Public Sphere Research Articles

Academic development for tomorrow? Claiming a clearer role for university pedagogy through a holistic framework

ABSTRACT The aim of this theoretically oriented article is to promote the educational role and purpose of academic development in higher education by suggesting a holistic framework and theoretical articulation for university pedagogy. By discussing links between university pedagogy, academic development, and broader views of university education, our framework clarifies the concept of university pedagogy in the Nordic countries. The framework encompasses four themes: (1) the relationship between educational theory and pedagogical practice; (2) the interplay between knowledge and the curriculum; (3) the university as an organization and social institution; and (4) the agency in and of academic communities. We argue that university pedagogy operating within this framework has the potential to strengthen the scholarly foundations of the development of university education. The framework can enhance critical public discourse on the purpose of university education.

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF LEGAL REGULATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF THE SOCIAL SPHERE IN THE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINE

The article defines that public administration is a system of activities of state authorities aimed at optimizing the use of resources to achieve the priority goals of social policy. It is emphasized that the social sphere covers a wide range of services that ensure the well-being of citizens, including health care, education, social protection and other critically important elements. The study of the problems of public management of the social sphere in territorial communities reveals a number of challenges, such as insufficient financial support, the absence of a clear legal framework, and a low level of public involvement in decision-making processes. Analysis of modern approaches to legal regulation in this area showed that effective management of social policy requires the integration of innovative methods, in particular digitalization of processes, which will contribute to the transparency and accountability of local self-government bodies. As a result of the research, it was found that the public management of the social sphere in the territorial communities of Ukraine is a complex, multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive analysis and a comprehensive approach to its improvement. The development of recommendations for improving management mechanisms should become a priority for researchers and practitioners in this important field. Effective management of the social sphere requires systematic control over the implementation of state policy. This involves not only an internal audit of the activities of local self-government bodies, but also mechanisms of public control that would allow residents to actively participate in the processes of evaluating the effectiveness of social programs. The study showed that the key factors in the effectiveness of public management of the social sphere in territorial communities are: adaptability of management mechanisms; integration of modern technologies; formation of partnership relations; personnel training and development; community involvement in decision-making processes, etc. Legal regulation of public management of the social sphere in territorial communities of Ukraine is conditioned by the need to create effective management mechanisms that meet modern challenges. Among the prospects for the development of legal regulation of public management of the social sphere in the territorial communities of Ukraine, the need for: improvement of the legal framework was emphasized; strengthening of financial autonomy; development of professional training; integration of modern technologies; community involvement in decision-making processes; focus on inclusiveness; monitoring and evaluation of efficiency; cooperation with international organizations; adaptation to changes in the socio-economic environment; increasing the level of trust in the authorities, etc. It is emphasized that the successful implementation of public policy in the social sphere depends on the effective interaction of all interested parties, which in turn will ensure sustainable development and increase the quality of life of the population.

Acting Out

Abstract When is it morally permissible for performers to portray characters from marginalized groups of which they are not a member? Although this question is philosophically underexplored, it has been commanding increasing attention in the public sphere, especially with respect to straight performers portraying queer characters. While the demand for increasing self-representation from marginalized communities is laudable, we argue that demanding performers to disclose their social identity is, in general, morally counterproductive. We make our case by focusing on recent instances where fans demanded that a performer disclose their sexual orientation, putting vulnerable performers in a harmful trilemma. In short, it will force many to either out themselves against their will, subject themselves to intense public backlash by taking the role without outing themselves, or forgo taking a role they want and at which they would excel. Instead, we propose that performers have a general (epistemic) obligation to learn about what their characters’ corresponding real-world experiences would plausibly be like, representing what they learned in their performances. We will argue that meeting this obligation typically entails learning about the values, broadly construed, of the community in question. If we are right, there is not even a general obligation that performers only take roles that correspond to their own social identity. Just as importantly, there is a strong moral reason not to demand that performers disclose aspects of their social identity in order to take on a role.

Information as public good and public service media in Europe: Introduction to this special issue

The right to public life has been one of the most important achievements of modernity. It was a result of long and painful civil struggles for dignity in a democratic public sphere. While de jure we are all welcome in the public sphere, de facto rapid processes of fragmentation and numerous contexts of misinformation insulate the actual chances of meaningful contribution to public life. Platform users are aggressively approached as consumers of goods and services and continuously stimulated to produce large quantities of any content, just to feed the voracious platforms. The sobering truth is that many people on the private high-tech platforms do not act like true democrats, but like private individuals who pursue very personal aims. At the same time, a private person does not have a mandate to act in the public interest of the rest of the citizens. For these reasons, we turn to information as a public good and public responsibility in this special issue. It is about media as a public service that allows democracy to keep centre stage within a polity. When citizens interact with relevant public information, they build the capacity to control their political environment, to form informed opinions and act upon them. When this basic desideratum is not structurally at the core of society, one cannot even start to consider democracy as the first course of action for the generations to come. Information as a public good is not a thing of nature, but a purposeful action. We take this stance when we approach information as a public good, rather than some residual category of market failure. The scope of this special issue is to analyse and explore the resources and institutional settings that allow information to thrive as a public good in the European contemporary informational ecosystem.

Kampung Saribu Gonjong: Pengembangan Pariwisata Budaya di Kabupaten Limapuluh Kota

Tourism is a set of ‘machines’ that can drive the economy for regions that have tourist destinations. At present, tourism is developing according to the demands of the global market which tries to combine culture and tourism. This process is called commodification, which essentially leads to the transformation of cultural values into goods or services that have exchange value in the tourism industry. The Sarugo Village tourism area is included in the KPPK (Regency Tourism Potential Area) in Gunuang Omeh District which has cultural, religious, ecological and historical attractions. So, the development of community-based cultural tourism. This paper aims to explain the mix between culture and tourism in Sarugo Village so as to show the positive and negative effects on the culture itself or even make the culture survive. Through an ethnographic approach and data collection by observation and in-depth interviews with 15 informants, the results show that cultural aspects that are an important element in the lives of people in Sarugo Village are modified into tourism products. Rumah Gonjong is transformed into a homestay to accommodate overnight guests. This shows that the private sphere (Rumah Gonjong) turns into a public sphere in the tourism industry with the management of the local community itself. Thus, the managers of the Gonjong House, which initially only made it a place to stay, have now provided an economic increase. Therefore, the Gonjong House is currently maintained and the consequences of the tourism industry make the cultural survival of the Sarugo Village community.

LEGAL REGULATION OF THE APPLICATION OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN UKRAINE

The article analyzes the legal regulation of the use of political correctness in public service in Ukraine under modern conditions. At the beginning of the study, the prerequisites for the emergence and conditions for the implementation of the idea of political correctness are mentioned. The meaning of the concept of «political correctness» is revealed from different angles, taking into account what exactly is included in it and in what context it is used. It is indicated that the use of political correctness in the public service contributes to the establishment of contacts between different categories of persons, the formation of friendly and neutral relations, the strengthening of humanistic attitudes in society and the strengthening of the public's trust in the government (official apparatus). The main part of the article is devoted to the analysis of the normative consolidation of the idea of political correctness in international and domestic legal acts. It is found out, that the provisions of the studied international documents contain norms that indirectly regulate the issue of ensuring political correctness in the sphere of public administration and in other social spheres. There is no clear normative definition of the concept of «political correctness» in their provisions. It is established that the national legislation also does not contain a normative definition of the concept of «political correctness», but only establishes the principles of «discrimination-free barriers». These principles are laid down in Art. 24 of the Constitution of Ukraine. On the basis of the specified constitutional norm, legal acts detailing the application of political correctness in public service in Ukraine were adopted at different time intervals. At the end of the article, it is concluded that political correctness in the modern world is an important element of everyday communication, especially in the field of public administration. Political correctness is a standard of socially permissible and acceptable behavior of public officials when communicating with different groups (age, ethnic, sexual, etc.) of the population with the aim of preventing any oppression or humiliation of human honor and dignity, by using stylistically neutral vocabulary and non-verbal communication.

Analysis of Gender and Mental Health Differences

With the rapid development of modern civilization, the increasing pressures of contemporary life, the fast pace of living, and the influence of social media, an increasing number of people are suffering from mental health issues. Mental health is an important aspect that everyone should be concerned about. Research has revealed that depression can significantly impact a person's professional and interpersonal skills, potentially affecting ones career trajectory. However, while both men and women face mental health issues, gender differences persist. Numerous studies have indicated that disparities exist in both brain structure and function between males and females. For instance, females may exhibit a greater advantage in emotional processing and social cognition, whereas males may demonstrate enhanced spatial cognition abilities. This study aims to explore gender differences in mental health across four factors. The result shows that, family intergenerational relationships have a greater impact on girls than boys. During their student years, interpersonal relationships within dormitories have a greater influence on boys. In the social sphere, women are more prone to depression than men. From a personal perspective, females are also more likely to experience negative emotions compared to males.

Kompetencje cyfrowe Polaków w świetle teorii przyspieszenia społecznego

The dynamic development and spread of information and communication technologies have caused contemporary society, also known as modern or information society, to undergo constant changes. These are taking place both in the technological, economic and social spheres, becoming the focus of researchers in social, economic, engineering and technical sciences. As a result of these changes, we can even, according to Hartmut Rosa (2020), speak of a society of acceleration, in which technological acceleration is accompanied by an acceleration of the pace of living. As part of numerous consequences, acquiring new skills and improving those already acquired, especially in the use of ICT, becomes particularly important. Achieving an appropriate level of expertise turns out to be almost indispensable, both at the micro level - the realm of work and everyday life of individuals, and at the macro level, as a condition for stable and systematic socio-economic development. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to analyze the level of digital competence of Poles, primarily focusing on the level of overall digital skills and its changes over recent years, the type of digital skills that pose particular challenges, as well as to determine the rank of Poland as compared to other European Union member states regarding the subject matter. The source material is statistical data from Eurostat and Poland Statistics.

Compassion and the canine cosmonaut: Laika and the contours of public feeling for others

ABSTRACT Scholars have debated the value and utility of compassion as a public feeling. Advocates identify compassion as a key to creating a just society where care is routinely provided for others. Critics claim that compassion cannot contribute to the public sphere and leads to individualized, private solutions to a collective problem accompanied by moral self-satisfaction. To address this scholarly divergence, I use the case of Laika, the dog launched by the Soviet Union into orbit around Earth where she died. Her flight and death highlight how compassion produced risky collective action designed to mitigate her suffering that was nonetheless limited by ideology and trauma.

INCLUSION, ELIGIBILITY AND FORFEITURE

One of the buzzwords of today is ‘inclusion’. But the idea that everyone should be ‘included’ is a mistake, thoughtlessly reproduced by many. This holds in the private sphere, as well as in the institutional settings of the public sphere. There is very little conceptual analysis of the term, although there is plenty of literature on ‘social inclusion’ and the political vision of including the marginalized. My aim is to show that there are constraints on inclusion – particularly in institutional settings. Participation in social life is a kaleidoscope of inclusion and exclusion practices; this makes social life possible. Without inclusion/exclusion practices social life would be chaotic – if not impossible. Even philosophy journals have submission criteria which permit exclusion: e.g. the paper must not be under consideration by any other journal. Thus, exclusion is not per se a denial of someone’s dignity or a failure to recognize them as a fellow human being. The aim of this short essay is to raise awareness about inclusion and two of its constraints (eligibility and forfeiture), thereby starting a long overdue debate in the humanities.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM AND ITS LIMITS: UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE OF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this research is a philosophical reflection on the category of freedom in the context of Ukraine’s democratic development, with a focus on its limits in light of current political and social challenges, particularly war and crises. The study analyzes the historical stages of the concept of freedom in Ukraine, the legal and ethical constraints placed on it, and the existential dimension of responsibility tied to individual choice. The research methods include critical analysis of philosophical and political works, synthesis of approaches from different philosophical schools (particularly liberalism and existentialism), comparative analysis of freedom and responsibility concepts, and systematic analysis of the legal and ethical challenges facing modern Ukrainian society. The results of the study reveal that the concept of freedom in Ukraine has specific historical features, related to the ongoing struggle for national independence, and dynamically changes under the influence of external threats and internal political processes. It is determined that the limits of freedom are shaped not only by legal norms but also by ethical and societal factors that actively shape Ukrainian public discourse. Special attention is given to the existential dimension of freedom as responsibility, which manifests in complex moral choices in the context of war. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the combination of historical, legal, and existentialist approaches to understanding freedom in the context of Ukrainian democratic development, providing deeper insights into the relationship between freedom and responsibility during periods of social crises. The theoretical significance of the work lies in expanding the philosophical understanding of the category of freedom within the Ukrainian context, its interaction with legal and ethical norms, which is essential for further research in political philosophy and law.

Why they don’t trust the media: The Chinese public’s perception and evaluation of news media in the social media era, taking the Liu Xuezhou incident as an example

With the advent of the post-pandemic era characterised by increasing social uncertainty, the public is placing higher demands on the trust in news media. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, the image of the media in the public’s mind is deteriorating. Why don’t they trust the media? What are the reasons given by the public when the media is denounced as unscrupulous? Taking the Liu Xuezhou incident as a typical case, the study extracts key elements from 5,225 related microblog texts, identifies the main topics of public discussion with the help of LDA topic modelling, clarifies the referential dimension of unscrupulous media with the help of pointwise mutual information, and analyzes netizens’ evaluations related to different referential levels of the media through visual semantic networks, which can help formulate dialectical thinking on media trust in the context of China in the era of social media.

Gender inequality in the public sphere as perceived by Muslim female graduate students at a Pakistani higher education institution – a critical grounded theory perspective

Purpose The subject of gender inequality has been approached by academics of various fields – psychologists, political scientists, developmental economists, feminists, sociologists, among others. Although there is a considerable amount of evidence indicating the presence of gender bias in various aspects of educational and work life in Muslim countries, not many studies have attempted to understand the female perspective during extra- and co-curricular activities in higher education institutions (HEIs) and their coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach A critical grounded theory approach was used. Findings The findings indicate that the role of female “religio-socio-cultural” stereotypes mutually reinforces each other to perpetuate an uneven playing field. Females have evolved many strategies to cope, including creation of sub-private spheres within larger public spheres and restricting their interactions to specific strata within the public sphere. Originality/value The study provides a female perspective regarding participation during extra- and co-curricular activities in a HEI in a Muslim majority context using critical grounded theory.

“What Flipping Right Does a Teacher Have to Say Being [LGBTQ+] is Okay?”: Understanding Twitter Discourse Around U.S. Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation

Amidst an explosion in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and hate crimes in the United States, this study examines public discourses around legislation that suppress LGBTQIA+ rights. We conducted a computer-assisted content analysis of 25,711 posts on Twitter (now called X) collected during the time when bans on youths’ access to gender-affirming care were beginning to proliferate across the country. We identified five topics: education, legislation, medical, Disney dispute, anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks, and assessed the sentiments and toxicity levels of each topic. Findings reveal a fractured virtual public sphere in which discussions about LGBTQIA+ rights are contentious and toxic. We found that education was the most salient topic—whether children should be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools—and tweets on this topic were also the most toxic. Overwhelmingly, the tone of the tweets was negative, although this varied by the topic of the tweets. We discuss the implications of our findings for a healthy online public sphere.

The impact of social media discourse on financial performance of e-commerce companies listed on Borsa Istanbul

This research investigates how changes in public discourse on social media (particularly Twitter, now X) influence financial performance of companies listed on the e-commerce XTCRT index of Borsa Istanbul amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising a unique 4-layer network structure, the study integrates daily closing prices, highest and lowest values, and trading volume data of these companies with Twitter discussions on six categories: culture, economy, health, politics, technology, world affairs. By using advanced computational methods such as multilayer network analysis, long short-term memory architecture, nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag analysis, we find a high responsiveness of the e-commerce index to social media content, particularly in discussions related to health, technology, world affairs. The study underscores that social media discussions significantly shape index composition, resulting in noticeable shifts in market dynamics, including fluctuations in stock prices, trading volumes, and market sentiment. Our study advocates for a more advanced approach to market analysis that incorporates the dynamics of online public discussions.

On Victims, Heroes, and Gulag-gupvi Survivors

Abstract Employing a biographical, oral history approach, this article documents the life story of a war veteran and gupvi survivor in Hungary to illustrate the multiple synchronic as well as diachronic cleavages that exist between the official, societal, and collective memory regimes in postcommunist Eastern Europe. István Bicskei’s life story highlights, in a tangible way, the fact that the socially constructed notions of victimhood and heroism vary as a complex outcome of the interaction of multiple forms of human, institutional, and political agencies in an ever-changing historical context and in multi-layered cultural milieux. The article argues that these key cultural notions are closely tied to individual understandings of personhood, to national and collective identities, but also to ruling ideologies and political regimes. The article also highlights the glaring gap between official, scholarly, and local narratives about the past that exists in marginalized rural communities and points to the conspicuous lack of cultural “mediators” or “intermediators” between these distinct political, media, and social spheres, and between official and grassroots memory narratives.

HOW TO MEASURE THE WELL-BEING OF A NATION: A NEW PROPOSAL BASED ON A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH

Measuring the well-being of a nation means identifying all the tools that enable its individuals to live well without worsening the lives of their neighbours or those to come in the future. For many years, the focus has been solely on the economic dimension, creating critical problems in the social and environmental spheres that will take years and large investments to remedy. This article gives an overview of the measurements used over the years in the international arena by recognised and respected bodies. The application of these indicators to the realities of countries has made it possible to identify models to be followed in order to enable the growth of the well-being of societies as a whole.

The Problem of Freedom of Expression in the Public Sphere of Social Media: Descriptive Analysis of the Echo Chamber Effect

The Problem of Freedom of Expression in the Public Sphere of Social Media: Descriptive Analysis of the Echo Chamber Effect

Ottoman Tobacco and the Moral Economy of State-Led Development (c. 1908–12)

Abstract In the Second Constitutional Era (1908–18), proponents of various models for national development debated the Ottoman future under the Committee for Union and Progress (cup). Public discussions of cup policies related to the tobacco sector were central to these discussions in the southern Balkans. As such, they provide a window into the political and moral economy of the region and some of the public critiques of international finance after the 1908 Constitutional Revolution. By 1908, tobacco had been at the crossroads of regional economic development and European financial domination for nearly three decades. Since the domestic tobacco monopoly was set to expire in 1913, the region was primed for debates about the agricultural credit market and the customs regime. This article argues that cup proposals for state-led development aimed to satisfy the divergent moral demands of agriculturalists (zürrāʿ) and merchants (tüccar) in the tobacco-producing zones of the empire.

Increasing loneliness among German children and adolescents from 2018 to 2022: A cross-sectional survey before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Aim Loneliness is an increasingly present topic in scientific and public discourse, and has gained relevance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, there is a lack of representative studies examining the prevalence of loneliness among children and adolescents before and after the pandemic. Accordingly, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of loneliness among 11- to 15-year-old students before (2018) and after (2022) the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate subgroup differences. Subject and methods In this cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, the prevalence of loneliness was compared in two representative samples from the German federal state of Brandenburg from 2018 and 2022. In 2018, data were collected from 3,057 (51.8% girls, Mage = 13.1, SD = 1.7) and, in 2022, from 3,801 (52.6% girls, Mage = 13.5, SD = 1.6) students in general education schools. Loneliness was assessed using a single item from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Chi-square test and logistic regressions were performed. Results In total, 11.8% of the students reported being lonely in 2018, and 19.3% reported being lonely in 2022. Loneliness was more prevalent among girls, nonbinary, older adolescents, and students with lower family affluence. The increase in loneliness did not differ depending on age, gender, or family affluence. Conclusion The findings highlight that loneliness among children and adolescents is a widespread phenomenon that has increased significantly from 2018 to 2022. There is a need for prevention measures and further research into health-related associations of loneliness.