Search

This introduction scrutinizes the numerous studies that deal with the memory of communism in Central and Eastern Europe and it identifies two major fault lines. The first concerns the level of analysis. A large body of work favours top-down approaches and focuses on the institutions and policies that govern the communist past. Conversely, another set of studies opts for bottom-up approaches that address the social representations and practices related to that past. The second fault line concerns the conception of the presence of the communist past, regarded either as a permanent legacy from the past (primordialist perspective) or as an instrument mobilized for political aims (instrumentalist perspective). In order to bridge these divides, the authors advocate approaching memories through the public policy instruments that are designed and implemented to deal with the past. Adhering to the notion that policy instruments are not purely technical and neutral devices but in fact carry interpretations of the ‘problem’ to be solved, this approach offers insights into what constrains social practices linked to the communist past, and how individuals put up with these constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The respect for and protection of cultural and linguistic diversity have long been guaranteed in various international and European legislative acts. More recently, the European Union has also developed laws aimed at the preservation and promotion of multilingualism. Linguistic diversity has long been seen as an obstacle to the effective functioning of EU institutions.Recently, however, it has been considered as a valuable "heritage" of the EU. In our article, we will present a brief overview of policies promoting multilingualism in Europe, and more specifically, in the EU. Subsequently, we will compare this framework to the changes occurring presently in modern Slavic languages of Central and Eastern Europe. The tendency of these languages towards increased analitism transforms these predominantly synthetic languages into more analytical ones. These conclusions have led us to the following question: What is the current state of modern Slavic languages and how far may their evolution be addressed by policies promoting multilingualism? Our analysis consists of two parts: first, we scrutinised various European legislative acts promoting multilingualism; second, we analysed modern Slavic languages by means of the parallel corpora of chosen languages from the Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure project (including UNESCO and EU legislation, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most academic writings on the effects of applying EU standards to minorities in Latvia merely analyze this process's legal aspects and only investigate the modifications made to legislation. Although European conditionality has contributed in Latvia to a liberalization in matters of citizenship and language, it has also had other consequences, in particular on the symbolic struggles of minority populations to define their status and position in the Latvian nation. Actions are namely increasingly taken at the European level and appeals are more often being made to courts. Groups and individuals nonetheless still target national institutions and pursue actions outside the formal judicial process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competing definitions of "Russian" by authorities in the Baltic countries and by representatives of local Russians are studied. Russian leaders used the policies, initially undifferentiated, toward "nontitular populations" to evoke a broad definition based on the language spoken. To split up this Russian-speaking aggregate, local authorities have used various methods, ranging from assimilation to new classifications based on the date of settlement or ethnic origins. Russian spokesmen have adapted variously to these new classifications through efforts to reformulate, resist and, in some cases, appropriate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the latest developments of the Procera(R) system, all-ceramic crowns have become an attractive solution to provide functional and esthetic rehabilitation on teeth and dental implants. The Procera AllCeram crown and Procera Abutment embrace the concept of computer-assisted design and computer-assisted machining (CAD/CAM) and can be used together for optimal esthetic result. The purpose of this case report was to illustrate the advantages of these new components for complex anterior rehabilitation. Three natural teeth and a Procera Abutment were restored using four Procera AllCeram crowns. Treatment planning and esthetic benefits are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]