Territorial and Non-territorial Aspects in the Autonomist Proposals of the Sudeten German Party, 1937–38

The article focuses on two sets of autonomist demands that the far-right Sudeten German Party (SdP) in Czechoslovakia put forward during 1937–38. Its central thesis being that both sets were marked by a profoundly close interplay between territorial and non-territorial approaches at accommodating national diversity, it sets to explore this relationship, highlighting the underlying dynamic. Although the 1937 Volksschutzgesetze posed as an ostensibly “pure” case of non-territorial autonomy, whereas the 1938 Skizze über Neuordnung der innerstaatlichen Verhältnisse entailed major territorial provisions, in both cases the practical end-goal implied territorial autonomy. A closer look into their inner logic and intellectual origins however, also reveals a shared, essentially non-territorial underpinning. While the SdP agenda was firmly centered on national territory, its specific völkisch and organicist understanding of nationality manifested a clear preponderance of non-territoriality. Both sets of autonomist demands may thus be treated as a potentially maximalist combination of territorial and non-territorial arrangements resting on a fundamentally non-territorial notion of Volkspersönlichkeit. Encompassing all the members of the national group, the latter was simultaneously conceived as the basic carrier of political will. Volksschutzgesetze and Skizze thus represented clear examples of illiberal (re-)conceptualization of national autonomy, informed by contemporary völkisch sociological, legal, and political thought.

A Small Price to Pay: National Narcissism Predicts Readiness to Sacrifice In-group Members to Defend the In-group’s Image

Collective narcissism is a belief in in-group’s greatness that is not appreciated by others. In three studies, conducted in the context of COVID-19, we found that collective narcissism measured with respect to the national group was related to support of policies that protect the national image at the expense of in-group members’ health. In Study 1, British national narcissism was related to opposing cooperation with the EU on medical equipment. In Study 2, American national narcissism predicted opposition to COVID-19 testing in order to downplay the number of cases. In Study 3, American national narcissism was related to support for releasing an untested COVID-19 vaccine, in order to beat other countries to the punch. These relationships were mediated by concern about the country’s reputation. Our studies shed light on collective narcissism as a group-based ego-enhancement strategy in which a strong image of the group is prioritised over its members’ well-being.

HISTORY OF COMPARATIVE DIALECT STUDIES

This article discusses the dialect system of the Russian and Uzbek languages in a comparative aspect. Studying the dialect system of the Russian and Uzbek languages in a comparative aspect makes it possible to create a comparative dialectological competence. This article is devoted to the creation of dialectological competence at the comparative level of different languages. In long-distance areas dialects, dialect systems and folklore still exist. Improving the system of comparative dialect competence of the Russian and Uzbek languages at present can give a methodical direction to students of the national group. A competent approach to the study of the dialect system develops the knowledge of future Russian language teachers in national schools. Dialect words in both the Uzbek language and the Russian language are considered in a semantic aspect.

The functioning of the systems of the institution of the Chinese nation in the period of global threats

The institution of a nation is an integral system of autonomous but interdependent institutions, whose activities are designed to ensure the vitality of the national group, both in the usual conditions of existence and in the period of existential threats of our time. The relevance of addressing the issue of the functioning of the institution of the Chinese nation during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is due to the need to track how the systems and resources of the PRC national group are mobilized in order to preserve their anthropological composition. The novelty of the research lies in highlighting the role of the intellectuals of the national community, who accept the challenge of the global threat and solve the urgent problems of the nation. English version of the article on pp. 476-481 at URL: https://panor.ru/articles/system-functioning-of-institution-of-the-chinese-nation-in-time-of-global-threats/66042.html