Suchergebnisse

This book explores how identities, public spheres and collective memories are being transformed in cross-border areas, contributing to the broad sociological context of Europeanization. Offering case studies on the German-Czech-Austrian, and Czech-Polish-German borderlands, the book introduces original primary data on cross-border cooperation. This data is interpreted using the concept of active borders, which approaches borders as a source of multicultural competence and cognitive capacity. In turn, the authors argue that Europeans need to treat borders, both territorial and symbolic, as specific cultural forms. Active borders allow an unprecedented level of cross-border cooperation and integration, and foster a better understanding of differences, rather than re-embedding them or constructing others. Accordingly, the authors contend that active borders promote more dynamic, open and resilient societies, and represent crucial prerequisites for the success of the European integration project

The article attempts to offer a framework for understanding the interdependence between modern civil society and the democratic state in its complexity. The author seeks inspiration mainly from two very significant sources-in Toqueville's social theory and in Giddens' theory of reflexive modernity. In the first stage the author summarises basic arguments in empirical discussions on the civil society concept. In the second stage he offers the overview of a robust normative perspective of the concept and, in the third stage, he tries to outline the complex interpretative framework for an empirical analysis of state-civil society relations. The author follows the ambition of overcoming to a certain extent the crucial sociological paradox between the macro- and micro- sociological approaches and considering both the functional-structural perspective and the empirical point of view of the civil society concept. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

A review essay on books by (1) Ondrej Cisar, Politicky aktivismus v Ceske republice ([Political Activism in the Czech Republic] Brno: CDK, Center for Democracy and Culture, 2008); (2) Radim Marada, Kultura protestu a politizace kazdodennosti ([Brno: CDK, Center for Democracy and Culture, 2003); (3) Jiri, Priban, Pravi symbolismus: O pravu, casu a evropske identite ([Legal Symbolism: On Law, Time and European Identity] Prague: Filosofia, 2003); (4) Jacek Raciborski [Ed], Elty rzqdowe III RP 1997-2004 ([Government Elites of the Third Polish Republic 1997-2004] Warsaw: Trio, 2006) & (5) Jadwiga Staniszkis, O wladzy i bezsilnosci ([On Power and Powerlessness] Krakow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2006).