Presents a wide range of emerging models of historical interpretations of culture, including the "open house" concept of cultural history, which defines culture as high art, literature, & music -- & the "cultural encounter" model. Drawing on the centrality of Peter Burke's (1991) demand for a broad understanding of culture, some important contributions to the new cultural history are discussed. It is argued that the state, social groups, gender, & society itself are culturally constructed. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.
(Originally published in History and Theory, 1987, 26, 1-29.) It is postulated that, despite the best efforts of professional historians, there is no way of inventing a direct assessment of historical events. In fact, the professional standards of historians' honesty & professionalism are measured against the very conventions that include or exclude certain aspects of historical events. Even the thickest synchronic or quantified description must be understood by its readers as an excerpt from an explicit or implicit narrative. The desire for a source of an unprocessed story is a futile, frustrating effort, since all historical texts or materials are part of a society's cultural system. Adapted from the source document.
Perceptions of professional identity and its formation during education at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana
Professional identity in social work can be described as a collection of identifiable and enduring professional qualities of social workers that bind them together as a professional group and make them different and unique compared to other professional groups. As the social work profession is devalued and stigmatized around the world, exploring the processes involved in developing a strong and positive professional identity is of great importance. The need to explore social work professional identity has been recognized in some places abroad and has mainly focused on researching professional identity formation during social work education. This paper presents findings on the definition and role of professional identity in social work, focusing on professional identity formation during education at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana. Qualitative research on social work students' perceptions of professional identity is presented, as well as suggestions for a more frequent and discrete treatment of the topic during the education of future social workers.
Abstract. In this article we present findings from focus groups (FGs) consisting of academics and practitioners in the higher education (HE) field from different parts of the world, who debated their perceptions of the current state of the art in the HE field. The main findings, which call for further research, as well as activities of academics, practitioners and policymakers at various levels, are as follows: 1) there is a gap between basic academic research and applied research (with the latter often not meeting the appropriate conceptual level), which needs to be closed; 2) this gap is expressed also in the global context of the HE field; 3) multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity, methodological quality of both basic and applied research need to be developed and 4) scholars', practitioners' and governments' (policymakers') responsibilities need to be addressed. Keywords: higher education (HE), research, academics, practitioners, government, policy
Abstract. The present article explores the use of grammatical forms in job advertisements published over the past 60 years (1958, 1978, 1998 and 2018). A historical examination of the use of gender forms in employment is based on analysis of job advertisements published in the Slovenian language, and the particular socioeconomic context. The results show that the frequency of use of the masculine, feminine and neutral forms has not drastically altered over the decades. In general, feminine and neutral forms were used less frequently, and the masculine grammatical form consistently dominates. In 2018, the latter was seemingly 'neutralised' by adding the abbreviation M/F
Use of stimulating activities in social work with people with dementia With growing number of cases of dementia, social work with people with dementia faces new challenges in maintaining dignity in the lives of people with dementia and their families. The article discusses the importance of continuous implementation of various stimulating activities for people with dementia in homes for older people (which are also suitable for implementation in home environment), and their well-being, maintenance of self-worth and self-esteem. Stimulating activities are non-pharmacological forms of care and include various areas: daily tasks (in household and garden), physical exercise, cognitive exercises, as well as complementary activities such as: music and visual arts activities, playing with babies, incorporating modern information technologies, aromatherapy. Stimulating activities can be provided by social workers, occupational therapists and other professionals. Their goal is to maintain cognitive abilities, slow the progression of dementia, and promote well-being of people with dementia. In stimulating activities, the person with dementia, together with a professional, discovers activities that they can manage and enjoy. This leads to reduction in the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia – three states with different historical legacies and institutional frameworks – promoted labour market flexibility and active labour market policies before and during the 2008 crisis. These policies were postulated as basic poli-cies on the EU level. However, a significant change came with the COVID-19 crisis when governments in all three states implemented measures much more resembling neo-Keynesian policies. In the article, we show that the crucial mechanisms for the various labour market poli-cy choices made in these three countries were due to the two crises being of distinct types, the (non)coincidence of interests of a range of actors and classes, and the dif-ferent policy frameworks promoted by the EU. Keywords: crises, flexibility, labour market, European union, semi-periphery, COVID-19
Abstract. The purpose of the article is to open up epistemological space for revitalising the idea of democratic economic planning as a viable alternative vision. It argues that a proper development of the idea must be preceded by a comprehensive critical interrogation of a hegemonic multidimensional ideological mystification of capitalism and its markets. By utilizing Marxist and eco-socialist insights the article identifies and analyses several central ideological mystifications that enact an epistemic closure. These range from the obfuscation of capitalism's role in creating the climate crisis as an inherently unsustainable system, to the mystification of its non-evolutionary origins, to the obfuscation of the role economic planning plays in contemporary capitalism, to the mystification of markets as ideal spaces of freedom and innovation obfuscating the ever present market-related oppression, exploitation and environmental devastation, and to silencing concrete historical examples of democratic economic planning such as project Cybersyn that should serve as an inspiration for imagining an alternative order. Keywords: climate change, ideological mystification, democratic economic planning, capitalism, neoliberalism
Abstract. The challenge of ensuring the space environment's long-term sustainability in the context of the exploration and commercialisation of outer space raises several important issues and dimensions with respect to both international environmental law and sustainable development. The research question analyses the extent to which such exploration benefits humanity and expands the province of all humankind. In this article, historical achievements of the international legal framework governing the area of space exploration are presented. Opportunities for further developing and strengthening this framework to ensure the cooperative, transparent, inclusive and equitable development of space exploration are deliberated, notably those that do not limit the interests and opportunities of space-faring countries. The key finding and proposition of this article is that while discussing the need to improve and strengthen the international regulatory framework, developing countries' needs and interests should also be effectively incorporated. More equitable, inclusive and sustainable development is as much in the interest of developed countries as it is of developing countries. Keywords: The Outer Space Treaty, space law, UNCOPUOS, space commercialisation, Sustainable Development Goals, inclusive and balanced development, international environmental law
Abstract. The Covid-19 crisis that hit the USA especially hard was accompanied by intensified anti-Chinese racism fuelled by the anti-Chinese rhetoric used by the Trump Administration. Although Trump's political opponents blamed him for having mismanaged the pandemic response, the anti-Chinese stance was a bipartisan issue. The article aims to analyse anti-Chinese racism in its systemic and historical dimensions. It examines the nature and strategic utility of antiChinese racism for past, the Trump, and future administrations as well as for America's elites generally. It is shown that anti-Chinese racism was substantially transformed during the pandemic and above all utilised to address the general destabilisation of the US-dominated socio-political and socio-economic order both at home and globally. China's growing importance around the world and the potential domestic destabilisation of the US mean that the strategic utility of anti-Chinese racism may well remain important for some time to come. Keywords: Covid-19 crisis, Trump's presidency, antiChinese racism, systemic racism, foreign policy
The democratisation and economic growth of the Asian Tigers, specifically South Korea and Taiwan, brought structural changes to the academic systems of these countries, particularly in the fields of political science and international relations. The article aims to provide a comprehensive and hybrid view on the regularity of political science in the academic environments (university systems) of East Asian countries with a focus on South Korea and Taiwan through the observational analysis method and a historical-sociological mechanism. The findings are summarised, where it is argued that the pentagonal democratic citizenship system (legal, political, cultural, social, economic) as well as the establishing of structural and updated political-economic relations with the main powers in the international system are the two crtitcial factors that have contributed to the adjustment of political science in East Asian countries, including South Korea and Taiwan. The article concludes that, along with the international and domestic developments in South Korea and Taiwan, political science underwent structural changes and is becoming more regulated and structured. Keywords: South Korea, Taiwan, political science, democracy, institution
Abstract. The objective of the article was to evaluate the relationship between the Covid-19 pandemic and globalisation (GLO) and de-globalisation (de-GLO) tendencies. Based on a theoretical evaluation of this relationship as well as historical development, it concludes that Covid-19 is not the mother of de-GLO but its child, born in a completely new global context facilitating the pandemic. The roots of the pandemic's conception are more deeply embedded in the capitalist system, in its principal elements (market system, consumerist development model…). GLO as a global division of labour is not over; the factors enhancing GLO are winning over those slowing it down, provided that GLO becomes more egalitarian and more human. A fully-fledged de-GLO would be inefficient and painful. While the pandemic is not a black swan, it could have been predicted. Such an unprecedented crisis impersonated by the pandemic also offers an opportunity to fundamentally rethink of our theories, way of life and development paradigm and, not the least, the whole system to be better prepared for future similar crises. Keywords: Globalisation, de-globalisation, Covid-19, development model, anthropocentrism, system, history of GLO, future of GLO, post pandemic