care susþine ca principalul factor motivant pentru state in sistemul international il reprezinta dorinta de putere astfel voi testa asumptia principala a lucrarii conform careia statele sunt persoane supradimensionate.

The Church-State relationships in EU Member States are in a process of a radical transformation. This is the result of a rapid political integration and also of the major transformations of the modernity. Religion is still part of the European public space even if, according to modernity premises, it should be only a private matter. According to Max Weber and other authors, secularization diminishes the role of the religion in society. However, these theories are being contested in recent years, due to the interpretation of statistical data and to the emergence of fundamentalist religious movements spreading around the world. Consequently, secularization is a tendency and not an "iron law". As regards the current role of the religion, Silvio Ferrari developed the theory according to which there is a common European model. This model does not exist yet, but certainly we live in an era defined by the continuous searching of such a model. There is no European identity without common values. Some of these values, like toleration, do have a profound religious foundation. European integration is based on the action of different actors, including interest groups located in Brussels. The Churches and the religious organizations are also part of this category of actors and they try to be part of a process by which a common space for consultation will emerge.

Cultural heritage represents an essential component of human identity, and as a part of of the contemporary world, it has both symbolic and economic value. Cultural heritage is finite and non-renewable though, being endangered due to recent conflicts and due to the way it is perceived. This article analyses how different political regimes have influenced the way Iraqi and Syrian cultural heritage has been perceived, preserved, protected and even destroyed, starting with internal laws, institutions responsible of heritage administration and the people who led them, in the attempt of demonstrating that continuous attempt to impose a cultural unity can have unwanted consequences.