The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This research is relevant to local communities, municipality office workers. Problem of this research - functional local community in the self-governing) system. Author has inquired on what factors it depends that some communities are functional and others non-functional. Author searched ways to improve process of collaboration between local communities and municipality. The main objective was analysis of the concept of community to reveal the local community functionality determinants of these factors impact on the local community and local government relations. The following tasks were raised: 1. Examine the theoretical context of community. 2. Define the local community functionality determinants. 3. Discuss municipality and local community relationship and forms of their cooperation. Create a theoretical functional local community and government relationship model. 4. Empirical investigation of Šilutės district municipality and analyzing the impact of cooperation with the authorities of local communities functionality. The literature analysis showed that this feeling of community is background of citizenship, also clarified the concept of different community types. In this work showed importance of functional determinants of the local community and management methods importance of functional local communities. The empirical study found that the smooth relations between local communities and municipalities should be based on the basic management functions - planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It revealed that the municipality could help local communities in project activities, purchase of certain services from them. Meanwhile, the parish becomes an intermediate link between the two institutions. Cooperation process improves and the same local communities. Local communities and municipalities to improve relations has been developed a practical model of cooperation between local communities and municipalities. The work consists of two parts - practical and empirical.
This research is relevant to local communities, municipality office workers. Problem of this research - functional local community in the self-governing) system. Author has inquired on what factors it depends that some communities are functional and others non-functional. Author searched ways to improve process of collaboration between local communities and municipality. The main objective was analysis of the concept of community to reveal the local community functionality determinants of these factors impact on the local community and local government relations. The following tasks were raised: 1. Examine the theoretical context of community. 2. Define the local community functionality determinants. 3. Discuss municipality and local community relationship and forms of their cooperation. Create a theoretical functional local community and government relationship model. 4. Empirical investigation of Šilutės district municipality and analyzing the impact of cooperation with the authorities of local communities functionality. The literature analysis showed that this feeling of community is background of citizenship, also clarified the concept of different community types. In this work showed importance of functional determinants of the local community and management methods importance of functional local communities. The empirical study found that the smooth relations between local communities and municipalities should be based on the basic management functions - planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It revealed that the municipality could help local communities in project activities, purchase of certain services from them. Meanwhile, the parish becomes an intermediate link between the two institutions. Cooperation process improves and the same local communities. Local communities and municipalities to improve relations has been developed a practical model of cooperation between local communities and municipalities. The work consists of two parts - practical and empirical.
