Development Of Democratic Society Research Articles

TRANSFORMATION OF THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article is devoted to the evolution of the electoral system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors on the basis of the analysis of the normative-legal base of the electoral system show its evolutionary way as a political instrument capable to promote both democratic development of society and its stagnation and degradation. A new turn in the development of the electoral system of Kazakhstan was conditioned by the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 30 August 1995. From that time on, fundamentally new pages of the electoral system of Kazakhstan began, which chose the path of a presidential republic with a bicameral Parliament and a developed system of local representative bodies - maslikhats. Constitutional reforms from 1998 to 2017 had a significant impact on the evolution of electoral legislation of Kazakhstan in the post-Soviet period, expressed in the fact that a number of its provisions were more politically motivated than dictated by the need for further democratisation of public life and compliance with legal logic. Therefore, in order to eliminate these shortcomings of the electoral system, amendments and additions were made to the legislation provided for by the Constitutional «On amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan» Act № 156-VII Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 5 November 2022. It introduced 174 amendments and additions, including 34 new articles, to the Constitutional Law on Elections of 28 September 1995. They concerned all aspects of electoral law and the practice of its application. The article is set out in a problem-chronological plan, similar or closely related events that took place in different periods of the evolution of electoral legislation, in violation of chronology, but in accordance with their logic, are set out in one place.

Folk devils and moral vigilantes – The occupational branding of public affairs consultants and the management of stigma

Public affairs is a rising field of practise; at the same time, it is reputationally complicated. In view of the widespread concern about the impact of its practise on democracy, this study explores how practitioners construct an occupational identity and present their occupation as meaningful to a wider audience. Using the concepts of occupational branding and stigma management communication, the study unpacks how practitioners manage and understand the stigma associated with their occupation and how the meaning of public affairs work is negotiated, described and framed. Drawing on interviews and free-text answers from a nationwide survey of public affairs consultants, the study illuminates how practitioners utilise a variety of strategies while engaging with and navigating the stigma, as well as the societal and historical discourses associated with their profession. Further, the findings show that practitioners are in no rush to reconfigure their image and instead have found productive ways to live with taint and tensions. These results open for debate not only the professionalisation project of public affairs but also the implications that keeping the status quo has on the development of democratic society.

DEMOCRATIC GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC POLICY ACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF TRANSFORMATIONS OF SOCIETY

The article studies the issue of improving the democratic guidelines for public policy actors in the context of social transformations, taking into account the risks of wartime. While investigating the theoretical approaches to the analysis of the "public policy" concept, it has been found that public policy is a conscious and purposeful regulation of state affairs and common resources by the state and society. A public policy, the essence of which is public activity, has been also considered. The latter is understood to mean the activity of political and non-political actors represented in the public sphere, who through interaction seek to see their own interest fulfilled. It has been substantiated that the problem of shaping the democratic guidelines for the public policy actors is solved due to the identification of the subjective status of persons who are active participants in the democratic development of society, as well as due to the identification of the form of implementation of democratic principles and views in the political and legal activities of a person, satisfaction of the need to exercise political rights and the need to fulfil political obligations. The phenomenon of modern democracies and the reasons for its vulnerability have been considered. The ways to support a sustainable political and democratic process have been substantiated, in particular, legal confirmation and legislative provision of political rights of citizens. Two institutional dimensions of the political and legal phenomenon of responsibility have been considered: the responsibility of the state and its bodies to a person (an individual and a citizen) when its rights and freedoms are violated and in compensation for the damage caused to it; the responsibility of an individual to the state, arising both in the case of an offense committed and when being implicit in each socially significant act of the person. It has been proved that representative democracy and participatory politics involve not only drastic changes in the political consciousness of the masses, but also the development of a new type of political actors who perceive their own political rights combined with responsibilities, who need to be responsible citizens, who recognize the power of their voices in decision-making by the authorities. Involvement in public affairs should become an imperative of a democratic culture of political behaviour of Ukrainians, built on the foundation of democratic guidelines.

Exploring the History and Characteristics of Political Rhetoric

In this article, the author provides a comprehensive analysis of the history and characteristics of political rhetoric. The origin and specific belonging of political rhetoric are explored in depth, along with an examination of its various forms and components. One important aspect highlighted in this article is the influence of rhetorical ideas on the foundations of ordinary people's thinking. The author emphasizes the significant role of rhetoric in the restructuring of the political and social sphere, particularly in shaping democratic values. The paper further highlights the importance of rhetoric in the development of democratic societies. By examining the ways in which political rhetoric has been used throughout history to influence public opinion and promote democratic ideals, the author demonstrates its crucial role in shaping the political landscape. Overall, this article presents a thorough and insightful exploration of the history and significance of political rhetoric, shedding light on its key features and its impact on democratic societies.

FINANCING HOUSING PROGRAMMES AND ITS ROLE IN ENHANCING TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

The democratic development of society has shown that the growth of the welfare of the overwhelming majority of the population through the implementation of effective social and economic policy in the country positively influences public attitude to the government and increases the level of trust in the public sector. A successful mechanism to address the social needs of citizens is the development of an affordable housing financing system for the population. The purpose of the study is to analyze the state of affordable housing financing in Ukraine and determine its relationship to trust in the public sector. The article examines the use of state-administrative mechanisms for realizing the housing rights of Ukrainian citizens. Analysis of the current state of implementation of affordable housing programs is proposed, considering the size of mortgage payments and the volume of housing financing. The analysis highlighted the existence of a housing crisis in Ukrainian society as a result of the extremely low level of funding for the sector. The study provides a comparative analysis of the housing affordability index and the level of trust in government in Europe, according to the Global Value Survey. This has helped determine the place of social housing policy in the system of trust relationships between government, local governments and citizens. According to the sociological monitoring platforms, a dynamic analysis of the balance of trust-distrust of the population of Ukraine to the state apparatus and local government bodies was conducted. Based on a comprehensive and critical assessment of the leading affordable housing programs in the country and trust indicators, this study found that the distribution of powers, incentives, responsibilities, and budget funds within the framework of the decentralization process between the central government and local authorities, contribute to the achievement of the main goals of the state's social policy regarding affordable housing, which positively affects the level of citizens trust in local authorities. As a result, it was determined that during periods of economic and political uncertainty, financing of affordable housing is quite important, because due to such actions the state reduces the level of uncertainty, forms positive expectations of citizens, promotes the increase of stability and trust necessary for sustainable economic and social recovery.

CONCEPT OF INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT OF UKRAINE

The article presents the conceptual foundations of managing the development of intellectual potential of Ukraine, the use of which will improve the quality of national education and innovation in accordance with international standards, promote intellectual, cultural, spiritual and moral potential of society and systematization, development of specialized legislation. Education, science and innovation are defined by the modern economy as areas of a comprehensive mechanism through which Ukraine could increase the competitiveness of the economy and strengthen its position in the world market. This can be achieved only by: in-depth analysis of intellectual and financial resources, taking into account the interests of scientists, entrepreneurs, consumers and society as a whole; interaction of internal measures to promote innovation with the needs of the world market and consumer preferences; active participation of government and private enterprises on the basis of public-private partnership. Renewal and development of education must become proactive and continuous, respond flexibly to all processes taking place in Ukraine and the world. Improving the quality of education will contribute to the economic growth of the state and the solution of social problems of societies. Quality education is a necessary condition for sustainable democratic development of society. Implementation of the concept of improving the management of intellectual potential in Ukraine will allow to establish a close relationship between the state and society on intellectual property management, which will significantly strengthen the theoretical and practical relationship between public administration and economic and political security of Ukraine. It is proved that the formation of the national market of intellectual potential will allow Ukraine to secure the status of an intellectual state, which will contribute to its socio-economic development by reproducing and commercializing the intellectual potential of individuals, businesses and society as a whole. Keywords: intellectual potential, management, development, education, innovations, concept.

THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ENSLAVEMENT AND EXPLOITATION: SETTING THE STAGE FOR MODERN HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Enslavement and exploitation continue today across the globe and the term human trafficking has become a contemporary catch-all phrase to include a variety of abuses. Exploitation under the umbrella of human trafficking is often framed as a new issue in today’s discourse, or as an exception to an otherwise innocuous world system of progress, democracy, and global capitalism. However, if we examine the thinking that has undergirded the various phases of slavery and other types of exploitation, we find a diversity of rationalization for the kinds of abuses common in various historical eras and today. This essay explores the writing of key philosophers often associated with the development of democratic society, particularly in Western Europe and North America. The essay connects the thinking that laid the foundation for the global slave trade of the colonial era to the thinking that supports the current systems of neoliberalism and global capitalism. Threads are traced across key philosophical work to illustrate some of the common assumptions made today in western civilization that set the stage for our current predicament of widespread human trafficking. The essay builds upon the argument that the rationalization of the global slave trade in the colonial era are still present, even if latent, in the rationalization of exploitation for global profit-making today.
 
 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0747/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Effective legislation as a prerequisite for the democratic development of society

The development and improvement of legislation and, in fact, the formation of a new legal system should be considered as oneof the most important tasks related to the formation of the rule of law and civil society. Recently, many legislative acts, creating thebasis for the further development of our state as a democratic one with the rule of law, have been adopted. The Constitution of Ukrainehas enshrined the most important principles of the constitutional order of Ukraine. Some steps have been taken towards the rule of lawand separation of powers, ensuring natural human rights.The purpose of this article is to analyze the need, relevance or requirement to study the principles of legislative activity, whichwould reflect the legal and democratic values of today.The article covers the analysis of the legislation effectiveness in the modern world as a prerequisite for the democratic developmentof society. In writing the article, the tasks directly related to the formation of the rule of law, civil society and legal system havebeen analyzed. The effectiveness of legal norms as a component of the formation of civil society and the rule of law has been analyzed.The principles that reflect democratic foundations, indicating that democratic law-making will accordingly generate democratic legislation,have also been studied.The democratic content of legislation affects the level of its effectiveness and is aimed at protecting fundamental human rightsand freedoms; ensuring the development of civil society; taking into account the objective laws of the development of society and thestate, where a human being is recognized as the highest social value.The above indicates the urgent need to develop the principles of legislative activities that would reflect the legal and democraticvalues. Among them, the main ones are the following: the determining role of human and civil rights and freedoms and their ensuringby the state; democracy and social orientation of legislative activities; taking into account public opinion; the principle of the rule oflaw; timeliness, systematicity, predictability and scientific validity of legislative decisions, etc.

The development of democratic society and spiritual renewal in the views of eastern and western thinkers

Today, without an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of various ideas and views on spiritual renewal in the development of society, without drawing appropriate conclusions and lessons from them, we can not move from national revival to the greatest goal of national revival. This article deeply examines the scientific and philosophical views of great thinkers – our forefathers, scholars and public figures of different periods on the spiritual development of society.

Determining the Level of Economic Development as the Most Important Variable of Society’s Democratization in System Theories

Introduction. The question of the relationship between economic development and democracy is one of the key and most studied, directly affecting the reform of economic and political institutions. Early modernization theory offered a universal recipe for transforming social institutions in order to accelerate socio-economic and political development. Economic development leads to the emergence of a qualitatively new social structure, the formation of a broad layer of a prosperous middle class, which becomes difficult to manage under an autocratic regime, and thus at a certain point the dictatorship is replaced by democracy. Therefore, we are talking about a causal relationship between economic growth and the democratization of society. However, different researchers have different attitudes to this connection and its nature. Currently, we can distinguish such a theoretical direction in the theory and empirical research of transformation as system theories, in which the search for the causes, successes and failures of democratization depends on specific social subsystems: the economy and society, the state and social groups, and politics. The purpose of the article is to analyze the theoretical provisions of the system theory that can determine the relationship between the economic and democratic development of society. Materials and Methods. The solution of research tasks was carried out on the basis of general scientific research approaches and methods. The authors used a systematic approach, a structural and functional approaches, a comparative method, as well as the principles of scientific objectivity, historicism and systematicity. Results. Based on the analysis of the early sociological system theory in the tradition of T. Parsons, modern sociological system theory, as well as the theory of modernization, reflected in research on democracy, the relationship between the degree of socio-economic development of a society and its ability to democracy was revealed. Discussion and Conclusions. Modernization theories demonstrate a causal relationship between market modernization of the economy and the process of democratization. The transition state of an economy showing dynamic growth not only destabilizes the autocratic regime, but also contributes to the consolidation of democracy and the growth of a politically mature middle class. However, the classical theory of modernization is not able to determine the level of development of society to determine the probability of transition to democracy, as well as the reasons for the democratization of undeveloped societies and the crisis of democracy in developed societies in certain periods. Identifying the shortcomings of the modernization theory encourages the testing of theories that can fill these gaps.

Повышение гражданской активности людей с инвалидностью

В Украине формируется нормативно-правовое поле включение людей с инвалидностью в процессе развития демократического государства через усиление их гражданской активности. Методика исследования включала методы кабинетного исследования, фокус-группы, глубинное интервью, анкетирования и включала людей с инвалидностью возрастом 18-55 лет а также их родственников, друзей, представителей власти, жителей города позволила констатировать недостаточный уровень гражданской активности людей с инвалидностью. Качественной мотивацией для включения людей с инвалидностью в активную общественность деятельность могут быть совместные инициативы власти и общественных организаций, одной из форм которых могут быть проекты социальной направленности для развития демократического общества. Опыт деятельности Благотворительной организации «Социальный фонд» описан в этой статье.

Підвищення ефективності роботи та кар’єрного потенціалу державних службовців в Україні

The article examines the mechanisms and possibilities for increasing the labour efficiency and career potential of civil servants and specialists of local public administration bodies in the conditions of building up the innovative-investment model of Ukraine’s development. In fact, the political and socio-economic transformation of Ukrainian society strengthens the requirements to the activities of local public administration bodies, requires the increase of efficiency and effectiveness of activity of institute of government service. The task of strengthening the Ukrainian state system and development of democratic society, the management of economic, administrative-political, and social-cultural spheres, carrying out reforms in the country are charged exactly to this institute. The author determines the factors, which influence the efficiency of civil servants’ activities, and the basic indices for the estimation of the efficiency of civil servant’s activities. Political and economic tension in the state strengthens the requirements to modern state administration, the efficiency of which depends, foremost, on the effective government service. The high instability of personnel, especially young and highly skilled specialists, the low productivity and quality of making decisions in local public administration bodies is the consequences of ineffective civil servants’ activity that negatively influences the effectiveness of government service activities on the whole. Therefore, one of the ways of achievement of high efficiency of functioning the public administration bodies is the use of motivation function, which will allow to promote the personal interest of civil servants to work actively and full of initiative, to expose and realize their labour potential for the sake of the state and service the people of Ukraine. Therefore, planning the career of a civil servant requires the determination of facilities for the achievement of the desirable results. The responsibility for the implementation of the planned measures is trusted both to an organization and to a worker. Thus, the leaders of the subdivisions must provide the workers with the information about the requirements and possibilities of public institution (public administration body) concerning personnel providing not only within the limits of their subdivision, but also within the public institution on the whole.

Political consensus as a factor of sustainable development of the contemporary democratic society

The article examines innovative approaches to the use of interdisciplinary scientific research for solving the problems of contemporary political science. Attention has been given to the subject area of political consensus, in which the normative principles of the political institutes functioning acquire new meaning. The importance of political-institutional requirements for consensus-building for the legitimation of transitive political regimes is considered. The effectiveness of political consensus in the context of large-scale political crises is clarified. The importance of the stages of achieving political consensus for the new democracies, including the modern Ukraine, is determined. The purpose of the article is to establish the peculiarities of the interpretation of political consensus as a factor in the sustainable democratic development of society. The content of the theoretical and methodological foundations for the development of political and institutional support of political consensus is elucidated. The content of political consensus and its subject, activity of subjects and objects of political consensus, which interact with each other, is established. The level of the general political and legal culture of consensus relations, which is formed in each transformational society, is also characterized. The features of the political-institutional balance of political compromise and political consensus are revealed. Evaluated the importance of political consensus implies the state of universal consent of political actors within the framework of the adoption of macro-political decision. The attention was paid to promoting a political compromise in transformational societies in modern political science. The factors of political and institutional support of political consensus are analyzed, which determine the necessity of making joint decisions by separate branches of power and interim authorities. The processes were studied when the collegial consensus decision-making was established, which determined the joint political responsibility of political actors and the entire population of the country or another country that enjoyed political and legal sovereignty.The attention paid to the constitutional forms of political and institutional provision of political consensus determines the need for joint decisions by separate branches of power and interim authorities.It has been established that, unlike other political and legal acts regulating the functioning of statehood within individual countries and regions of the world, acts that are part of political and institutional support of political consensus should regulate the number of subjects of consensus and its results.It is determined that, in general, the political and institutional provision of political consensus in developed democracies forms a basic model of consensual democracy in which minority rights are provided with a high level of consultation and fulfillment of interests.It was clarified that normative-legal acts belong to the sphere of political-institutional support of political consensus not through the content, which contains specific means of regulation concerning the stage of formation of political consensus.

A competência em informação e midiática voltada à cidadania: o uso da informação governamental para a participação na democracia

As Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação possibilitam o desenvolvimento das sociedades democráticas na medida em que permitem o acesso à informação em diferentes suportes e contextos. Desse modo, o acesso à informação governamental é apenas o primeiro passo para tornar as pessoas cidadãs, já que corrobora com o desenvolvimento da democracia ao permitir que a população saiba como interpretar e se apropriar das informações para construir conhecimento. Defende-se, assim, que o processo de uso da informação se equipara à execução da cidadania, uma vez que qualifica o indivíduo para lidar com diferentes informações transmitidas pelas mídias nas diversas esferas: social, política e profissional. A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo refletir sobre a relevância da Competência em Informação e Midiática para a construção da cidadania nas sociedades democráticas por meio do acesso online à portais governamentais brasileiros. Os procedimentos metodológicos envolvem uma pesquisa bibliográfica acerca das políticas públicas, a lei de acesso à informação do Brasil e a competência em informação. Para ser considerado competente em informação, o cidadão deve possui capacidades e habilidades para usar as informações disponibilizadas pelo governo. Não se pode ignorar o fato de que os portais online no Brasil ainda possuem entraves que, contribuem com a ineficiência da transparência política no país. Portanto, ser competente em informação é fundamental para se apropriar das informações governamentais divulgadas, tornando o indivíduo crítico na seleção, retenção e disseminação capaz de interpretar dados os dados fornecidos, bem como as ideologias que regem as fontes de informação.Palavras-Chave: Competência informacional. Mídia física e de comunicação. Acesso à informação. Política de informação.Link: https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/rdbci/article/view/8649535

What are the gender, class and ethnicity of citizenship? A study of upper secondary school students’ views on Citizenship Education in England and Sweden

The purpose of this article is to examine and compare how the ethnicity, gender and social class conditions of citizenship influence, and are understood by, teachers and secondary school students in England and Sweden. The intention is also to compare how conditions of citizenship are dealt with in social studies for upper secondary school in England and Sweden. The relationship between students education and real conditions for citizenship is complex and partly differs between, as well as within, the two countries. The present comparative examination and analysis aims to visualize both specific and common conditions of citizenship in England and Sweden. This is to draw attention to how the meaning of frequently used terminology and images in the field of Citizenship Education do not always coincide with teachers’ and students’ own opinions and perceived meanings. By doing this we hope to contribute some new knowledge regarding one of the most difficult challenges that citizenship education is struggling with, whether the provided knowledge and values prepare todays youth to defend and develop future democratic and just societies. To achieve this, we have conducted a number of interviews with teachers and secondary school students and asked them about their experiences and opinions regarding Citizenship Education and the nature of citizenship. The following main questions were central to the interviews:
 
 What knowledge and skills does a citizen need in a democracy and how is the meaning of citizenship connected to gender, class and ethnicity?
 How are personal liberties affected by the citizen’s gender, class and ethnicity according to the respondents?
 What are teachers’ and students’ experiences of Citizenship Education and how does school pay attention to citizens´ conditions based on gender, class and ethnicity?
 
 In recent years, both public debate and published research have shown that, in order to understand the real meanings of citizenship, it is necessary to understand and interpret formal citizenship rights and responsibilities from individuals’ social and cultural conditions as characterised by gender, ethnicity and social class. During the 2000s, the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) presented recurrent reports that shows how socio-economic background, in combination with foreign background, are crucial for pupils school results. The reports also show how segregation between schools and residential areas has increased on the basis of residents socio-economic and ethnic background. This group of students are a part of tomorrows citizens, which are also likely to remain marginalized even as adults. The links between Swedish school policy, pupils school results and the democratic development of society at large has been observed and analysed in contemporary Swedish research.
 In England, the picture is slightly different with the 7 per cent of the population who experience private education being over-represented in positions of power and influence. In May 2012, the then Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove provided a list of leaders in the arts, sciences, politics, sports, journalism, entertainment and other fields who had all been to independent schools, concluding that
 “the sheer scale, the breadth and the depth, of private school dominance of our society points to a deep problem in our country . . . Those who are born poor are more likely to stay poor and those who inherit privilege are more likely to pass on privilege in England than in any comparable county.”
 There is significant evidence that socio-economic background, in combination with ethnic background, continue to be highly influential on pupils school results. Links between national education policy, social class and pupils school results appear to remain entrenched in England. 
 When we identify cultural and social conditions as in any way hindering the status of citizenship, we do so from a perspective which does not seek to blame the less powerful for holding particular cultural perceptions but which recognises the barriers a dominant culture sets against those with less power. The insight that tells us it is necessary to comprehend individuals’ social and cultural conditions in order to understand and interpret their formal citizenship rights and responsibilities is not, however, particularly recent. Marx wrote over 160 years ago that, “if you assume a particular civil society . . . you will get particular political conditions”, from which it must follow that any society divided on the grounds of class, ethnicity and gender will present political conditions which reflect such divisions. It is also the case that there is likely to be a significant space between what is (the real) and what is perceived (the formal); just because there is inequality it does not follow that everyone is aware of that inequality.

Ombudsman decentralized in the EU: experience for Ukraine

The article analyses the actual theme of the ombudsman institution in terms of decen­tralization of public power. The features of formation and functioning of the ombudsman in Sweden, Finland, of Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands. It is noted that it is the best ombudsman protects the rights of people in decentralized EU. Ombudsman makes a significant contribution to the democratization of society, public power closer to the peo­ple, ensuring fairness, legitimacy and willingness to meet the needs of citizens and con­tributes to greater transparency, efficiency and quality in the work of public authorities. Today, most decentralized European countries the post of local / regional ombudsman, which successfully handles control of public authorities. The conclusions emphasized that the activities of the institute of local / regional ombudsman investigated in the EU was an important step for the further development of democratic society; strengthening the rule of law key components (growth status of the individual, guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of man and citizen); providing better control over the activities of authori­ties and officials; realization of the main goal of the policy of decentralization of public power – the power to approach people. The recommendations for change Ukrainian om­budsman as a decentralized public power.

New media competencies of BiH politicians in the context of media literacy

In the present study we investigated the level of new media competences of BiH politicians. Therefore, in the contemporary media (over)charged society, competences of new media are, by all means, a part of a broader media literacy phenomenon as a prerequisite of development of democratic society. In our research, we observed new media competencies from the point of presence/use of social networks Facebook and Twitter in order to promote/communicate with voters. In this context, research has shown that politicians in BiH still do not recognize the social network as an integral part of the political image, and that there is a sufficient level of awareness on the role and importance of social networks as an integral part of the „new media democracy”.

Citizen satisfaction survey as a tool of citizen relationship management of local government in Slovakia

Citizen Relationship Management (hereinafter referred to as CiRM) becomes increasingly important in the countries of so called post-communist Europe nowadays. The communication process in the citizen -municipality relationship is at present no longer about one-way informing of the citizens about orders, prohibitions or obligations. People want to be informed and to be at the heart of the process. At the same time, considering the democratic development of society and modern technical means, they also feel the need both to actively participate in the public life through expressing their opinions, comments or suggestions, and to influence the development of the environment in which they live. Not only enterprises but also the state and public administrations and regional and local self-governments inevitably have to adapt to it. Based on the research carried out in the cities of the Slovac Republic (SR), in which currently approximately 55% of all citizens of Slovakia live, the presented scientific paper evaluates the current state, level and the importance of the conduct of local citizen satisfaction surveys in relation to local governments as a tool of the CiRM managed by the municipal authorities or by any persons or institutions authorized by them. Thispaper also points out several deficiencies it entails particularly in the area of publication of identified findings by the cities of the SR.

A neo-communitarian approach on human rights as a cosmopolitan imperative in East Asia

In my view, human rights must find an appropriate philosophical foundation/justification to be incorporated into non-Western societies and such a foundation/justification must be attractive and inspiring for ordinary citizens in those societies and be based on their own intellectual resources, including local languages. In contemporary Japan, ‘KEN RI (権利)’ is considered as the Japanese term corresponding to human rights. However, Fukuzawa Yukichi, the most influential intellectual leader of the early Meiji period, introduced human rights as ‘KEN RI TSUU GI (権理通義)’. The Chinese character ‘KEN (権)’, in the most fundamental text of Confucianism, the teachings of Confucius (551-479 B.C.), Analects, means being able to weigh occurring events and determine the application of principles to them. In the account of Tomonobu Imamichi, a Japanese philosopher, ‘GI (義)’, usually considered as justice, originally meant responsibility. Thus, ‘KEN RI TSUU GI (権理通義)’ can be reinterpreted as being able to practically apply principles (理) to those events, while assuming responsibility (義) before Heaven and the community to which the person belongs. This view of humans as being embedded in communities and as centers of responsibility in the secular and transcendental dimensions is apparently different from the Western philosophical view of humans as rational beings with the capacity to act according to the universal law, but still defends human rights and the democratic development of society. Key words: human rights, philosophical foundation, Confucianism.

Critical constructivism: Establishment of open and critical discourse in teaching

Constructivism today is a popular cognitive theory with important implications on teaching and education. This paper promotes a form of critical constructivism with the emphasis on social awareness and democratic development of society. In this aspect, the paper discusses the basic features of critical constructivism and its possible application in the classroom. The aim is to show the characteristics of an open and critical discourse as a distinctive mark of application of critical constructivism in teaching and to analyze the practical implications of this theoretical position on position and role of a teacher who is considered a key factor in raising the quality of education. It is concluded that careful application of this theoretical position in teaching process can be extremely fruitful as it provides a unique incentive for diversity and inventiveness. It is determined that the critical perspectives in education is especially important in terms of preparing students for an active role of a citizen who participates in the further democratization of his own community, as well as in terms of preparation for life in the world full of uncertainties and diversities.