Suchergebnisse

The information age driving globalization processes determines the increasing importance of socio-cultural factors for international, regional and national security. Due to the interdependence of various security spheres, geopolitics and historical memory of the societies of the Central European region, and the expansionary Russian policy from the beginning of the 21st century, attention is paid to supporting military operations with soft power, in particular, highly effective cultural policy in post-Soviet countries. Research conducted in the years 2012-2017 among security experts provided information on the key aspects of non-military security in Central Europe and to develop recommendations on new socio-cultural threats to Central European countries after 2014. In the course of the research work, literature on the subject, research materials from the University of Warsaw and CBOS (Research Center for Public Opinion, Warsaw) were used, as well as own research conducted in selected countries of the Visegrad Group, analyzed using the SWOT method.

Space, place and identity have become keywords in social and cultural science. This article will briefly review one specific part of the complicated identity discourse, the question of social identity and space as an element of identity. This paper presents some views on space, globalization and identity and the relations between these categories.

The relationship between science and religion, particularly their assumed conflict, has traditionally been discussed in terms of their factual or logical contradictions. The article proposes to change this perspective and to consider them both as sources of images in order to show their powerful interaction in the sphere of the imaginary. It also emphasizes that the historical and cultural context of their interaction is highly important. Based on the 66 in-depth interviews with the (post)Soviet generations of Ukrainian and Lithuanian scientists, the article reconstructs their imaginary of the Divine. Most of them have not retained their Christian belief. Instead, they created an alternative, science-related imaginary that integrated science and religion rather than put the two in conflict. The research provides evidence that the Soviet culture aimed at eradicating religion has in fact planted a seed of a religious sensibility and imaginary that was hidden under the guise of science and that has been persisting through generations.

When analyzing the importance of Maghreb in Spain's foreign policy, attention should be paid to its geostrategic location, between Europe and Africa. This gives priority to southern Mediterranean countries. The historical experiences and socio-cultural pluralism (the clash of Christian and Muslim civilizations) are also important. The mutual economic relations deserve attention. Spain's relations with the Maghreb are often seen only through the prism of relations with Morocco. They can be described as so-called relación obcesiva. For decades, bilateral relations focused primarily on issues such as immigration, Spanish possessions in North Africa, and the issue of Western Sahara. The main goal for Spain was to stabilize not only Morocco but all of the Maghreb. The strategic importance of the region was due to its geographical proximity, economic and trade potential as well as cultural influences.

The chapter presents the most important element of propaganda used as a tool to create attitudes in society. The environmental determinants of information were identified and the scope of information security responsibilities was presented, taking into account such areas as information security, information warfare, disinformation. The main focus was on identifying the components of propaganda, the scheme by which it is implemented, and its socio- historical and cultural determinants. The most important techniques of manipulation used in propaganda as well as the way of identifying propaganda campaigns are presented.

This article is a contribution to the decades of disputes and reflections on civil society and its future. Since a large part of the fears and hopes associated with these discussions concerns the role of young people in supporting and developing civil society, the aim of this article is to present the results of a quantitative study conducted among the Jagiellonian University students belonging to the Z generation. Thanks to the fact that the survey combines questions concerning civic attitudes and civic engagement, the study grasps the specific characteristics of young people, which are often overlooked, and their possible impact on the future of civil society. Drawing attention to the young people who are university students and analyzing the relationship between the respondents' civility and their socio-cultural environment, the article answers the questions concerning the opportunities for the further development of civil society in Poland and the role of the young generation of Polish residents in this process. In particular, following the quantitative analysis of the responses of 149 participants, the article presents a discussion on the most common types of civic engagement, their relationship with the civic attitudes of the respondents and the impact of the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents on these variables.

As a result of permanent crises, changing political circumstances, rise of populism and overwhelming socio-cultural conflicts, recently liberal democracy is on the decline. This process strongly affects the civil sector, which in the 21st century is still considered one of the main defenders of democracy and human rights. Civil sector also performs a couple of functions that help them try to monitor the state (watchdog function), protect citizens, minorities, human rights, environment, animals etc. and provide a normative behavioural attitude. Nowadays in many countries the activities of civil organizations are restricted, displaced or terminated. Focusing on those countries where democratic backsliding process can be clearly observed, this study examines the background and forms of the process by which civils turned from partners to "enemies" in the last decade.

In the states which formed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, ethnic/national cultures are developing independently, alongside a parallel shared post-Yugoslav culture. This culture is not a continuation of the official cultural collaboration between the Yugoslav nations which took place when Yugoslavia existed, rather it is a new phenomenon. It is appearing in opposition to nationalism, against the closing off of culture into narrow ethno-national frames and is based on the genuine existence of a cultural unity older than the common state which was created from the common Yugoslav state itself. It seeks creative responses to the problems caused by the wars and collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. It also looks for the appropriate analytical instruments. The author uses the Biblioteka XX vek (The 20th Century Library) as an example – the book series which he founded and publishes in the field of humanities and social sciences. The alternative post-Yugoslav culture is characterised by the high quality of what it offers. However, its protagonists are simultaneously criticised by the nationalist circles in power in the states formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, who consider the post-Yugoslav cultural unity an alleged national betrayal.

This paper studies the multifaceted and definitude specificity of totalitarianism in the context of the humanitarian-personalist concept of the socio-political life of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The analysis of the discussed topics provides a unique insight into the nature of totalitarianism, in both the version of German Nazism and in Communism with the Soviet origin and provenances. However, the reinterpretation of the above systems from the perspective of Christian personalist praxeology allows one to notice and present the fundamental assumptions of these concepts' entirely anti-human and anti-Christian paradigm. Moreover, unveiling the entire agenda of totalitarianism makes it easier to interpret these concepts in terms of not only defining but also legitimizing, and even authenticating, some of the most terrifying and degenerated systemic government-ruling forms of the 20th century. It is of crucial importance, especially nowadays, when the emerging trends often downplay and soften the criminal nature of the above systems and even consider the "totalitarian model" as a "specific historical phenomenon" attempting to resolve many crucial but complex issues of political, cultural, and economic nature.