Recovering Politics for Socialism: Two Responses to the Language of Community

1983 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. M. Barnard ◽  
Richard Vernon

AbstractSocialism is often defined in terms of “community,” or, as Professor John Wilson once put it, as a “society of friends.” Thus defined, it is contrasted with the competitive relations of bourgeois society. But in some recent theory and practice, political competition is taken to be a defining feature of a legitimate socialist order. The persistence of political institutions is thus stressed, both by Western socialist theorists and by reformers in Eastern and Central Europe, and the orthodox view that “state” is to be superseded by “community” is sharply rejected. These two critiques differ, however, in one major respect: for Western socialists, the state is to be legitimated by the principles of socialist rationality, while for many reformers of Eastern and Central Europe it is to be legitimated by political life itself. From this second point of view, neither “friendship” nor “rationality” responds to the tensions which a socialist polity, no less than any other, will face: for both these concepts, to the extent that they are taken to set pre-established norms, constrict the “space for political action, ” and thus remove the necessary conditions for legitimacy.

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139
Author(s):  
Ján Ferjenčík

AbstractIntroduction:Psychological assessment of Roma children belongs to the most controversial topics in recent theory and practice of school psychology in Slovakia. The paper discusses the problem from the three main aspects.Discussion:The first of them raises into question the usability of “general intelligence” construct in the assessment practice. It is shown that from the psychometric point of view it is improper to represent couple of qualitatively different attributes by sole number. Moreover, intelligence as a construct refers to general mental achievement of child here and now but it says nothing about the causes and reasons of the achievement.The second part is devoted to the problem of test adaptation. The author draws attention to the fact that Roma people are the minority with own characteristics, including language, style of life, customs and values. Due to this, it is necessary to use in the psychological assessment solely well adapted psychological tests with special norms for Roma children.The third topic discusses the position of psychologists in decision-making with regard to the type of education of a particular child.Limitations:Because education is realized in a broad social context (policy, social attitudes and expectations, material and financial conditions, teaching expertise, etc.), many of these factors are out of psychologists´ direct control and competencies. Due to this, the primary task in the psychological assessment of Roma pupils should not be based on the question about the advisability of their special education. Instead of this, the psychologist should be concerned more on the proper description and explanation of children’s psychological functioning and, following this, on formulating individual and particular recommendations how and what cognitive, emotional or motivational elements it is necessary to develop at school.


Author(s):  
LAURA EPHRAIM

Drawing critical resources from Hannah Arendt, this article argues for a revaluation of the appearances of nature in environmental political theory and practice. At a time when pervasive anthropogenic contamination threatens the very survival of vulnerable communities and species, it would be wrong to revive the timeworn mythos of nature as an untrammeled beauty. Instead, with Arendt’s help, I advocate an environmental politics rooted in an alternative aesthetic of nature, one that respects and seeks to protect earth’s diverse lifeforms for the sake of their strange, disquieting appearances of otherness. Earth’s living displays of alterity are valuable, I argue, for their propensity to upset the destructive logic of mass production and consumption and spur political action. In an Arendtian frame, we can better recognize interdependence between biological and political life and appreciate the role of nonhuman lifeforms in constituting spaces of appearance where human freedom and plurality may flourish.


2006 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Godrej

Can we gain any fresh insight into the problem of mediating among competing truth claims in political life? This essay will demonstrate that the political theory of Mahatma Gandhi provides us with a novel way to understand and arbitrate the conflict among moral projects. Gandhi offers us a vision of political action that insists on the viability of the search for truth and the implicit possibility of adjudicating among competing claims to truth. His vision also presents a more complex and realistic understanding, than do some other contemporary pluralists, of political philosophy and of political life itself.


1973 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cranmer-Byng

The object of this article is to examine changing Chinese attitudes to their place in the world from a Chinese historical and intellectual perspective, in order to provide a basis for anticipating developments in the future attuned more to a Chinese than to a western point of view. The question immediately arises whether such a perspective is in any way relevant to the recent theory and practice of international relations in the People's Republic of China, and what insights, if any, such a perspective may provide for discussing the future. This is a controversial subject concerned with the nature of cultural change, and the extent to which " imprinting" from a long continuity of accepted social and cultural values can psychologically condition people even after a decisive break in that tradition appears to have occurred.


Author(s):  
V. Vasil'ev

The aim of this article is to explore political aspects of Russian–Austrian relations in the conditions of globalization and European integration, and the factors contributing to the advanced development of multidimensional interaction between Moscow and Vienna. The paper deals with approaches taken by the Government and the main parties in Austria to the policy in Russian direction; it also singles out the trends of the bilateral partnership widening. An important element consists in the analysis of image formation of contemporary Russia and Austria. For Austrians, the quality of Russia’s political setup and its socio-economic model is determined by the existence of a real multi-party system, competitiveness between parties in elections and objective summing up of voting returns, natural change of elites, efficiency of various sectors within economy, and the degree of effort aimed to combat corruption. Vienna is criticizing Moscow for actions, which, as seen by Austrian experts, are a violation of human rights and freedoms and constrict the opportunities for development of civil society in Russia. Analysis reveals that the political dialogue is a pragmatic foundation for diverse bilateral links. Stability and reliability of Russian–Austrian relations is confirmed by regular contacts at the top and high level, intensity of cross-sectoral consultations, building up of inter-parliamentary relations and strengthening of fruitful cooperation between regions and cities of the two countries. The trade and economic dimension of bilateral relations imply an incremental cooperation between Moscow and Vienna because Austria’s achievements in innovative, high-tech and other fields, on one hand, meet Russia’s needs in modernizing its national economy and, on the other hand, ensure the sales of Austrian export items in Russian markets as well as safeguard the continuous prosperity for citizens of the Alpine Republic. Cultural and scientific ties as a value factor in bilateral relations testify to the natural attraction of people in both countries and create favorable prerequisites for a dialogue on the issues of common European values. The Austrian experience is of major scientific and practical interest in many respects. Present-day theory and practice of Austria’s governmental and party construction point to the democratic opportunities of involving of various population sections in political competition, and a joint quest for a compromise between different regions, political forces and ethnic groups. The institution of social partnership seems useful. Rich experience of cooperation, high degree of confidence at the political level, long-lasting mutual likes between Russians and Austrians allow one to speak in terms of an unique creative potential of Moscow and Vienna that is successfully implemented in various spheres of socio-political life.


Author(s):  
Germán Bidegain ◽  
Marisa von Bülow

Latin American student movements have historically been very active in the region’s political life. However, with the partial exception of historical accounts of the university reform movement and the 1960s protests, the academic literature has not addressed the Latin American student movements from a comparative point of view. Rather, it has mostly focused on national or local case studies. This chapter presents a review of some of the most relevant arguments and concepts of this literature, analyzing the key challenges facing contemporary student movements. It addresses three recurrent dilemmas involving student demands, tactical repertoires, and relations with political institutions. Each of these analyses is grounded in important theoretical debates. The chapter contributes to these debates by highlighting the main conceptual findings of the Latin American literature while discussing the challenges faced by the student movement actors themselves. It turns to examples from campaigns in various countries, especially Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico.


2020 ◽  
pp. 26-28
Author(s):  
Olesya V Strelbitskaya ◽  
◽  
Vladimir I. Kravchenko ◽  

Basic biological laws that govern the life of the bee family, as well as considering it as a whole organism, are necessary instruments for implementing effective methods of beekeeping and increasing the productivity of the industry. The study of the exterior features of bees must be carried out from different points of view for the concept of the complex activity of the bee family and in order to recommend methods for improving the preparation of bees for winter. Study of the mass of working bees and their rectum began to be used as the main indicator that affects the nature of the preparation of bee individuals for wintering. From the point of view of both theory and practice, filling the rectum with excrement in the autumn period will be an important indicator of an effective wintering in terms of preserving and further developing bee colonies. Effect of two kinds of liquid top feeding acidified with apple cider vinegar on the rectum congestion with excrement in working bees in the autumn, and the safety of bee colonies after winter was discussed in the article. The results of the indicators of the mass of working bees and intestinal mass when feeding two types of top dressing in the form of sugar syrup and honey solution with the addition of apple cider vinegar for the purpose of acidification are presented. The dynamics of rectal congestion in this group of bees is less compared to the group of bees receiving food in the form of sugar syrup. After wintering, during the spring audit, it was found that the safety of bees fed the autumn top dressing in the form of a honey solution with the addition of apple cider vinegar was 95% compared to bee families that received sugar syrup, the safety was 80.5%, with the detection of liquid excrement on the walls of hives and honeycombs


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 256-265
Author(s):  
Konstantin V. Simonov ◽  
Stanislav P. Mitrakhovich

The article examines the possibility of transfer to bipartisan system in Russia. The authors assess the benefits of the two-party system that include first of all the ensuring of actual political competition and authority alternativeness with simultaneous separation of minute non-system forces that may contribute to the country destabilization. The authors analyze the accompanying risks and show that the concept of the two-party system as the catalyst of elite schism is mostly exaggerated. The authors pay separate attention to the experience of bipartisan system implementation in other countries, including the United States. They offer detailed analysis of the generated concept of the bipartisanship crisis and show that this point of view doesn’t quite agree with the current political practice. The authors also examine the foreign experience of the single-party system. They show that the success of the said system is mostly insubstantial, besides many of such systems have altered into more complex structures, while commentators very often use not the actual information but the established myths about this or that country. The authors also offer practical advice regarding the potential technologies of transition to the bipartisan system in Russia.


2018 ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Beca

ResumenEl trabajo analiza el curso Ética Profesional en la carrera de Derecho en la Universidad Católica de Temuco. Examina la forma como se abordaba la ética profesional antes de la creación del curso, y lo que ha ocurrido con él a través de sucesivos cambios curriculares y la introducción del modelo por competencias. El curso aporta al sello identitario, mediante un enfoque multidisciplinario. El curso ha vinculado teoría y práctica, desde que comenzó a implementarse, hasta llegar actualmente a comprenderlo en la lógica de competencias. Esta mirada implica formar a los estudiantes para resolver dilemas éticos, lo que se hace mediante la metodología del ver–juzgar–actuar. Esta metodología de discernimiento es propia de la tradicióncatólica, pero se usa en este contexto sin un cariz religioso. El método en cuestión permite ir educando la autonomía a fn de tomar decisiones. Se analiza la importancia de contextualizar la enseñanza ética y la forma como esto se ha hecho en el curso. Finalmente se aborda la relevancia de formar la conciencia ética de los estudiantes.Palabras clave: Experiencia de enseñanza – Ética profesional –Método de discernimient.ResumoO artigo analisa o curso de Ética Profssional na Escola de Direito na Universidade Católica de Temuco. Examina a forma de como abordar a ética profssional antes da criação do curso, e o que tem acontecido com ele através de sucessivas mudanças curriculares e a introdução do modelo de competências. O curso aporta ao selo de identidade, através de uma abordagem multidisciplinar. O curso tem ligado teoria e prática, desde que começou a se programar até chegar atualmente a compreendê-lo na lógica de competência. Este olhar implica formar aos estudantes para resolver dilemas éticos, o que é feito pela metodologia do ver-julgar-agir. Este método de discernimento é próprio da tradição Católica, mas é usado neste contexto, sem um aspecto religioso. O método em questão permite ir educando na autonomia com a fnalidade de tomar decisões. Analisa-se a importância de contextualizar o ensino da ética e a forma como isso tem sido feito no curso. Finalmente se aborda a relevância de formar consciência ética dos estudantes.Palavras-chave: Experiência de ensino - Ética Profssional - Método de discernimento.AbstractThis paper analyses the Professional Ethics course at the School of Law of Universidad Católica de Temuco. It reviews the way in which ethics was addressed before the course was created, and what has happened with it through the subsequent curricular changes and the implementation of a competency based model. The course contributes to the seal of identity through a multidisciplinary approach. Theory and practice have been progressively bound together since the course was introduced, to reach a point, nowadays, in which the course is understood within the logic of competencies. This point of view implies educating students for solving ethical dilemmas, which is done through the see–judge–act methodology. This discernment methodology belongs to the Roman Catholic tradition, but is used in this context without its religious complexion. This method allows educating autonomy in order to make decisions. It also analyses the importance of contextualizing ethics education and the way in which this has been done in the course. Finally, it addresses the relevance ofcreating an ethical consciousness of the students.Keywords: Teaching experience – Professional Ethics – Discernment method


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-73
Author(s):  
Petr Adamec

The core issue of this paper is a quality in the lifelong learning. The aim of the contribution is to describe the area, level and dimensions of quality in a wide range of lifelong learning programs, respectively of further education, which are realized in the sense of § 60 and 60a of the Higher Education Act. The content of the paper also focuses on the theoretical and practical starting points of the quality phenomenon, both from the historical point of view and especially from the perspective of the current focus and concept of university policy in the European and Czech region. The paper also presents the results of a survey focusing on approaches to the quality assurance systems in the concept of components at selected public university.


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