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The author looks into one of the most important concepts in the last decade of comparative research: social capital. The concept of social capital was originally developed in sociology, where it denotes potential benefits that individuals enjoy, derived from their involvement in various social networks. This concept was fully utilized in the field of comparative politics into which it was "introduced" by Robert Putnam in Making Democracy Work, in which he presents the results of his research in which he establishes a positive link between social capital -- embodied in the norms of generalized reciprocity, horizontal networks, & trust -- & higher levels of democratic efficiency. In the last decade, the concept has been used in a number of studies in comparative politics, the starting point of which was the thesis that spatial & temporal differences in the levels of political efficiency may, at least partly, be explained by the level of social capital of a community. By comparing the concepts of political culture & social capital, the author concludes that social capital is a major conceptual innovation in comparative politics & represents a revival of social/cultural variables in comparative analysis. 63 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author looks into one of the most important concepts in the last decade of comparative research: social capital. The concept of social capital was originally developed in sociology, where it denotes potential benefits that individuals enjoy, derived from their involvement in various social networks. This concept was fully utilized in the field of comparative politics into which it was "introduced" by Robert Putnam in Making Democracy Work, in which he presents the results of his research in which he establishes a positive link between social capital -- embodied in the norms of generalized reciprocity, horizontal networks, & trust -- & higher levels of democratic efficiency. In the last decade, the concept has been used in a number of studies in comparative politics, the starting point of which was the thesis that spatial & temporal differences in the levels of political efficiency may, at least partly, be explained by the level of social capital of a community. By comparing the concepts of political culture & social capital, the author concludes that social capital is a major conceptual innovation in comparative politics & represents a revival of social/cultural variables in comparative analysis. 63 References. Adapted from the source document.

U radu se razmatra koncept kombinirane socijalne politike, u kontekstu potencijala koje koncept otvara u području službi podrške za osobe s invaliditetom. Definirajući koncepte kombinirane socijalne politike te socijalnog modela invaliditeta, analizira se međusobna povezanost i slična vrijednosna utemeljenost oba koncepta. Primjena kombiniranog pristupa prema osobama s invaliditetom prema suvremenim načelima neodvojiva je od razvoja socijalnog kapitala lokalnih zajednica te primjena nije moguća bez uključivanja korisnika u procese odlučivanja i provođenja programa socijalnih usluga. Navode se dileme o budućnosti razvoja kombinirane socijalne politike te se kratko osvrće i na moguće trendove u daljnjem razvoju službi za osobe s invaliditetom. Potvrđuje se adekvatnost kombinirane socijalne politike kao prikladnog okvira za razvoj suvremenih službi podrške za osobe s invaliditetom. ; This paper considers the concept of welfare mix in the context of its potential in the field of services for people with disabilities. Through defining the concepts of welfare mix and social model of disability, the author analyses connections and similarities between these two concepts. Influences of welfare mix on operationalization of social model of disability are being analysed. Application of welfare mix towards people with disabilities is inseparable from the development of social capital of local communities. Also, the application of welfare mix in the sense of a social model of disability is unthinkable without models of including service users in the process of decision making about delivering programs of social services. Finally, there are certain dilemmas about the future development of welfare mix which are being reviewed in the context of disability groups. The author concludes by confirming welfare mix to be an adequate framework for developing modern services for people with disabilities.

U radu se razmatra potencijalni doprinos socijalnih inovacija jačanju socijalne kohezije i ublažavanju učinaka krize. U politikama i programima financiranja Europske unije socijalne inovacije prepoznaju se kao važan doprinos jačanju socijalne kohezije, koja slabi uslijed krize i povećane socijalne ranjivosti. Istovremeno, pokazuje se da su socijalne inovacije u hrvatskom kontekstu i dalje slabo poznat koncept priređivačima politika, stručnjacima i široj javnosti. Nalazi i zaključci rada temelje se na empirijskom istraživanju provedenom u okviru međunarodnog FP7 projekta WILCO – Welfare Innovations at Local Levels in Favour of Cohesion, unutar kojeg su studirani izabrani gradovi (u Hrvatskoj su to bili Zagreb i Varaždin); obilježja njihovih socijalnih sustava te su analizirani identificirani primjeri socijalnih inovacija. Lokalni socijalni sustavi gradova u istraživanju tek djelomično odražavaju karakteristike nacionalnih socijalnih režima, a otvorenost i podrška lokalnih vlasti ključna je za razvoj i održivost socijalnih inovacija. Većina istraživanih inovacija je u području usluga, iako se inovacije prepoznaju i u inovativnim instrumentima regulacije i socijalnih prava, novim oblicima vladavine te novim modalitetima rada i financiranja organizacija te one mogu utjecati na postupne promjene samih lokalnih socijalnih sustava. U hrvatskom kontekstu razlikujemo tri tipa socijalnih inovacija: (1) inovacije koje nastaju u javnom sektoru, uz podršku stručnjaka izvan sektora, (2) inovacije koje dolaze iz inozemstva, kao rezultat inozemnih financijskih programa te (3) inovacije koje dolaze iz civilnog društva, temeljem samoorganizacije građana. Dok se u primjerima nekih zapadnoeuropskih gradova javni sektor sa svojim profesionalnim kapacitetima prepoznaje kao važan proizvođač socijalnih inovacija, u Hrvatskoj prijašnja iskustva te istraživanja provedena u projektu sugeriraju da većina socijalnih inovacija dolazi iz civilnog društva, pri čemu je razina kulturnog i socijalnog kapitala važan preduvjet razvoja i uspjeha inovacija. ; This paper discusses a potential contribution of social innovations to strengthening social cohesion and mitigating the effects of the crisis. In EU funding policies and programs, social innovations are recognized as an important contribution to strengthening of social cohesion, which has weakened due to the crisis and increasing social vulnerability. At the same time, it is shown that social innovations in the Croatian context are still a concept poorly understood by policy creators, experts, and the general public. The findings and conclusions of the paper are based on the empirical research conducted within the international FP7 project WILCO - Welfare Innovations at Local Levels in Favour of Cohesion, which studied the selected towns (in Croatia Zagreb and Varaždin) and characteristics of their social systems, and which analyzed identified examples of social innovations. Local social systems of cities included in the research reflected the characteristics of national welfare regimes only partially, and the openness and support of local authorities is crucial for the development and sustainability of social innovations. Most of the studied innovations were in the field of services, although innovations were also recognized in innovative instruments of regulation and social rights, the new forms of governance and new modes of work and funding of organizations, and they can have an impact on the gradual changes of the local social systems. In the Croatian context, three types of social innovations can be distinguished: (1) innovations occurring in the public sector, with the support of experts from outside the industry, (2) innovations that come from abroad, as a result of foreign financial programs, and (3) innovations coming from civil society, based on the self-organization of citizens. While in the examples of some Western European cities the public sector with its professional capacity is recognized as an important producer of social innovations, in Croatia, past experiences and the research conducted within the project suggest that most social innovations come from civil society, where the level of cultural and social capital is an important prerequisite for the development and success of innovations.

The concept of social capital (SC) has gained wide acceptance & usage in social sciences, particularly in sociology, political science & institutional economics. This paper reconsiders the dynamics of social capital in Croatia presented in a previous article (Stulhofer, 2001). Using data from the two cross-national social science research projects (World Values Survey -- Croatia 1995 & South East European Social Survey, 2003), the author analyses changes in generalized trust, trust in institutions, & membership in civic associations during the 1995 2003 period. The findings point to a decrease in SC, which can not be solely attributed to the situational effects of war present in 1995. The strongest predictor of the negative dynamics of SC in Croatia remains the perception of corruption within state institutions. 6 Tables, 33 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author analyzes the relationship between political science & political education by identifying the fundamental contributions of political science to the design, implementation, & promotion of political education & lists the most significant political science arguments proving the necessity of political education. Drawing on research by Putnam, Ostroom, & others, he tries to show how the so-called social capital, to a large extent inclusive of the contents of democratic political culture, is a major factor in the efficient operation of democratic government & in the political development of democracy. The three most important issues (dimensions) of politics that compose the axis of political education are analyzed in detail, dealing with the relationships between politics & democracy, citizenship & identity, & cohesion & diversity (fragmentation & pluralization) in society. The answers to these questions (liberal, communitarian, republican, postmodern) influence the concept of political education: its terms, goals, programs, methods, & other aspects of its implementation. The author stresses the complexity of these dimensions & consequently the sensitivity of political education. Adapted from the source document.

U ovom radu tvrdim kako je za istočnu Europu istovremeno prisustvo slabih država i slabih društava ključna prepreka s kojom se analitičari i reformatori moraju suočiti. Razumijevanje drugih normativno važnih procesa bit će nepotpuno bez osviještenog razmišljanja o ovom problemu i njegovim implikacijama. Ovaj rad pokušava artikulirati "relacijski" pristup državi i društvu. Uz to rad daje tipologiju mogućih obrazaca odnosa između države i društva ovisno o tome je li država slaba ili jaka i je li društvo slabo ili jako. Predstavljaju se komparativni podaci kako bi se dala empirijska podrška tezama. Na kraju rad skicira dva reformska pristupa koja bi mogla omogućiti razbijanje začaranog kruga koji nastaje u kontekstu slabih država i slabih društava. ; This paper argues that, for Eastern Europe, the simultaneous presence of weak governments and weak societies is a crucial obstacle which must be faced by analysts and reformers. The understanding of other normatively significant processes will be deficient without a consciousness-raising deliberation on this problem and its implications. This paper seeks to articulate the "relational" approach to state and society. In addition, the paper lays out a typology of possible patterns of relationship between state and society, dependent on whether the state is weak or strong and whether society is weak or strong. Comparative data are presented in order to provide an empirical support for the theses. Finally, the paper outlines two reform approaches which could enable breaking the vicious circle emerging in the context of weak governments and weak societies.

Tradicionalna hipoteza životnog ciklusa vjeruje da starenje stanovništva ne samo da smanjuje razinu društvene štednje, već negativno utječe i na gospodarski rast. Međutim, čimbenik ljudskih kapitala može promijeniti mehanizam utjecaja na promjene strukture stanovništva. Ova studija pokušava se usredotočiti na specifičan čimbenik poboljšanja zdravih ljudskih kapitala (HHC), endogenim tretmanom stope plodnosti i stope preživljavanja, s obzirom na očekivanu starosnu dob racionalnog pojedinca, kako bi se, de facto, istražio njegov utjecaj na stopu štednje i gospodarski rast uz primjenu panel podataka među-provincija Kine od 1996. do 2012. godine u cilju provjere inherente logičke veze između brzog poboljšanja HHC-a i modela "visokog rasta s visokim uštedama". Rezultati ovog istraživanja su sljedeći: poboljšanje HHC-a važan je čimbenik koji utječe na povećanje stope štednje i gospodarski rast Kine u odgovarajućem razdoblju. To znači da je poboljšanje HHC-a dovoljno da promijeni mehanizam makro-učinaka demografskih promjena, te stoga pruža ključna sredstva za dugoročnu regulaciju i kontrolu koja su izvan okvira natalitetne politike. Među njima značajnu pozornost zaslužuju promicanje javnog upravljanja zaštitom okoliša, poboljšanje sustava socijalne sigurnosti, jačanje individualnih očekivanja u svezi zdravlja i poticanje očekivanog obrasca starenja stanovništva uz postizanje povezanosti s ulaganjima u obrazovni ljudski kapital. ; The traditional life cycle hypothesis believes that the aging of population will not only drag down the level of social savings, but also adversely affect economic growth. However, the human capital factor may change the influence mechanism of population structure change. This study attempts to focus on a specific factor of improving healthy human capital (HHC), through endogenous treatment of fertility rate and survival rate, considering the aging expectation of rational man, to explore its effect de facto on savings rate and economic growth while using the inter-provincial panel data of China from 1996 to 2012 to verify the inherent logical relationship between the rapid improvement of HHC and the "high savings-high growth" model. The findings of this research are as follows: The improvement of HHC is an important factor to improve China's savings rate and economic growth in corresponding period. It means that the improvement of HHC is enough to alter the mechanism of macro-impact of demographic changes, and therefore constitutes a crucial long-term regulation and control means outside the adjustment of birth policy. Among them, promoting public environmental governance, improving the social security system, strengthening individual expectations for health and driving the expected behavior of aging while achieving linkages with investment in educational human capital are worthy of attention.

Društveno odgovorno poslovanje (DOP) definira se kao inteligentna i objektivna briga poduzeća za dobrobit društva što ograničava ponašanje pojedinaca i korporacija od krajnje destruktivnih aktivnosti, bez obzira na to koliko one brzo bile profitabilne te vodi u smjer pozitivnih doprinosa dobru ljudi što može biti definirano na različite načine. Nadalje, DOP podrazumijeva politike i programe privatnih poduzeća koji idu izvan zakonskih obveza kao odgovor na pritiske javnosti i očekivanja društva te podrazumijeva pažnju s kojom se na etičan i društveno odgovoran način odnosimo prema interesno-utjecajnim skupinama koje se nalaze izvan, ali i unutar organizacije. U ovom radu pokušat će se sagledati važnost i značenje termina društveno odgovorno poslovanje poduzeća onako kako ga opisuju brojne definicije koje upućuju da se uz ispunjavanje zakonskih obveza, u osnovi radi o investiranju u ljudski kapital, okoliš i odnose s okolinom ad intra i ad extra, a u fokusu rada bit će eksterni elementi i doprinosi društveno odgovornom poslovanju poput kulturoloških, religijski i ekoloških doprinosa i zahtjeva. Na temelju ukratko predstavljenih kulturoloških, religijskih i ekoloških doprinosa i zahtjeva, zaključak rada pokušat će ponuditi smjernice za što je moguće kvalitetniju implementaciju društveno odgovornog poslovanja u jedno društvo. ; Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as an intelligent and objective concern of a company for the wellbeing of a society which limits the behavior of individuals as well as corporations from highly destructive activities, regardless of their profit-making potential. It should lead into the direction of positive contributions to the welfare of people, which can be specified in different ways. In addition, CSR implies private companies' policies and programmes which go beyond the legal obligations as a response to public pressure and expectations of society and entails ethical as well as socially responsible attention to interest groups which are both outside and inside an organization. In this paper we will try to consider the importance and meaning of the corporate social responsibility within one company in the way it has been described in numerous definitions in which it was pointed that along with the fulfillment of the legal obligations it is actually about the investment in human capital, environment, and relationships with environment ad intra and ad extra. Our focus will be on the external elements and the contributions to the corporate social responsibility such as cultural, religious, and ecological contributions and demands. On the basis of briefly presented cultural, religious, and ecological contributions and demands, in the conclusion of this paper, we will try to offer directions for high-quality implementation of corporate social responsibility into a society.

This paper deals with the role of the organizations of civil society in the restructuring of welfare states. The organizations of civil society have a recognizable role in all social regimes. Their development is a product of specific historical circumstances linked to ideological, political, social, cultural, & religious traditions. These traditions leave their trace on the legal framework of the activities, the role, & the scope of the civil society sector. The paper offers accounts of the theories of the development of civil society & cautions as to their applicability to the Croatian situation. In the late 1990s, the development of civil society in developed countries regarding their social policies was faced with a number of challenges & a variety of critical trends were identified. In light of the results of recent research, the paper looks into the usefulness of the above-mentioned theories for the development of civil society in Croatia, as well as its role in the restructuring of the welfare state. The decentralization of the welfare state as the dominant trend cannot count on the capacities of the local government units. The social programs are on the margin of local interests. The organizations of civil society in the social sphere have respectable resources only in a handful of major cities. The establishment of social councils as the new networks that would contribute to the linkage between the major partakers & to the build-up of the social capital at the local level, is one of the viable developments conducive to a feasible reform. Research results indicate a strengthening of the civil society organizations. Inspired by social entrepreneurship & their partnership with other participants, they can mobilize new resources & fortify the welfare state from below. 37 References. Adapted from the source document.

Analiza godišnjih obračuna gotovo svih financijski aktivnih sportskih organizacija u Sloveniji temelji se na podacima iz 1995, godine. Kako bismo Sloveniju mogli regionalno prikazati, podijelili smo je u 12 funkcionalno-planskih regija. Polovina ukupnog prometa svih sportskih organizacija ostvaruje se u regiji Središnja Slovenija, u kojoj lezi glavni grad Ljubljana. Iz rezultata analize može se zaključiti da značaj sporta u pojedinoj regiji u Sloveniji ponajprije ovisi o gospodarskoj snazi regije i njezina stanovništva, dok je utjecaj dobne strukture i stupnja urbanizacije znatno manji. Na području sporta država ponekad preuzima ulogu zamjenskog izvora financiranja u slučaju slabijih ekonomskih mogućnosti regije i njezina stanovništva, dok u pojedinim slučajevima ima ulogu komplementarnu privatnim izvorima. To pokazuje da značaj sporta u određenoj regiji ovisi i o stavu lokalnih političkih struktura koje upravljaju javnim izvorima financiranja. ; The analysis of annual accounts of practically all the financially active sport organizations in Slovenia is based on data from 1995. For a regional presentation we have divided the country into 12 functional-planning regions. Half of all the revenues of sport organizations is concentrated in the Central Slovenian region, in which Ljubljana, the state capital, is situated. According to the results of the analysis we may conclude, that the importance of sport in particular regions in Slovenia mostly depends on the economic power of the region and its population, while the influence of age structure and urbanization rate of the population is significantly lower. In the field of sport the state sometimes acts as a substitute source of financing in the case of a lower economic power of the region and its population, while in particular cases it acts in a manner complementary to private sources. This proves, that a more significant importance of sport in a particular region also depends on the attitude of the local political structures distributing public financial sources.

The context of today's debates about social policies is marked by the negative effects of the economic crisis and new social risks. There is a need for re-designing of the welfare state, which should take into account the new changes and trends, including demographic changes, changes in the labour market and family structure. As a possible answer to the aforementioned social changes and new social risks, especially in the EU countries, a concept of social investment is developing. The paper presents the characteristics of social investment, the way in which it appears in European strategic documents and refers to the criticism of the concept. Social investment is a new concept which in its essence implies a double return on investment: financial return on invested capital on the one hand and the achievement of positive social returns on the other. It is focused on the future; on support of the children and families, work activation and coping with new social risks throughout the life cycle. The authors have analyzed, using the data that show the long-term changes in the structure of social costs in European countries, to what extent has the concept 'come to life' in the European area. The analysis shows that, for now, there is no significant shift in European welfare states towards social investment, with the exception of the Scandinavian countries, and therefore we cannot speak about its achievements and effectiveness. The concept of social investment for now remains a normative platform and an ambiguous policy attempt for reconciling economic and social logic of the welfare state in new conditions. Nevertheless, social investment is becoming a part of social policy and it remains to be seen how much will it be further encouraged as an attempt to respond to new social risks and a possible way of re-thinking the welfare state. ; Kontekst današnjih rasprava o socijalnim politikama obilježen je negativnim učincima ekonomske krize te novim socijalnim rizicima. Postoji potreba za redizajniranjem socijalne države koja bi trebala uzeti u obzir nove izazove i trendove, uključujući demografske, promjene na tržištu rada i obiteljskoj strukturi. Kao mogući odgovor na navedene promjene i izazove novih socijalnih rizika, posebice u zemljama EU-a, javlja se koncept socijalnog ulaganja. Rad prikazuje i analizira koncept socijalnih investicija, njegov razvoj i ukorijenjenost u europskom prostoru. Prikazuju se odrednice socijalnog ulaganja i kako se koncept pojavljuje u europskim strateškim dokumentima te se osvrće na kritike koncepta. Socijalno ulaganje je nov koncept koji u svojoj suštini implicira dvostruki povrat ulaganja: financijski povrat investiranog kapitala i ostvarenje pozitivnog socijalnog povrata. On je fokusiran na budućnost; na podršku djeci i obitelji, radnu aktivaciju i borbu s novim socijalnih rizicima u cijelom životnom ciklusu. Analizira se, koristeći podatke koji prikazuju dugoročne promjene u strukturi socijalnih troškova europskih zemalja, koliko je koncept »zaživio« u europskom prostoru. Analiza pokazuje da se za sada ne može govoriti o zaokretu europskih socijalnih država prema socijalnom ulaganju. Izuzetak su skandinavske zemlje gdje je koncept socijalnih investicija već u velikoj mjeri zaživio kako pokazuju podaci. Koncept socijalnog ulaganja za sada ostaje više određena normativna platforma politika za balansiranje ekonomske i socijalne logike socijalne države u novim uvjetima. Međutim, očito je da koncept socijalnog ulaganja postaje dijelom socijalnih politika i ostaje vidjeti kako će se razvijati u budućnosti kao pokušaj novog promišljanja i načina djelovanja socijalne države.