Loss Of Prestige Research Articles

Impacts of Smoking on Health and Social Status: A Case of Makawanpur District, Nepal

The goal of the study was to analyze the psycho-social impacts of smoking on health and social status. The study was conducted in the Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City of Makawanpur district, Nepal. Out of 19 wards, 5 were selected by simple random sampling technique for the study and the data were taken with 200 respondents from 5 wards. A structured survey questionnaire was administered to collect the data. The data were collected from February 2024 to March 2024. There was a significant association between the gender of respondents and the frequency of smoking (p=0.011), between the gender of the respondents and causes of smoking (p=0.003), and between the gender of the respondents and encouraging friend circle for smoking (p=0.000). Smoking habit is not only bad for health, but it causes social disparities, loss of prestige, and various psychological problems also. So, awareness to the illiterate and counselling for the literate people is sought necessary. The study helps health organizations to form the plan and policy against smoking and it also helps the government to form a policy for unemployed people and create new job opportunities for youths.

Optimization of human capital in the agrarian sphere: goals, principles and methods

Sufficient provision of agricultural enterprises with labor resources, their territorial and structural balance, rational use, high level of labor productivity are the key directions of effective functioning of agro-industrial complex, growth of production volumes and increase of its efficiency. Purpose - to analyze the criteria of human capital optimization in the agrarian sphere, to identify existing problems and to determine promising directions. Methods - the study used quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, including the collection and processing of statistical data, questionnaire survey of employees of the agrarian sector, as well as interviews with farm managers. Using the correlation and regression method, the influence of the studied factors on the optimization of labor activity was substantiated. Results - the article identifies the main issues of agricultural staffing, which consist in the decline in the professional qualification level of specialists, low staffing levels, outflow of able-bodied population from rural areas, loss of prestige of agricultural professions. Conclusions - this study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to the management of labor potential in agro-industrial production of the republic. The introduction of advanced training programs, improvement of working conditions and social infrastructure is the basis for sustainable development of the industry. It is also recommended to strengthen state support and stimulate the attraction of capital of domestic and foreign private investors and investment funds in rural regions to ensure stable activity of agricultural enterprises. It shows further prospects for increasing human resources to ensure the competitiveness of domestic agricultural producers and as the main driving element in the establishment of innovation economy and the expansion of globalization processes.

TEACHERS’ SILENT SCREAM: QUIET QUITTING

The aim of the study is first to discover if quiet quitting act exists among teachers at schools, and then, if there are teachers who are a part of this movement, to disclose the indications of quiet quitting act and the reasons that push them to quiet quit. The study was designed in accordance with the qualitative phenomenology pattern and carried out with 8 teachers selected by the snowball sampling method, which is one of the purposive sampling methods. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data and the data was analyzed by content analysis technique. In the light of the analysis, “indications of quiet quitting among teachers” and “reasons for quiet quitting among teachers” themes emerged. The result of the study reveals that teachers are part of the quiet quitting act. Teachers’ ending their psychological contract, organizational commitment and belonging are internal indications, while holding back on duties that are outside the job description, not taking on new duties, and not taking responsibility for duties requiring them to spend overtime or outside working hours are external symptoms. As for the reasons, teachers quiet quit because the meaning they attach to their profession is deteriorated and their efforts are rendered worthless because of the financial challenges they experience. Moreover, due to the precarization they experience stemming from the paid teaching practice and the loss of prestige in the society, teachers quiet quit. Finally, the pandemic is among the reasons that lead teachers to quiet quit due to the loss of motivation it causes and the visibility of work-life imbalance. Accordingly, it is recommended to make the precarization process of the teaching profession visible, to abolish the practice of paid teaching, and to regulate teacher salaries below the poverty line.

The Ten-Bel project: Tourism on a grand scale

Ten-Bel was built in the Canary Islands in the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, it was one of the largest holiday resorts in Spain and a pioneering site of touristic development in the south of Tenerife. More than five thousand tourist beds were integrated into a modern architecture with large green areas, where the guests were offered a wide range of leisure activities and international shows. In the 1980s, however, the lack of investment led to a loss of prestige, and it became increasingly difficult for Ten-Bel to compete with the growing number of new offers in the nearby tourist areas. At the beginning of the new millennium, after several unsuccessful attempts to renovate the complex and make it more profitable, the resort was split up and sold off in parts. This confusing division occurred without first finding a solution for the municipal utilities, which were centralized for each tourist complex and did not offer an individual option for the new owners. In addition, there was no agreement on the maintenance of the common areas and parks. These were left in a state of dilapidation. Ten-Bel is an exceptional case, not only because of its outstanding architecture, commercial success or innovative management, but also because it illustrates the problems that arise when a tourist complex is converted to residential use. It is a paradigmatic example to examine the beginnings of touristification in Spain and the contradictions of this new utopia.

Art and Patronage: Revisiting Ottoman Poetry From the perspective of İnalcık and Andrews

As life was shaped around the sultan and the court in the Ottoman Empire, being close to the absolute authority, the shelter of honor and prestige, was a necessity. Being honored by the sultan and having his favor was a must to be the "sultan of poets". Since the biggest compliment was to be a companion of the sultan, one had to reveal all his talent and mastery in the valley of poetry. In this context, the view "talent is subject to compliment" is important. However, it should be noted that almost every poet wanted to be the companion of the sultan, not his bookkeeper. That is, poetic concern preceded political concern. The patrimonial characteristic of Ottoman poetry was the event of tide between the poet's loss of prestige and his desire for reputation. The paradox between the poet's aesthetic concern and patrimonial patronage constituted the essential point of Diwan poetry. The artist was always tested on the fine line between art and life. A pen is the only thing remaining in the shadow of art and power. Each literary period has its unique conditions and sense of art. These conditions should be considered while evaluating a literary work or artist. By his very nature, an artist has poetic and political concerns. Any one of these concerns may be prioritized depending on the characteristics of a period. They may also vary from one artist to another. In this regard, the present study compares the evaluations of Halil İnalcık and Walter G. Andrews in their works titled Şair ve Patron [Poetry and Patron] and Şiirin Sesi, Toplumun Şarkısı [Poetry's Voice, Society's Song] respectively.

An obsolescence management framework for a defense industry company

Obsolescence issues in complex product lifecycles can cause disruptions in projects, leading to delays in project schedules, significant costs, and loss of prestige, particularly in defense companies. This article aims to address the obsolescence management issues of electronic components in complex product lifecycles in the defense industry with a new framework called the "Shell Structure”. The Shell Structure acts as a shield that safeguards and reinforces electronic components involved in every phase of the product lifecycle from obsolescence problems. The Shell Structure consists of five main processes: project management, research and development, manufacturing and services, supply chain management, and the new obsolescence management process. A new overarching obsolescence management process integrated into these main processes have been designed, specifically tailored for a large-scale defense industry company, using a process map example. The main obsolescence management process encompasses three subprocesses: the development of obsolescence management plan, the development of obsolescence management strategies, and the monitoring of obsolescence management plan. These processes interact in real-time, ensuring that electronic component data flows seamlessly in the context of digitalization utilizing Complex Event Processing System architecture. The obsolescence management-focused framework fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among the main processes of defense companies through the Shell Structure.

Consumers expectations toward luxury brands websites: a qualitative analysis through the lens of personal and interpersonal motivations

PurposeNowadays all luxury brands have their own websites, using them either as a communication and/or distribution tool. However, luxury consumers might still have different perceptions regarding these websites, as it can be seen as a loss of prestige or selectivity. This study aims to have a deeper understanding of luxury consumers’ perceptions of luxury brand websites by identifying a typology and defining the individual characteristics of the groups identified.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses the opposition of personal and interpersonal luxury as theoretical framework and the semiotic square based on this semantic opposition. A qualitative analysis based on 42 semi-structured interviews has been conducted. The interviews have been analyzed and subjected to interpretive content analysis.FindingsThe analysis of the verbatims shows that the consumers’ motivations toward luxury consumption (luxury for self or personal, luxury for others or interpersonal, negation of luxury for self and negation of luxury for others) can explain consumer differences in terms of attitudes toward luxury brand websites. The four classes are characterized according to their positive and negative perceptions of e-commerce and interaction tools used in luxury brands websites and also their expectations.Practical implicationsThis study defines guidelines for managers to develop luxury brand websites that correspond to their target.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the use of the semiotic square to refine the analysis of luxury consumers’ attitudes and to make more precise contributions. It also relies on using the theory of personal and interpersonal luxury to understand consumers’ expectations toward luxury brands websites.

History of document development on the transfer of Animal Health Office to fee-based veterinary services

The materials on the history of the development of documents and the experience of the veterinary service to improve the state veterinary inspection over the safety of products of animal origin in the new economic conditions are presented. Many years of experience in veterinary support of cattle breeding revealed a number of significant shortcomings in the organization of veterinary business: lack of adequate conditions for the work of veterinary specialists of the state veterinary network and farms; imperfect remuneration of labor, veterinary specialists' salary does not depend on the level of their professional training, complexity and quality of work; lack of material and technical support; weak legal protection; imperfect legislation on veterinary services, diversion of specialists to perform unrelated to their profession labor activities, and lack of normal social and living conditions. All this leads to the loss of prestige of the veterinary profession, the outflow of veterinary professionals to other areas of production. Hence the low staffing of veterinary institutions and farms. Scientists and veterinary specialists of Novosibirsk have done work on the search for such forms of organization of veterinary services for cattle breeding. The system of organization of self-supporting associations which can effectively operate in all categories of farms is proposed. The necessary guiding documents for the organization and their subsequent practice have been developed. The experience of selfsupporting veterinary associations in a number of districts showed that labor productivity increased by 1.5-2 times, the workload per veterinary specialist increased and the salary increased accordingly. The work carried out has proved the need to improve the activities of the state veterinary service in the context of economic reforms.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION IN TURKIYE AND ITS VARIATIONS

Architectural education is constantly evolving and changing. Aim: This study aims to reveal the differences between all architectural education institutions in Turkiye. Course contents, course hours, studio hours, elective course hours, interdisciplinary courses, IT-based courses, number of students and faculty members, part-time faculty members, teaching languages, geographical locations, international connections, achievements and accreditation status of universities were analyzed. Results: According to the results, it was observed that the unbalanced increase in the number of faculty members, especially in foundation universities, was met by externally supported part-time faculty members. Although this situation provides a solution in the short term, it negatively affects the quality of education in the long term. In addition, the inability of architectural education institutions in Turkiye to achieve international accreditation leads to a loss of prestige in the international arena. Conclusion: The study identifies the shortcomings of architectural education and profession in Turkiye and offers recommendations for educational development. Among these recommendations is that all universities should undergo a joint accreditation process and become members of the national accreditation platform, MİAK. It is then suggested that MİAK should move to an international level by providing a global co-operation. It is also suggested that the duration of architectural education in Turkiye be increased to six years and a new curriculum be proposed. These steps are thought to help improve the quality of architectural education in Turkiye and make it internationally competitive.

The Mission and Diplomatic Language of Fethnames in Ottoman Diplomacy in The Context of 1715 Morea Fethname

Türk-İslâm devletlerinde kazanılan zaferleri gerek ülke içerisinde gerekse yabancı devletlere ilan etmek amacıyla fetihnâme gönderme geleneği Osmanlılarda da devam ettirilmiştir. Ancak Osmanlılar kendilerinden önceki Türk-İslâm devletlerinden tevarüs ettikleri birçok gelenekte olduğu gibi fetihnâme gönderme pratiğinde de kendilerine has bir üslup geliştirmişlerdir. Öyle ki Osmanlılar fetihnâme gönderme uygulamasına sadece ülke içinde ve dışında kazanılan bir zaferi ilan etmenin ötesinde farklı anlamlar yüklemişlerdir. Ülke içerisinde başta İstanbul’da sadrazama vekâlet eden sadaret kâimmakâmına ve taşradaki kadı ve beylerbeyi gibi yöneticilere zaferi halka duyurmaları için gönderilen fetihnâmeler aslında halkın devlete bağlılık ve hizmetlerinin artırılması gibi bir amaca yönelikti. Yabancı ülkelere gönderilen fetihnamelerin ise diplomatik bir misyonu vardı. Elde edilen zaferle Osmanlı’nın güç ve ihtişamına vurgu yapılarak dost ya da bağlı olan ülkelerin dostluklarının ve bağlılıklarının pekişmesi ve devamı sağlanırken, husumetli olunan ülkelere ise bir tehdit imasında bulunulur idi. Öyle ki bu gelenek zamanla Osmanlı diplomasisinin dosta müjde düşmana tehdit dili haline gelmiştir. Bu yüzden Osmanlı fetihnâmelerinin temel işlevinin savaş propagandası ya da güç ve ihtişam gösterisi olduğu yorumları yapılmıştır. Esasen Osmanlıların fetihnâmelere yükledikleri misyon tarihi süreç içerisinde dönemsel olarak değişiklik göstermiştir. Siyasi ve askerî açıdan güçlü oldukları dönemlerde fetihnâmeleri güç ve ihtişam vurgusu için kullanırken siyasi ve askerî açıdan zayıf oldukları dönemlerde ise diplomasiyi etkin kılmak için kullanmışlardır. Dolayısıyla Osmanlı fetihnâmelerinin işlevi devletin siyasi ve askeri konumuna paralel olarak zamanla Osmanlı diplomasisi ve diplomatik dilindeki değişimin bir yansıması olarak farklılaşmıştır denilebilir. 
 1715 yılında Mora’nın yeniden fethi üzerine vakanüvis Mehmed Râşid Efendi tarafından kaleme alınan ve elliye yakın devlet adamı ve hükümdara gönderilen Mora Fetihnâmesi bu değişimin gözlemlenebildiği uygun bir örnektir. Zira1699 Karlofça antlaşması ile kaybedilen Mora’nın yeniden fethedilmesi devletin uğradığı askeri ve siyasi prestij kaybının tamiri için önemli bir fırsattı. Söz konusu fetihnâme bu prestij kaybının oluşturduğu iç kamuoyundaki karamsar ruh halini ve komşu ülkelerde Osmanlının gücü konusunda oluşan şüpheleri ortadan kaldırmaya yönelik diplomatik bir gayenin tezahürü idi. Bugün bu fetihnâmenin gönderildiği kaydedilen elliye yakın nüshasından sadece iki nüshası tespit edilebilmiştir. Bu iki nüshadan İran hükümdarı Şah Hüseyin’e gönderileni Cumhurbaşkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi’nde 6 numaralı Nâme-i Hümâyûn Defteri içerisinde bulunmaktadır. İstanbul’da sadrazama vekâlet eden sadaret kâimmakâmına ve İstanbul Kadısına gönderilen diğeri ise Süleymaniye Kütüphanesi, Esad Efendi, nr. 3655/4, 48a-56a varakları arasında bulunmaktadır. 
 Çalışmada ikinci nüsha esas alınarak bu iki nüsha arasında metin kritiği yapılmış ve bu iki belge Diplomatik dil açısından karşılaştırılmıştır. Mora Fetihnâmesinden hareketle Osmanlı diplomatiğinin önemli bir belge türü olan fetihnâmelerin Osmanlı Diplomasisindeki rollerine ve tarihsel süreçte gösterdikleri değişime ilişkin bazı çıkarımlarda bulunulmaya çalışılmıştır.

Beyond the Glass Cliff: A Scoping Review of the Influencing Factors of Glass Cliff

Glass ceiling syndrome is the exposure of women to some inequalities while climbing the career ladders. It is an invisible barrier above the women that prevents them from being promoted. Women who achieve to break the glass ceiling get the leadership positions but it is possible for them to face to a new adventure called glass cliff. Glass cliff is the appointment of women to more risky, problematic or unstable leadership positions compared to men. These deliberate promotions, which can cause loss of prestige and an image of failure, are generally not rejected as they are still an opportunity for women. The aim of this study is to reveal the influencing factors of glass cliff. Within the framework of this purpose, a scoping review was carried out. In this review, papers on glass cliff indexed in Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2000-2021 are examined. The results of the study revealed that there are five factors that are commonly referred in reviewed articles. These factors are; stereotypes of leadership and gender, company performance, need for change, leadership ability and leadership suitability.

The Social Mechanism of the Functioning of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Contemporary Russia

The work aims to study the institute of postgraduate studies as a complex social phenomenon. Object: the institute of postgraduate studies as a social phenomenon; subject: the social mechanism of functioning of the institute of postgraduate studies as a composite phenomenon. The paper examines all five elements of the social mechanism of the institute of postgraduate studies; thereby, we are attempting a comprehensive analysis of the behaviour of actors based on the socio-cultural basis and the regulatory framework. The management block provides an analysis of the main functions of the Higher Attestation Commission and determines its role in the functioning of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies. The status block provides a 3-level model of the involvement of various groups of students, scientific and pedagogical personnel and university employees in the institute of postgraduate studies. At the level of perception of postgraduate studies, the author determined its role in the formation of personnel for the labour market. At the level of perception of professional activity, the emphasis is on prestige and economic well-being. And at the level of perception of an academic degree in society, it is necessary to consider the social risks for the holder of an academic degree due to the stereotypes formed in society. The behavioural block provides a comprehensive analysis of the activities of all groups of actors at the three main stages of the postgraduate institute for applicants: educational, individual (plan) and dissertation. In the fifth block (consequences), the author considered the results of postgraduate institute reform in 2013. Finally, the author made disappointing conclusions about the reduction in the number of protections, the loss of prestige of postgraduate studies and the strengthening of barriers to the protection of graduate students.

Commodifying postsocialist cinema: filmmakers and the privatization of the Polish and Czech film industry after 1989

ABSTRACT The state’s efforts at privatization after the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe often met with disapproval from cultural producers, who worried that their form of cultural production (often understood by them as “art” rather than “commodity”) required state patronage to survive. This paper examines the case of cinema in the Czech Republic and Poland. Using contemporary press sources, it traces how filmmakers responded to the new prominence of commercial cinema and their often-perceived loss of prestige and status of “autonomous artists”. Both the creative outputs and the discourse of filmmakers illustrate the changing values attached to the free market and to the purpose of cultural production in a market economy during transformation. Following a generational story, the paper establishes similarities between the discourse of different age groups of filmmakers in both countries; but at the same time, it accounts for the diverging acceptance of marketization by outlining country-specific differences: filmmakers searched for a language to critique or to affirm the transformation, their stance largely dependent on the extent to which they worked with inherited modes from the late socialist era, specific cultural traditions, and the financial conditions in which they operated.

The Reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque: A Historian’s Perspective

The Reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque:A Historian's Perspective Edhem Eldem (bio) KEYWORDS Hagia Sophia, Turkey, Secularism, Nationalism, Kemalism, Erdoğan Almost two years ago, only days before the municipal elections that promised to challenge his party's hold over Istanbul, President Tayyip Erdoğan rekindled the debate over the reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, suggesting that he would challenge the decree that had transformed it into a museum.1 However, nobody really believed that he would carry out the measures that would make the "dream of the Muslim world" come true. This reconversion had been demanded for decades: first, by "marginal" groups rebelling against the Kemalist establishment; then, by some political parties who knew well that their claims would remain rhetorical; and finally, by Erdoğan's AKP (Justice and Development Party), especially after a proposal was brought to Parliament in 2013 by an MP from the MHP (Nationalist Action Party).2 Things had evidently taken a more serious turn, as it was felt that Erdoğan's populist and authoritarian ambitions were feeding increasingly on Islamist sentiments and rhetoric. After all, had two other Hagia Sophias not been converted into mosques in İznik (partly, 2011)3 and Trabzon (2013)4? Yet it simply did not make sense as the stakes were too high. The Hagia Sophia was too visible, too [End Page 243] famous, and the consequences would be disastrous: international opprobrium, loss of prestige, and, perhaps more importantly, tourism revenue. Erdoğan's general attitude confirmed this assumed cautiousness. To hopeful partisans, he simply pointed to the many neighboring mosques that first had to be filled before the Hagia Sophia's reconversion could be justified. And yet, on 10 July 2020, the improbable, indeed the unthinkable, did happen. The Hagia Sophia was converted back into a mosque by presidential decree, following a decision of the Council of State to cancel the 1934 decree that had turned it into a museum. Two weeks later, on Friday, 24 July, the re-consecration was performed before a packed audience of allegedly hundreds of thousands, despite the ongoing pandemic. While the event unleashed feelings of elation among AKP supporters and the Muslim-conservative public that were then relayed to the broader Turkish public by the partisan press and media, opponents displayed reactions ranging from disappointment to outright anger. Those members of the political opposition who did not openly approve of the move were very cautious in voicing criticism. Scholarly objections were severely curtailed by the lack of a proper platform and audience. Of course, the real outcry came from abroad, with the obvious exception of the Muslim world. Rather predictably, Greece, whose national sensitivities are often like a mirror image of Turkey's, was outraged and demanded the adoption of sanctions against Turkey. Political and cultural institutions throughout the Western world voiced their criticism by employing a more diplomatic vocabulary of sadness, regret, and concern. One of the rare but notable consequences of this move was that the International Association of Byzantine Studies (AIEB) revoked its decision to hold the next International Congress of Byzantine Studies in Istanbul in 2021, postponing the meeting until 2022, and changing the venue to Venice and Padua.5 The 24 July event was showy and aggressive, but it was carried out in conjunction with a series of statements that resembled a process of negotiation or bargaining. The government tried to reassure the concerned parties on some of the immediate issues, such as tourism and access to the Byzantine/Christian heritage of the monument. Promises were made that it would remain open to tourists—now free of charge—outside of prayer times; plans were made to find means to veil and unveil the frescoes and mosaics offensive to Muslims, ranging from traditional solutions such as curtains and screens, to the—somewhat dubious—use of sophisticated laser technology. Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu was said to have declared that Turkey was sensitive to the protection of the building's character, adding, rather enigmatically, "The function [End Page 244] can be this way or that way—it does not matter."6 No solution was proposed for the remarkable stone floor...

The Economic and Cultural Withdrawal of Academic Teaching in Italy: Adjunct Professors as a Case Study

This article investigates the working conditions and career aspirations of adjunct professors (Aps) in Italy. It is based on the results of a national survey carried out in 2018 collecting information on a representative sample of 5556 respondents distributed across all Italian universities, on semi-structured interviews with 35 APs, and on an auto-ethnographic study conducted in 2018 during trade union assemblies with precarious academic workers at ten Italian universities. APs are considered as a litmus test for observing how the academic structure and career paths have changed in recent decades in Italy. More specifically, we look at how teaching activities’ loss of prestige as ‘non-market’ activities results in both a loss of academic opportunity for pursuing a future career and a worsening of the present teaching work conditions. In this regard, we combined Bourdieu’s field theory and Schutz’s social phenomenology, with the recent literature on new forms of unpaid work. Departing from this conceptual frame, in the analysis we explore how working as APs may be seen as an invisible form of unpaid work produced by the new logic of the Italian academic field, which also rules the ways in which economic and symbolic capitals are distributed, affecting the possibility of pursuing an academic career.

Online Education Participants: Standing Together or Falling Apart?

The paper summarizes the findings from research by Russian scholars into the expansion of online education technologies into Russian universities. Risks are described connected with the unpreparedness of the education process participants to be fully engaged in the new education format. Two opinion polls were organized among students and university staff in order to reveal their assessment of education strategies and their involvement in online education. The study has shown that neither students nor academic staff at provincial universities are sufficiently involved in the process, which does not enable any forecast to be made pertaining to online training efficiency. So far, it is only the opportunities to access, participate and use online education that can be assessed. The survey has revealed a significant difference in students’ and lecturers’ perception of online education. While students are ready to switch to the new format, lecturers prefer classical approaches. They display negative attitudes, tend to avoid changes and stress that the expansion of online education services may result in a lower status and loss of prestige for the teaching profession. The possibility of their participation in developing online education products is doubtful. The lack of either experience or desire to be involved in the process may result in a low quality of online courses and programs, if developed. The study enables the authors to define a problem field of youth education choice management. This field includes issues of self-study needs satisfaction, a lower level of knowledge in today’s young generation and information retaining difficulty, the “external memory” problem resulting from the abundance of gadgets et cetera. Risks are described pertaining to youth’s uncontrolled involvement in online education alternatives connected with human capital structure changes, emergence of negative generation characteristics and education prospects.
 Keywords: youth, academic staff, education, education strategies, online education, self-study

The competition for government funding of major sports events: why do some applicants pass the needle’s eye?

ABSTRACT Major event organisers apply for government financial support. This paper investigates the selection process of events in Norway based on empirical data from 2012 to 2018. In this period, 11 events were granted NOK 476 million (€47.7 million), whereas five events were rejected. The funding was highly concentrated, with 92% being distributed to four events. Although the Norwegian government positively supports major events, a policy on event selection has not been established. This paper shows that the absence of criteria for event selection opens up pragmatism, which encourages lobbying and ad hoc solutions. All the applicants argued that their events would generate economic gains and various forms of externalities. The most successful applicants associated themselves with politicians who lobbied on their behalf. Politicians and event organisers were closely related in these cases. Some events successfully connected their own aims with aims in the government’s political programme. Three events that received the most government support also received additional funding when unexpected problems emerged during the preparations. In these cases, the fear of cancelation created situations of urgency that helped the applicants receive additional funding. Cancelation of the events would have created a loss of prestige, not only for the organiser but a number of other stakeholders.

La historia universal de Cesare Cantú en América Latina

El historiador italiano Cesare Cantú (1804-1895) gozó de gran prestigio en América Latina desde mediados del siglo XIX hasta las primeras décadas del XX. Ello es particularmente cierto de su Historia universal (obra que empezó a publicar desde 1838), un trabajo basado en el esquema cristiano de la historia que carece de gran originalidad, pero que, en contrapartida, es rico en información. En este artículo se explora su amplia presencia en las bibliotecas particulares, el carácter de modelo que revistió, su función como fuente principal de información y de opiniones y algunos de los juicios que mereció de parte de historiadores, escritores o políticos, sobre todo católicos, pero no en su totalidad. Desde los años finales del siglo XIX, la popularidad de Cantú empezó a decaer, en parte debido al aumento de la información histórica y sofisticación historiográfica de la intelectualidad latinoamericana. Se presentan también algunos ejemplos de esa pérdida de prestigio.

VAGUENESS AND PRAXEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF OPTIMIZATION OF FIRE-RESCUE MACHINERY EXPLOITATION CHARACTERISTICS

The technology of improvement and parametric optimization of fire-rescue machinery has been researched based on the most general principles. Means and possible capacities of physics, legal proceedings, evolution and engineering are paralelly considered in terms of the methodology of indefiniteness problem solutions. It should be highlighted that the improvement of systems or machinery is a permanent decision making process, i.e. the process that has its start but has no end. It means that it is impossible for absolutely ideal system or machine to appear. The improvement of machinery rests upon teleology, but in fact it resembles evolution where there is no space for the categories of mind, design, perfection. Thus the optimization activity must rest on both teleological and evolutionary principles.
 The aim of this paper is to define the principles that allow to stream the process of parametric optimization of the system/machine (in particular in the field of fire-rescue machinery) into the praxeological direction simultaneously relying on teleology and evolutionary as well as rationally relate and connect meaningful, algorithmical and general criteria defining means into a single system.
 The tasks to be solved include the following: first of all to define the types of insurmountable uncertainties, to evaluate the sense of optimization process concerning the system or machinery drawing a parallel with the natural selection, critically delineate the most general aspects of methodology of parametric or any other optimization of the system/machinery according to the criteria of random content, to determine what level of optimization situation preciseness should be dealt with theoretically and practically.
 The problem of improving the system of rescue machine and some of its operational characteristics in general is so difficult that we cannot solve it without methodological and cognitive specialization. The conducted research represents the development of the scenario of coordinating three different groups, two of which carry out the optimization activity according to their specialization whereas the third one is responsible for assessment and introduction of optimal propositions. It has been demonstrated that the optimal propositions can turn out to be incompatible which resulted in the necessity to reasonably correlate all concepts and aspects of optimality and excellence.
 It has been also clarified the following:
 
 The identification of system characteristics that are subjected to optimization is always approximate, the indicator (criterion) is always subjectively vague, the instruments to find perfection are not impeccable. It means that the progression to the perfection should be made discreetly, critically analysing the results obtained and every time following the new criteria.
 It is not obligatory to endeavour for ideal solution. It is necessary to avoid blunders and implement only the most favourable decisions, since the achieved results can be evaluated only after the fact. Mistakes and losses should be negligible but numerous to benefit from them.
 The application of complex and perfect methods of optimization to a wrong formalized object such as a fire-rescue machine is a vain cognitive activity. It is time and resources consuming, effortless, senseless and often leads to loss of prestige.
 A certain result of scientific research is inconsiderable as such. Really valuable is the algorithm and technology of its achieving, theoretical/cognitive meaningfulness of its essence.

Status of Teaching Profession from the Perspective of the Teachers

Problem Durumu: Meslek kavrami toplum icinde unvan kazanmamizi saglama ve toplumdaki onemine bagli olarak statuyu belirlemenin yani sira, bireylerin psikolojik doyumunu ve dolayisiyla yasam kalitesini etkilemektedir. Ogretmenlik meslegi, toplumsal gelismede onemi olan, alaninda teknik bilgi ve beceri, ozel uzmanlik isteyen, akademik donanim ve mesleki etkililik gerektiren profesyonel statude bir meslektir. Bir meslege iliskin toplumsal statu duzeyi ne kadar yuksekse o meslege iliskin prestij algisi o kadar yuksek olabilir. Meslege iliskin prestij algisi, kisilerin mesleklerine iliskin tutum ve davranislarinin sekillenmesinde onemli bir rol oynar. Bir meslegin statu derecesinin yuksek olusu, o meslek isgorenlerinin mesleklerine bakis acisini degistirebilmekte yukledikleri anlam olcusunde mesleki doyumlarini ve meslege bagliliklarini artirabilmektedir. Ogretmenlik mesleginin ulkenin sosyal, kulturel ve teknolojik gelismisligi ile de ilgisi oldugu dusunuldugunde ogretmenlerin statusu ve calisma kosullari ne kadar yukseltilirse, ulkenin gelismislik duzeyinin de o kadar yukselecegi soylenebilir. Bu yuzden egitimde kalite arayislarinda toplumsal yapida ogretmene gereken degerin verilmesi, statusunun yukseltilmesi icin ogretmenlik mesleginin statusunu etkileyen etmenler ve statuyu arttirmak icin yapilabileceklerin ogretmenlerin bakis acisiyla irdelenmesi onem tasimaktadir. Arastirmanin Amaci: Bu arastirmada ogretmenlik mesleginin statusunu etkileyen etmenleri ve meslegin statusunu arttirmak icin yapilabilecekleri ogretmenlerin bakis acisiyla ortaya koymak hedeflenmistir. Bu sekilde ogretmen gozuyle ogretmenlik mesleginin statusunu etkileyen etmenleri ortaya koyarak, statuyu arttirmak konusunda yapilabileceklere iliskin fikir vermek ve daha etkili ve verimli egitim politikalarinin uretilmesine katki saglamak hedeflenmektedir. Arastirmanin Yontemi: Arastirmada davranis ve inanclara iliskin derinlemesine bilgi saglayan nitel arastirma yontemi kullanilmistir. Olgu bilim deseninde tasarlanan arastirmada calisma grubu degisik goruslere yer verebilmek icin maksimum cesitlilik orneklemesi temel alinarak secilmistir. Bu dogrultuda Trabzon ili merkez dahil 18 ilceden ilkokul, ortaokul ve lise duzeyinde gorev yapan gonullu, rastgele secilmis birer ogretmen olmak uzere toplam 54 ogretmen arastirmaya katilmistir. Calisma grubunun seciminde oncelikle her ilcede ilkokul, ortaokul, lise duzeyinde rastgele secilen birer okul mudurune, onlar araciligi ile her okuldan bir tane gonullu ogretmene ulasilmistir. Arastirmanin verileri 11 ogretmenle pilot uygulamasi gerceklestirilen, demografik bilgileri de iceren yari yapilandirilmis gorusme formu ile toplanmistir. Arastirma sonucunda elde edilen veriler icerik analizi yontemiyle analiz edilmistir. Bu surecte ilk adim olarak veriler kodlanmis, daha sonra birbiriyle iliskili kodlar bir araya getirilerek temalar olusturulmus, sonra da bu temalar aciklanmaya calisilmistir. Arastirmada ic gecerligi saglamak icin; ogretmenlerin ogretmenlik mesleginin statusune iliskin gorusleri kodlanmis ayrica dogrudan alintilarla kodlar desteklenmistir. Bulgularin anlamliligi ve butunlugu arastirmaci tarafindan surekli test edilmistir. Bulgularin tutarliligini saglamak icin temalari olusturan kavramlarin kendi aralarinda ve diger temalarla tutarliligi degerlendirilmis ve anlamli bir butun olusturup olusturmadigi test edilmistir. Dis gecerligi saglamak icin; arastirma surecinin detaylari aciklanmistir. Alaninda uzman bir kisiden, arastirma deseninin belirlenmesinden, toplanan verilerin analizine ve sonuclarin yazimina kadar olan surecleri elestirel bir gozle degerlendirmesi ve arastirmaciya donut vermesi istenmistir. Ayrica guvenirligi saglamak adina katilimcilara dair demografik ozellikler tablo halinde sunulmustur. Arastirmada temalarin dogru siniflandirildigindan emin olmak icin literaturden ve 1 uzman gorusunden yararlanilmistir. Uzman gorusunden elde edilen sonuc ile arastirmacinin olusturdugu tema ve altinda yer alan maddeler karsilastirilmistir. Arastirmanin guvenirligi (Guvenirlik=gorus birligi/gorus birligi + gorus ayriligi) buyuklugu ve araligi da dikkate alinmak kosuluyla, uzman ve arastirmaci degerlendirmeleri x100 kullanilarak hesaplanmistir. Uzman gorus incelemesi sonucunda, ogretmenlik mesleginin statusunu etkileyen etmenler alt probleminde 5 madde, ogretmenlik mesleginin statusunun arttirilmasi icin yapilabilecekler alt probleminde ise 4 madde farkli cikmis, bu arastirmaya ozgu olarak gerceklestirilen guvenirlik calismasinda sirasiyla, %85 ve %88 oraninda bir uzlasma (guvenirlik) saglanmistir. Bulgularin sunumunda temalari guclendirmek adina katilimcilarin ozgun ifadelerine de yer verilmistir.