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The subject of reflection in the article is a discussion about secularization. There are two theoretical approaches, which in a different way interpret nowadays religious changes. The representatives of the secularization paradigm assume that religion is marginalized in contemporary societies, and this weakening is associated with social and economic changes. On the contrary, the representatives of the economic paradigm claim that it is hard to observe the secularization process nowadays, even among highly developed countries. In the text, the statistic model is presented. It enables us to identify which approach is correct.
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The article discusses the concepts of the secularization of Hans Blumenberg (Legitimacy of the Modern Age) and Charles Taylor (A Secular Age). According to Blumenberg, the Modern Age is not a secular transformation of the initially religious contents. It dismisses the accusations of the Modern Age in illegitimacy. When Blumenberg tells this story of the emergence of the Modern Age, he tries to create an image of revolutionary change in the understanding of the world and human beings. This story of the Modern Age told by Blumenberg, is supported by the recently (2003) published book of the German Egyptologist Jan Assmann: The Mosaic Distinction or The Price of Monotheism. According to Assmann, the birth of monotheism is accompanied by the emergence and development of religious intolerance: there appears the idea of the true religion which opposes itself to false superstitions. Assmann calls this radical opposition and differentiation the “Mosaic Distinction”. This distinction, on the one hand, creates an insuperable distance between a transcendent God and the world, and, on the other hand, gives theological (transcendent) justification to the fundamental principles of human practices. Assmann tries to prove the secular origin of the idea of justice and law. In this sense, the secularization of the Modern Age has to be understood as a quite legitimate process, as a manifestation of the negative potential, inherent in monotheism. In this context I want to suggest in this article two important arguments: (1) Assmann’s and Blumenberg’s stories could be fruitfully confronted with the history of secularization as stated in the book A Secular Age by Professor Taylor. Secularization should not be described as a necessary process (the theory of subtraction Entzauberung, rationalization etc.); (2) After an identification of the one-sidedness of Blumenberg’s and Assmann’s narratives, I want to return to the question of the legitimacy of the Modern Age. I select two examples: the concept of the personality (its absolute and universal validity) and the concept of human rights. My position is to show that the validity of these concepts cannot be proved in terms of immanent legitimation. This shows the limitations of secular rationality and is a good argument in order to realize the importance of religion and faith in contemporary practical and philosophical discussions.
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In A Secular Age, Charles Taylor presents a narrative interpretation of modernity that dispels common myths about the decline or regression of religion in the modern age propagated by anti-religious negative narratives popular within the social sciences. An important part of Taylor’s critique centres on the terminology employed by these narratives and their lack of substantive definitions. This paper examines the substantive and functional definitions of ‘secularisation,’ ‘secularity’ and ‘religion’ which Taylor presents in A Secular Age, and demonstrates how Taylor attacks the anti-religious negative narratives of modernity through his analysis of the meaning of these terms.
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The demographically ageing European countries witness a rapid increase in the ratio of very old seniors whose growing functional dependence calls for long-term care. Organizing and developing a long-term care system is among the priorities of social policy in the European Union member states. The strongest emphasis is placed on the development of long-term care in the home, preferred by the overwhelming majority of Europeans. The article presents a few chosen aspects of the functioning of in-home long-term care in EU member countries, with special focus on Poland. The main emphasis is placed on the role in home care of the family members of dependent seniors (informal carers) and the role of people representing the local care services (formal carers).
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The conducted analysis aims to show the ageing process as a challenge driving the development of the underestimated or overlooked elements of social life, such as volunteering and intergenerational service provided by seniors for their environment and their relatives. The process of flows of social services and the benefits given by the elder people to the young is often ignored in the socio-economic analyses. There is still a belief that the only natural direction is a reverse flow from young to older people resulting from an inevitable deterioration of health, cognitive skills and social and professional competencies with age. This belief, at a time when not only is the average lifespan longer, but the quality of life is improving, is unreasonable and may relate only to the final phase of the ageing process. The starting point of the analysis is the question of the ongoing processes of population ageing and its effects on the general population. The later section is a critical discussion of the concept of ‘apocalyptic demography’ based on five elements: homogenisation of this group, perception of the ageing process as a social issue, intergenerational conflict, connecting the ageing process only with social policy, without covering the issue of the resources of this social group and the resulting potential socio-economic benefits.
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Ageing is one of the greatest social challenges of the 21st century for European societies. This paper explores the impact that the ageing of the population is having on museum practices. Ageing, it would seem, thus legitimates access to certain social experiences, while denying access to others, and also embraces sets of implicit expectations about behaviour in relation to aged identities. I argue that the ageing population presents both challenges and opportunities that museums will have to face in the very near future. Therefore, this paper contributes to the debate on how and why museums need to make some progress in terms of developing museum policies and museum programmes that reflect this important demographic change. Age is not a barrier to engagement or participation. The arts are effective at connecting isolated and lonely older people with the wider community, embracing different generations. There is good evidence that the arts have a positive impact on the physical and mental well-being of older people.
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Among the most important demographic factors, age plays without doubt a crucial role: it affects not only the structure of human needs and the volume of consumption, but is also treated as a fundamental variable, one modelling consumption patterns. Paying attention to age as a significant element shaping contemporary consumption is not accidental as demographic changes resulting from the rapid aging of Polish society have direct impact on the Polish economy being – something that should be stressed – under a strong influence of globalization changes now, equally in the field of consumption. A significant increase in the number of ‘third age’ consumers raises many different questions and concerns. The reason for this is the fact that a considerable part of the analysis and comments seems to emphasize only the negative aspects of an aging population, especially from the point of view of social policy, as well as from the perspective of those interested who feel as a result marginalized. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the potential of older people opens up new possibilities for the global economy creating the so-called ‘silver economy’. The aim of this article is to reflect on the situation of ‘third age’ consumers from the point of view of their marginalization and privilege on the consumption market. A better understanding of the phenomena associated with the consumption of the elderly will enable one to design and prepare more adequate actions in the social, economic and consumer spheres.
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The aging processes of European societies and the efforts to create inclusive societies turn sociologists’ attention to the social position of seniors with mental illnesses, i.e. dementia and depression. On the one hand, the double exclusion of this group results from stereotypes and adverse attitudes towards elderly people, and on the other – towards individuals with mental disorders. This often causes a disadvantageous way of coping with the illness, as well as hindering the life quality of the seniors and their families. Due to the taboo of discussing the mental illness of the elderly, social marketing plays a significant role. The authors studied social campaigns referring to the mental health of seniors launched in five European countries using a content analysis method. Referring to the most recent reports on the stigmatization of elderly people with mental health problems, the results of the conducted analysis were applied to prepare recommendations regarding the possibilities of promoting mental health among elderly people as well as promoting knowledge about the problems of seniors with dementia or depression and an openness towards them and their families.
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The article deals with the dynamics of national policy formation in Russia with respect to the indigenous peoples of the North. On the basis of the juxtaposition of the consequences of the USSR protectionist policy and living conditions during the post-Soviet period one can see contemporary trends within the transformation of family–marriage values: family relations that affect the numbers of these peoples and the maintenance of their culture. Based on a comparison of the data on fertility and marriage in Russia and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, among specific ethnic groups of indigenous peoples, researchers have drawn the conclusions that not only are questions about preserving the rights of indigenous peoples relevant, but it is also important to pay attention to the preservation of traditional gender roles, family traditions and the formation of responsibility towards the creation of marriage. As an example we present the data of the 1989, 2002 and 2010 censuses in Russia, as well as materials from a specific sociological study carried out in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Grants RHF RHF N 12-03-00546a (2012–2013) “Socio-cultural youth types of modern Russia: ethnic and regional aspects”, RFH number 08-06-00613a (2008–2010) “Models of ethnocultural youth adaptation in terms of the intensification of industrial development in the North (The Republic of Sakha [Yakutia] )”, RFH 07-06- 18025e (2007) “The Youth of the Indigenous Peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in a modern industrial city: problems of socio-cultural adaptation”, RAS integration project 2006–2008 № 6.26 “The Socio-cultural adaptation of students in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the conditions of modern transformations (on the example of Yakutsk)”.
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The number of people in the world keeps growing, even though the rate of growth is slowing down. The increasing world population causes apprehension among some scholars and members of the public. Anxieties arise, on the one hand, over the possibilities of feeding the world, and, on the other hand, over the burden on the environment caused by human activity (including the production of food). The aim of the article is to highlight major issues underlying the debate on the prospects of feeding the population of the world, considering, in particular, the still prevalent phenomena of hunger and malnutrition. The focus is especially on the causes of the latter phenomenon which persists despite the fact that the Earth’s resources are sufficient enough to sustain an even significantly larger number of people than there are today.
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The question I formulate in the paper and to which I try to find an answer concerns animalism understood as a phenomenon that threatens society. Based on the thought of Nietzsche, Scheler, and Arendt I formulate a conception of subjectivity to which the threat becomes real. “Dialogue” of these philosophers provides a basis to express a warning against animalism, which does not manifests in inhumanity, cruelty or immorality, but in being passive and thoughtless. To draw the latter conclusion I adopt Agamben’s considerations.
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In contemporary sociology researching the body is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and growing research areas. This paper discusses power relations executed through bodily practices. Therefore Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory is an appropriate starting point for an enquiry into this subject because of its ability to overcome the sociologically grounded opposition between an individual and structure, and between the mind and the body. When analysing the phenomenon of power the French sociologist focuses on its symbolic aspect – the ability to remain both arbitrary and misrecognised (ergo, hidden and socially accepted) even by the ones subjected to it. Bourdieu proves that by assimilating arbitrary qualities the body internalises domination, and it is this phenomenon of somatization of power that causes its unrecognizability. This process may be best exemplified by relations between sexes, through the analysis of conditions leading to the submission of female body and explanations of difficulties in liberation from male domination. Importantly, in Bourdieu’s theory, the body is both the carrier of symbolic meanings and a fully material being. That means that body is also an indicator of social class, while being a type of resource called physical capital, which may be used to gain and maintain social status. Therefore, the paper depicts symbolic power as the ability to enforce the way of defining the body and its appearance by dominant classes. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory is widely illustrated by the findings of other social scientists.
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The article addresses the issue of the pictoriality of the human body in contemporary visual culture in the context of the influence of the images of the body created by it and the manner of its perception on the way the body is experienced by a modern man. The article is a theoretical attempt to explain the aforementioned influence in terms of a pictorial plasticity of the body and its perception – media plasticity. The first part of the article is a reasoned theoretical perspective; the second part – an explanation of the category of media plasticity; the third one – a description of its particular form in medical practice.
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Following the development of the sociology of medicine as a subdiscipline of general sociology and observed changes in the theoretical frameworks and areas of sociomedical studies, special attention has been paid to the evolution of the sociology of illness and disability. The role of chronic somatic conditions significantly influencing the health-related quality of life of people has been presented, as well as the development of sociology of mental disorders in relation to trends observed in the general sociology have been analyzed.
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The article presents women’s ageing process in Poland as a biological, health, psychological and sociocultural process. It also points out some of the differences in relation to men’ ageing. The object of a detailed study is the situation of women in the age group of 51–60, i.e. in the period when women of “mature age” start to transform to “elderly ones”. This period is particularly interesting both because of the women’s feelings and the social pressure to which they are subjected.
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