The aim of this paper is to present the Frankfurt School's critique of mass culture. The authors particularly seek to demonstrate that critical theory provides a specific interpretation of Marxist philosophy, reinterprets some of its central economic and political notions such as production, distribution, fetishization, consumption and also attempts to illuminate the place and the role of culture industry within global culture. As a conclusion it is argued that the Frankfurt School's approach, while it is still useful to social science programs, tends to be overlooked by social theorists.
The article starts with a series of questions concerning the relations between particular levels of adjustment and the forms and contents of the youths' participation in culture. Having commented on basic dilemmas of contemporary adjustment, the author distinguished and discussed five basic types of the youths' participation in culture, determined according to the criterion of the level of social adjustment. The first (the lowest) level consists in participation in massand pop-culture in institutional frames, with the elements of revolt and individualism. A characteristic feature of the second level of adjustment is the past association with local cultural institutions and the present participation in cultural institutions of more universal character. A determinant of the third level of adjustment is cultural superficiality and syncretism. The essence of the fourth level of adjustment is the continuity of interests and the past participation in school extracurricular activities. Finaly, a characteristic symptom of the fifth (the highest) level of adjustment is the autotelic (in the past) and pragmatic (at present) character of the reading habit. The article ends with the confrontation of the adjustment levels with the character of the youths' participation in culture. In that part the author synthetically discusses the stages and periods of adjustment in relation to the types of participation in culture. Here, the author distinguished eight types of participation in culture, starting from the simplest one (habitual), characterized by the mere participation in mass culture, and ending with the fullest and comprehensive participation, characterized i.a. by one's own creative activity. 10
This report discusses the following topics: the system of vocational education in societies and economies based on knowledge and creativity; emerging challenges for vocational training systems; support for adapting vocational schools for socio-economic trends; support through human capital management for vocational teachers; support for creating a culture of employability; employability; concept, characteristics and relationships with security in the labor market; lifelong learning and the creation of work-life balance of teachers and instructors of vocational schools; approaches to shape the structure of employment in the system of vocational educatio; reconversion and outplacement of teachers and instructors of apprenticeship; opportunities for vocational teachers outside the public education system.
Adolescence is the most complicated period during the human being life. At that time, the physiological, social and emotional processes of maturation occur. Shortly speaking, the entire human personality is being formed. Moreover, in that period a young person is prone to all kinds of influences, especially the peer group. To impress and win its recognition sometimes they intend to hurt other students physically and mentally - it is bullying. Experiencing this phenomenon in the school demonstrates the growing discomfort of the young generation. Analysis of the school reality allows looking closer at the connections existing between the crisis of adolescence and youth in this form of violence. In Western literature, this phenomenon is often associated with the term "disagio" psycho-physical condition closely related to the crisis of the adolescence period. Reasons of this state should be traced, for example in the deprivation of access to culture, socio-economic marginalization, and family and interpersonal problems. All of it makes it impossible or difficult to meet important needs for the individual that may determine the development of chronic disagio and deviant behavior, even in school.
The article presents a review focusing on key issues discussed within the disciple of moral education. It is regarded as a subsystem of education policy, and in a wider sense, public policy. It shows the main phenomenon, trends, ongoing discussions as well as conceptual disputes in two Anglo-Saxon countries as well as in Poland. The type and content of the article results from the fact that the Polish scientific literature almost lacks the texts dedicated to moral education. This kind of issues is partially analysed with pedagogy but its conceptual frame is different from that of public policy. The latter is focused on the school perspective and its potential to influence students' attitudes and values.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment emphasizes the importance of sociolinguistic competence. Knowledge about a society and its culture is a part of general knowledge about the world. Therefore, it is especially important for a learner of a language to acquire socio-cultural knowledge. There are a lot of stereotypes about a country, its culture and society among its neighbours. Learning Polish in Lithuania promotes a better understanding of Polish culture and helps to overcome stereotypes. Both countries have the common history; however, Lithuanian society's perception of the Poles is not always rational. The public opinion polls show that Lithuanians perceive the Poles worse than they perceive Russians. Does learning the Polish language provide the opportunity to understand the country and the culture as well as to reassess the views on the Poles? The students, who have been learning the Polish language for three semesters (A1-B1) at VMU, were asked to share their opinion. The questions were the following: Why did they choose to learn Polish? What did they know about Poland and Polish culture before the course? What are their insights into Poland after the course? The students were not satisfied with their knowledge about Poland prior to starting the course. It should be noted that they assessed their knowledge on the subject from the perspective of three semesters. In the meantime, some students went to the Summer School of the Polish Language and Culture in Poland and had an opportunity to visit Warsaw. The students, who completed B2 course of the Polish language, have changed their views and perceptions of Poland and its culture. The learning of the language has become an opportunity to learn about Poland and its culture and enabled students to evaluate the country very positively. [.]
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment emphasizes the importance of sociolinguistic competence. Knowledge about a society and its culture is a part of general knowledge about the world. Therefore, it is especially important for a learner of a language to acquire socio-cultural knowledge. There are a lot of stereotypes about a country, its culture and society among its neighbours. Learning Polish in Lithuania promotes a better understanding of Polish culture and helps to overcome stereotypes. Both countries have the common history; however, Lithuanian society's perception of the Poles is not always rational. The public opinion polls show that Lithuanians perceive the Poles worse than they perceive Russians. Does learning the Polish language provide the opportunity to understand the country and the culture as well as to reassess the views on the Poles? The students, who have been learning the Polish language for three semesters (A1-B1) at VMU, were asked to share their opinion. The questions were the following: Why did they choose to learn Polish? What did they know about Poland and Polish culture before the course? What are their insights into Poland after the course? The students were not satisfied with their knowledge about Poland prior to starting the course. It should be noted that they assessed their knowledge on the subject from the perspective of three semesters. In the meantime, some students went to the Summer School of the Polish Language and Culture in Poland and had an opportunity to visit Warsaw. The students, who completed B2 course of the Polish language, have changed their views and perceptions of Poland and its culture. The learning of the language has become an opportunity to learn about Poland and its culture and enabled students to evaluate the country very positively. [.]
The national identity of Poles living in the Grodno region began to manifest itself in the early 1990s as a continuation of the tendency to promote national movements, encouraged by the Soviet Union. After Belarus became independent, Poles have had more opportunities to develop their national culture, and they have began to actively set up numerous minority organizations, open Polish schools and Polish houses, etc. Poles were the most numerous, yet one of many minorities living in the Grodno region, and they have harmoniously integrated with this highly ethnically diversified society. The conflicts emerging within the Union of Poles of Belarus, which receive so much attention in the Polish media, reflect internal conflicts in one of numerous Polish organizations operating in the Grodno region, and they should not affect the situation of all Poles in Belarus. ; The national identity of Poles living in the Grodno region began to manifest itself in the early 1990s as a continuation of the tendency to promote national movements, encouraged by the Soviet Union. After Belarus became independent, Poles have had more opportunities to develop their national culture, and they have began to actively set up numerous minority organizations, open Polish schools and Polish houses, etc. Poles were the most numerous, yet one of many minorities living in the Grodno region, and they have harmoniously integrated with this highly ethnically diversified society. The conflicts emerging within the Union of Poles of Belarus, which receive so much attention in the Polish media, reflect internal conflicts in one of numerous Polish organizations operating in the Grodno region, and they should not affect the situation of all Poles in Belarus.
The purpose of the research described in this work was to attempt to show transformations of pre-school education in Łódź after Poland had regained independence in 1918. The research was focused on the issue of organising pre-school education by Łódź local government, when the only institutions for pre-school children in Łódź included social shelters run by charitable organizations, parishes, communities of various denominations, and private individuals. Others issues included the stimuli and circumstances which decided about the organization of the first and the subsequent twelve municipal kindergartens in Łódź. The research was based on source materials kept in the National Archive in Łódź; the analysis included documents collected there (mainly documents of the Department of Education and Culture of the Municipal Board of Łódź). As a result, it was concluded that in 1922 the Board started pedagogical supervision of app. 15 community kindergartens and the inspection of their operation revealed many oversights. That issue became the main reason for action taken by the Łódź local government aimed at opening municipal pre-school institutions. The research has led to the conclusion that the transformations which could be observed in pre-school education after 1918 include, most of all, an attempt to standardize the pedagogical aspects of the operation of community shelters with a various status and to increase the level of education through regular supervision and methodological improvement, as well as starting a network of kindergartens in the city by opening the first municipal kindergarten in 1924. ; Celem badań w niniejszym szkicu była próba ukazania przeobrażeń w dziedzinie wychowania przedszkolnego w Łodzi po odzyskaniu niepodległości w 1918 r. Problem badawczy stanowiła kwestia organizowania edukacji przedszkolnej przez łódzki samorząd, kiedy jedynymi placówkami dla dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym w mieście były ochronki społeczne, prowadzone przez organizacje filantropijne, parafie i społeczności różnych wyznań oraz osoby prywatne. Innym zagadnieniem było to, jakie impulsy i okoliczności zadecydowały o zorganizowaniu pierwszej i 12 kolejnych miejskich placówek przedszkolnych w Łodzi. W poszukiwaniu odpowiedzi sięgnięto do materiału źródłowego stanowiącego zasób Archiwum Państwowego w Łodzi, poddając analizie badawczej zgromadzone tam dokumenty (głównie Wydziału Oświaty i Kultury Zarządu m. Łodzi). W wyniku badań stwierdzono, że w roku 1922 zarząd miejski objął nadzorem pedagogicznym około 15 społecznych placówek przedszkolnych, ale kontrole ich pracy wychowawczej wykazywały wiele uchybień. Ta kwestia stała się głównym impulsem do podjęcia przez łódzki samorząd działań ukierunkowanych na zakładanie własnych instytucji wychowania przedszkolnego. Wniosek z badań: przeobrażenia, jakie można odnotować w obszarze edukacji przedszkolnej po 1918 r., to przede wszystkim próba ujednolicenia działalności pedagogicznej ochronek społecznych o różnym statusie, podniesienie poziomu pracy wychowawczej przez systematyczny nadzór i doskonalenie metodyczne oraz zapoczątkowanie – poprzez powołanie w 1924 r. pierwszego miejskiego przedszkola – sieci placówek przedszkolnych w mieście.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to compare the criticism of Poland and Poles in the thought of the early National Democracy (on the example of J. L. Popławski) and the Cracow school (on the example of M. Bobrzyński). THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The research problem is an attempt to answer the question about Poland in the context of Europe: according to which patterns should Polish political culture be evaluated, since both thinkers agree that the patterns of Polish political culture are different from European ones and generate a faulty status quo? The basic method is the analysis of source texts and their interpretation by later authors. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: Bobrzyński's starting point is Europe, while Popławski's is Poland. The difference in perspective generates two different projects for building a modern Polish society. RESEARCH RESULTS: The main conclusion of the analysis is the thesis about the internal character of criticism of Poland and Poles in the thought of J. L. Popławski. He formulates a thesis about the "backwardness" of Poland, and thus the need for "modernisation", i.e. the modernization of Polish patriotism but the starting point of analysis is Polish political culture. The article shows the differences in the placement of "economic virtues" in the catalog of human and civil duties. It's describes the grassroots, "power of the commons (gminowładcze)" conditions of effective political power in Poland and postulates bridging of the social gap between the intellectual elite ("lordly civilization") and the rest of society ("civilization of commons"). WNIOSKI, INNOWACJE, REKOMENDACJE: Artykuł może się przysłużyć refleksji nad współczesnymi przemianami modernizacyjnymi zachodzącymi w społeczeństwie polskim; z jednej strony sugeruje potrzebę zmiany cywilizacyjnej z drugiej pokazuje granice tej zmiany. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The article may prompt a reflection on contemporary modernization changes taking place in Polish society; on one hand side, ...
The aim of this article is to compare the criticism of Poland and Poles in the thought of the early National Democracy (on the example of J.L. Popławski) and the Krakow school (on the example of M. Bobrzyński). The research problem is an attempt to answer the question about Poland in the context of Europe: according to which patterns should Polish political culture be evaluated, since both thinkers agree that the patterns of Polish political culture are different from European ones and generate a faulty status quo? The basic method is the analysis of source texts and their interpretation by later authors. Bobrzyński's starting point is Europe, while Popławski's is Poland. The difference in perspective generates two different projects for building a modern Polish society. The main conclusion of the analysis is the thesis about the internal character of criticism of Poland and Poles in the thought of J.L. Popławski. He formulates a thesis about the "backwardness" of Poland, and thus the need for "modernization," i.e. the modernization of Polish patriotism but the starting point of analysis is Polish political culture. The article shows the differences in the placement of "economic virtues" in the catalog of human and civil duties. It's describes the grassroots, "power of the commons" (gminowładcze) conditions of effective political power in Poland and postulates bridging of the social gap between the intellectual elite ("lordly civilization") and the rest of society ("civilization of commons"). The article may prompt a reflection on contemporary modernization changes taking place in Polish society; on one hand side, it suggests the need for civilization change, on the other hand side, it shows the limits of it. ; Celem artykułu jest porównanie krytyki Polski i Polaków w myśli wczesnoendeckiej (na przykładzie J.L. Popławskiego) i szkoły krakowskiej (na przykładzie M. Bobrzyńskiego). Problemem badawczym jest próba odpowiedzi na pytanie o Polskę w kontekście Europy: według jakich wzorców dokonać ewaluacji polskiej ...
The Institute for Scholarly Research on Eastern Europe in Wilno functioned from 1930 to 1939. It was established on the initiative of Stefan Ehrenkreutz and other professors of the Department of Law and Social Sciences at Stefan Batory University in Wilno. A Higher School of Political Science was established at the same time as the Institute. Members of the Institute consisted of notable Polish scholars, writers, journalists along with social and political activists. The Institute's purpose was to conduct research on economic, cultural, social and political questions, to research the formation of government structures in the lands between the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as to study the peoples of these lands and to propagate this knowledge. In this connection the Institute acquired impressive library collections of the newest literature on these topics. It organized public readings and presentations. It published two scholarly magazines, "The Yearbook of the Institute for Scholarly Research on Eastern Europe in Wilno" and "Balticoslavica", along with a series of books. It formed and maintained contacts with many scholars, institutions and academic associations both in Poland and abroad. In the relative short period of time during which it operated, the Institute became an important scholarly center and made a significant contribution to the research of events, politics, culture and the economies of neighboring countries.
The Institute for Scholarly Research on Eastern Europe in Wilno functioned from 1930 to 1939. It was established on the initiative of Stefan Ehrenkreutz and other professors of the Department of Law and Social Sciences at Stefan Batory University in Wilno. A Higher School of Political Science was established at the same time as the Institute. Members of the Institute consisted of notable Polish scholars, writers, journalists along with social and political activists. The Institute's purpose was to conduct research on economic, cultural, social and political questions, to research the formation of government structures in the lands between the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as to study the peoples of these lands and to propagate this knowledge. In this connection the Institute acquired impressive library collections of the newest literature on these topics. It organized public readings and presentations. It published two scholarly magazines, "The Yearbook of the Institute for Scholarly Research on Eastern Europe in Wilno" and "Balticoslavica", along with a series of books. It formed and maintained contacts with many scholars, institutions and academic associations both in Poland and abroad. In the relative short period of time during which it operated, the Institute became an important scholarly center and made a significant contribution to the research of events, politics, culture and the economies of neighboring countries.
