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The EU Member States are characterised by long and varied institutional history, with different trajectories in their evolution. There is a complex system of relations between the institutions of the European Union and the authorities of the Member States, which are called as the European Administrative Space. This is a multidimensional concept, and it promotes intensive cooperation between administrative actors, and their activities from each level. The European Administrative Space is the area, in which increasingly integrated administrations jointly exercise power delegated to the EU in a system of shared sovereignty. This article explores the reasons for and the consequences of this development.

New technologies usually have potential, but their mode of action and long-term consequences are not always immediately apparent. This challenge can be met in an interdisciplinary way with approaches that integrate different perspectives. Young scientists have come together to work on meeting this challenge from an interdisciplinary perspective in the Young Forum of Technical Sciences: Technology that people really want. The aim is to support user-centred technology development based on interdisciplinary methods. Engineering, law, social sciences and the humanities can work together to shape technical developments in a way that leads to a form of technology that is adapted to the needs of society. Interdisciplinarity in research and development means mutual permeation of disciplines instead of mere coexistence. The aim is to promote interdisciplinary research groups and projects and to develop common methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though books are often considered “old media” in the digital age, their production in this period in fact has been continually reimagined and redefined through new technologies of printing, especially paper and ink manufacturing. This paper explores how three specific recent printed books demonstrate this point in both form and content: David Brower’s Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run (1995), William McDonough and Michael Braungart’s Cradle to Cradle (2002), and the 2008 Harper-Collins Green Bible. Brower’s book was printed on paper made from kenaf, a sustainable alternative to wood-based paper. Cradle to Cradle was printed on a synthetic polymer that could be endlessly remade into other products. The Green Bible was printed on recycled paper and used soy-based ink, and all verses with environmental content were printed in green. In each case, in form these printed books were meant to model innovative industrial information production while also through their content to motivate enhanced environmental consciousness.

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RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The article discusses the interplay between language, cognition and culture from a cognitive diachronic perspective, focusing on the relation between religion and metaphorical thought. It investigates the role of the conceptual metaphor UNDERSTANDING IS LIGHT in religious discourse, using the example of The Revelations of Divine Love, written by Julian of Norwich, a late medieval anchoress. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METODS: The paper draws on the Extended Conceptual Metaphor approach, Zoltán Kövecses’s elaboration of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). The universalist bias of CMT means that the theory tends to ignore the sociocultural context of historical data, prioritising the influence of universal human embodiment on metaphorical thought. Using Kövecses’s approach, the paper shows how the gap in CMT methodology may be bridged to yield more reliable results. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The present study connects Kövecses’s approach to Cognitive Linguistic research into sociocultural situatedness. To exemplify the problem, the analysis examines the cognitive‑cultural underpinnings of Julian’s use of the metaphor UNDERSTAND‑ ING IS LIGHT. RESEARCH RESULTS: The analysis shows that the metaphorical conceptualisation pattern may well derive from Julian’s sociocultural situatedness. The paper indicates that the anchoress’s metaphorical thought should be seen as embedded in the late medieval sociocultural context, rather than being considered solely in terms of universal aspects of embodiment. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE APPLICATIVE VALUE OF RESEARCH: The study concludes that the idea of sociocultural situatedness may be pivotal in the analyses of historical texts. It seems important to incorporate this idea into Kövecses’s approach, which may inform the methodology of cognitive diachronic research into metaphorical conceptualisations. Furthermore, the results may be applied to teaching students how to approach historical texts, helping them gain a better understanding of the relation between metaphorical thought and culture.

The paper examined and articulated some measurable instruments and conditions for effective management of autonomy for local government in Nasarawa State. This is with a view to investigating the challenges of efficient and effective management of this level of government. The methodology used in the study was descriptive qualitative analysis. The management of local government finance was analyzed using efficiency theory. It was discovered that management of local government finance in Nasarawa has been bedeviled by lack of long-term financial planning, corruption, the use of inappropriate budgetary system, and so on. It was the contention of the paper that appropriate constitutional amendments to remove certain cogs in the wheel of making local governments an independent but coordinate part of Nigeria federalism will ensure efficiency in the management of local government finance. Long-term financial planning and appropriate budgetary system will be ensured.

The string of disputed elections in Nigeria has posed a significant threat to the country’s efforts to consolidate democracy. In representative democracies, inconclusive elections are a quite frequent occurrence. But in Nigeria, they are sometimes stage-managed and permitted to occur in order to further the deliberate goals of power centers. Consequently, the causes and solutions of Nigeria’s recent political growth are critically examined in this paper. This paper uses a mixed method research design that includes both quantitative and qualitative data collection and descriptive analysis. It has been determined through a thorough review of the literature that electoral violence and malpractice together are to blame for the nation’s rising voter turnout and disputed electoral legitimacy. According to the findings, Nigeria must immediately implement comprehensive electoral reform in order to establish a new electoral system built on digital election technology. This will produce leaders who lack originality and who are worthy of purposeful leadership and good governance, as self-serving leaders are disastrous for any country.

Prior to the advent of digital film technology, analogue film was not analogue, it was simply film. The introduction of digital, thus also marks the introduction of the analogue version. The idea of old media persisting – is dependent on celluloid film being transformed into “analogue” and being classed as an old form of media. In this paper, using the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and Wake in Fright as case studies, I introduce the concept of the film-version. Moreover, my paper challenges the relegation of celluloid film as old media, and instead argues that the creation of a distinction between digital and analogue versions gives rise to a new kind of mediatised coexistence. I argue that rather than forming a hierarchy, the analogue and digital form a parallel and dialogical relationship allowing both the new restored version, and the older celluloid version to not only persist, but evolve into the present.

This paper aims to analyze former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s thirty speeches on COVID-19 delivered between February 2, 2020 and April 27, 2020. We apply Laclau and Mouffe’s theory of discourse analysis to investigate and analyze Rouhani’s rhetorical and discursive strategies in making meaning of COVID-19. Findings showed that COVID-19 discourse in Rouhani’s speeches has mainly revolved around three nodal points: “the country”, “the enemy”, and “the state of exception”. Thus, the structural articulation of COVID-19 discourse resembles the hegemonic discourse in Iran. Our results also explain how Rouhani used COVID-19 as an empty signifier to reinforce the hegemonic discourse in Iran while trying to redefine his relations with the state-leaning organizations. Furthermore, we analyzed the rhetorical practices that Rouhani employed to articulate the COVID-19 discourse. This paper contributes to a growing body of literature into discursive aspects and implications of a global pandemic by providing empirical evidence form an understudied context: Iran.

In the historiography, older women in post-war West Germany have predominantly been depicted as passive, as embodiments of a contaminated past and hindrances to cultural change. This paper challenges these stereotypical narratives by investigating quantitative and qualitative social data from the Bonn Longitudinal Study of Aging (BOLSA) in the framework of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social inequality. The results of our correspondence analysis show that women aged over sixty led more active lifestyles than commonly assumed. They also compensated for their lower economic and cultural capital by investing in higher social and symbolic capital. This was particularly pronounced in the case of unmarried elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of German Journal of Forced Migration & Refugee Studies / Zeitschrift für Flüchtlingsforschung (Z'Flucht) is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Historische Zeitschrift is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to analyze the effects on German literature of the renewed interest in Nazi past. In order to do that, it considers Adorno’s and Mitscherlichs’ studies, in which they try – from a psychoanalytic point of view – to understand the mechanisms which made Germans support the leader and then made them remove their guilt. Then, the article focuses on some author of the early Sixties, in order to verify how they try to begin the Germans’ Vergangenheitsbewältigung. As far as possible, the paper examines the reception of these texts, trying to understand how and to what extent they give a contribution to overcome this collective amnesia.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The research investigates how young boys progress in life after the loss of their fathers. It explores the adjustments they make, the coping mechanisms they develop to navigate life, and the male roles they assume in the family. Additionally, it examines how family can aid and support their coping and adjustment process. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: This study utilises a case study methodology focused on gaining an understanding of the lives of two adolescent boys who experienced the death of their fathers in the early formative years of their lives. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The paper focuses on five themes- family dynamics, life transitions with and without their fathers, post-loss reassignment of family roles, present circumstances, and future goals. RESEARCH RESULTS: A qualitative analysis of the data revealed that participants’ belief systems, family support, and striving toward future goals helped them to be resilient in this event. CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: While most research typically emphasises the negative impacts of death on people, this study demonstrates how individuals’ can be resilient, dependent on both person-related factors and environmental factors. To help adolescents who are grieving become resilient, the paper offers intervention and coping strategies through counselling, the availability of support networks, and combined efforts by the state and educational institutions.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: Governments across the world were forced to impose social distancing and lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in December 2019. Following the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, the disruptions, including restrictive measures such as school closures had severe impacts on the physical, emotional and mental health of all people, especially children with special needs. There was also scant data, particularly in low-to-middle-income countries. Existing literature stems mostly from western countries, thus the need to perform a comprehensive review on this topic. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The primary objective of the systematic review is to understand the impact of COVID-19 and restrictive measures such as school closures on the educational outcomes and physical and mental health of school-going children with special needs. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: This systematic review used the PRISMA 2020 checklist where four databases and grey literature were searched for full text articles, peer reviewed publications in the English language that were published during January 2019–December 2021. RESEARCH RESULTS: The literature search identified 1294 publications, of which 25 key papers were selected. These studies investigate the impact on children with special needs across the globe, with a majority of papers from Europe. We found that COVID-19 and the digitalization of schooling had severe impacts on the physical and mental health of children with special needs and their parents/caregivers. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: These studies highlight the need for an inclusive school environment to ensure that the learning outcomes for children everywhere are achieved. Further, a hybrid model that includes classroom learning with novel inventive methods would be beneficial for children with special needs.

This paper examines the economic cooperation within the Visegrád Four (V4) in the context of EU membership and its potential inspiration for bilateral relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. It explores the alignment of political values and economic relations in the V4, highlighting the EU’s role in fostering cross-border collaboration. The analysis delves into the shared priorities of the V4 towards EU enlargement and how these experiences can guide Western Balkan countries. It discusses the transformation of economic cooperation in the V4, emphasizing the strategic role of Germany and the evolution of regional dynamics. The paper also analyzes the challenges and limitations in applying the V4 model to Bulgarian-North Macedonian relations, considering the differences in historical experiences, economic convergence, and the impact of EU-driven Europeanization. It concludes by assessing the unique nature of bilateral relations in the context of EU integration and enlargement, emphasizing the need for a distinct approach for effective collaboration between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Author(s): Michal Vit Title (English): In Search of Principles of Visegrad (Economic) Cooperation and its Inspiration for Bilateral Relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria Journal Reference: Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 20, No. 1-2 (2023). Publisher: Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities - Skopje Page Range: 32-39 Page Count: 8 Citation (English): Michal Vit, "In Search of Principles of Visegrad (Economic) Cooperation and its Inspiration for Bilateral Relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria,” Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 20, No. 1-2 (2023): 32-39.

Türkiye aims to attain self-sufficiency with the transformation of its defense industry by state-centered and private sector investments as collaboration in the last decade. This paper presents new evidence on the effects of Turkish defense industry’s transformation on Turkish foreign policy by analysing the role of private defense sectors collaborated with the state institutions that are innovative and competitive as in today’s global environment. The main purpose of the article is to verify the claim that the developed, nationalized and localized Turkish defense industry is instrumental in taking more confident steps in Turkish foreign policy. Türkiye has been in a defense transformation since the early 2000s by focusing on a self-reliant and techno-nationalist model by allocating national security resources with the awareness of today’s world conflicts on energy, defense, security, and the experience of Cyprus crisis of 1974 and the ongoing fight against terrorism in a historical perspective. This geopolitical and strategic status of Türkiye and the resilience of Turkish defense industry have also emerged opportunities and challenges for Turkish foreign policy. Furthermore, it is observed that the transformation of Turkish defense industry has presented political and economic commitments for the future. The paper also sheds light on Türkiye’s allocation national resources and collaboration with especially private sector in the transformation process. As a result, in this article, it is concluded that Türkiye's increasing its military presence beyond its borders by exporting national weapons, active operations, military bases and peacekeeping missions means that it has adopted an active and assertive foreign policy. Qualitative research method has been used to reach this result together with primary and secondary sources. Information has been obtained directly from the websites of companies such as Roketsan, Havelsan, Baykar technology, STM, BMC. The defense article of İsmail Demir, President of the National Defense Industry of Türkiye, and the studies of researchers who wrote academic articles about the Turkish defense industry such as Sezgin, Seren, Adar, Yeşiltaş, Sekine, Öniş and Sakman have been referred. Apart from these, the DefeseNews website, which provides annual updated lists of the world's most powerful defense companies, has laso been used.

In this paper we analyze culture as integral aspect of everyday life and the ways culture is actualized through cultural participation. The research presented in this paper is part of the Center for Designing the Everyday project, which aims to explore the current state and possibilities for establishing a new model of participatory governance in culture based on the model of participatory democracy. In this research, designed and conducted to assess the state of cultural participation at two intervals over a two-year period, the aim was to determine whether there are differences in the types of participation and motivations for participation in cultural events and activities before and after initiatives aimed at reinforcing the model of participatory governance. The paper draws on three conceptual turns, namely postmodern, cultural, and participatory, to examine the repositioning of cultural participation in everyday life. Two surveys were undertaken in 2018 and 2020 in Zagreb, targeting an intentional sample of visitors to cultural institutions and associations operating in the field of visual arts. Given the specific timeframe, the results are interpreted in the context of the pandemic. Results imply strengthening of cultural participation connected to cultural consumption, while participation connected to cultural production is decaling. Furthermore, interactive cultural participation in digital and virtual environment indicates inequalities among different social groups especially when it comes to elderly population that has proven to be vulnerable in terms of frequency and availability of interactive cultural participation.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the paper was to discuss a function of passion in professional personal lives of eminent Cracow musicians. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The paper raises the problem of the role of passion in the process of shaping musical eminence, answers the question of the scope of experiencing it as well as it manifesting in activities of outstanding individuals. In conducted research and interpretations, the qualitative perspective and biographical method were applied. The leading technique was problem-concentrated qualitative interview, partially structured, carried out with ten eminent instrumentalists. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The theoretical basis for this reading of the experience of educational biographies was provided by the Model of Authentic Vocation of J. Weller and the Dualistic Model of Passion of A. Bonneville-Roussy, G. Lavigne and R. Vallerand. The interpretations of the research material described the topography of experiencing passion. RESEARCH RESULTS: The article describes autonomous passion associated with musical mastery, instrumental motivation to practice, as well as distinguishes important factors that determine the experience of passion, persistence or burnout (tenacity, ambition, community transfer, conflict of motives, work overload), and concretizes the qualities of musical passion of outstanding musicians: professionalization, love of music, integrity, creativity, strength and determination in pursuit of goals, as well as humility in the face of challenges. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Deciphering the senses and meanings that prominent Cracow musicians attributed to passion suggests that it was autonomous, harmonious and instrumental, motivated by the pursuit of mastery, and that the trajectories of the musicians’ professional biographies were a manifestation of a “professionalization of passion,” which formed the core of their educational experience and constituted and defined their life creed.

The book "Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten an deutschen Universitäten" by Schäfer and Heinrich has been published in its second edition and is specifically aimed at foreign students in the humanities and social sciences. It provides practical assistance with exercises and fills a gap in the literature on academic work, as it is explicitly targeted at foreign students. The book covers various aspects of academic work, such as note-taking, presenting, and writing a written academic paper. It also includes exercises and examples to help students. Although the book has some shortcomings, it can be recommended as long as there is no better work available for the target audience. [Extracted from the article]

This contribution seeks to explore the potential of museum audio description (AD) – a sub-genre of general screen AD – as an instance of intersemiotic translation for non-sighted and sighted alike by drawing on a systematic review of museum AD guidelines and on extensive bibliography from Museum Studies (MS), Translation Studies (TS) and, within the latter, Audiovisual Translation (AVT) and Media Accessibility (MA). The paper will first discuss the social mission of museums and the intrinsic diversity characterising their communication and translation practices, with a special focus on museum AD. It will then move on to the wider value of screen AD; although the latter is primarily intended as an access tool to help blind and visually impaired individuals construct a mental image of what they cannot partially or totally see, its recognised benefits for other groups (Perego 2017) will be addressed. Similarly, the paper will discuss the potential of museum AD for a wider audience by presenting insights from museum-specific AD guidelines. Museum AD may arguably be revisited as a form of museum translation for everybody, which could truly foster social inclusion.

The paper considers the technology of computer modeling of the general structure of a completely lost architectural complex, implemented on the basis of fragmentary reference information. The author's interpretation of the most reasonable reconstruction of the object under study is presented. The paper considers the technology of computer modeling of a lost unique historical architectural complex, implemented using various sources in their content reflecting only fragmentary background information on the problem under study. Thus, the authors have taken an integrated approach in reproducing the unique appearance of the fortification, which maximally corresponds to the basic concept of construction and the requirements for military fortifications of the period under study. The uniqueness of this work lies in the fact that the use of modern information technologies acts as a tool, which allow not only to restore the lost appearance of the first military-administrative center of the Amur region, but also to promote promising research on the history of the development of the Russian Far East. In the first part of the described study, the authors have already successfully tested the above technology, following which the results of the analysis of topographic data and elementary modeling of the fortress wall of the Albazin fort built in 1686 were presented. Taking into account the general totality of the data obtained, the authors propose a rather original ontological model of the general structure of the prison. This model assumes a comparison with the existing and previously presented by other researchers models of the prison. Russian Russian pioneers and defenders of the Russian land, which in turn allows us to take a fresh look at the historical events of the heroic confrontation of the Russian pioneers and defenders of the Russian land against the enemy who is many times outnumbered and outgunned, to study the strengths and weaknesses of the tactics of the opposing sides.

How can researchers write about researcher accountability in a less self-indulgent and more honest way? This paper proposes intersectional reflexivity as an approach that supports producing more detailed accounts of researcher accountability. The paper shows researcher-participant exchanges as sites of intersectional struggle where both researchers and participants engage in invocations and impositions of intersectional identities to navigate their positionality during interactions. Most discussions about reflexivity focus on the power of the researcher, underplaying or ignoring the relevance of co-constructed dynamics and power struggles between researchers and participants. The paper proposes a working protocol to support researchers to understand and use intersectionality in their reflexive accounts to interrogate researcher-participant exchanges in a more nuanced way. The paper expands discussions about privilege and disadvantage in researcher-participant exchanges.

The relative neglect of the immediate social environment is one of the best-known criticisms of the Spiral of Silence Theory (SoS). Due to massive changes in communication technology, especially the advent of social media, the immediate social environment has become even more relevant which has amplified this gap. This paper integrates the immediate social environment into the SoS. The immediate social environment is the aggregate of individual actors whom one interacts with – a mix of strong and weak ties. The immediate social environment is conceptualized as part of a larger ego-centric network of various sources or observers which also includes the mass media. Based on this concept, this paper examines the entire chain of effects – from monitoring the environment via different sources to the willingness to express one’s opinion in public in front of different observers. Particular attention is directed to the crosslinks between the immediate social environment and the larger realm of society and mass media. The integration of the immediate social environment serves the goal of further refining the conditions of a relevant social context under which people fear different types of social isolation from different groups and subsequently do or do not express their opinions.

The specifics of international organizations stated in the paper contain a particular reference to global financial institutions. It refers to the support of the development of countries in transition. It also states their reconstruction under the patronage of subjects of international law. The authors indicate the importance of the foundation and historical development of international financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund, along with its connection with its growing influence in the field of project financing, both regionally and globally. In the second part of the paper, the focus is on the participation of the International Monetary Fund in the reconstruction and revitalization of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the end of the war conflicts in 1995 until today. The comparative review points to the most significant areas that had the support of the International Monetary Fund in the financing of projects but also draws attention to the political side of this support through the imposition of conditions for financial resources to be approved. Through an overview of stand-by arrangements, the authors analyze the connection between the approval of projects by international financial organizations and their relation with the insistence on the implementation of specific reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By relying on Michel Foucault’s theory of social discourse and power/ knowledge where culture, customs and other elements of society are seen as the source of shared knowledge imposed on the individuals, this paper explores the theme of violence in William Faulkner’s novel Light in August (1932) to prove Joe Christmas’ violence as the result of his exposure to the social discourse of the time he lives in, namely the South during the Jim Crow era. The paper proves violence in the novel as mostly connected to the character of Joe Christmas and explores why Joe Christmas, even though the main enactor of violence, is not regarded as a villain but as an anti-hero. The period in which Christmas lives is the Jim Crow South where blackness was regarded as inferior, negative and evil which affects Joe’s self-perception and his actions. Joe, the captive of society, exhibits violence because the only thing he has been thought is to respond with violence. The paper will analyze several parts of the novel connected to Joe Christmas and violence to prove how violence in Faulkner’s novel does not exist per se but serves to prove how damaging the effect of society and social discourse can be.

The traditional school system has not met the needs of students for many years. Parents, in order to allow their children to move away from the rigid class-subject-hour system, established schools. The founders of alternative schools can be citizens, parents and teachers, religious communities as well as other legal entities. These are the so-called free schools, civic educational initiatives, reform pedagogical attempts, educational boarding schools, etc. The aim of this paper is to present the pedagogical concepts and ideas of schools in the Republic of Croatia whose founders are parents. The paper presents the basic pedagogical principles and aspects of teaching Waldorf and Montessori pedagogy based on educational pluralism, a brief overview of partnership between parents and schools in Croatia and the educational model of primary Catholic schools “Ružičnjak” and “Lotrščak”. The observed schools are located in Zagreb and have only one goal - to adapt the school to the child. An effort is made to provide each student with an individual approach. The starting points are the child’s needs and interests. These are the schools where students have freedom of choice. The goal of upbringing and education is the holistic development of the child. The emphasis is on active learning methods and abandoning didactic scenarios in which the child is only a passive observer.

The COVID-19 crisis had a huge impact on education and became the subject of many scientific studies. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the opinions of professors and students on the quality of teaching and satisfaction with e-learning during the COVID-19 crisis. The aim of the research is to answer the question to what extent professors and students are satisfied with the quality of e-learning in higher education institutions, as well as their expectations in the future. The research was created on the research platform 1KA and conducted in the period from November 12, 2021 to February 12, 2022 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A survey questionnaire was used as a research instrument, which was sent to 192 addresses, 101 publics and 91 private faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and included 132 professors and 202 students. The results of the research showed that the quality of teaching is positively influenced by the satisfaction and level of usefulness of the tools used among professors, but also among students. The results also confirmed that more work experience leads to lower e-learning expectations in the future. The paper presents empirical research that was conducted on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina about the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of e-learning. The scientific contribution of the paper is reflected in the fact that it can be used in research related to the impact of crises on teaching in higher education institutions, as well as potential future emergency situations of crisis and uncertainty that result in new models of teaching that combine classroom and e-teaching.

The European Union macro-regional strategies represent a policy framework that aims to enable EU Member States and third countries sharing common interests to better coordinate their potentials in order to make the best possible use of available opportunities. This paper looks into the specificities of four EU macro-regional strategies covering 19 European Union Member States and nine non-EU countries. Given the challenging situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it also considers the future perspectives of EU macro-regional strategies as well as their adaptability to new circumstances. More specifically, it focuses on intergovernmental initiatives and their implementation, underlying the importance of the application of the principle of subsidiarity. In addition, the aim of the paper is to provide a critical overview of the subject by highlighting two pivotal elements. First, it assesses whether the EU macro-regional strategies could be genuinely successful, given the fact that they do not have their separate allocation but use the existing funding instead. Second, it explores the ability of the EU macro-regional strategies to bridge wider EU-level policies on the one hand and local policies on the other. Finally, the idea of the paper is to offer an overview of the state of affairs when macro-regions are concerned.

of freedom of expression. However, they have also made it easier and faster than ever before to spread disinformation, misinformation, propaganda and fake news. Although these phenomena are not new, the impact they have had in recent years on political processes in democratic societies (e.g. the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Brexit) and on human behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, has drawn attention to this issue. The aim of this paper is to highlight the problem of fake news as a human rights issue in the context of Art. 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression. The paper provides a terminological and historical overview of the term fake news and related concepts. It also provides an overview of Art. 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and clarifies the situations and conditions under which the restrictions on the freedom of expression are justified on the basis of Art. 10(2). The authors also provide an insight into the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Starting from the mid-2010s, Japan has seen a rise in media works (such as novels, comics, animation, and TV dramas) discussing the asexual and aromantic identities with an ever-increasing number of people connecting with those labels and, some of them actively associating with the LGBTQ+ community. The pull towards an asexual and aromantic society has also been linked to the lower marriage and birth rate by some experts, wondering whether the identification with such labels could be caused by societal shifts (busier work schedules, less spending power, financial insecurities). In this context, the two works this paper analyses, I Want to Be the Wall (Watashi wa kabe ni naritai, 2019-2023) by Shirono Honami and Is Love the Answer? (Kimi no sekai ni koi wa nai, 2020) by Isaki Uta link the societal pressure to conform to an allosexual and heterosexual way of life with the feeling of disconnect from romantic and platonic relationships with peers.

“Archive” comes from the Ancient Greek ἀρχεῖον, “house of the ruler”: inside, we find what corresponds to the normative framework; outside, everything that dissents and is not conform. This occurs for the heteropatriarchal archive of intimate partner violence, as it is explored by Carmen Maria Machado in In the Dream House (2019), and for the archive of folklore, ruled by each (re-)teller’s framework. What if we regain the oral dimension of the tale tradition in a diffractive perspective? What if the reader entangles with the text, co-creating a new meaning? In this paper, I propose to shed a light on the possibilities of diffracting the folkloric archive, to shift the archival-ruled narratives in the direction of self-representation and empoderamiento for the subjectivities expelled from the archival narratives. Two are the paths proposed: firstly, situated literary retellings, with a focus on Machado’s memoir; and secondly, wild pedagogy and slow scholarship methodologies and practices, enabling the experience of the reader to entangle with and diffract the tales’ narratives.

By extending Andersen’s (2003) propositions, the current paper formalizes Luhmann’s four fundamental analytical frameworks and proposes a model that delineates the relations among them. That is, with the form analysis as the base framework, observation analysis is considered the social extension of form analysis as it involves the distinction observer / observed or ego / alter. Differentiation analysis is described as the factual extension of form as it distinguishes a system (this) and everything else (in its environment). Finally, semantic analysis is considered the temporal extension of form analysis as it focuses on the condensation of meaning over time. In addition, to overcome the abstractness of descriptions in the existing literature, this paper suggests the workable definitions that operationalize the analytical frames. Rich research examples are also presented to demonstrate the broad applicability of the four frameworks in communication research and their analytical gains. These theory-driven analytical frameworks are expected to provide meaningful connections between empirical data and theories, thereby enriching the field of communication research. In turn, more empirical applications will contribute to Luhmann’s systems theory by bringing in productive insights.

The weak and strong sustainable development models are analysed in this paper. The emergence of weak and strong models of sustainable development, the bases and principles that distinguish them from each other, as well as the arguments of the supporters of these approaches are studied. It is noted in this paper that, believing that there can be a smooth replacement of resources, the weak sustainability approach does not see any environmental threat to economic growth. The disadvantage of this approach is that it does not take into account the fact that human life would be unstable if the basic natural resources were depleted without any compensation. From this viewpoint, the arguments of the strong sustainability approach are considered more realistic and accepted as more attractive. A strong approach to sustainable development, which is a more cautious approach to economic growth, emphasises that sustainable development can be achieved through environmental responsibility. Ensuring environmental responsibility is presented as one of the important conditions for economic expediency and social solidarity. Strong sustainability model opposes the possibility that human capital can be replaced by natural capital. Analysing the positions of those scientists, who support strong sustainability, it is concluded that the replacement of development characterised by quantitative growth with qualitative sustainable development to increase welfare is one of the important principles of strong sustainable development.

Critiques of capitalism are grounded in the quandary that their critics cannot locate a standpoint or place for an adequate determination nor scientific explanation of existing capitalist society; nor can they identify a standpoint for its replacement by non-capitalist society. Why does this quandary exist? Can we at least have some kind of ‘first’ standpoint of critique that is both given by capitalist society itself and at once adequate to it? “First” and “adequate” in the sense that it enables society to view itself as an external object in the first place and thus to make also its change an object? This paper shall show that through various stages of Marxist and post-Marxist thought a distinct shift is traceable. The place to criticize existing society and to turn its criticism into the idea of another society shifts from “elsewhere in space” to the immanent contradictions of capitalism and their social progress in time, to, finally, the suspension of time itself. To determine the quandary of critique, this paper argues that the place of critique in fact needs to be addressed in terms of temporality, but differently than in the legacy of Lenin, Luxemburg, Lukács and Gramsci through to Benjamin, Bloch etc. to current post-Marxism. Author(s): Frank Engster Title (English): The Place of Capitalist Self-Critique Journal Reference: Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 19, No. 1-2 (2022). Publisher: Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities - Skopje Page Range: 8-26 Page Count: 18 Citation (English): Frank Engster, "The Place of Capitalist Self-Critique,” Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 19, No. 1-2 (2022): 8-26. Author Biography Frank Engster, Helle Panke Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Berlin Frank Engster wrote his PhD thesis on the subject of time, money and measure. He is interested in the different — (post-)operaist, (post-)structuralist, form-analytic, (queer) feminist etc. — readings of Marx’s critique, especially in money as a technique and its connection with measurement, quantification, time and (natural) science. Some of his publications are on academia.edu.

This paper reports a methodological exploration combining image network analysis and standardized practice analysis on social media data. Through applying the open source software Memespector to access the Clarifai API, the potential of an easy-at-hand image tagging tool as an instrument to manage larger data corpora is explored. Using the example of the German-speaking Twitter hashtag #systemrelevant, we relate image clusters to the results of standardized practice analysis of posts that contain images. The proposed method is intended for research that attempts to carve out the co-constituting of public discourse in social media by different groups of actors. The approach systematically differentiates the contributions of societal groups such as journalism, civil society, or private individuals, and the embedding of their tweets in selected anchoring practices and further modalities of participation. Altogether, the multistep analytical process offers a possible approach to process larger image corpora, while maintaining a sensitivity for the practice-theoretical demand of (re)contextualizing image use.

In visual communication research there are already several methodological approaches for creating image types. These approaches work with creating typologies based on the representational features of visuals / image motifs, reducing the complexity of extensive visual material. However, we argue that in everyday visual communication, the meaning of images depends largely on the practices in which they are embedded and not on the motif. This paper’s aim is to propose a methodological design for an image type analysis that considers both the representational and the artifact-related component of images, following a texto-material understanding of images. We illustrate the procedure step by step through an empirical study that explores visuals in couple relationships in Switzerland. The method enables a qualitative analysis of a large number of visuals that combines a) the creation of image types and b) a dynamic approach to in-depth visual analysis. Image types resulting from this procedure are more heterogeneous in motifs compared to previous traditions of image type analysis but allow for considering both the visual and the material dimensions of visuals, e.g., practices in which images are embedded. The approach builds on existing methods and contributes to the advancements of methods within visual communication research.

This paper explores the phenomenon of iconic image clusters and presents a method for analyzing them. It specifically focuses on compiling individual images into extensive image clusters, such as weblogs, photo series, or image galleries. The analytical interest in this topic is based on the assumption that the compilation and presentation of images are independent means of expression and presentation in visual media. Iconic image clusters can emphasize thematic aspects, highlight contrasts, create styles, or provide visual evidence. In other words, iconic image clusters reflect several communicative possibilities that arise from the technical reproducibility of images. Iconic image clusters belong to the subclass of contemporary hypertext / hyperimage phenomena in media theory and are manifestations of the human ability to generate meaning through relations of similarity and difference in communication theory. This article addresses how iconic image clusters can be analyzed validly. It discusses the communicative structure and functioning of such clusters and proposes a procedure for their analysis. The proposed method is illustrated with examples, including a photographic weblog.

Visual elements play an important role within the multimodal nature of social media (Pearce et al., 2020). A growing body of research has focused on the analysis of still and moving images from different social media platforms from various perspectives of communication and media studies (Hautea, Parks, Takahashi, & Zeng, 2021; Li & Xie, 2020; Veum & Undrum, 2018). Although the aforementioned studies describe visual data collection, their principal focus does not rely on this collection, but on data analysis. Little attention has been paid to the challenges of collecting visual datasets (Highfield & Leaver, 2016). In this paper, I propose a methodological overview of several strategies for collecting large corpora of visual data from image-based social media platforms. Provided with exemplary publications, I review five strategies for collecting visual corpora: hashtag-based, account-based, metadata-based, random sampling, and mixed approach. Lastly, I present a case study with my own mixed approach to the collection of visual data from Instagram. Considering the usage, advantages and limitations of each strategy, the article will contribute to the developing science of social media research. I believe that a literature analysis of visual data collection strategies and a provided case study can help researchers optimize visual data collection from image-based social media.

Exploring medium-to-large datasets of social media imagery can be challenging. This paper describes a digitally-assisted iconology, a hybrid methodology that includes machine learning and data analytics for sorting through medium-sized datasets of images that lack metadata to describe their pictorial content. The method plays to the strengths of current digital technologies. Using machine learning, pictures are first clustered in a preliminary stage based upon basic formal presentational characteristics. Thematic analysis follows this preliminary stage, based upon an expansion of Aby Warburg’s “pre-coined expressive values”, which are frequently found in pictures displaying high levels of user reception. Once clustered via these two separate stages, the researcher can then drill down using familiar forms of visual analysis to explore how similar concepts have been rendered in different ways. The analysis may be augmented by exploring the commentary appended to these pictures, which adds a further level of detail providing insight into end-user interpretations. The approach – including its drawbacks – is demonstrated via a consequential dataset of pictures shared on Twitter in 2015, after a Syrian child was found drowned off the Turkish shore. Derivative imagery based upon the original photographs referenced longstanding iconographic themes.

Abstract Nuclear science and technology are used in many countries to help meet development objectives in areas including energy, human health, food production, water management and environmental protection. The focus of this paper will be on energy and specifically how nuclear energy fits into SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and relates to SDG 13 (Climate action). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and clean energy, aims to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”, with a focus on developing countries. This goal classes “renewable” technologies to be sustainable, while excluding nuclear energy. The term "renewable" usually includes unsustainable, high carbon biofuel. From a policy point of view, it is a problematic term. According to multiple scientific bodies, nuclear energy is clean, reliable and is needed to transition away from fossil fuels in order to combat climate change. No country in the world has been able to decarbonise its electricity sector without having either nuclear energy or - where available - substantial hydro or geothermal energy as part of the energy mix. SDG 13, Climate action, focuses on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change. This goal does not mention nuclear energy. Significant research has shown that in the absence of suitable hydro or geothermal resources, decarbonisation aims are not achieved without nuclear energy. These issues will be discussed in this paper. ES | Abstract:Lacienciaylatecnologíanuclearesseutilizanenmuchospaísesparaayudaracumplirlosobjetivosdedesarrolloenáreascomolaenergía,lasaludhumana,laproduccióndealimentos,lagestióndelaguaylaproteccióndelmedioambiente.Estedocumentosecentraráenlaenergíay,concretamente,encómolaenergíanuclearencajaenelODS7(Energíaasequibleylimpia)yserelacionaconelODS13(Acciónpor el clima).LosObjetivosdeDesarrolloSostenible(ODS)fueronadoptadosporlasNacionesUnidasen2015comounllamamientouniversalalaacciónparaacabarconlapobreza,protegerelplanetaygarantizarquetodas las personas disfruten de paz y prosperidad para 2030.ElObjetivodeDesarrolloSostenible7,Energíaasequibleylimpia,pretende"Garantizarelaccesoaunaenergía asequible, fiable, sostenible y moderna para todos", centrándose en los países en desarrollo.Este objetivo clasifica las tecnologías "renovables" como sostenibles, pero excluye la energía nuclear.Eltérmino"renovable"sueleincluirelbiocombustibleinsostenibleyconaltocontenidodecarbono.Desdeelpuntodevistapolítico,esuntérminoproblemático.Segúnmúltiplesorganismoscientíficos,laenergíanucleareslimpia,fiableyesnecesariaparalatransicióndesdeloscombustiblesfósilesparacombatirelcambioclimático.Ningúnpaísdelmundohasidocapazdedescarbonizarsusectoreléctricosindisponerdeenergíanuclearo-cuandoenergíanuclearo,cuandoestádisponible,unacantidad considerable de energía hidroeléctrica o geotérmica como parte de la combinación energética.ElODS13,AcciónporelClima,secentraenlareduccióndelasemisionesdegasesdeefectoinvernaderoyenlaadaptaciónalcambioclimático.Esteobjetivonomencionalaenergíanuclear.Unaimportanteinvestigaciónhademostradoque,enausenciaderecursoshidroeléctricosogeotérmicosadecuados,losobjetivosdedescarbonizaciónnosealcanzansinlaenergíanuclear.Estascuestionesse debatirán en este documento.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The paper is an attempt to articulate the defining features of Ignatian Leadership and to clarify what might distinguish it from other brands of leadership without lapsing into motherhood statements and worn-out clichés. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The Ignatian leadership style that is presented is grounded in Ignatian spirituality, which is a source of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. Hence, the research problem was formulated: how can Ignatian leadership be implemented in everyday practice? The method of critical analysis of sources was applied. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The paper argues that Ignatian Leadership is, in fact, a radical form of servant leadership, since the Ignatian Leader is at the service not only of the Community, but also–and for Ignatius of Loyola, even more fundamentally–of the Mission entrusted to that Community. RESEARCH RESULTS: Concretely, it proposes a conception of Ignatian Leadership as a threeway relationship among the Leader, the Community, and the Mission, in the process, illustrating what magis and cura personalis might mean in one’s exercise of leadership, but also, spelling out, in light of these relationships, the key functions of the Ignatian Leader. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Ignatian leadership is a form of servant leadership insofar as Ignatian Leaders ought to prioritize serving the Community that they lead over their own interests. However, what distinguishes Ignatian Leadership from servant leadership is its explicit and non-negotiable prioritization of service of the Mission as well.

This paper examines strategies implemented by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in order to resolve frequent clashes between herders and farmers, bearing in mind the economic implications of this violent conflict for the economy of Nigeria. The paper adopted the Human Needs Theory as its framework of analysis. The data were sourced from academic journals, internet materials, newspapers, and textbooks. The herders–farmers conflict pre-dated the Muhammadu Buhari presidency but in terms of scale and intensity of killings and wanton destruction of properties, it gained momentum during his administration. The non-verbal language of the Presidency’s description of the conflict situation at the time Nigerians needed a strong comment became worrisome to the affected victims who concluded the pro-herder’s sympathy stance of the President. Not until the Presidency began to take bold actions by introducing the grazing bill allowing a cattle colony of about 5,000 hectares in the states of the Federation, deployment of military personnel to the concerned states and holding stakeholders meeting across the states, Nigerians decided to unanimously join their forces with the government to tackle the herders–farmers impasse headlong. The conflict situation is no better even in the face of strategic policies implemented, however, the nation-state is trying to minimize the negative effects of the imbroglio on the agricultural sector of the country which is a huge resource to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Like all federal systems, Nigeria has had its own fair share of insurgencies which ranged from conflict amongst ethnic nationalities to even religious terrorism. Of course, states have no option than to ensure and assure its citizens safety and security any way and anyhow they can guarantee it. Reprisal attacks on terrorists is a mere bandage method, basically because the wound has already been inflicted, but also since ensuring security is also target hardening, and has little effect on the success or failure of a terrorist attack. Security can only minimise casualties, not prevent attacks, especially those delivered by the terrorist suicide bombers. This paper uses secondary data as a source of information and presents the results of their content analysis to explain Nigeria efforts to protect the citizens. It argues that terrorism is a violent form of insurgency that must be retorted accordingly and any policy response that does not take this into consideration is not only naïve, but also utopian. The paper, then, recommends solutions adapted to particular circumstances. While it supports negotiation with Niger-Delta militants, it objects negotiation with Boko Haram, because these groups are pursuing totally different agendas.

Organizational, governmental structures and institutions have always been guided by established policies which are expected to foster development. Policies have not been stagnant and there abounds occasions where slight or major adjustments were made to existing policies with the aim of achieving increased value and development. Unfortunately, the reforms made by Governor Aregbesola in the years 2011–2018 in the Osun state education sector brought disagreements rather than progress. There have been divergent views on the intention and prospect of the reform to achieving the desired end. Using the historical and analytical approach, the paper seeks to investigate the reforms made and also to point out the lapses of these reforms. However, findings indicated that the reforms, though have their gains, they were largely retrogressive. The paper, thus, concluded that the reforms only came to disrupt the peaceful process of the existing policy which was in place.

The pillars of European society, and in the world view of Anglo-Saxon culture, are planted on capitalism and cosmopolitanism. Democracy as the desired political model in this community is responsible for such fundamental issues as individual freedom, rights of assembly. At the other extreme is Chinese society, punitive and subordinate to the state in almost every sphere of life. Segregated and evaluated by a social point system, a society that since the dawn of time has in its nature a devotion to authority and the broader state. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of how the epidemic has affected the world and how its different regions are dealing with the COVID-19virus. A choice of three levels of evaluation has been made. The public, i.e. the media and reactions to the government’s strictures and policies, the ruling cabinet as a decision-making center, and the economy. The main research hypothesis in this paper is that COVID-19 is a complex enough problem to become a symptom for a change in world order.

The following paper has as its object the political philosophy of K. Karatani, in particular its relationship with the work of Marx. Japanese philosopher, in fact, reinterprets some elements of Marxian theory in the light of Kantian categories, hybridizing the ethical and moral theory of the latter with the critique of the political economy of the former. The result of Karatani's project can be seen, in particular, in two works. With the first, Transcritique, Karatani moves into the realm of philosophy to construct a method that holds the two theoretical poles together. The concept of 'Transcritique', in fact, represents the junction between Kantian and Marxian insights. With the second work, 'The Structure of World History', the Japanese philosopher shifts the analytical focus from ethics to economics, proposing a different interpretation of capitalism and its historical cycles. The shift of the observation of the capitalist system from the sphere of production to that of exchange represents the analytical novelty. Carrying through to the end the methodology developed in the previous work, Karatani traces back to exchange all the productive, institutional and political dynamics produced over time. Cycles of accumulation thus become cycles of exchange. The author, in fact, determines a correspondence between the specific modes of exchange and the consequent political structures, highlighting the centrality that money occupies, both in the theoretical elaboration and in political reality. The prevailing mode of production, based on the exchange of commodities, relies on the absolute mobility of money and on the strength of the state political institution, which acts as a hinge between the global dimension of exchanges and the territorial need for the appropriation of surplus-value. Karatani's critique is embodied in a political proposal, articulated through two key figures: community and cosmopolitanism. With the first term, the philosopher opposes the materiality of human relationships based on reciprocity to the abstract equivalence of economic relationships. By the second term, he shows the need for an extended political practice in which the pursuit of local freedom goes hand in hand with the realization of global justice. The paper traces these themes both through direct exposure of Karatani's work and by offering critical comparisons with other authors who have addressed similar issues. Finally, the purpose of this paper is to emphasize the originality of the Japanese author's philosophical-historical work, suspended between utopia and pragmatism, also through criticism, in order to highlight its strengths and underline its potential weaknesses. Author(s): Vincenzo Maria Di Mino Title (English): Through Exchange: Karatani Compared With Marx Journal Reference: Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 18, No. 1-2 (2021). Publisher: Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities - Skopje Page Range: 8-20 Page Count: 13 Citation (English): Vincenzo Maria Di Mino, “Through Exchange: Karatani Compared With Marx,” Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 18, No. 1-2 (2021): 8-20. Author Biography Vincenzo Maria Di Mino, Independent researcher Vincenzo Maria Di Mino (1987) is an independent researcher on political and social theory