Cross-border integration of universities as a possible research topic in border studies

The text deals with the cross-border co-operation of universities as a possible new research topic in border studies. We identified two important associations of universities operating in border areas in the EU core and two associations gathering universities from Czech, Polish and Slovak areas. Then we tried to identify the areas in which these universities co-operate. It turned out that the principal difference is in significantly higher level of functional cross-border integration of the universities in the EU core, which is evidenced mainly by higher number of joint study programmes. We believe that the topic is promising and deserves much higher attention, as it points at new and not really exploited cross-border integration potential for universities located in border areas of V4 countries.

Ethnic categorization practices and boundary (re)making in a multiethnic borderland of Ukraine

Multiethnic borderlands, like Transcarpathia in Western Ukraine, are characterized by ethnic-linguistic-confessional complexity where ethnic boundary-making and ethnic categorization are constructed and rooted in politics. The present study aims to analyze how the mechanisms of ethnic categorization and boundary-making play out on a local level. Based on data analysis and fieldwork conducted in Hudya/Gődényháza in Transcarpathia, a village with ethnically, linguistically, and denominationally diverse population, we describe how “ethnicity” is getting blurred and reconstructed in the narrative strategies of residents. We examine the characteristics of the various classification systems (external classification, self-reporting) and their relation to each other. It is found that the ethnic, linguistic, and denominational affiliations in the village (and its wider region) are often divergent, which is reflected in the significant discrepancy between the data gathered in various ethnic classification systems. We argue that denomination is the prime factor of both self-identification and external classification, obscuring the boundaries between religious and standard ethnic terms. We further point to the formation of new boundaries between autochthonous and allochthonous populations. Although this cleavage emerged a few decades ago and has been transgressed by dozens of marriages among autochthonous and newcomers, it can easily get ethnicized, thus it adds an extra layer to the existing distinctions.

Regional studies and political science. The theory of the dual unity of Silesia

This paper concerns the status of regional studies in political science research. Analysing the theory of the dual unity of Silesia presented by the Polish political scientist Józef Kokot, the author attempts to formulate theoretical criteria that make a region an object of interest for political scientists and regional studies, a subdiscipline of political science.

Ethnic issues in the western part of Czech Silesia from the perspective of state security forces in the years 1946 to 1948

The article is aimed on the security problems connected with ethnic issues in the region of western part of Czech Silesia in years 1946–1948. After the end of World war II came to the Czech borderland great number of new residents. The article deals with the security corps’ attitudes towards members of individual nationalities and examines the differences in their perceptions.

Attributes of the Silesians’ political subjectivity in the context of a debate on the 2021 National Population and Housing Census and attempts to establish the Silesian language as a regional language

The objective of this paper is to present the attributes of political subjectivity of the Silesians in the context of the debate on the 2021 National Population and Housing Census, as well as the accompanying debate on the attempt to amend the Act of 6 January 2005 on national and ethnic minorities and regional language, which provides for the inclusion of the Silesian language as a regional language in the provisions of the Act. The thesis presented in this text assumes that the agitation and commitment related to the census not only make it possible to analyse the sense of identity and/or distinctiveness of the Silesians and to develop, for instance, reflection on the issue of recognition, but also open up a space for research on the political subjectivity of those who identify with Silesianness. I intend to use a political theory interpretation that does not focus on political competition or participation in the governing process, but takes into account political activities of individuals and groups also outside the strictly state sphere in the field where various social and political aspirations and interests interact.

The Role of Ethnic Social Capital in the Operation of Entrepreneurs in Transcarpathia, Ukraine

Owing to its geopolitical position, history of shifting borders, and multiethnic-multilingual population, Transcarpathia provides a convenient environment to study how ethnicity interplays with the economy. The present research aims to examine the role of formal and informal ethnic social capital in the life of Transcarpathian enterprises. The research is based on mainly semi-structured interviews conducted with foreign investors in Transcarpathia and with local Transcarpathian Hungarian entrepreneurs as well as with representatives of business organizations related to the given community. I also analyzed economic databases and statistical data. The results of the research imply that informal relationships are essential in the operation of enterprises, however, these relationships are not always organized on an ethnic basis. I argue that institutionalized relations have not played an important role in the case of foreign enterprises. However, among Transcarpathian Hungarian entrepreneurs, the role of formal ethnic relations has increased due to the financial support provided by Hungary.

The Ties that Bind: Kymlicka and the Problem of Political Unity in Multination States

As asserted by Will Kymlicka, the recognition and accommodation of national minorities leads to a dilemma. Indeed, if denying them these rights can contribute to their willingness to secede, allowing them to self-govern can also ultimately lead to the weakening of their ties with the state in which they are integrated. This tension well described in Kymlicka’s Multicultural Citizenship and in his later works remains nonetheless without an explicit solution. This text addresses this question by suggesting that the dialogical dynamic behind the recognition and accommodation of national minorities hides a purely political patriotism stemming from the neo-republican tradition that is complementary to the nationalist sense of attachment that members of national minorities will inevitably come to feel toward their societal culture.

Social Capital Management. A Case Study of the Town of Racibórz

For many years, social capital has been the subject of research in various areas and social environments. What is worth diagnosing is not so much its functioning or formation, but its management, i.e. deliberate development aimed at achieving individual or collective benefits. The cultural borderland region of the Racibórz area, especially the town, is a good case for an analysis of such phenomena, because, over the centuries, the town has been part of various administrative and economic regimes and thus has developed forms of social capital independent of state structures. The main research questions in this paper are the following: What remains of them today? Are they subject to management processes?

The Use of the Taxonomic Measure in Assessing the Intensity of Border Regions Interaction

This study concerns the analysis of the intensity of regional ties, in particular those between border regions. Given its strictly methodological character, the goal of this study is to delineate the possible uses of numerical taxonomy in assessing the intensity of cross-border ties. The first section of the text recounts the methodological problems resulting from the use of qualitative and quantitative data in regional studies, while also outlining a strategy of measuring cross-border ties within the scope of the taxonomic measure. This is followed by an analysis showcasing the potential of the proposed methodology in assessing ties between border regions.

National Minorities in the Western Borderlands of Czech Silesia from the Perspective of State Security Corps in 1945

In May 1945, Western Silesia, originally inhabited predominantly by the German population, found itself in a completely new situation. The region was once again controlled by the Czechoslovak state power, which wanted to re-organise life in the borderlands. Therefore, it was necessary to handle the issue of the German population, as well as the influx of new settlers from the Czechoslovak inland and abroad. Changes took place on the other side of the border as well, and neighbouring Germany was replaced by Poland. These aspects gave rise to a completely new security situation that the newly formed security corps had to address. The article attempts to follow the relationship of the Czechoslovak security corps to the members of other nationalities who lived in the researched area or with those whom they came into contact while guarding the non-fixed state borders. Research shows that, in 1945, the National Security Corps (SNB) indeed took qualitatively different approaches to various nationalities, ranging from strong hostility and distrust towards the Germans, through vigilance towards the Polish, to an ambiguous attitude towards re-emigrants.