Sociálne a politické analýzy 2-2007

E-book

Jana Balegová

University textbook „Cursus Latinus - textbook“ is intended for students of the study program Latin language and literature. It is divided into „Introduction“ and 37 lessons. The content of lessons is morphology, sentence syntax and selected phenomena of case syntax of the Latin language. Each of the lessons contains a grammatical explanation, followed by sentences designed to demonstrate the forms of grammatical phenomena and the required vocabulary (Dictionary). Using these examples, students learn the basic principles of translation from Latin into Slovak and from Slovak into Latin. The textbook also includes a Latin-Slovak dictionary containing the entire vocabulary used in the textbook. The „Cursus Latinus - textbook“ is intended for the interpretation of grammar and the acquisition of grammatical phenomena of the Latin language under the guidance of the teacher. A parallel exercise book (Cursus Latinus – exercise book) is used to practice Latin grammar at home. The exercise book includes a key to the exercises and a Latin-Slovak dictionary containing vocabulary from the textbook and the exercise book. University textbook „Cursus Latinus - textbook“ is available electronically in PDF format.

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Štefan Jusko

The stimulus for this monograph was my two studies on Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche’s ideas of the will to power and eternal return of the same, published in Heidegger and Modern Metaphysics (supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency, APVV-14-0706, under the leadership of V. Leška and M. Sobotka). In the submitted monograph, I present both studies in expanded (particularly “Will to Power as Art”) and refined versions (“Eternal Return of the Same”) and add a third chapter addressing the question of the meaning of interpreting philosophical texts, which themselves are interpretations of other texts.

In seeking an appropriate approach to the meaning of interpretation, I conclude that—generally—the purpose of interpretation is to uncover the productive dimension of the interpreted text, which can only be revealed if the interpreter enters the text openly and as neutrally as possible. If the interpreter does not open themselves to the text, allowing it to interpret them in turn, interpretation remains trapped. I believe that without mutual openness between interpreter and interpreted, interpretation has no meaning and typically becomes either rejection or misinterpretation—a form of violence.

In the third chapter, which I consider foundational, I attempt to “balance” the interpretive context of “Heidegger–Nietzsche” from the first two chapters through a reversible context of “Nietzsche–Heidegger,” albeit with the risk that my interpretation of Nietzsche’s thought—specifically his ideas of eternal return and will to power—may remain subjective, even if unintended as misinterpretation. Ultimately, the ambition of the third chapter is to explore intersections between the two philosophers, one of which—a rudimentary yet significant overlap—I identify as Heidegger’s concept of being-in-the-world, reinterpreted through Nietzsche’s lens. It is Nietzsche who challenges us to adopt a self-defined stance toward the world, to confront what it means to be in the world.

The challenge for me—and perhaps the reader—is to remain faithful to oneself, which is only possible by persisting in the context of mutual interpretation between interpreter and interpreted, regardless of who/what is interpreting or being interpreted. For the context of being-in-the-world is always co-created by both sides.

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Renáta Panocová

The university textbook "Theories of Intercultural Communication" is primarily intended for master's degree students of translation and interpreting, as well as doctoral students of British and American Studies.

The goal of the textbook is to familiarize students with key theories in the field of intercultural communication. Eight chapters cover a selection of current theories focused on defining cultural dimensions, identity management and negotiation, accommodation and adaptation, anxiety and uncertainty management, and current research on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

The final chapter provides a historical overview of intercultural communication theories and outlines key research questions for the future.

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Ján Kahan - Eva Žiaková

The monograph focuses on the issue of loneliness among substance-addicted people in the context of abstinence prospects and re/lapse prevention. In the monograph these phenomena, several theories were integrated and applied in the context of the ecosystem meta-framework of social work and practical contexts. The ecosystem meta-theory serves as a meta-construct with the ability to encompass the complexity of social phenomena as well as that of human beings within the structure of their living and social environment, formal and informal networks, and close intimate relationships.

In this monograph are presented research sample consisted of 235 respondents – hospitalised addicts undergoing urgent treatment, abstaining A-club members as well as members of psychotherapy and self-help groups. The research showed that abstainers were statistically less lonely than the hospitalised respondents. Quantitative data of research are complemented by qualitative data collected in four case studies; two of them focused on two long-term abstainers from alcohol and drugs, while the other two case studies dealt with two respondents in post-hoc treatment undergoing the resocialization process. The research also showed that respondents who broke abstinence felt lonelier than their successfully abstaining counterparts.

The results were supported also by the fact that a statistically significant inversely proportional relationship was identified between the duration of abstinence and loneliness rate. Gender differences were found between the hospitalised addicts in all loneliness dimensions. Naturally, the combined research was limited in certain aspects, mainly in terms of the size and proportional distribution of the research sample and its subgroups, test battery extent, and general nature of the population studied. Triangulation among quantitative and qualitative with the theoretical starting points confirmed the existence of a relationship among loneliness, addiction, and prospect of abstinence.

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Magdaléna Hovanová (ed.)

The collection of works originated from the event of the eighteenth annual nationwide Student Scientific and Professional Activity (ŠVOČ) in the field of social work, which took place on May 12, 2022. It was organizationally overseen by the Department of Social Work of the Faculty of Arts at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.

Every year, this event provides an opportunity for selected top students—future professionals in social work—to meet, as well as a chance to present the level of their knowledge and their ability to apply theoretical insights and acquired skills to future social work practice.

The contributions in this collection address topics such as the risks of modern technologies in the context of social work, social support and risk factors within families in the context of adolescent radicalization processes, the issue of cyberbullying in elementary schools, Ukrainian student migration in Slovakia, factors influencing job satisfaction among social workers, and the social support of families as clients of social work during the current pandemic situation.

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Tomáš Dvorský

The attention devoted to the issue of Chinese activity is highly relevant. Creating a positive reputation abroad is a legitimate tool of every state in its effort to generate influence. The People's Republic of China has been very successful in this regard since the beginning of the millennium, which has allowed it to start occupying positions in the international system that it legitimately claims based on its own history, size, and potential.

Examples from abroad also highlight the fact that Chinese foreign policy should not be accepted uncritically and deserves a cautious approach and thoughtful discussion. All of this must be done while respecting not only China's particularity but also taking into account the realities of the great power rivalry visible at the beginning of the 21st century.

In this context, one cannot abstract from a detailed look at Chinese soft power as one of the key tools for generating influence in the world. Understanding it is an essential prerequisite for a relevant evaluation of the practices and motivations of China's foreign policy, while it can also serve as a guideline in the effort to create an adequate approach toward this resurgent global great power.

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Soňa Lovašová - Katarína Šiňanská - Magdaléna Halachová  - Vladimír Lichner (eds.)

The central theme of the conference is violence in social work. Violence in social work appears in various forms, whether it involves working with clients who are victims of different types of violence or dealing with aggressive clients where the social worker themselves becomes the victim. Violence in society is rapidly increasing, and social work is a science that must necessarily adapt to society; this is its essence. Therefore, managing aggressive situations in any form is an important part of a social worker's personal skill set.

Unfortunately, protecting social workers from violence will gradually become a necessity, and in the future, we may not avoid training in self-defense and reducing aggression as part of professional preparation or lifelong education.

The aim of this collection is to present the issue of violence in social work from various perspectives to both the professional and lay public. We hope that this serious problem will receive increasing attention and that the individual contributions will help readers understand the extent of the problem of violence in social work.

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Peter Getlík

The main goal of the monograph "Moving Towards Cognitive Adaptation Studies: Adaptation as Play" was to orient current research in adaptation studies towards the empirically responsible cognitive branch of non-radical constructivism.

This intention results from the rapid progressive differentiation of adaptation studies research, which has mainly manifested itself in this area in the last two decades. With the model of adaptation as play in a cognitive-scientific perspective, author provides the possibility of predicting the nature (also in a broader sense) of the experience of adaptation. Since the form of this experience significantly shapes the products of the adaptation process into their final form, the model of adaptation as play can be applied even in the interpretation of individual adaptations. In the monograph, the author synthesized the model of adaptation as play based on the knowledge of various disciplines. In the field of cognitive sciences, he saw help from the starting points of philosophy, linguistics, informatics, psychology, anthropology, biology and neuroscience – especially affective neuroscience, which also deals with the emotional dimension of the play.

In the intersection with the essential interdisciplinary components of adaptation research, he also used the knowledge of classical and cognitive variations of literary science, film science (also theatrology) and media studies to a large extent. Consistent with other similar results of cognitive sciences, it turns out that even seemingly serious adaptations, like in many aspects of our culture, have a ludic base.

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Mikuláš Jančura - Maroš Melichárek (eds.)

The textbook is derived from the outcomes of the eleventh annual student scientific conference, which took place in December 2022.

The student scientific conference is an integral component of the curriculum within the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts, UPJŠ, and has been implemented since 2011. Its primary objective is to provide a platform for Bachelor's and Master's degree students to present segments of their original research as part of their thesis development.

The purpose of this textbook extends beyond the mere publication of these diverse thematic texts. It also strives to emphasize the significance of exceptional pedagogical initiatives and the added value of university education for students, manifested through the dissemination of their scholarly output.

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Mikuláš Jančura - Maroš Melichárek

The Textbook is based on the output of the twelveth year of the student scientific conference held in December 2023. The student scientific conference is a study subject included in the study plans of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts, UPJŠ, implemented since 2011 and aims to offer space for Bc. and Mgr. degree students to present fragments of their primary research as part of the creation of their bachelor and master thesis. The aim of the presented Textbook is not only to publish these thematically broad-spectrum texts, but also to target the effort for above-standard pedagogical activities and the added value of university studies towards students in the form of publication output.This year's anthology contains 6 texts with a chronological framing from the Middle Ages to the history of the 20th century.

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Lucia Tóthová - Eva Žiaková

The current time is fast, hasty, with strongly asserted women's emancipation, absorbed by information and communication technologies that overcome distances but create them at the same time. The lifestyle of humans is changing, many diseases are on the rise, and cancer is becoming a "trend of the present". Claims on man, and especially on women, are now too great. Women perform multiple roles and perform many tasks. They become caregiving mothers, understanding and surrendered wives, workers with professionalism and flexibility, and idols the myth of beauty too. Due to the overlapping of the traditional gender division of labor, the life of women takes place on several levels. Their work day does not end when they leave the job, but they continue to care for their household and their own family. Besides all, they strive to fulfill not only personal expectations, but also the expectations of the family, social environment and society, reject failure and strive for perfectionism.

In our lives, situations that affect and burden us more or less appear. Even though we can not in control everything and everyone, we are able to control situations that are of direct concern to us. In life, we encounter problems in employment, financial problems, illness or death of near. As well as negative, also positive situations affect us. Each responds to each situation different ways.

Monograph is one of the ways in which we aim to draw attention to the so "C-coping style" as a maladaptive way of managing the burden that is typical of oncological ill patients. It is one of the possible concepts that affect the manifestation of breast cancer. Based on this, we have focused on the used coping strategies and we consider the life events to be a significant burden in the lives of cancer patients. The research is aimed at synthesizing the life events and the coping strategies used to coping them, conceived as a risk behavior of patients with breast cancer. As the coping of the burden can be different between men and women, the monograph is intended predominantly for women, to which we have also focused in realized research. They can be patients with oncological diagnosis, but also women who want to prevent this disease by use effective coping life events. We also believe that the monograph will enrich everyone who is interested in the same target group.

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Michaela Ružičková - Patrik Furik - Lukáš Jakabovič (eds.)

The collection of articles from the XI. International Scientific Conference for Students and Young Scientists, organized by the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, in cooperation with the Res Publica Civic Association, the Department of Security Studies of the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Institute of Political Sciences and Administration, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Institute of Social Studies, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, and the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, University of Miskolc, held on 20 May 2022 in Košice.

The aim of this publication, entitled Truth vs. Post-Truth. „It is not true, but it could be.”, is to highlight the threats arising from the issue of the spread of disinformation, conspiracies and hoaxes today, reflecting not only on the national context, but also on the impact of these elements in the international environment.

The proceedings consist of 12 articles written in Slovak and English. The individual contributions deal with selected topics and aspects of the spread of disinformation, conspiracy theories or hoaxes, among others in the context of elections, media landscape and politics.

The topics of the contributions are the limits of freedom of expression, media freedom and regulation in the media space, the issue of propaganda or information warfare. The present volume also includes papers focusing on issues in the field of political ideologies or the issue of false narratives about the COVID-19 disease.

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Soňa Lovašová - Veronika Bérešová (eds.)

Reviewed proceedings from the scientific conference with international participation held on December 1, 2023, in Košice.

This proceedings volume collects contributions from the 11th annual conference focused on adolescents, reflecting current interdisciplinary issues faced by this age group. It consists of 12 scholarly contributions addressing various aspects of adolescent life, including loneliness, risky behavior, and the phenomenon of radicalization. The contributions are organized into thematic sections, facilitating easier navigation for readers. Topics include prevention of radicalization, family factors, and mechanisms of cyberbullying. The proceedings offer both theoretical and practical insights valuable for professionals in social work, psychology, and other helping professions, aiming to enhance understanding of the current challenges faced by adolescents and propose effective solutions.

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Soňa Lovašová (ed.)

Proceedings of the Scientific Conference with International Participation held on November 28, 2014, in Košice

Social work is among the helping professions that can be considered highly risky from various perspectives. The clientele utilizing social services is very diverse, often consisting of individuals in extreme life situations. It is typical for help to be sought only when the client is at rock bottom. Along with other factors, this can lead to the emergence of various risky situations. The proceedings were created within the framework of the VEGA task No. 1/0332/12 titled Analysis of Selected Risk Factors of Client Violence in Social Work with an Emphasis on Prevention of Client Violence and Preparation of Social Workers - National Mapping of the Occurrence of Client Violence Against Social Workers in Slovakia. The thematic focus of the proceedings is broader, as client violence is only one of many risks in social work. In the proceedings, the reader will find 52 articles that address the riskiness of social work from many perspectives. They offer an interesting overview of theoretical foundations as well as research findings. The numerous thematic contributions indicate that the issue of risk in social work is highly relevant and that attention is paid to it in both theory and practice.

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Jana Balegová

The university textbook Lingua Latina – cursus communis is designed for students of all study programs at the Faculty of Arts, where Latin is included as a subject related to the main field of study or specialization (history, philosophy, philological specializations, etc.).

The textbook contains Latin grammar, exercise sentences intended for practicing the grammatical phenomena covered in seminars under the guidance of an instructor, and a Latin-Slovak dictionary. To practice Latin grammar at home, parallel workbooks are available, which are tailored to meet the needs of students from specific study fields and specializations (e.g., Lingua Latina – workbook for historians, Lingua Latina – workbook for philosophers, Lingua Latina – workbook for philologists).

The textbook Lingua Latina – cursus communis is accessible electronically in PDF format. As part of the educational program, online tests available on the KKF FF UPJŠ website serve to reinforce the learned material. This textbook is a product of the grant project KEGA 010UPJŠ-4/2017.

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E-journal

Juraj Schenk et al.

The scientific journal Sociálne a politické analýzy (Social and Political Analyses) serves as an interactive electronic platform for communication and the presentation (publication) of experts and their work in the fields of basic and applied research and analyses within sociological, psychological, political, and methodological contexts. It is a medium focused on intensively supporting research activities and analyses within an interdisciplinary framework, facilitating the exchange of experiences, fostering collaboration, and revitalizing the production of scientific work in this area.

The publication section of the journal offers space for works such as:

- Original sociological, psychological, and political studies and analyses in any areas of social life

- Methodological studies

- Research reports

- Studies from qualification theses Research and analysis projects

- Reviews

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