Circulation of the French language literature and the Croatian publishers in transition and post-transition periods

Information about the management accounting system (MAS) is required for high-quality decision-making in business. Thus, MAS has to be appropriately developed and organized. The paper aims to explore the role of MAS in the decision-making process and its changes from the perspective of the economy that shifted from transition towards market-oriented economy. The study was performed on the sample of medium-sized and large Slovenian companies. The methodology comprises an interpretation of responses to the questionnaire, which was distributed in 1995, 2001, 2006, and 2011. The analysis of the data shows changes in the role of MAS over time and indicates the characteristics of MAS during transition and post-transition periods. The role of MAS was assessed by analyzing the frequency of reporting, content, and scope of MAS information for top and middle management. The results show that in times of crisis Slovenian management did not use MAS information more frequently, as suggested by the theory. The results indicate that MAS was not that developed during the transition period in comparison to traditionally developed market economies, while during the post-transition period, especially in the period of crisis, improvements are notable. Based on the results, the authors provide some recommendations for further improvement of MAS in the analyzed companies. The study is designed to make a contribution to management accounting literature from the perspective of a transition economy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.26.1.4873

A significant variation in physicochemical properties of the Kalpakkam coastal waters, eastern part of India, was observed during the event of southwest to northeast monsoon transition. Increase in nitrate, total nitrogen, and silicate concentrations were noticed during post-transition period. Ammonia concentration was at peak during transition period as compared to pre- and post-transition periods. Hypo-saline condition (~23 psu) was observed during post-transition as the surface water salinity decreased by ~10 psu from the pre-transitional values. Turbidity, suspended particulate matter, phosphate and total phosphorous values decreased marginally, coinciding with northward to southward current reversal. A drastic decrease (eightfold) in chlorophyll-a concentration was observed in the coastal water during post-transition period.

This scoping review explores circumstances surrounding the decision about, and eventual experience of, transitioning older adults into alternative levels of housing (ALH), such as long-term care. This topic is examined from a family member perspective, given their exposure and involvement in the care of older adult relatives during this transitional period. The scoping review methodology is based on the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and subsequent recommendations from Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien. Approximately 470 articles were reviewed covering the period between 2000 and November 2014; 37 articles met inclusion criteria. A temporal organization of themes was used to describe the experiences of family members in the pretransition, active transition, and posttransition periods of moving older adult relatives into ALH. This paper highlights the transitional period as a time of crisis, with a lack of planning, support, and transparent discussion. This study identifies a need for future research on the potential benefits of family support groups, interim transitional housing options, different models of ALH, changing roles in the posttransition period, and the need for a comprehensive list of housing options for older adults. Results have the potential to inform policy/practice and improve the lives of older adults and their family.

This paper deals with the way French language and literature teachers have addressed the question of social inequities at school in France from 1959 until today. Classical Humanities, which had constituted the basis of elite education for many centuries, were harshly questioned from the eighteenth century on as being inadequate to a modern world. During the twentieth century, a new criticism was expressed against classical education: it was considered as a way of reproducing the domination of the bourgeoisie by setting up a barrier against the popular pupils, who frequented the so‐called primary schools, and were thus excluded from this classical culture. The democratisation of the French school system, through the transformation of primary and secondary systems from parallel systems (for lower‐class pupils and upper‐class pupils) into sequent degrees, was therefore accompanied by the extension of a new subject: French literature. French authors, read, studied, commented on from the lowest grades of primary schools to the last grades of secondary schools, seemed to offer the common cultural references needed by a democratic society. The creation of the “Agrégation de lettres modernes” in 1959 crowned this controversial evolution, a few months after the Berthoin reform had theoretically opened the secondary schools to every pupil whatever his or her social background. However, far from being a triumphal decade for the French literary studies, the end of the 1960s witnessed violent attacks against this traditional teaching. Considered as a part of bourgeois culture, it was accused of dooming pupils from a popular background to inexorable failure. Just like the Classical Humanities earlier, French literature appeared as an instrument of ideological domination and social reproduction. At the same time, the success of structuralism in linguistics and literary studies opened alternative possibilities to the classical literary history and proposed new ways of analysing texts and literary works. In this context the transformation of the discipline itself appeared to some teachers as both an adequate and legitimate way to democratise secondary schools. This paper describes the rise, the extension, and the abandonment of this original attempt from the 1950s to today. The proposals made by the promoters of the reforms are considered, in this paper, as a complex construction where social experience, political engagement, praxis, and theory are inextricably intertwined, thus questioning the relationship between politics and school culture. This paper also examines how the emergence of didactics as a scientific field at the end of the 1970s, and the subsequent rejection of political considerations from its technical and pedagogical discourse, tended to prevent teachers from grappling directly and efficiently with the issue of social inequities in French literature and language courses. This “de‐politicisation” of the curriculum debates may well have been the symptom of an inability to conceive how culture might be defined and what role it might play in a democratic society.

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on anti-communist activism in the post-communist context. It follows political process theory in order to analyse the basic characteristics and trend of anti-communist protests in the Czech Republic between 1990 and 2011 and attempts to propose various paths through which the frequency of these protests has increased. First, it differentiates between the dynamics of anti-communism in the transition and post-transition periods and shows that anti-communism has become a stable political phenomenon in Czech politics. Second, it defines two modes of anti-communist activism and describes their basic characteristics: while anti-communist claim-making is mostly driven by political parties, anti-communist framing has become a more widespread tool of political activism. Finally, it combines the concepts of political space and political threats to identify conditions supportive of heightened anti-communist protest. It concludes that political elites and their strategies play a key role in promoting anti-communist mobilizations as a tool against communist but also other left political actors.

Decomposition analysis of air pollutants during the transition and post-transition periods in the Czech Republic

PurposeThe purpose of this practice-oriented paper is to look at a recent, late-phase development in public administration (PA) reform in Romania, specifically the drafting of the recently adopted national Strategy on Strengthening the Efficiency of Public Administration (2014-2020). In particular, the paper focuses on the opportunities and limits of outsourcing the building of the vision underlying the strategy and the prioritization of strategic objectives. The article’s story is also placed in the broader context of agencification literature and, more specifically, the involvement of executive agencies in policymaking.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the vision-building exercise, developed according to a script already tested in several sectoral strategy-making processes, and the objectives and procedure of the online participatory consultation by using an adapted real-time Delphi format (similarly tested in the recent past).FindingsThe paper reports on the ways in which the output of the visioning process and of online consultations may be used to enhance a strategic process already underway.Originality/valuePA reform in post-communist countries has been among the most hotly debated, intensely pursued, yet seemingly elusive policy objectives of the transition and post-transition periods. Among pre-accession and then European Union (EU) member states, the need to get in and then to get involved in European policymaking provided some impetus for such reforms and also set substantial constraints, without however always adding much predictability or significantly streamlining the public sector. The paper contributes to this debate by proving an innovative method of devising a reform strategy by outsourcing the strategy-building process to an agency with the necessary know-how and experience.

In this chapter we want to demonstrate, using the example of Poland, that the socio-cultural context is important in achieving the social policy objectives of women’s professional activation and investing in children. The chapter is based on secondary analysis of data from sociological research and available public statistics (national and international) and legal documents. The thesis of the chapter refers to the theoretical concept indicated by Birgit Pfau-Effinger. We take the view of the German sociologist Birgit Pfau-Effinger on the twofold, partially contradictory, mutual relations, and tensions between culture, institutions, social structures, and individuals who formulate the social context of female employment and child care in society. The said researcher emphasizes that the effects of similar solutions implemented in social policies in different countries vary considerably depending on the cultural context. The authors chose the subject matter of the chapter because of the changes introduced in Poland in recent years in social policy relating to the care of small children. They deal with new legal solutions that increase men’s participation in care by introducing new forms of leave for fathers. The value of the chapter lies in pointing out the weakness of the technocratic implementation of public policies in the absence of “sociological imagination and sensitivity.” This is typical for countries in transition and post-transition periods, which includes Poland. Poor rooting of cultural knowledge and analysis in the area of programming and implementation of public policies generate a variety of social tensions.

The current period of transition due to COVID-19 emergency may negatively affect the psychological functioning of children and require resources aimed at supporting post-transition adaptation. Few contributions exist which specifically focus on what to do in such circumstances in order to assist the mental health of both children and parents. It seems therefore critical to provide strategies, which support the adjustment of children during the pre-existing and post-transition periods. Furthermore, screening projects are required in order to identify those children with increased levels of emotional and behavioural issues, beyond the COVID-19 transition, in order to plan specific interventions.

Mythical Elements in La Chartreuse de Parme by Stendhal Hassan Foroughi Full Professor, University of Shahid Chamran Foroughi_h@hotmail.com Neda Baharan , M.A. in French Language and Literature baharan_neda@yahoo.fr ( Received : 06.08.2008, Accepted: 30.09.2008 ) Abstract Stendhal, along with Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola, is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers in the 19th C, France. La Chartreuse de Parme as well as the Le Rouge et Le Noir are among his best works. In this paper, we have tried to study the elements of story in the novel La Chartreuse de Parme through a mythical perspective, because there are strong traces of mythology in this novel. In this regard and in order to pin point the mythical elements in this novel, such elements as time, place, and story figures have been studied. Following a brief survey of myths and mythology, and based on ancient Greek and Roman myths as well as the extant myths in French literature, we have tried to demonstrate that places mentioned in the story, as well as the historical time fame, are mythical. And the novel’s hero has also mythical characteristics. Key words: Stendhal, La Chartreuse de Parme, myth, time, place, personage

Reviewed by: Roman francophone et essai: Mudimbe, Chamoiseau, Khatibi by Olga Hel-Bongo Connor Pruss Hel-Bongo, Olga. Roman francophone et essai: Mudimbe, Chamoiseau, Khatibi. Champion, 2019. ISBN 978-2-7453-5061-9. Pp. 298. What is the relationship between the essai and roman genres in French and Francophone literature? How do three writers from various Francophone backgrounds blur the lines of fiction and nonfiction in a manner dating back to Michel de Montaigne in the sixteenth century? These questions are examined in Olga Hel-Bongo's publication, combining her previous research on Montaigne with her interest in writers working in the French language outside of France. The author is convincing in the justifications of her research questions by explaining that literary institutions and scholars have long favored the generic form of the novel above other forms, while elucidating the important historical role the genre of the essay has played in French literature from Montaigne to Sartre to the present. This book analyzes the novels of V.Y. Mudimbe (DRC), Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique), and Abdelkébir Khatibi (Morocco) to illustrate the ways they employ elements of the essai in their fictive works, the inverse of Montaigne who relied on fictive techniques in his Essais (122). The author considers Jacques Dubois's method of interpreting the novels' méta -textualité to demonstrate that the role of the essay in a novel can become "le fruit d'une double attente: construire un savoir, travailler une écriture" (41). Hel-Bongo seems to effortlessly surmise the academic debates surrounding issues related to literary genres produced in the French language by introducing an analysis of theoreticians like Barthes, Foucault, and Derrida with Francophone scholars like Jacques Chevrier and Mukala Kadima-Nzuji to provide a critical framework to the text. It should be noted that the author only considers secondary critical sources published in French (or notable critics translated into French like Auerbach's Mimesis and Mikhail Bakhtin) and does not incorporate scholarship originally published in English. However, the author preemptively warns of any possible subjectivity concerning the book's primary corpus and its methodological approaches clarifying her intention to understand the social and epistemological environment of each writer in addition to investigating their singular, unique engagement with literary genres. Despite the initial challenges of dealing with such a large corpus of primary works from three prolific writers of diverse backgrounds, one of the strengths of Hel-Bongo's analysis is the reconsideration of these writers through a broader critical lens, revealing how literary genres are manipulated by both the writer and reader: "Il y a donc entrelacement générique dont nous ne saurions dire s'il s'agit, à proprement parler, d'autobiographie, de journal, de roman ou d'essai, sinon tout cela à la fois" (160). By widening the boundaries of generic interpretation, the author can more efficiently flush out the similar and singular literary techniques used by Mudimbe, Chamoiseau, and Khatibi. Not only is Roman francophone et essai a noteworthy contribution in the [End Page 251] scholarship of three acclaimed writers, but it will also assist those interested in the generic forms of the essay and novel in the French literary tradition. Connor Pruss University of California, Los Angeles Copyright © 2020 American Association of Teachers of French

Sex differences in mortality rates stem from a complex set of genetic, physiological, psychological, and social causes whose interconnections are best understood in an integrative evolutionary framework. We predicted that the transition from centrally planned to market economies in Eastern Europe inflated the discrepancy between male and female mortality rates, because economic uncertainty and increasing variation and skew in social status and resources should increase risky male behavior and the impact of stress on physiological susceptibility to internal causes of death. We computed the ratio of the male mortality rate to the female mortality rate separately for 14 Eastern European countries and for the combined population of 12 Western European countries in the pre-transition (1985–1989), transition (1990–1994), and post-transition (1995–1999) periods. We found that the Male to Female Mortality Ratio (M:F MR) for 14 Eastern European nations increased during the years of economic transition, most prominently during early adulthood. Larger sex differences in mortality rates occurred in both young adulthood, reflecting a shift towards riskier behavioral strategies, and middle adulthood, indicating greater physiological susceptibility to stress. For 12 of the 14 Eastern European nations, the increase was substantially larger than the slight increase in the overall Western European M:F MR. The impact of the transition on the magnitude of mortality discrepancy across countries varies considerably and likely reflects conditions particular to each country. These findings illustrate how traits shaped by natural selection interact with environmental conditions to influence male psychology and ultimately mortality patterns.

The issue of appropriate methodology for suitable teaching of literature of Arabic and French in Nigerian schools has continued to receive attention from educationists on how to make it more beneficial to society. Literature is to be for life’s sake; therefore, its teaching should be able to assist in solving day-to-day problems. This paper discovered and discussed the obstacles militating against effective Arabic and French language literature teaching. It discovered the prominent obstacles confronting effective teaching of the literature of these languages to be the shortage of competent teachers, non-availability of suitable textbooks, lukewarm attitude to the languages on the parts of the learners, and the parents and acute dearth of suitable instructional materials. The paper is survey research, deriving its sources from an extensive consultation of relevant literature and interaction with the stakeholders. While it should be stated that each language has its peculiarities, they have some common grounds. One of such common grounds is the application of the same methodology to some aspects of the two languages. It suggested a possible methodology to perfect the teaching and make the learners achieve the desired goals. Of the three genres of literature (prose, drama, and poetry), drama and prose were treated because they share numerous similarities. Teaching and understanding Arabic and French literature in Anglophone nations like Nigeria with a workable methodology yielded desired outcomes.

The issue of appropriate methodology for suitable teaching of literature of Arabic and French in Nigerian schools has continued to receive attention from educationists on how to make it more beneficial to society. Literature is to be for life’s sake; therefore, its teaching should be able to assist in solving day-to-day problems. This paper discovered and discussed the obstacles militating against effective Arabic and French language literature teaching. It discovered the prominent obstacles confronting effective teaching of the literature of these languages to be the shortage of competent teachers, non-availability of suitable textbooks, lukewarm attitude to the languages on the parts of the learners, and the parents and acute dearth of suitable instructional materials. The paper is survey research, deriving its sources from an extensive consultation of relevant literature and interaction with the stakeholders. While it should be stated that each language has its peculiarities, they have some common grounds. One of such common grounds is the application of the same methodology to some aspects of the two languages. It suggested a possible methodology to perfect the teaching and make the learners achieve the desired goals. Of the three genres of literature (prose, drama, and poetry), drama and prose were treated because they share numerous similarities. Teaching and understanding Arabic and French literature in Anglophone nations like Nigeria with a workable methodology yielded desired outcomes.

In Response to Denis Hollier's Blanchot, Speaking in Tongues: Otherness in Translation Janet Bergstrom Denis Hollier begins his text with a question that functions, it seems, as a pretext or perhaps I should say as a screen, namely: should French literature be taught in translation? I should specify that he is asking whether it should be taught in translation in French Departments in the U.S., since in the Cinema Studies Department where I sometimes teach French or German literature in connection with film, this question would never arise. From then on written Professor Hollier's essay deals with literary language and its irreducibility through a discussion of two essays by Blanchot, in 1932 and 1947. Literary language, or was that object of study that fascinated the Russian Formalists (a number of whom worked in the cinema as well) and was subsequently, if I am not mistaken, imported into France in translation and even by foreigners. Mainly, Professor Hollier poses questions that arise from the first of Blanchot's essays in which we learn (if we are not Blanchot scholars, and I am poetic language, not) that Blanchot rejected Curtius's history of French literature in an essay whose title already more or less announced his rejection: French Culture Viewed by a German. In 1932, then, Blanchot rejects Curtius's claim that he could understand the specificity of French literature, that he could understand its clarity, its transpar- as a Ger- valued German poetry in its alliance with philosophy over French prose wasn't in a position to have an opinion about French literature. I am led to wonder, at this point, to what extent we are talking about linguistic specificity and to what extent, as we follow Hollier with Blanchot, we are talking about cultural specificity. Did Blanchot believe that it was Curtius's strangeness to the French language that made him an unlikely candidate for comprehending the opacity hiding behind, or screened by, the seeming clarity of Racine's or La Fontaine's writings or was it the fact that, as a German, he could never understand this literature from the cul- ency. By this, Blanchot apparently meant that Curtius man who presumably