Building an EU identity: Policy development at the EU-level – An overview of the current state

The EU has, belatedly perhaps, engaged with the issue of building an EU identity by setting up various initiatives aimed at building a sense of civic society across Europe and hence of greater citizen identification with the EU. This article analyses EU policy formulations from the 1970s through to the very different conditions of the past decade. It also discusses the process undertaken by the EU institutions in order to establish the levels to which and the ways in which its citizens understand and ‘feel’ themselves to be members of the EU on a personal and individual as well as social and cultural level, if at all. The aim of the article is to establish whether this is considered sufficient for the ongoing operation of the EU, or, if not, what is lacking.

Praktyki dokumentowania i wykorzystania dziedzictwa kulturowego Śląska Cieszyńskiego od początku XIX wieku do wybuchu II wojny światowej

This article is devoted to an interest in local folk culture, regional heritage, and the past of Cieszyn Silesia, as well as to methods extending back through the 19th century for the documentation, popularization, and protection of the unique cultural knowledge of the region. Attention is primarily given to the activities of the Cieszyn Silesians themselves. The author examines multiple sources, including local periodicals, for elements of local culture (folklore, dialects, traditional outfits, customs). He tries to capture how the phenomena of cultural heritage is defined both regionally and nationally, and also how it can be used as a resource in tourism and in broadly-understood identity policy.

SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA: STUDY ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTS

Objective: it is supposed to characterize the main directions of research in the field of spatial development of Russia at the present stage, aimed at identifying problems and opportunities in this area; correlating the provisions of theoretical discourse and official documents of the Russian Federation; substantiating the ways of further spatial development of Russia. Model: The study is based on a comprehensive approach to understanding the Russian space and the spatial development of the country, with an emphasis on the combination of factors of “internal geopolitics” and the external environment. The concepts of “multiplication and delocalization of risks”, “identity policy vacuum”, “security vulnerabilities” and some others are taken into account, which allow us to form a holistic view of their essence and dynamics. Conclusions: there are similarities and differences in the theoretical discourse and official documents of the Russian Federation, the main trends and probable prospects for the spatial development of the country. The danger of negative or conservative scenarios is emphasized due to the remaining vulnerabilities in various spatial fields and segments, in the political and managerial plane, as well as risks of external origin. The article shows the trend of increasing complexity of spatial organization and composition of Russia in conjunction with the diversification of vectors of identity relations. Practical significance and scope of the research: the results obtained can be applied in the field of theoretical development of problems of spatial development, identity policy, in expert support of the process of forming and implementing political decisions, in the areas of national, integration and foreign policy of the Russian Federation. Originality/value. This work is intended for specialists who study the problems of improving political governance mechanisms, Central-regional and interregional relations, and ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation.