Research In Poland Research Articles

Krytyczna analiza naukowej ciszy, czyli dlaczego Romowie migrują (z naszego pola widzenia)

This article discusses the phenomenon of academic silence in regard to Romani migration from Poland — both in Polish Romani studies and in migration studies. The absence of the subject of Romani migration in migration research in Poland is contrasted with the absence of the subject of migration in Romani studies. Paradoxically, the group most associated in the social imaginary with mobility is absent from migration studies in Poland. On the other hand, in studies of the Romani people in Poland, the group turns out to be surprisingly static and immobilized. The aim of the paper is to explore this particular type of discursive silence, to consider the underlying theoretical and conceptual reasons for it, and finally, to reflect on how it impacts migration and Romani studies.

Stan inteligencji środowiskowej studentów z Polski, Słowacji, Czech i Ukrainy

Article consists from two part – theoretical, which contain conceptualization of basic concepts and empirical, in which have been presented investigative hypotheses and analysis of the data obtained results conducted research in Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Ukraine in 2015. The subject of the research was: “Environmental values in the awareness of the students of humanities and life sciences from the selected European countries”. Formulate conclusions are pessimistic enough. They indicate, that level of evolution of environmental intelligence is low among students, accompanies also deficit of feature of so called environmental personality ago. The highest level of environmental intelligence have presented non-believers and persons declaring other confession. In second variable they were inhabitants of cities. Results they should present impulse for taking of next research in this range.

Effects of Using Musical Fairy Tales in the Classroom: Action Research in Poland

Abstract The paper concentrates on the problem of developing imagination understood as human trait and virtue. To realize the challenge educators have to face huge difficulties as a tendency to flatter the world and its inhabitants dominates and becomes more and more powerful. A musical fairy tale is presented as a valuable and effective school practice. From one side it refers to perennial human custom of listening, telling, and creating stories, fables, and sagas. They may base on real life or refer to imaginary situations. Thus creation may have various realizations, depending on personal knowledge, skills, life experience, cognitive horizon, individual interests and virtues. From the other side the idea of the fairy tale shown in the paper refers to the music and its uncountable possibilities of describing the world. Everything depends only on one’s imagination. The last part of the paper presents the effects of students’ work on musical fairy tales. Those students apart of being instrumentalists and vocalists of the Music Academy of Lodz, Poland plan to become music teachers in compulsory general education.

Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby) as perennial multipurpose crop: biomass yields, energetic valorization, utilization potentials, and management perspectives

AbstractThis article reviews the scholarly literature dealing with the perennial multipurpose crop Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby; Sida in the following). In regions dominated by intensive agricultural management practices, growing Sida holds the potential to combine ecosystem services such as decreasing soil erosion, reducing nitrate leaching as well as enhancing biodiversity, with economic profit for the farmer. After promising biomass yields of Sida were reported from studies performed in Poland about 15 years ago, the interest in this plant species has continuously increased, and different utilization pathways were examined, predominantly by researchers in Poland and Germany. At present, however, a comprehensive overview that summarizes the different lines of research performed regarding the use of Sida is lacking. This review aims at closing this gap. After providing background information on Sida, we summarize the main results obtained from investigations concerning biomass yields, fertilization effects, key findings concerning direct combustion, biogas production, steam gasification, phytoremediation, and alternative utilization pathways. Thereafter, we highlight important aspects of Virginia mallow cultivation practices, including first estimates regarding the costs involved. Finally, we point to existing research gaps. Summarizing the available literature on Sida, we aim at raising the interest of scientists and farmers in this plant species further and to show where future research might tie in with, as the successful cultivation of Sida might represent a worthwhile strategy to transform current agricultural practices in Central Europe into approaches that are more sustainable and resilient against future challenges.

Socjologiczne widzenie filmu i kina. Artykulacje i praktyki w polu socjologii filmu i kina

The article attempts to reconstruct the field of the sociology of film and cinema based on a comparative analysis of important foreign and Polish works falling within the described subdiscipline. Among them are pioneering dissertations and research on cinema and film, sociological research programs, sociological studies, and studies devoted to the sociology of film and cinema. The main goal was to organise and summarise the heritage of the narrow discipline of film and cinema sociology, and to include certain practices, orientations and research trends. The author also showed the area of research devoted to film institutions as being poorly represented in the practice of sociological research in Poland and abroad. The theoretical inspiration for the explorations is Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of scientific practice as well as the notion of habitus, field and capital.

Polish Listening SPAN: A new tool for measuring verbal working memory

Individual differences in second language acquisition (SLA) encompass differences in working memory capacity, which is believed to be one of the most crucial factors influencing language learning. However, in Poland research on the role of working memory in SLA is scarce due to a lack of proper Polish instruments for measuring this construct. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the process of construction and validation of the Polish Listening Span (PLSPAN) as a tool intended to measure verbal working memory of adults. The article presents the requisite theoretical background as well as the information about the PLSPAN, that is, the structure of the test, the scoring procedures and the steps taken with the aim of validating it.

Business History in Poland: Current State and Future Potentia

Purpose: This article explores the gap in the business history literature devoted to Central and Eastern Europe and discusses the potential of conducting business history research in Poland. Methodology: This is an explorative and tentative study based on a recently developed database of 387 Polish companies which are more than 100 years old. Findings: The article explores the reasons behind the lack of business history debate in the Polish academia and discusses its future potential. We argue that given the size of population and a unique historical context, the Polish sample is worth studying as it can provide valuable contributions to well established debates in the field of business history debates covering issues such as continuity, longevity, and survival strategies. Research limitations and implications: This is an explorative and tentative study and therefore has several limitations, including a limited scope of companies included in the database, sources of data, and poor quality of corporate archives. Originality and value: This is the first article explicitly discussing the potential of conducting business history studies in the context of empirical data concerning Polish long-lived companies.

Sample bias in the research on corporate bankruptcy

This article is devoted to considerations on sample biases in bankruptcy modelling. Typically, the models are estimated based on non-random samples with proportion of bankrupt companies differing from that in the population. This causes bias in estimated bankruptcy probabilities for single companies. The paper opens with remarks on samples used in bankruptcy research in Poland which are followed by exposition on sample choice biases, starting with the findings of Zmijewski [1984]. The major issue presented is the development of Skogsvik and Skogsvik [2013] formula of a relationship between biased and unbiased estimated probability of bankruptcy of a given company. It is shown that the formula coincides with Anderson-Maddala correction (Anderson 1973, Maddala 1983) for the logit model. Comments on sample bias in classification modelling conclude the paper.

The ends of revolution: capitalist de-democratization and nationalist populism in the east of Europe

The dissolution of Soviet-type socialism has been often taken to signal various ends: the end of history, ideology, and revolution; the foreclosure of the symbolic and epistemic space of emancipation opened up by the French, Russian, and anti-colonial revolutions. Yet, the celebrations of the march of liberal democracy and capital have soon given way to alarming observations about a new wave of right-wing populism that feeds on the contradictions of inequality and freedom, largely generated by neoliberal capitalist globalization. Based on my field research in Poland, my paper engages with this familiar problem, which is often discussed as the “crisis” of liberal democracy, or “dedemocratization.” I show how the ends of communism and revolutionary politics have contributed to the social environment of emptiness, nihilism or the void, in which right-wing groups were able to thrive and claim to be the real voice of social change and justice, as opposed to the liberal establishment. To explore the way that void has been historically and materially constituted, my paper traces the shifting conditions of collective action or revolutionary practice in Poland and Eastern Europe since the 1960s. Specifically, I focus on the tragic dissolution and absorption of the massive “Solidarity” worker movement into neoliberal state building in the 1990s and thereby engage with the often-invoked dialectic between insurrection and constitution, or movement and institutionalization that haunt the revolutionary struggles.

A RECONNAISSANCE-SCALE GIS-BASED MULTICRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE BIOCHAR USE: POLAND AS A CASE STUDY

Although increasing numbers of research papers regarding biochar are being published worldwide, in some countries growing interest in biochar has only recently been observed; this is true of Poland. We analysed information on biochar research in Poland alongside lessons learned elsewhere in order to identify the significant opportunities and risks associated with biochar use. This data fed into a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to identify areas where biochar application could deliver greatest benefit. We found that 21.8% of agricultural land in Poland has at least moderate indication for biochar use (soil organic matter below 2% and ph below 5.5), while 1.5% was categorized as a priority as it also exhibited contamination. Potential barriers identified included biomass availability and associated risks of indirect land-use change due to possible national and transnational biomass production displacement. Biochar use could have positive global consequences as a climate change mitigation strategy, particularly relevant in a country with limited alternatives. Scaling up a mitigation technology that is viable on account of its co-benefits might be cost-effective, which could, in turn, adjust national perspectives and stronger involvement in developing mitigation policies at the regional level. Biochar has much promise in temperate conditions and further research should therefore be assigned to explore biochar’s environmental and socio-economic impacts.

Osiągnięcia szkolne czwartoklasistów w oddziałach o różnym składzie wiekowym

Are hopes pinned on mixed-age grouping in preschool and elementary school substantiated by scientific data? The answer was looked for in TIMSS 2015 research in Poland. It was carried on in the middle of the reform of school entry age which lowered it from seven to six year of life. In the country representative sample of fourth-graders 17.8 percent of pupils entered school at the age of six. In 254 classrooms the dispersion of age varied from 0.20 to 0.65 years and was greater than in TIMSS 2011 (0.15–0.40). The analysis of achievement in mathematics and science was performer by means of hierarchical linear models with the control of pupils’ gender, age, initial skills, and SES, as well as school’s location and class size. The achievement in mathematics was correlated significantly negative with the dispersion of age in the class. The younger pupils scored the highest in mathematics and science in classes with moderate dispersion. The results do not support a belief that mixed-age grouping is beneficial to academic achievement.

Tourism tertiary education and research in Poland

The very long tradition of tourism education and research in Poland cannot be described easily due to different political systems during the last 70 years. This paper is organized as follows: first, a short historical background of higher education in a political and economic context is given. Second, it illuminates the important changes in education in Poland. The universities with the highest number of students in this field are presented and discussed. In Poland it is possible to choose tourism as a specialization in other study fields. Tertiary education institutions do not have to provide information to the central institution regarding their offers of specialization, which complicates the attempt to show the whole spectrum of tertiary education. The tourism units are situated not only in different departments, but also in diverse faculties. A short overview of possible organizational aspects is also given. Subsequently, the main research areas are analysed. Because the problem of tourism research comprises a broad range of research fields, it is hard to depict the most relevant research fields and to identify the main sources that should be investigated. This paper does not pretend to show all problems and subjects connected with tourism education and research phenomena, but rather attempts to highlight the complexity and limitations in identifying the most important issues of the complete system.

Rozmowa z Profesorem Szackim — 29 września 2015 w kawiarni przy ulicy Dobrej

This is a transcript of a conversation with Jerzy Szacki which was conducted for the research project ‘The Archive of Research into Daily Life’ of the UAM Institute of Sociology in Poznań. The aim of the project is to obtain information about past sociological research in Poland and, in the future, to make it available in an organized form. The professor spoke about the history of sociology in Poland a few months before his death.

Wprowadzenie do tradycji badań dźwiękowych w Polsce

The article presents examples of research and related theories that starting from the specific issues related to sound (medical, musical or environmental) propose to think about the sound in a wider cultural perspective. In particular, attention was drawn to: the impact of the nineteenth century audio-visual media to think about the sound; medical analysis of the impact of sound on human health and the discussion of the ecology and the record industry. It allows examples to talk about the tradition of sound research in Poland, which contributed to increased interest in this issue today

Sfera autonomii, sfera biurokracji. Relacje polskich teatrów publicznych i ich organizatorów w perspektywie międzynarodowej

According to many researchers, the cultural policy model based on the arm’s length principle gives public institutions more autonomy than the so-called bureaucratic model. In line with the typology by Hillman-Chartrand and McCaughey (1989), the former is called the “patron model” and implemented in the Anglo-Saxon countries. The latter, dubbed the “architect model,” prevails in continental Europe, including Poland. The aim of this paper is to question the popular belief that the continental model, by definition, has a greater bureaucratic and political influence than the Anglo-Saxon model. For this purpose, the author has analyzed the literature describing the British practice and conducted empirical research in Poland among officials responsible for theaters and directors of public theaters. The results suggest that the difference between the two models in terms of institutional autonomy is not as clear as one could infer from the typology contained in the literature.

Geografia społeczna miast w Polsce = Urban social geography in Poland

This article offers a review of the state and practice of Polish research in the field of urban social geography, which is still under formation. From the outset, this domain has shown marked diversification as regards both subject matter and methodology. Like most “reviews”, this one has its strong subjective elements. The first part presents the historical context, i.e. the political, organisational and social circumstances in which research has been conducted. The roots of research in social geography in Poland trace back to the inter-War period (1918-1939), while post-War evolution of geography (like everything else in the country) reflected the imposed impact of communist-era doctrine. Specifically though, it was the formation of the Institute of Geography as a part of newly-established Polish Academy of Sciences (in 1953) as combined with the methodological conference convened in Osieczna in 1955 that shape geographical research in Poland for several post-War decades. The second part of this paper documents the gradual emergence of urban social geography (under a relatively relaxed political impact where social research was concerned). The implementation of social ecology is stressed, as well as the concept of factorial ecology as a leading toils and initial concepts. Also presented are the processes which have shaped the current state of urban social geography; sources of inspiration from geography, sociology and especially social ecology; and the quantitative turn taken by the social sciences. The third part turns its attention to the diversity of concepts and subject matter present in research on social problems, as well as such phenomena as: socio-spatial differentiation and disparity, poverty, housing issues and cultural dimensions. General mention is also made of the new concepts and research topics which emerged with Poland’s post-1989 transformation, like electoral studies, gentrification, spatial inequality, spatial conflict, the appropriation of public space, regeneration, perception studies and cultural studies. Particular attention has been paid to theoretical concepts relating to cities (as a product of ideology). So theories regarding “the socialist city” (i.e. the communist-era city) and its transformation into the city of the post-communist era were developed, with the current evolution being regarded as dominated by the neo-liberal doctrine. It is concluded that urban social geography in Poland is still under formation, even if it already occupies a relatively good position as applied research, while also returning (culturally) to its more humanistic and socially sensitive roots.

Ichtyopathology in Poland: Past, present, future

The aim of the study was to present the history of ichtyopathology in Poland and the main achievements of researchers who developed this discipline. The pioneer of ichtyopathological research in Poland was the ichtyologist prof. Teodor Spiczakov, founder of the first Fish Diseases Laboratory at the Jagiellonian University (JU) and initiator of fishery veterinary service. After the Second World War, dr Stanisław F. Śnieszko, a researcher from JU, established a laboratory in the United States, renamed the National Fisheries Center in 1977. In writing about the beginnings of ichthyopathology in Poland, one must also mention prof. Bronisław Kocyłowski, founder and head of the Department of Fish Diseases at PIW in Puławy and lecturer at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS) and Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin. Prof. Eugeniusz Grabda also contributed to the development of ichtyopathology. He headed the Inland Fisheries Institute (IFI), Fish Disease Laboratory and the Department of Ichthyology with the Department of Fish Diseases at the Fishery Department of the Academy of Agriculture and Technology (AAT) in Olsztyn and co-founded the Department of Marine Fisheries at the Agricultural Academy and the Department of Fish Diseases in Szczecin. In Żabieniec near Warsaw, IFI established a new Ichtiohygiene Division, renamed the Division of Pathology and Fish Immunology, formerly headed by prof. Maria Studnicka and now by prof. Andrzej K. Siwicki. Veterinary inspection in Poland is conducted by the Fish Diseases Laboratory at ZHW under the substantive supervision of the National Veterinary Research Institute & National Reference Laboratories at Fish Diseases Unit in Puławy, headed by prof. Jerzy Antychowicz. Currently the Unit is the National Reference Laboratory for the diagnostics of diseases of aquaculture animals, run by prof. Michal Reichert. Prof. J. Antychowicz and dr. Jan Żelazny taught for many years at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the WULS in Warsaw and at AAT in Olsztyn. The Polish Academy of Sciences has a Department of Ichtiopatology and Fishery Management in Gołysz, headed by prof. Andrzej Pilarczyk, who studies the biological basis of fish farming. “Fish diseases” is a mandatory subject at faculties of veterinary medicine in Poland, and every graduate of veterinary medicine possesses a basic knowledge in this field. The Division of Fish Diseases and Biology in Lublin has been operating since 1963 and for many years was headed by prof. Maria Prost, an authority on the parasitology of fish. The current head of the Division is prof. Antonina Sopińska. The Division of Hygiene Veterinary Laboratory and Fish Diseases Laboratory (later Division of Ichtyopathology) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University af Environmental and Life Sciences were previously headed by prof. Zbigniew Jara, and now by dr Wiktor Niemczuk. At the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, prof. Andrzej K. Siwicki and dr Elżbieta Terech-Majewska run the Fish Disease Laboratory and Veterinary Laboratory for Diagnostics of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles, carry out scientific research, teach and cooperate with fish farmers.

Does ‘Polish Antisemitism’ Exist? Research in Poland and Ukraine, 1992 and 2002

Does ‘Polish Antisemitism’ Exist? <i>Research in Poland and Ukraine, 1992 and 2002</i>

Locus of Responsibility for Professional Development in the Perspective of Organizations and Individuals – the Results of Empirical Research in Poland

Modern companies operate under conditions of permanent change. A changing organization must be accompanied by changing - developing people. Therefore, if the development is imperative, the question is who has responsibility for it, is it the organization that makes human resources its strategic resource, or is it the employees who, in times of change, redefine the relation to the work. The answer to that question is not conclusive; therefore the article presents a dialectical approach to the responsibility for professional development, which may be located on the side of the organization, the employee or be the result of cooperation between these entities. Based on the results of own research conducted in Poland, a comparison was made of the locus of responsibility for development in the perspective of the organization and employees. The analysis was based on the results of own research conducted in Poland in 2015 on a representative sample of 289 companies and 2,274 employees (The project was funded from means of the National Science Centre conferred on the basis of the decision No DEC-2013/09 / B / HS4 / 02722). The results of the research allowed for a comparative analysis of the prospects of companies surveyed, and identification of discrepancies in this regard. This knowledge can provide guidance for the design of systems of human resources management in order to increase their effectiveness by matching organizational solutions to the expectations of employees.

From Control to Terror: German Prostitution Policies in Eastern and Western European Territories during both World Wars

In both World Wars, the German armies enacted a prostitution policy in all the occupied territories of Western and Eastern Europe. Through a comparative study, this article uses archival research in Poland, France, Belgium and Germany as well as existing studies in five languages to examine the continuities and discontinuities in German prostitution policies between the Western and the Eastern territories during both wars. In exploring the question of continuity, we consider the interaction of local authorities with occupation forces and how prostitution policies in Western and Eastern countries differed from the German ‘home front’. Strong continuities existed between the First and Second World War, including a severe backlash against the abolitionist trend in Europe and the extension of regulatory controls beyond the prostitutes to include other ‘suspect’ women, often justified by concerns over the spread of venereal diseases and public morality and health. Despite these continuities, prostitution policies were even more regressive during the Second World War, with the racial ideology of Nazism as the main trigger for the brutalisation of prostitution policies. German authorities pushed the system to greater extremes, overseeing its evolution from control to terror.