За „градския шаманизъм“ и новото предназначение на шаманските дарове в потребителското общество

Author(s): Maxim Mikhalev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2016

In the last decades, despite some pessimistic prognoses, shamanism is experiencingrevival. In the course of this process, shamans are adapting their practices to theclients’ expectations and new profile; as a result their own traditional view of theБългарска етнология, world is undergoing significant changes. One of the newly-emerged features ofcontemporary shamanism in Buryatia is dividing the inhabitants of the sacred worldinto „prestigious“ and „non-prestigious“ and offering them gifts corresponding tothis new status, all this with the active participation of the shamans themselves. Thearticle presents such practice which the author observed and assumes that there is alsoa process of transmission of respective ideals and values in the sphere of the sacredworld.

Палмовите орехи арека като обект на даро- и жертвоподнасяне

Author(s): Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2016

The Areca nut is one of the products found in South Asia, Southeast Asia, andSouthern China. In China, being an exotic product that can be grown only in tropicalclimate, the Areca nut used to be highly appreciated and considered as a precious giftamongst the nobles in the past, especially during the Tang and Song dynasties. Whilein Vietnam, throughout its history, the Areca nut, because of its inherent spiritualvalue, has been an indispensable object of sacrifice in Vietnamese ancestral worshipas well as their lifetime rituals such as weddings, funerals and during childbirth. Apartfrom being an essential offering in rituals and ceremonies, the Areca nut traditionallywas also a means of mobilizing Vietnamese people’s social interactions (includingcourting between young boys and young girls).After doing a short description on how the Areca nut was used as a gift and as asacrificial object respectively in China in the past and in Southeast Asia, this article,from a historical point of view and with the author’s first hand materials from herfieldwork in Vietnam, attempts to show and explain both why and how the Arecanut has been functioning as a core indispensable object in sacrifices as well as ritualsand also as a means of social interaction in Vietnam. Thus, the article emphasizesthe important role that the Areca nut plays in Vietnamese people’s spiritual life andculture.

Пета конференция на Националните асоциации в Международната социологическа асоциация „Социални трансформации и социология: лишености и овластявания“, 21‒24.11.2022 г., Нова Горица

Author(s): Mila Mineva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

BETWEEN THE PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE BULGARIAN EXARCHATE. THE DIFFICULT CHOICE OF THE MACEDONIAN BULGARIANS AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Author(s): Angel Zlatkov / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2023

By the end of the 19th century approximately a quarter of the Orthodox Bulgarians in the historical and geographical area of Macedonia remained loyal to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which served the Greek national idea. Both, in the past and today, this fact has raised the issue of the national affiliation of the Bulgarian-speaking population in the European dominions of the Ottoman Empire. Why did these people remain loyal to the Patriarchate, despite the long-lasting efforts of the Bulgarian Exarchate to attract them to itself? The author highlights the unequal status of the two ecclesiastical institutions in the Ottoman administrative system as a leading factor that hindered the normal functioning of the Bulgarian Church and severely limited its ability to guarantee the political, religious, cultural and educational rights of the Bulgarian Exarchists. On the border between the two centuries, being at the heart of the struggle for the distribution of the Ottoman inheritance in the Balkans, the Bulgarians in Macedonia were faced with difficult choices, which determined not only their personal well-being, but sometimes even their lives.

Сектантското насилие в Пакистан – тероризъм, или дълбоки религиозни противоречия в обществото

Author(s): Miroslav Mirchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

The report examines issues related to sectarianism in Pakistan arising from the unequal position of the minority Shia groups in the society. The main reasons are examined, as well as the activities of local terrorist groups and organizations like the Movement of the Pakistani Taliban and the so-called Local Taliban to destabilize the security environment and create ethnic ten-sion. Some of the measures taken by the Pakistani military and state leadership to regulate problems and create religious harmony and social security are also analyzed.

Kobieta – naukowiec – mutant. Płeć w opowiadaniach Julii Nideckiej

Author(s): Kinga Wyskiel / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1 (21)/2023

Kinga Wyskiel’s article concerns the issue of gender in science fiction stories by Julia Nidecka. The following stories have been analysed and interpreted: “Wilki na wyspie” [Wolves on the Island], “Taśmy prawdy” [Tapes of Truth], “Kwiaty w bukiecie” [Flowers in a Bouquet] and “Goniący za słońcem” [Chasing the Sun]. Wyskiel considers two dominant strategies for the representation of femininity in these stories and focuses on Nidecka’s images of the woman scientist and the mutant woman present in them. Wyskiel also points out that gender is an a priori category in Nidecka’s future worlds and that, consequently, the construction of those worlds has been based on the gender matrix.

„Fii bun și tare”

Author(s): Alice-Georgiana Fănaru / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2023

Documentation and specialized articles are among the main means of improving stylistic classifications of the works belonging to an art museum’s heritage. A museum’s heritage is also dynamic, although most museums have a well-developed collection of works dating from before the 1990s. As the heritage is enriched, it must also be documented, and volumes of monographs on lesser-known artists are very useful in this process. This is also the case of the volume entitled „The Bednarik Family in Romanian Art” which is the subject of this review. Following the personal and professional career of the members of this family of artists, the Bednarik family monograph is a valuable document for the history of art in our country and a useful tool for specialists in art museums.

THE RISKS TO SOCIETY GENERATED BY "SOVEREIGN CITIZENS" BASED ON THE ATTITUDE INFLUENCED BY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

Author(s): Iulian Dinulescu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2023

The Sovereign Citizen Movement is one formed by people who interpret the political, legal, and social reality through the prism of their own religious beliefs. The man was created freely by God, meaning "sovereign". Consequently, individuals are free from the legal norms imposed by other people. This is a movement without an organizational structure, which is replaced by its system of beliefs and values held by leaders and clearly defined organizations. Gordon Kahl's manifesto undoubtedly highlights the religious side of the sovereign citizen movement. The individual said in 1983 that the Kingdom of Christ was under siege by the forces of Satan who control the governments of the states, which is why people should no longer submit to them. Followers of the Sovereign Citizen Movement believe that their actions and attitudes are approved by God. They issued their own IDs, passports, and vehicle registration numbers, some with the phrase "Kingdom of God" emblazoned on them. Some of the "sovereign citizens" took their beliefs to extremes and became violent, killing those who opposed them. For this reason, the Federal Bureau of Investigation labeled the most extreme among them as terrorists.

Propagowanie wychowania obronnego w kontekście edukacji morskiej, wychowania morskiego, tradycji i znaczenia związków Polski z morzem. Zarys problemu

Author(s): Bogusław Gogol / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2023

The importance given to Poland's relationship with the sea is significant for the Polish Navy, while for the state’s security and its economy, it is indisputable. The article aims to show how the idea of maritime education, here in the sense of aspiring to be associated in one's future professional life with work at sea, service in the Polish Navy, or, finally, with a passion such as sailing, is promoted and popularised among Polish society. The text attempts to answer the question of which of the themes presented in the public discussion in the "traditional" way (analogue media sources), as well as on the Internet, are of particular importance in this case. The paper reviews a variety of sources and attempts to identify the range and examples of literature, journalism, selected portals and websites, museums, etc., enabling a preliminary assessment of the scale and, to some extent, the methods of the social impact of the importance of defence education and maritime training. This is particularly important in the context of the new Homeland Defence Act of March 11, 2022. The topics related to defence, military and maritime training, maritime education and the relationship between Poland and the sea are present in the public space and are often discussed. This demonstrates not only its popularity but also its importance. Concern for the prospects of this subject is particularly important given the popularity among young people of professions related to the sea, including the uneasy service in the Navy. If the most modest prognoses of the prospects for the development of the Polish Navy remain, for the most part, only "on paper," the interest in tying one's life's destiny to the sea and the Navy will diminish among the young generation.

ЛЕГИТИМИЗАЦИЈА ВЛАСТИТОГ СТАТУСА МОЋИ У САМОПРЕДСТАВЉАЊУ МЕЂУНАРОДНЕ КРИЗНЕ ГРУПЕ

Author(s): Ljerka Jeftić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 82/2023

The paper presents types of legitimization in the self-presentation of International Crisis Group (ICG), a non-governmental organization which is globally referred to as the leading source of information, analysis and high-level advocacy in the field of conflict. Given the privileged access to the world policy makers and the powerful social status of the ICG founders and the Board of Trustees’ members, as well as the ICG’s presence on the ground in the countries where conflicts occur, the paper posits that the legitimacy of the ICG’s persuasive power is grounded on authority and information as social resources. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of two self-promotional ICG brochures points to the equal contribution of both social resources in providing legitimacy for the organisation’s existence and work. Namely, it is found that legitimization by reference to personal authority, as well as commendation legitimization, are enacted not only through personal authority vested in ICG’s members on the grounds of their individual, respective (former) roles in governments, in the media, business, and in financial institutions, but through the personal authority vested in the individuals (re)commending the work and stature of ICG (high officials of the parties in conflict, as well as world’s top governments officials), whose affiliations are always stated in the analyzed corpus. Their authority gets implicitly transposed to the organization itself. The role of mythopoesis, as the type of legitimization enacted through storytelling, is to portray the organization as the hero and the voice of the world’s vulnerable. The combination of rationalization and moral evaluation provide legitimacy for the “field-centred research” and “allegiance to the facts on the ground” as components of ICG’s “methodology” in obtaining and producing information thus implicitly legitimizing the truth about a conflict that the ICG analysts may establish.

За връзката на българите в Бесарабия с България през призмата на един музеен предмет – Евангели

Author(s): Elena Vodinchar,Marina Pereli-Plehanova,Sonia Semerdzhieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2023

The present study focuses on the relationship of the Bulgarians in Bessarabia with Bulgaria. These relations of the Diaspora with the metropolis are examined in the text through the prism of a museum object: a Gospel from the collection of the Regional Archaeological Museum – Plovdiv. The authors focus the analysis on museology as a methodology. Some approaches to the study and interpretation of the facts from Bulgarian and foreign authors with extensive experience in the study of museum objects and collections are also examined. In general, the study offers a detailed analysis of the informational potential of a museum object in order to trace the relationship of the Bulgarians from the village of Banovka in Bessarabia (today located in Odesa Region – Ukraine) with their compatriots in the village of Chehlare, Plovdiv region during the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 21st century.

За приноса на църковните песнопения към развитието на грузинската фолклорна полифония

Author(s): Tamaz Gabisonia / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2023

Georgian ecclesiastical hymns and folk songs are perceived within one musical language. However, the stylistic palette of Georgian song is more diverse than that of generally more regulated chants. Nevertheless, Georgian church chants made a significant contribution to the development of expression techniques of Georgian folk music tradition. Apparently, This tendency was more manifested in the following directions: • Increase in the melody volume and centonization principle (linking the phrases) in the songs; • Differences between Acharan and Gurian songs through the Prism of changing religious situation; • Structural and dramaturgical proximity of Svan hymn-like songs and mourning song “Zari” to church hymns; • Similarity of “ghighini”, festive hymns and some merry songs, as well as “live lie” songs with church hymns; • Modal mode and parallele voices in para-liturgical hymns and folk songs.

Natura, cywilizacja, filozofia

Author(s): Piotr Augustyniak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 48/2024

This article is about philosophy as a path, leading man, a civilised being, to re-establish communication with what Gilles Deleuze calls “primordial nature.” This foundational phenomenon, being the primary reservoir of life energy, underpins the existence of the human civilised world. However, by the same token, this phenomenon, since exempt from conditioning and subject to no restrictions or constraints, can disrupt the functioning of this world. Thus, disengagement from primordial nature is the fundamental purpose of the existence of civilization. Unfortunately, its development over time excessively diminishes that connection, deepening alienation, frustration and aggression in social life. I will undertake to demonstrate that the practice of philosophy can be one of the basic ways of coping with that inevitable civilisational impasse.

SHIFTING IMPERIAL POLICIES TOWARDS PROVINCIAL ELITES IN THE ROMAN, BYZANTINE, AND OTTOMAN BALKANS AND ASIA MINOR

Author(s): Antonis Anastasopoulos,Luisa Andriollo,Cédric Brélaz / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2024

The article focuses on imperial policies towards provincial elites in the Balkans and Asia Minor in three major empires which succeeded one another, namely the Roman, the Byzantine, and the Ottoman. Provincial elites were important for imperial power as intermediaries between local communities and central authorities. Our article adopts a political and institutional approach, and focuses on provincial elites as agents who were given formal or informal shares in the mechanisms and hierarchies through which empires were governed. Following surveys of imperial policies towards provincial elites in the three polities, it argues that, unlike the concept of empire which can be universal, imperial systems of government are neither uniform nor static, and depend on such factors as state ideology, historical circumstances, and political and economic exigencies. Ultimately, our article demonstrates how structural differences in the very conception of imperial governance and ideology resulted in differentiated policies towards provincial elites.

121 години от избухването на Илинденско-Преображенското въстание през 1903 г.

Author(s): Kalin Ranchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2024

The text discusses the most important events in the development of the Internal Macedonian-Odrin Revolutionary Organization, the activities before and during the uprising, and gives a chronology of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising. The events of the chronology are presented in a condensed form, without their detailed description, and are traced in chronological order from their outbreak to their suppression.

Goodwill, Morality and Legislation in Restitution & Provenance Politics; a Reflection on Customary Laws and Property Ownership in Africa

Author(s): Winani Thebele / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2024

Calls for restitution and provenance research over colonial objects have embraced museums globally. The two theoretical undertakings complement one another. Governments, heritage institutions and individuals are reviewing the provenance of their colonial collections and returning them to descendant communities. Widely publicised return undertakings and ceremonies attest to this. Scholars and curators have revolutionised their thinking, approaches and writings with an intent to decolonize narratives associated with the colonial holdings. Conversations through seminars, conferences, workshops and political statements complement the efforts. However, the returns are usually presented as voluntary gestures, driven by morality, redress, equality, correction of colonial wrongs and calls for human rights. This article argues that there are also legal obligations as evidenced by developments in Europe and America today. The article methodologically interrogates three intertwined subjects: 1. the current state of affairs with Africa’s colonial heritage; 2. the customary laws on collective ownership of heritage by communities as a contributory catalyst to the migration of heritage; and 3. an ignored factor in the quest for repatriations and the development of national legal structures by states that hold colonial objects. The argument is that these should be balanced; the returns are not only based on morality and goodwill by hosting states, but are also enforced by legal obligations. The paper further argues that all stakeholders should be taken on board in provenance and restitutions, particularly the descendant communities, their wishes and customs. These present as part of ‘best museum practise’ and the decolonization narrative.

COVID-19 and Bulgarian Female Returnees: Three Stories, One Core Motive – Caregiving

Author(s): Vanya Ivanova / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2022

In the focus of the article are the stories of three Bulgarian women who moved back to Bulgaria in the period 2020-2021, influenced by the pandemic of COVID-19. The ethnographic study was done in October-November 2021, exploring return migration and self-identification processes among Bulgarian returnees within which, in these three particular cases, COVID-19 is given as the key trigger for the return or the permanence of the return. The stories are interesting because they elaborate on the correlation between the emigration motives, migration stories, return motives, and the self-actualisation of the women upon return, synthesising one core motive for their return – caregiving. The complexity of return decisions is typologised around the three objects to which the caregiving is addressed – the personal, extended, and larger family, seen as a community/country. The article concludes that return could be explained as a mix of the women’s responsibility to closer or larger circles and structures and triggered and initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic through their strong female will and agency.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION AS A TOOL FOR COUNTERING HYBRID THREATS. A FOCUS ON NATIONAL RESILIENCE AND PUBLIC TRUST

Author(s): Elena MÂRZAC / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2024

This paper examines strategic communication's important role in countering hybrid threats through early detection, real-time response, and collaboration among government, civil society, and technology sectors. Hybrid threats, such as foreign information interference, disinformation, cyberattacks, and political influence campaigns, present challenges to national security, particularly in the digital age. By fostering societal resilience and enhancing public trust in institutions, strategic communication frameworks are essential to safeguarding national interests. This paper explores how strategic communication frameworks can detect, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of hybrid threats, rapid and coordinated responses. Strategic communication can prevent the spread of disinformation, help build national resilience. By creating collaborative networks and using digital technologies, strategic communication protects national security and underscores their role in safeguarding national resilience. It aligns messaging across agencies, reinforcing government credibility during crises and fostering societal resilience through transparent, accurate information. By engaging with diverse audiences, StratCom adapts messages to influence positive public behaviors and build social cohesion. Additionally, it supports national interests by unifying government and societal efforts under clear objectives, while protecting information channels to secure communication. This proactive, coordinated approach strengthens democratic values and national security against hybrid threats.

MEDICAL POPULISM AS A MEANS OF BUILDING A POLITICAL COMMUNITY DURING PANDEMIC-INDUCED CIVIL DISORDER

Author(s): Joanna Rak,Karolina Owczarek / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2024

This case study, embedded in the theoretical framework of medical populism, investigates how the TVP Info news portal, a public media entity controlled by the ruling party, strategically employed medical populism to cultivate a political community and concurrently legitimize Polish governmental actions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The research relies on a source analysis of a population of news articles about the pandemic disseminated on TVP Info. The timeframe captures the pandemic during a transition from stringent pandemic measures to a period of eased restrictions, reduced infection rates, and a perceptible shift in focus towards the unfolding war in Ukraine. The study aims to unpack dimensions of medical populism existing in the narratives throughout this critical period. The analysis reveals the strategic deployment of dramatization, common-sense solutions, expertise invocation, and the dichotomy of “us” versus “them”. It underscores the media’s actions to shape public perception and consolidate support for the government’s response to the pandemic. The conclusions drawn from this analysis contribute to enriching the understanding of how medical populism was wielded as a tool for community-building and justification of government actions during a pivotal juncture in recent history of civil disorder.

Analysis of Public Communications in the Event of A Terrorist Act – Communication Response of the Authorities and Coverage in the Media

Author(s): Uri Ben Yaakov / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2025

This article examines the critical analysis of public communications during and in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, concentrating on the dual responsibilities of authorities and the media. It seeks to examine the intricacies of communicating information during crises, assessing how strategic communications can mitigate the negative consequences of terrorism on public sentiment and societal stability. This study sheds light on the shifting dynamics between media coverage, public perception and state responses, by conducting a qualitative analysis of case studies and covering historical and recent terrorist attacks. The research emphasizes important obstacles in striking a balance between informed reporting and the potential for sensationalism, highlighting the ethical dilemmas which journalists and politicians face. The findings highlight the need for a refined framework that controls crisis communication, as well as procedures that ensure information sharing is accurate, sensitive, and timely. This study adds to the greater discussion on counterterrorism methods by suggesting actionable norms and ethical standards for crisis reporting, emphasizing the critical significance of good communication in maintaining public trust and resilience. The study not only adds to the academic understanding of crisis communication, but it also provides practical insights into how media and authorities may work together more effectively to combat terrorism.