Use Of Styles Research Articles

Anglicisms Used in the Law on Higher Education in Kosovo (2011): Contrastive Analysis with the Law on Higher Education in Kosovo (1974)

English is one of the most widely used and influential languages worldwide. In Albanian, its influence is present in the entire lexis and almost all domains and styles of use, and anglicisms, defined as words borrowed from English, are frequent in contemporary Albanian. Today, it seems as if any obstacles to the penetration of foreign words have been removed, and the Albanian Law on Higher Education in Kosovo (2011) is not an exception. The main purpose of this paper is to research the use of anglicisms in the field of higher education in Kosovo with a special emphasis on the contrast between this law and the Law on Higher Education in Kosovo (1974), the first such law in Kosova. This study, the first of the 1974 Law, demonstrates the impact that English has had on the Albanian legal language since 1974, as many Albanian words have been displaced by anglicisms in the period since. To this end, we present an overview of all the anglicisms in the 2011 Law, focusing on the overall number of anglicisms used, their classification by word class, examples of morphological and phonological adaption, and a contrastive analysis with the language used in the Law on HE (1974). Specifically, we look at the Albanian words in the Law of 1974 that were later substituted with anglicisms and these anglicisms’ frequency of use. 
 
 Received: 17 January 2024 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

Project leader's interactive use of controls, team learning behaviour and IT project performance: the moderating role of process accountability

PurposeThis study aims to understand how project leaders' interactive use of the project management control systems (MCS) impact IT project performance, by examining the mechanisms through which this relationship is enacted.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 109 IT project managers working in Canadian and USA-based organizations. A moderated mediation model was analysed by hierarchical component reflective-formative measurement modelling using PLS-SEM.FindingsResults suggest that the leader's interactive use of project MCS is associated with IT project performance, and this relationship is partially mediated by team learning behaviour. In addition, the relationship between the interactive use of project MCS and team learning behaviour is moderated by the organization's emphasis on process accountability, with the effect being stronger under the conditions of higher emphasis on process accountability.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on the use of controls in the IT project-based business environments by explaining how the project leader's style of use of controls influences project team learning behaviour that in turn impacts project performance. Additionally, this study extends the project governance and accountability literature by identifying and empirically examining how the perceptions of project leader's institutionalized organizational accountability arrangements moderate the impact of the interactive use of control systems on team learning behaviour. A methodological contribution of the study is the scale development to measure leader's perceptions about the organization's emphasis on process accountability.

The role of interactive style of use in improving risk management effectiveness

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to make risk management systems (RMS) more effective. We identify a critical element for effective RMS, which is neglected in the literature, and argue that the potential of advanced RMS designs (e.g., enterprise risk management—ERM) depends on the interactive style of use. However, interactive use is costly in terms of managers’ time and attention, so many organizations do not use RMS in this way. Using survey data and PLS-SEM, we show for our sample companies that the positive effects of advanced RMS design on effectiveness are fully mediated through interactive use of RMS. This brings on an important implication that a RMS leads to better results when it is used interactively. For example, more interactive use of less developed RMS design (such as the traditional silo-based design) would improve its effectiveness by compensating for the lack of an organization-wide RMS.

THE PROBLEM OF CORRELATION BETWEEN MANUAL AND AUTOMATIZED ASSESSMENT OF MACHINE TRANSLATION

The article under review outlines the problems of development and assessment of machine translation that can greatly facilitate global communication, despite the imperfect quality of the source text. Most often the results of online tools require post-editing and can only be effectively used by those who already speak the target language to some extent. The need for a competent translation is growing every year. Today, the search for an algorithm to deliver this quality of translation is one of the most important questions in computer science and linguistics, therefore informing the scientific relevance of this work. It is analyzed different approaches to the machine translation systems, their characteristics, efficacy and the quality of their output. Different approaches to the machine translation systems, their characteristics, efficacy and the quality of their output are analyzed in the article. The main problems we see arising from such translations goes from the fact that the systems depend on a large amount of high-quality data sets (i.e., corpora of texts for specific language pairs). The quality of these sets directly influences the quality of the output, which in our case is the quality of the target language text. It can be seen by comparing the average quality of translation between Google’s and Microsoft’s systems. The former one makes less mistakes on average and does not have as many issues in regards to identifying a contextual meaning of a polysemantic lexeme. It is underlined in the article, that this issue can be fixed to a certain extent one of two ways: hiring professional translators and linguists to compile those parallel corpora or create a possibility for every person to contribute to this process even on a small scale. The first approach would be very time and labor consuming, but would ultimately provide us with a higher quality data set, which may lead to further improvements in MT. The second is already being deployed by all three major NMT systems but may lead slower progression due to lack of quality control and oversight. The potential prospect of this research is seen in widening the subject area of texts chosen to reflect the variety of writing styles in use on the Internet right now. Inclusion of texts from confessional, business, and other styles may allow us to highlight more lacunae in the neural network models and to suggest further means of improvement. Key words: machine translation, target language, source language, improvement, contextual meaning, communication.

Style and Stylistic in Linguistic A Critical Overview

In linguistics terms, we generally describe style as something that is used for the choice of grammatical structures and vocabulary. But, seen from the historical point of view, it has different historical and traditional connotations. The diction employed by the Augustan writers like Alexander Pope is generally regarded as cultivate, elegant and refined which is in a sharp contrast with the notion of diction used by romantics who wrote their poetry in the language of common men. The style used by Romantics is simpler, less ornate and written in colloquial language. Stylistics, on the other hand, is the branch of applied linguistic which determines the study of style used by an author in texts, particularly in literary texts. Stylistics is also known as literary linguistics that studies the figures of speech, images, metaphors, rhetorical devices and syntactical patterns which add variety and a distinctness to someone's writing and produce ‘expressive’ or ‘literary’ style. We have a number of styles in use since the origin of literature. Style has also been used as a means of decoration as well as to beautify one’s thoughts as we find in case of Aristotle, Cicero and Demetrius.

Farewells and language usage: Multilingual practices in Bolzano merchants’ documents

Research on historical sociolinguistics has seen letter writing as a social practice which could present many instances of multilingualism. Merchants’ language management is also of particular importance for the role of traders in language contact and change. In this work, merchants’ correspondence from the town of Bolzano will be considered across the 18th and 19th century, by considering letters written by the Georg Anton Menz textile company to its correspondents. These letters have been preserved (and partly digitalized) in the archive of the Chamber of Commerce in Bolzano. The analysis will focus on language distribution, as well as on multilingual practices in closing formulas. It will be shown how the relative status of the languages involved changed over time, and how an Italian closing formula (addio, farewell) was used also to close German letters. This probably correlates on a specific writing style in use in the Habsburg Empire but uncommon for Italian commercial letters.

Functional and Pragmatic Role of Euphemisms and Dysphemisms in English Political Discourse and the Media

This article examines the definition of euphemisms, areas of use, positive and negative aspects, styles of use and the relationship between euphemisms and dysphemisms, their role in modern English-language political and journalistic texts. The functioning of euphemistic and dysphemistic units in political and journalistic discourses is also highlighted, all the reasons for their occurrence in various communicative situations are analyzed. We tried to present the main functions and role of euphemisms and dysphemisms in political discourse and mass media. In the language of politicians and modern mass media, the phenomenon of euphemism and dysphemia is one of the bright indicators of social transformations. Researchers of these phenomena speak of a tendency to avoid direct nomination of objects and abstract things, due to the reluctance to offend others. In order not to hurt someone's feelings, people often try to mitigate the potentially negative impact of statements by using more acceptable alternatives. This means that whenever we are faced with a sensitive topic, we choose words that minimize the offensive or harsh effect on listeners. A decisive role for distinguishing between euphemisms and dysphemisms is played by the broad context of the utterance, which includes the extralinguistic situation, as well as the immediate linguistic environment of the lexeme. Euphemism and dysphemia reflect social, cultural, moral values, and even peculiarities of worldview and thinking not only in the speech of individual personalities, but also in the language portrait of modern society in general. Euphemisms and dysphemisms completely depend on the assessments of certain phenomena accepted in society, on the definition of what is permissible and what is not. Hence the need for their systematic study in connection with cultural and social changes.

CONTEMPORARY TENDENCIES IN DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINE TRANSLATION FROM ENGLISH INTO UKRAINIAN

Novikova Olha,
 Suima Irina,
 Shevchyk K.
 Contemporary tendencies in development of machine translation from English into Ukrainian
 Background. Today machine translation is one of types of human activity. Machine translation can greatly facilitate global communication, accelerating the translation process, despite the imperfect quality of the source text. Most often the results of online tools require post-editing and can only be effectively used by those who already speak the target language to some extent. The need for a competent translation is growing every year. Today, the search for an algorithm to deliver this quality of translation is one of the most important questions in computer science and linguistics, therefore informing the scientific relevance of this work.
 The purpose of this paper is to analyze different approaches to the machine translation systems, their characteristics, efficacy and the quality of their output on the examples from Google Translate, Microsoft Translator and Yandex.
 To achieve this aim, the following tasks were set:
 
 to identify the most capable algorithms of MT in use today;
 to compare the results of translations made by online translators;
 to analyze typical stylistic, lexical and grammatical errors that appear in the translation;
 to identify the advantages and disadvantages of online translators;
 to provide recommendations for improving machine translation.
 
 To solve these tasks, we use such methods over the course of this work: descriptive, comparative, analysis, experiment and the method of linguistic interpretation of the results obtained.
 Results. Machine translation of belletristic texts was handled exceptionally well by Yandex and was quite acceptable (barring numerous grammatical errors) on Google’s platform. The outlier in this case is Microsoft Translator, whose mistranslation of realia and same aforementioned mistakes make its output much less readable that its competitors.
 The main problems we see arising from such translations arise from the fact that the systems depend on a large amount of high-quality data sets (i.e., corpora of texts for specific language pairs). The quality of these sets directly influences the quality of the output, which in our case is the quality of the target language text. It can be seen by comparing the average quality of translation between Google’s and Microsoft’s systems. The former one makes less mistakes on average and does not have as many issues in regards to identifying a contextual meaning of a polysemantic lexeme.
 We believe that this issue can be fixed to a certain extent one of two ways: hiring professional translators and linguists to compile those parallel corpora or create a possibility for every person to contribute to this process even on a small scale. The first approach would be very time and labor consuming, but would ultimately provide us with a higher quality data set, which may lead to further improvements in MT. The second is already being deployed by all three major NMT systems but may lead slower progression due to lack of quality control and oversight.
 For us, another potential prospect of this research lies in widening the subject area of texts chosen to reflect the variety of writing styles in use on the Internet right now. Inclusion of texts from confessional, business, and other styles may allow us to highlight more lacunae in the neural network models and to suggest further means of improvement.
 Key words: machine translation, target language, source language, improvement, contextual meaning, communication.

The compatibility of multiple leadership styles in responding to a complex crisis: leading a health service COVID-19 response

PurposeThe health service response to COVID-19 provided a unique opportunity to build our understanding of the leadership styles in use in managing a crisis event. Existing literature emphasises command and control leadership; however, there has been less emphasis on relational approaches and the behaviours necessary to ensure the agility of the response and minimise the risk of relational disturbances. The purpose of this paper is to understand leadership styles in use, as part of a health service response to COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on data from semi-structured interviews with 27 executives and senior leaders from a tertiary health service in Australia. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Notes and examples were coded according to deductively derived criteria around leadership styles and competencies from the literature, while remaining open to emergent themes.FindingsHealth system leaders described examples of both command and control and relational leadership behaviours. This dually provided the discipline (command and control) and agility (relational) required of the crisis response. While some leaders experienced discomfort in enacting these dual behaviours, this discomfort related to discordance with leadership preferences rather than conflict between the styles. Both leadership approaches were considered necessary to effectively manage the health system response.Originality/valueCrisis management literature has typically focused on defining and measuring the effectiveness of behaviours reflective of a command and control leadership response. Very few studies have considered the relational aspects of crisis management, nor the dual approaches of command and control, and relational leadership.

Recent Early Bronze Age Glyptic Finds from Lebanon: The Evidence from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida

While Early Bronze Age glyptic finds from the southern Levant as well as from Syria have received considerable attention in the scholarly literature, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the glyptic material from Lebanon. For a long time, Byblos was the only site with a considerable number of Early Bronze Age glyptic finds, but the often unclear stratigraphic and contextual situation of the material hugely diminished its scientific value. Fortunately, in recent years more clearly stratified material has emerged from Sidon, Tell Arqa, and Tell Fadous-Kfarabida, which for the first time enables us to better define the glyptic styles in use in the central Levant during the 4th and 3rd millennia b.c.e. The paper presents the glyptic finds from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida, located on the Lebanese coast just 12 km north of Byblos, with a special emphasis on the iconography of the seals and seal impressions, as well as their contribution towards the external relations of the site.

UNRAVELING THE POWER OF TEACHERS’ COMPETENCY AND TEACHING STYLES IN CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION: A PERSPECTIVE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

<p>The language policy in Rwanda states that English is the medium of Instruction (MOI) to be used in the Education system following the 2008 Language shift. However, this change in the MOI brought about extreme challenges to both Rwandan teachers and learners. Moreover, the extensive day to day usage of Kinyarwanda, the local dialect, has greatly inhibited the use of English. This has adversely obstructed the use of the English language as a MOI and the curriculum implementation for over 20 years hence adversely affecting the teaching and learning process. The proficiency of the teachers who are meant to teach in the MOI is quite questionable; many realize the need to learn English while teaching or risk unemployment. As such, this study purposed to examine the teacher competency and teaching styles in use of English as a MOI in facilitating curriculum implementation in rural primary schools in Rwanda. Guided by the inter language theory and the Discrepancy theory, the study applied a descriptive survey research design. With a target population of 3,269, the study entailed a sample of 1470 randomly selected learners from Primary 4 to Primary 6, teachers and head teachers from 21 schools. The study used questionnaires, interviews, and observation to collect primary data. The study found that the teachers’ competency in using English language as MOI had significant influence on curriculum implementation in rural primary schools in Muhanga district and in the entire republic of Rwanda. The teaching styles factors positively and significantly influence the use of MOI in curriculum implementation when other factors are held constant.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0807/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Are teachers techno-optimists or techno-pessimists? A pilot comparative among teachers in Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Poland, Turkey, and Uruguay

The aim of the article is to highlight the key elements related to the implementation of new technologies in education from the perspective of the opinions and experiences of educators in the field in Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Poland, Turkey, and Uruguay. The text compares issues related to attitudes towards the use of new media in education, experiences with different forms of e-learning, and the level of restrictions on the use of smartphones in school. These variables are juxtaposed with the self-assessment of digital competence and how cyberspace is used. The survey was conducted using a standardised survey questionnaire translated into the relevant national languages in the first half of 2019, and involved a sample of 873 teachers representing eight countries. On the basis of the pilot studies it was noted that: 1) Teachers from LAC and EU like to use digital media - this is a constant trend independent of geographical location; 2) Teachers note that new technologies are not always better than analogue didactic aids; 3) Teachers from selected countries (the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Turkey, and Uruguay) have much greater techno-optimism in themselves than teachers from Bolivia, Poland, Finland and Turkey in terms of the impact of ICT on student motivation and engagement; 4) In all countries teachers prefer free online courses (the different forms of e-learning are used most often by those in the Dominican Republic, and the least often in Bolivia and Poland); 5) In each country teachers who highly value their own digital competences and have a positive attitude towards new media use ICT much more actively; 6) There is also a global trend in that the extensive use of cyberspace (typical e-services) appears in combination with the extensive use of various forms of e-learning; 7) Teachers from Ecuador are most likely to want to ban the use of smartphones in schools. The most liberal approach in this respect is taken by the Uruguayans; 8) The knowledge of the conditions related to restricting the use of smartphones goes beyond the analyses related to the style of use and attitude towards new media. This article is the result of pilot studies conducted within the framework of the SMART ECOSYSTEM FOR LEARNING AND INCLUSION project carried out in selected Latin American, Caribbean (LAC) and European (EU) countries.

Childhood, Education and Digital Media Mediation Strategies

The paper aims to contribute to developing some educational mediation strategies, useful for those who educate in the family and at school, to support children in their first experiences with digital media and the net.Digital technologies are already present in the child's living environments and, just like them, are characterized by a very rapid development. The task of those who do research and those who educate is to know the styles of use, the experiences, the learning, the exploratory maneuvers of the world that very young children perform thanks to digital technology. It should also be considered that, at times, they may be a few clicks away from content and images unsuitable for their age.The paper, through the Systematic Review approach, reviews the most recent scientific literature on the subject and analyzes the results of some important international research projects on the subject.The intent of the work, obviously, is not to provide exhaustive answers, always valid criteria and easy generalizations.With regard to the relationship between childhood and digital media, the paper outlines shared tracks of educational work in the life contexts of the little ones (especially in the family and at school) and reasons to promote further, future investigations in this area.

Toward a Typology of Normative Drug Users Based on Levels of Functioning, Justifications and Types of Use

The study explores 29 individuals who described themselves as functioning normatively while using drugs on a regular basis. They defined their use as intensive, constant, and playing a significant part in their normative lives. The content analysis revealed a typology consisting of four different types of normative users: the socially connected users, the better coping users, the ambivalent users, and the recovering users. This typology was created on the basis of three axes: level of functioning, justification of use, style of use. Our typology highlights the differences between normative users with varying patterns of drug usage and levels of functioning, ranging from users who claim that drug use causes them no harm to those who acknowledge that drug use has significantly damaged their functioning. This typology places particular emphasis on normative users who are experiencing a range of difficulties and need specific forms of therapy to preserve their normative lives.

Effects of the use of quality cost information on quality-related learning

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects on quality-related learning resulting from the use of the quality cost information (QCI). Specifically, this paper analyzes to what extent the diagnostic and interactive uses of QCI contribute to improve quality-related learning.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model was tested using a structural equation modeling procedure with AMOS and the data were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted on a sample of Portuguese certified companies.FindingsThe results shed light on expected relationships since the interactive style of use of QCI, unlike the diagnostic style of use, has a positive effect on quality-related learning. However, the diagnostic use of QCI was found to be a predecessor of the interactive use of QCI, in line with previous studies. Finally, diagnostic use of QCI exerts an indirect positive impact on quality-related learning through the interactive use of QCI.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the body of research on the use of interactive and diagnostic systems, providing evidence that a balance between those systems improves quality-related learning.Practical implicationsThe results show that the use of QCI to promote participation, dialogue and involvement of all participants (according to an interactive style of use), and not just to control the accomplishment of predetermined objectives (according to a diagnostic style of use), is a necessary condition for quality-related learning.Originality/valueDespite the wide-ranging literature focused on the identification, measurement and reporting of QCI, less attention has been paid to how this information is used in the management process. The way in which the use of QCI can contribute to the improvement in quality-related learning is also an unexplored topic in the literature.

Biedermeier as a style of architecture and a style of European life in the first half of the XIX century

Biedermeier originated in the German-Austrian culture in the first half of the XIX century and was widespread in many European countries. The article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of the style and its influence on the urban culture of the considered era. After the victory over Napoleon in 1814-1815, the German Union was created at the Congress of Vienna. The industrial revolution unfolded there in full, the bourgeoisie was ideologically deter-mined. The discoveries of science and technology actively influenced all areas of life. In this era of rapid development of natural science, technology and political change a contradiction arose: the desire to create a “new” and “modern” was accompanied by an interest in the “individual”, in the “own little world” of the citizen-burgher. The name “Biedermeier” was formed only in the middle of the XIX century, when the style exhausted itself. In 1848 V. von Sheffel published in «The Flying Leaflets» two poems, in which the names Biederman and Bummelmeier were used. By combining these names, the poet Ludwig Eichrodt published the poem “Biedermeier” in 1850 and the later cycle of poems “Biedermeiers Liederlust”. As a category of art history, as a designation of “style” the term began to be used at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries (August Schestag, Georg Hirth). For the art industry since the middle of the 1890s Biedermeier was a stylistic concept. At the same time, it began to be interpreted both as a principle of “bourgeois shaping in the housing area”, as well as a “style of use and functional justice” (A. Shestag). In the architectural science of the XX century it was believed that the “Biedermeier” did not create its own monumental architecture. Today it is considered as a feature and advantage that the main theme of the style was the creation of a living environment for the “burgher”, the coziness and comfort of private housing. The article discusses the elements of architecture and art, which determined the integrity of artistic culture of “Biedermeier”. The role of the style in creating prerequisites for the development of a number of ideas of artistic culture of the XX century is noted.

EVALUATION OF HAZARDOUS MEDICAL WASTES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN GREAT CAIRO GOVERNORATES

This study's purpose is to evaluate the system management of medical hazardous wastes in Great Cairo governorates (Cairo, Qalubia, Giza) across the last two decades since issue of the Environment Protection Law No. 4 of 1994 and its executive regulation. Since then Egypt has become concerned with setting a sustainable integrated system for hazardous wastes management that includes all economic institutions and activities in different areas of the state. In this system, all ministries and multiple institutions, national and international organizations in Egypt cooperate which on top are Ministry of Environment Affairs, Ministry of Health and Population in addition to several universities. The activities of Hazardous Wastes Management in health care establishments have shown increasing commitment of health organizations towards principles, rules and procedures and the guidelines manual of secure for sound, secure and sustainable handling of hazardous wastes. However, there still several economic institutions and organizations don’t apply safe integrated and sustainable handling system for hazardous wastes in the sound integrated environmental and health and economic management, which necessitates reviewing most of what related to this issue and to find out the alternative suitable solutions that achieve compromise with law and its conditions. Despite the efforts made by all institutions in the management of medical waste, there are many procedures that must be considered to address several challenges and shortcomings in the management of hazardous waste in health care facilities and to minimize the negative effects of these challenges. These challenges are related to the behavior of employees, suppliers and suppliers who deal with thousands of health care facilities and activities in most parts of the country. The researchers follow the descriptive approach in analysis of information and statistical data. The sample items (24) are distributed due to sex (male/female), education level (university and above certificate-medium- below medium), age stage, and the administrative level (higher management – medium – executive); including also three kinds of hospitals (governmental – private – and civil societies). The statistical method is used for testing measurement tools and checking validity of hypotheses statistical approaches and deducing results. The most important results are: There is a remarkable shortness in efficient incinerators for handling wastes and absence of proper style of use, operation, and maintenance. Hospitals in Great Cairo are missing the good management system of their wastes regarding collecting, transporting, and storing wastes. Study Most important recommendations: The necessity for finding out comprehensive integrated solutions for the problem of medical hazardous wastes in cooperation with all intended parties, particularly, Ministry of Health and competent authorities. The necessity to find out alternative techniques that will be proper environmentally and economically such as closed sterilization to avoid pollution.

Control Systems and Strategy: A Literature Review

Objective - Organisational change necessarily requires an adaptation of a company's information structure, particularly its Management Accounting and Control Systems (MACSs). These systems should be designed according to the defined strategies to assist managers in the decision-making process. This paper reviews research that analyzes the MACSs concept and the elements that characterise it, so that it may be used to identify and characterise the existing systems in any company. Methodology/Technique - Based on a contingency approach to management, the authors perform a broad literature review. Among other aspects, MACS information outputs will be analyzed in terms of the style of use, its nature and the type of decisions supported. In an attempt to broaden the scope of MACS functions, this paper reviews the present literature and provides a theoretical framework for studying the operationalization of MACS. Findings - The results obtained indicate that the operationalization of the MACS concept can be achieved through the way information is managed and characterised, establishing three categories and six different dimensions. Novelty - Theoretically, this framework characterises the existing MACS concept to analyse its impact on company strategy. The authors conclude that knowledge on the relationship between MCAS and strategy is limited, providing considerable scope for further research. In the future, the authors intend to develop a case study to analyse the impact of this framework on companies' internationalisation strategy. Type of Paper: Review. Keywords: Management Accounting and Control Systems; Accounting Information System; Organizational Change; Strategy; Operationalization of Concepts. JEL Classification: M16; M40; F23.

Categorizing urban commons: Community gardens in the Rhine-Ruhr agglomeration, Germany

Urban gardening has become a growing international movement. Many urban gardens are established, organized, and managed collectively as commons. Particularly in developed countries, these community gardens (a subset of urban gardens) emerge not only in response to a lack of locally produced food, but also in response to a lack of democratic use of public spaces or missing opportunities and time for socializing. They then give rise to social networks that fulfil various social functions. Although community gardens are often listed as examples of commons, they have thus far lacked closer scientific examination. Hence, we present criteria to explore and categorize community gardens as commons by their degree of collectivity. This is based on five components: resource system, infrastructure, resource units, work, social time. We classify these criteria further according to various styles of use, ranging from individual use to sharing. To demonstrate the utility of this model we implement a quantitative study of community gardens located in one of the most urbanized area in Germany, the Rhine-Ruhr Agglomeration. Our results show a high diversity of collective use and the importance of sharing immaterial components in sustaining community gardens, notably social values. We can empirically demonstrate that gardeners develop diverse ways of collective action and social interaction to manage and change their urban environment. To aid in thinking about these issues, we provide an initial typology of community gardens according to their relative degrees of collectivity, reflecting the underlying values of these alternative agricultural system.

Functional Detachment of Totalitarian Nazi Architecture

The paper describes the systematization process of architectural styles in use during Nazi period in Germany between 1933-45. In the results of the research some regularity about strict concern between function & styling has been observed. Using comparison & case study as well as analytical methods there were pointed out characteristic features of more than 500 objects’ architectural appearance that helped to specify their styling & group them into architectural trends. Ultimately the paper proves that the found trends of architectural styling could be collected by functional detachment key. This observation explains easy to recognize even nowadays traceability – so characteristic to Nazi German architecture. Facing today pluralism in architecture, the findings could be a helpful key in the organization of spatial architectural identification process.