Project ARES - a New Member of the Slovak Security Policy

Projekt ARES - nový člen slovenskej bezpečnostnej politiky

Author(s): Oliver Éder / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: ARES; security policy; Slovak Republic

Project ARES je nezávislé združenie študentov a doktorandov Fakulty politických vied a medzinárodných vzťahov UMB v Banskej Bystrici, ktoré sa primárne zaoberá analytickou činnosťou v oblasti kríz, konfl iktov, bezpečnostnej politiky, geopolitiky, a v neposlednom rade i medzinárodnými vzťahmi. V radoch jeho členov a sympatizantov sú aj ľudia s dlhoročnou praxou v profesionálnej bezpečnostno-analytickej oblasti.

Instruction and Language Dimensions of Education in Kingdom of Hungary

Vzdelávanie a jazykové dimenzie školstva v Uhorsku

Author(s): Zoltán Pástor / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: education; Hungary; language

The article deals with the analysis of the development of Education in Kingdom of Hungary in the 18th and 19th centuries. On the Hungarian territory there were no legitimate Slovak universities and the instruction was provided only in German and Hungarian languages. Above all, Hungarianization had been enforced by laws. The answer of the young Slovak generation to the Hungarian suppression was various students´ activities, societies and associations supporting the development of the Slovak language and identity. They had been considered by that government to be unlawful and illegitimate and therefore they were hampered by cruel and atrocious reprisals.

Africa Seen from a Different Point of View

Afrika iným pohľadom

Author(s): Eva Slámková / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: Africa

JAZAIRIOVÁ PAVLA: Iná Afrika. Radioservis, Praha 2008. 232 s., ISBN 978-80-86212-64-7

Contemporary Problems of the Common European Foreign and Security Policy in the Global Geopolitical Area

Súčasné problémy Spoločnej európskej zahraničnej a bezpečnostnej politiky v globálnom geopolitickom priestore

Author(s): Matúš Masica / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: CFSP; geopolitical area; European Union; EU; Common Foreign and Security Policy

Svet na začiatku 21. storočia začali ohrozovať nové globálne hrozby, na ktoré musíme reagovať. Rovnako dochádza aj k zmene geopolitického usporiadania planéty. Ak vychádzame z premisy, že spoločenský systém je súčasťou (prípadne „partnerom“) prírodného systému musíme si uvedomiť fakt (nevyhnutnosť) vplyvu prírodných pohybov na spoločenský systém a teda aj na našu každodennú realitu. Prelom tisícročí bol poznamenaný veľkými prírodnými pohybmi, ako napríklad ničivé vyčíňanie atmosferických vplyvov v podobe tornád a hurikánov, presunmi vodnej masy vyvolaných posunom litosferických dosiek, dezertifi kácia Afriky a iných púštnych oblastí planéty a mnohých iných prírodných pohyboch ako napríklad početné zemetrasenia vyvolané z rôznych príčin.

Following the Tracks of War Correspondent

Po stopách vojnového reportéra

Author(s): Július Nguyen / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: war; conflict; correspondent

RAJEC, M.: Po stopách konfl iktov. Ikar, Bratislava 2008. 164 s. ISBN 978-80-551-1663-1

Information About Interesting Books Printed in Russia

Informácie o zaujímavých knihách vydaných v Rusku

Author(s): Xenia Puzatkina,Nadežda Filimonova,Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Sorokina / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: Russia; books

Information about the new publicarions printed in Russia.

Foreign Policy, Conditionality its Creation and Realization and its Bearing on Internal Policy

Zahraničná politika, podmienenosti jej tvorby a realizácie, a vzťah k vnútornej politike

Author(s): Peter Weiss / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: foreign policy; internal policy; international relations

State remains the most important participant of international relations. The inseparable part of state attribute is its own sovereignty. One of the basic attributes of state sovereignty is it its foreign policy. It is defi ned as the dynamic process of creation and implementation of national interests in polyarchical and polycentrical international environment. With its foreign policy actions a state strives to shape its own outer environment. Foundation and implementation of foreign policy depends on inner and outer factors as well as on objective and subjective determinants. Foreign policy is closely interconnected with domestic policy. This interconnection fi nds its expression in founding of state domestic and foreign institutions dealing with foreign affairs.

Acceptance Theory as the Source of Policy Creation of the Gender Equality

Teórie uznania ako východisko tvorby politiky rodovej rovnosti

Author(s): Zuzana Kulašiková / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2009

Keywords: gender equality; accpetance theory

In the contemporary modern society there are being developed new theories of justice. They are focused on elimination of citizen´s marginalization. One of examples of new theories are theories recognition. The most famous of them are Axel Honneth´s theory and Nancy Fraser´s theory, which introduce different views on recognition. It is interesting to applay their diverse points of view on creation of public policy, e.g. aplication on gender equality policy and selecting adequate methods and measures in this context.

Social Aspects of Mathematics Education

Društveni aspekti matematičkog obrazovanja

Author(s): Saša Puzić,Branislava Baranović / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 2/2012

Keywords: mathematics education; human capital; high status knowledge; active citizenship; mathematics achievement; educational policy; post-industrial society

The paper examines the dual role of mathematics education in society, on the one hand as an instrument of technological and economic development, and on the other as a mechanism for status attainment. Therefore, the authors discuss the role of mathematics education in raising economic competitiveness and productivity, in the (re)production of social inequalities, and its relevance for active citizenship. Drawing on the concepts of human capital and high status knowledge, it is asserted that the economic and status attainment aspects of mathematics education cannot be separated, since the actual (over)accentuation of the economic aspect strengthens the tendency for educational reproduction of social inequalities, which in the end can be economically dysfunctional. The authors emphasise the need for retreat from educational policies focused primarily on individual economic effectiveness – conceptualised through abstract holders of human capital – towards policies that combine the issue of human resources development with the question of structural inequalities in (mathematics) education and the wider society.

Reviews

Prikazi

Author(s): Mirko Petrić,Krešimir Krolo / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 2/2012

Lee Rainie, Barry Wellman, Networked: The New Social Operating System Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2012, 358 str. Deseta konferencija Europskoga sociološkog društva (»Društveni odnosi u turbulentnim vremenima«) Ženeva, 7–10. rujna 2011.

Sociology of Culture and Cultural Studies: Towards a Postsocialist Reconciliation

Sociology of Culture and Cultural Studies: Towards a Postsocialist Reconciliation

Author(s): Ksenija Vidmar Horvat / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2012

Keywords: sociology of culture; cultural studies; postsocialism; Marxism; class; critical pedagogy; intellectuals

This paper investigates the relationship between the sociology of culture and cultural studies. It is argued that the relationship calls for a more in-depth inquiry because the two strands of analysis of culture bear much in common; yet, due to mutual misconceptions and misunderstanding of the research goals, their common agenda is often ignored (or even opposed). In addition, the shared legacies are often obscured by geographic and intellectual cultures that fall within the dividing lines between Western (democratic capitalist) and Eastern European (postsocialist) epistemological orientations in studying social change. As a result, both fields are losing in their theoretical power and practical pedagogy. The paper points to the origins of some of the mutual misconceptions with the goal of showing the potential for the mutually enforcing intellectual energy if the sociology of culture and cultural studies shift their relationship from practicing ignorance to embracing a dialogue.

“Pure Sociology” and “Dirty Business”: The Possibilities for the Explanation of Corruption Using Black’s Paradigm

»Čista sociologija« i »prljavi poslovi«: mogućnosti objašnjenja korupcije primjenom Blackove paradigme

Author(s): Saša Božić,Simona Kuti / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 2/2012

Keywords: pure sociology; Donald Black; corruption; dimensions of social space

Corruption is a universal social phenomenon in terms of durability and distribution across societies, while the explanations offered in the different disciplines of social sciences are mostly particular and dedicated to specific types of corruption. The perspective of pure sociology founded by Donald Black is a rare contemporary attempt at specific conceptual framing and comprehensive explanation of distinct social phenomena and of social life in general, which reinterprets social behaviour according to observed regularities of the internal structure and geometry of a social phenomenon. This approach can be applied to universal, i.e. durable and widespread phenomena such as corruption. The authors apply the logic of pure sociology and formulate propositions for the explanation of corruption using Donald Black’s paradigm. From this perspective, corruption is a joint function of relational closeness, a high level of organisation and low social control of involved corrupt social units. Corruption varies directly with organisation and inversely with social control and relational distance. The authors conclude with an evaluation of the explanatory power and credibility of the propositions emerging from the paradigmatic directions of “pure sociologists”.

ROMANIAN PAYMENT SYSTEM PERSPECTIVES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTEGRATION IN EU

ROMANIAN PAYMENT SYSTEM PERSPECTIVES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTEGRATION IN EU

Author(s): Vasile Dedu,Ramona Bratu / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: Impact; payment system; payment service directive; SEPA; TARGET 2; National Payment Council; National Plan.

At the European Union level there are three major ongoing projects in respect of the payment system: Payment Service Directive (PSD), TARGET 2 and SEPA. The three projects have important implications for the market participants, for the operators, for the National Bank of Romania involved in the payment system, and for the future architecture of the Romanian payment system. The implementation of the European projects in Romania need a structured and well coordinated approach, with a solid institutional background.

GENDER OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY IN TRANSITION ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM ROMANIA AND SLOVENIA

GENDER OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY IN TRANSITION ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM ROMANIA AND SLOVENIA

Author(s): Andrej Bertoncelj,Darko Kovač / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: gender occupational identity; economic development; occupational specialisation; Romania; Slovenia

This paper aims to study how socio-economic factors, cultural predispositions and educational opportunities influence the gender occupational identity in transition economies of Romania and Slovenia. Females in both countries are still in unfavourable position and the process towards market economy has not solved the issue. Historical effects of communism and declarative equality in Central and Eastern European countries resulted in higher rate of female employees in industrial sectors. However, content equality measured by number of female legislators, senior officials, managers and female members of parliament, gender pay gap and contributing family workers indicate that real equality has not yet been reached. Due to its specific economic development, the study suggests that lower occupational division is present in Romania than in Slovenia. The study suggests further that higher economic development results in higher gender occupational specialisation.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR VISUAL IMPAIRED PERSONS IN THE ROMANIAN LABOR MARKET

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR VISUAL IMPAIRED PERSONS IN THE ROMANIAN LABOR MARKET

Author(s): Codruţa Osoian,Monica Zaharie,Roxana Stegerean / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: visual impairment; employment; job selection criteria; discrimination

The efforts made by Romania to adopt an antidiscrimination legislation have started even before our country was required by the European Union to implement the European anti-discrimination guidelines. All the discrimination criteria refer to both discrimination at the working place and to discrimination when entering employment. Nevertheless, the activity from the recruitment sphere proved that there are clear and evident discrimination practices starting with the recruitment phase and continuing with the job selection, especially the job interviews. Focusing on the employment entrance phase, the present study explores the employers’ representations and attitudes towards disabled workers. Based on the results obtained, the paper presents a set of strategies adapted to the specific of the Romanian employers and labor market, aiming to increase the employment rate for visual impaired persons.

RISK MANAGEMENT OF INTEREST RATE FOR THE CONTRACTS Of INSURANCE LIFE

LA GESTION DU RISQUE DU TAUX D’INTERET POUR LES CONTRATS D’ASSURANCE VIE

Author(s): Simona Dragoş / Language(s): French / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: life insurance; interest rate; immunisation; dynamic insurance.

When pricing a life insurance we have to choose the hypotheses on the mortality and on the future evolution of the interest rates. A small variation of the interest rate has a greater impact on the actual value of a life insurance contract then a small variation of the mortality. The paper treats the evolution of the modalities of managing the risk of interest rate, the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

A THREE WAY ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS OF A ROMANIAN UNIVERSITY

A THREE WAY ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS OF A ROMANIAN UNIVERSITY

Author(s): Mihaela Cornelia Prejmerean,Simona Vasilache / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: organizational learning; university management; three-way analysis

The paper applies three-way analysis (Kroonenberg, 1983, 2008) to the sets of components of organizational learning process in a Romanian university, by questioning 20 teaching and research staff. The study examines the differences in identifying the organizational learning characteristics between senior and junior staff, and between people holding a managerial position and the rest of the academic staff. The preferences for one or another of the components – organizational learning, individual learning, and organizational conditions are being underlined and discussed, based on the data collected from a Romanian economic university.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS

Author(s): Klára Szita Tóth / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: sustainable development; life cycle; energy production; renewable resources

LCA can give opportunity to a special kind of analysis for sustainability’s regional aspects or corporations’ responsibility and steps taken towards sustainability too. It can be a basic tool to measure environmental performance or to develop eco-efficiency (factor 4, 10, 20). Analyses have shown that it can be used to measure the movements to the direction of sustainable development if time series of data stand at disposal. In connection with sustainability we regard it very important to spread life cycle effect analysis to the field of energy production too. Energy production came to the focus of attention in a double way. On the one hand the long run secure way of energy supply, the accomplishment of both the EU’s and Hungary’s strategy is a major question, focusing on the ever longer stocking of fossil fuels and on the larger share use of renewable resources. On the other hand more and more emphasis is put on environmental effects, firstly on the reduction of green house gases but of other effects as well, and on the improvement of eco-efficiency too. Several effect studies were made when forming the Hungarian energy strategic concept which besides the aspect of economic efficiency put emphasis on the analysis of carbon-dioxide emission too. But to now no life cycle based comparative analysis has been accomplished the energetic use of different primary resources. This would be very useful though, when we aim to measure the average environmental effects of the domestic energy mix or the external effects of distinct energy resources. This need is emphasized even more by the analysis of alternative resources. If all input and output side effects can be analysed complexly in a life cycle framework based on 1 MJ produced energy, by their contribution to global problems we can compare the environmental effects of distinct resources used in energy production, and its eco-efficiency indicator. This can serve as additional information when trying to make economic regulations more perfect.

THE IMPACT OF THE SOLVENCY II PROCESS OF THE INSURANCE FIELD IN ROMANIA

THE IMPACT OF THE SOLVENCY II PROCESS OF THE INSURANCE FIELD IN ROMANIA

Author(s): Daniela-Nicoleta Sahlian,Georgiana Oana Stanilă,Adriana Duţescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2008

Keywords: fair value; adequation of capital; solvency margin; risk management; provisions for risk; Solvency II

Insurance companies and banks are of great importance to the economy, which is why their stability must be ensured. In order to prevent bankruptcies in the financial sector, these companies are subject to strict regulations, which set standards for risk management and the amount of reserve capital required. Such capital reserves act as safety buffers to protect the customers from extraordinary events. In the insurance industry, the reserve capital is referred to as the solvency margin. The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of prudential regulations for insurance sector and explain how the Solvency II framework (in line with the developments of IAS/IFRS) will affect risk management in the Romanian insurance industry, and whether these changes can result in opportunities for insurers. This is achieved by studying the new regulations and conducting a number of interviews with insurance company representatives as well as industry experts. A final consideration of impacts and developments provides a few recommendations and suggestions for regulators and insurances.

Housing bubble burst or credit crunch effect? Slovenia’s housing market

Mehurček ali kreditni krč: kaj se dogaja na slovenskem stanovanjskem trgu?

Author(s): Richard Sendi / Language(s): Slovenian / Issue: 2/2010

Keywords: globalna finančna kriza; stanovanjski mehurček; kreditni krč; stanovanjsko financiranje; ponudba in povpraševanje; stanovanjski trg

Stanovanjski mehurček se po definiciji investicijskega slovarja začne ustvarjati s povečanim povpraševanjem po stanovanjih, medtem ko ostaja ponudba stanovanj na trgu omejena ter se zelo počasi dopolnjuje in povečuje. Ko pa se ponudba stanovanj poveča, pride do stagnacije ali celo do znižanja povpraševanja, kar povzroči strm padec cen stanovanj. Ta pojav se strokovno imenuje počenje stanovanjskega mehurčka. Za slovenski stanovanjski trg sta v zadnjih dveh desetletjih značilni visoka stopnja povpraševanja in zelo omejena ponudba stanovanj, ki sta neposredni posledici stanovanjskih reform, ki so bile uvedene v začetku devetdesetih let prejšnjega stoletja. V takih razmerah so špekulativni investitorji v iskanju maksimalnih in hitrih dobičkov povzročili nenehno rast cen stanovanj tako, da so te kmalu dosegle nevzdržne višine v razmerju do povprečnih dohodkov državljanov. Kot v številnih drugih državah po svetu se je tudi v Sloveniji stanje na stanovanjskem trgu spremenilo šele v zadnjem času. Iz statističnih podatkov je razvidna upočasnjena rast oziroma celo rahlo znižanje stanovanjskih cen in opaziti je mogoče, da je prišlo tudi do stagnacije povpraševanja. Ti dogodki so v strokovnih krogih sprožili različna stališča glede nastalega stanja na stanovanjskem trgu. Nekateri so prepričani, da je končno počil stanovanjski mehurček, ker naj bi cene stanovanj dosegle najvišjo mogočo vrednost, ki so jo potrošniki pripravljeni plačati. Na drugi strani so tisti, ki trdijo, da bi cene stanovanj še vedno rastle, če ne bi prišlo do kreditnega krča, ki je povzročil težji dostop do stanovanjskih kreditov in s tem upad povpraševanja. Ti stališči sta glavni hipotezi prispevka. Na podlagi pregleda najpomembnejših značilnostih stanovanjskega trga poskušamo v prispevku opredeliti dejavnike, ki so osnova za odločanje za eno ali drugo hipotezo oziroma proti eni ali drugi.