scholarly journals The transformation of supreme values: Evidence from Poland on salvation through civic engagement

Public Choice ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 185 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 113-129
Author(s):  
Jan Fałkowski ◽  
Przemysław Kurek
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
Holy Communion ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Forms Of Violence

AbstractPeter Bernholz has described how ideologies and religions with supreme values have used violence to accomplish their goals. We describe the transformation of supreme values through civic engagement and pro-social behavior (dedication to common good, charity, participation in social life) that rejects as unacceptable all forms of violence. Our focus is on Catholicism after the Second Vatican Council, which emphasized the lay faithful’s role in the Church’s mission of salvation in the world and affirmed categorically that the duty of layperson is to serve other people and society. Using data on Poland, we find that the lay faithful try to fulfil those duties. Religious observance measured by participation in Holy Communion and church attendance correlates positively with civic engagement measured by the number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

scholarly journals Biodiversity trends in Europe: development and testing of a species trend indicator for evaluating progress towards the 2010 target

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1454) ◽  
pp. 297-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
M de Heer ◽  
V Kapos ◽  
B.J.E ten Brink
Keyword(s):  
Population Declines ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Species Population ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Biogeographical Region ◽  
Using Data ◽  
High Level ◽  
Existing Data

This paper presents a trial of a species population trend indicator for evaluating progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target in Europe, using existing data. The indicator integrates trends on different species (groups), and can be aggregated across habitats and countries. Thus, the indicator can deliver both headline messages for high-level decision-making and detailed information for in-depth analysis, using data from different sources, collected with different methods. International non-governmental organizations mobilized data on over 2800 historical trends in national populations of birds, butterflies and mammals, for a total of 273 species. These were combined by habitat and biogeographical region to generate a pilot pan-European scale indicator. The trial indicator suggests a decline of species populations in nearly all habitats, the largest being in farmland, where species populations declined by an average of 23% between 1970 and 2000. The indicator is potentially useful for monitoring progress towards 2010 biodiversity targets, but constraints include: the limited sensitivity of the historical data, which leads to conservative estimates of species decline; a potential danger of ambiguity because increases in opportunistic species can mask the loss of other species; and failure to account for pre-1970 population declines. We recommend mobilizing additional existing data, particularly for plants and fishes, and elaborating further the criteria for compiling representative sets of species. For a frequent, reliable update of the indicator, sound, sensitive and harmonized biodiversity monitoring programmes are needed in all pan-European countries.

Women Entrepreneurship in MENA and Europe

2018 ◽  
pp. 30-51
Author(s):  
Işın Çetin ◽  
Hilal Yıldırır Keser
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
National Level ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Spatial Econometric ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Spatial Econometric Models ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Specific Influence

Women entrepreneurs greatly benefit from the development of economies on both the local and national level. They employ themselves as well as people in the community. Today, microcredit, as part of the microfinance system, has become one of the most successful economic development tools for aid agencies and non-governmental organizations all over the world. Within this framework, this chapter discusses 1) the importance of women to economic development; 2) the significance of microfinance practices for women's empowerment; and 3) the specific influence of microcredit on women's empowerment in Asian and European countries, as determined by spatial econometric analysis with respect to different microfinance variables for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and European zones. Using data from 1990-2016, and employing panel spatial econometric models to analyze the changes in women's empowerment over the years, the study has observed that the microfinance indicators are statistically and economically effective in promoting women empowerment in both MENA and European regions.

The role of women's leadership in environmental NGOs' online accountability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Saraite-Sariene ◽  
Federico Galán-Valdivieso ◽  
Juana Alonso-Cañadas ◽  
Manuela García-Tabuyo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Female Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Online Engagement ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Environmental Ngo

PurposeThe role of female managers has been of increasing interest among scholars in recent years, especially regarding sustainability issues. The same could be said about the usefulness of social media in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in demonstrating accountability to their stakeholders and attracting and keeping donors and volunteers. This paper aims to meet both research interests by analyzing to what extent women in top positions can foster stakeholders' engagement via social media.Design/methodology/approachOnline engagement can be proxied using data from social media to develop a measure that summarizes the main actions social media users are able to use in order to show their reactions to social media publications. Facebook data were obtained using proprietary software (Facebook data model) developed by the research team to carry out data massive extraction, processing and exploration.FindingsThe results of the multivariate analysis show that female leadership in both top and environmental-specific positions enhance social media engagement, while a higher percentage of women on the board of directors exert the opposite effect.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is not without limitations. First, this research is focused on a specific type of non-governmental organization (environmental NGO). Second, this study does not include economic variables such as donation income or expense structure. Third, data come only from Facebook as the leading social network.Originality/valueThis paper advances in the scarce knowledge about the role of women and the levels of online engagement (interactive conversations) in NGOs focused on sustainability.

scholarly journals Does government funding depoliticize non-governmental organizations? Examining evidence from Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bloodgood ◽  
Joannie Tremblay-Boire
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Government Funding ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Prior Work ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Unintended Effect ◽  
Using Data

Prior work suggests that government funding can encourage non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to engage in political advocacy and public policy. We challenge this finding and examine two theoretical explanations for the dampening effect of government funding on NGO lobbying. First, donors are known to discipline NGO activity via an implicit or explicit threat to withdraw funding should the organization become too radical or political. Second, NGOs with more radical political agendas are less willing to seek or accept government funding for fear this will limit or delegitimize their activities. Using data from the European Union’s Transparency Register, we find that the share of government funding in NGO budgets is negatively associated with lobbying expenditure. This effect is statistically significant and substantial, which provides a reason for concern about NGO resource dependence. Even when governments are motivated by honorable intentions, their financial assistance has the (unintended) effect of dampening NGOs’ political activity.

scholarly journals The Political and Civic Involvement of Students: a sociological research

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 501-507
Author(s):  
Roxana-Mihaela Vasiliu
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Political Culture ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Civic Involvement ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Post Communism ◽  
New Generation

On a democratic society, it is desirable to consolidate the relation between citizens and political system through a participatory political culture. Romania – as others post-communism spaces – is characterized by a low level of political communication, poor civic involvement and insufficiently cooperation between government and citizens. During this context, the position of the new generation is crucial in consolidating democracy. Previous studies showed that the young Romanian is perceived rather as an outsider in the relation with the system, have a low trust in institutions by comparison with other age categories, and is not optimistic regarding the capacity of public contestation. On long term, these issues can lead either to a decrease of interest on civic engagement and – in time – to the emergence of a democratic deficit or a subject political culture, or to the emergence of anti-system positions. Nowadays, young people have new tools to help developing a participatory culture, such as new media, new forms of political socialization, an increasing interest in non-governmental organizations et. al. The purpose of the paper is to approach a set of indicators specific to civic and political involvement, using data from a sociological quantitative study conducted on a sample of 430 undergraduates’ students from three specializations: Sociology, Social Work and Human Resources (“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi), in order to observe their civic and political attitudes.   

scholarly journals INSTITUTIONALIZED CHAOS INSTEAD OF INDEPENDENT LIVING. FORCED MODERNIZATION AND ASSISTANT SERVICES IN POLAND

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-92
Author(s):  
Ewa Giermanowska ◽  
Mariola Racław ◽  
Dorota Szawarska
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Personal Assistance ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
State Of Affairs

Personal assistance for people with disabilities in Poland is not available as part of a comprehensive state policy; it is instead a dispersed, fragmented service based on projects. There is a lack of both a national strategy for independent living (including solutions for personal assistance as a key tool) and a plan for deinstitutionalisation of support services. A disabled person as an independent entity seems to be invisible to legislators, despite the postulates regarding “tailor-made” services or “profiling of help” present in public discourse. At the same time, uncoordinated changes are taking place regarding support for people with disabilities, including assistance services. They are partly forced by Poland’s ratification (2012) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and partly due to grassroots social innovations of non-governmental organizations. In the article, the authors analyse the factors responsible for the current state of affairs in the context of the theory of imposed modernization, emphasizing the superficiality of institutional changes. They will refer to critical research of public policies (so-called street level bureaucracies) analysing the daily practices of public officials and the social consequences for their recipients. The limitations of the model of personal assistance services as services including disabled people in the mainstream of social life will also be discussed.

Exploring factors influencing social workers’ attitudes toward evidence-based practice: A Chinese study

2020 ◽  
pp. 002087282094990
Author(s):  
Minseop Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Youth Services ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Chinese Study ◽  
Using Data

Despite the growing emphasis on evidence-based practice (EBP), Chinese social workers’ adoption of EBP has been slow and limited, due partly to the fact that they often hold negative attitudes toward EBP. This study examined factors that account for these negative attitudes, using data collected from social workers in Hong Kong. Regression revealed that females, those less experienced, and social workers in non-governmental organizations endorsed more positive attitudes toward EBP, while those providing youth services had less favorable attitudes. Recent initiatives to promote Chinese social workers’ adoption of EBP will be more successful if they target those groups having less favorable attitudes.

scholarly journals ADULT EDUCATION AS A STRATEGY FOR "GROWING UP" DEMOCRACY: THE EXPERIENCE OF GERMANY

2020 ◽  
pp. 43-55
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Savelʹyev ◽  
Olena Yatsenko
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
European Culture ◽  
European Values ◽  
Globalized World

The range of educational services is really wide. The main reasons and goals of people's universities are as follows: the formation of knowledge, the formation of beliefs, the formation of will, the formation of man. Its motivation is a return to rationalism in everyday life and "concern" for the irrational. The establishment of adult education centers is an opportunity to promote democracy. Such education forms an awareness of the political, social and cultural that can serve as the basis for a true revival of European values. The modern globalized world needs a democratic education that is not limited to national borders and the national idea. For a commonly desired future, there is a need for a broader, panoramic and forward-looking view of European values and the integrative content of European culture. Adult education centers work with traditional universities, non-governmental organizations, local associations to unite society, unite the community for a fairer and more stable social life. Such centers perform the functions of integration and translation of cultural values, universal values of humankind, teach people to be effective in the unity of diversity: uniting people of different talents, competencies and skills into an effective organism of social order.

scholarly journals Witraże dziecięcego „bycia w życiu” – dobrostan versus obrazy codzienności

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 86-95
Author(s):  
Justyna Kusztal ◽  
Małgorzata Turczyk
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children's Rights ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Children’S Rights ◽  
Childhood Studies ◽  
Stained Glass ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Asking Questions

The aim of the article is to present the situation of children in Poland in the light of the analysis of documents of public institutions and non-governmental organizations whose domain of activity is the protection of children’s rights. The context of the analyzes undertaken by the authors is an interdisciplinary current of childhood studies, and in particular the discourses devoted to caring for a child. Nowadays, the most visible discourse of child’s well-being requires observing particular areas of children’s participation in social life and asking questions about the actual situation of the child in our country, development opportunities and difficulties in implementing children’s rights and ensuring its well-being. This means attempting to describe a child’s stained glass window „being in life”, actual or only apparent participation in particular areas of child’s activity in recent years.

WRITING ABOUT CONFLICT IN AFRICA: STAKES AND STRATEGIES

Africa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike McGovern
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
North Americans ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Conflict In Africa ◽  
Forms Of Violence

Writing about conflict in Africa is a tricky thing. Publications from non-governmental organizations and human rights campaigners often read as if they were calibrated to maximize public distress, and thus the political or financial support that would keep human rights institutions in business. Many journalistic accounts are stitched together from the rhetorical and analytical remnants of a colonial and sometimes racist common sense. Against this backdrop, fine-grained empirical studies like those typically produced by anthropologists, historians and geographers take on a particular salience. They stake out a privileged space for explaining other logics, other incentives, and different causal relations that could make sense out of wars, insurgencies and other forms of violence that appear irrational to Europeans and North Americans.

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