A publication called Aging in the Social Space is a compilation of studies, which deal with theoretical understanding and empirical solutions, learning about problem spheres, specifying content parallels of social, legal, economic, moral and ethical views on senior issues in society, which are closely related to each other and are interconnected. This publication focus on the case study of Poland. It is supposed to provide a multidimensional view of old age issues and issues related to aging and care for old people in society. We believe that it is natural also to name individual spheres, in which society has some eff ect, either direct or indirect, within issues concerning seniors. Learning about these spheres is the primary prerequisite for successful use of social help to seniors in society. "The work elaborates a very important topic of our time, this is of an aging population, which many countries with their established social, political, legislative, health and other systems are not prepared for. The authors compared the global data on the aging of the population with information relating to the aging of the population in Poland. This publication consists of two large chapters with subheadings. In the first part the authors describe the elderly in social area and in the second part of a social policy relating to older people. The first part explains the different concepts and presents a new paradigm, which refers to the phenomenon of active aging. The second part presents the analysis of the aging population in selected major cities and presents documents and strategies necessary for further development of the quality of life of elderly people. The case studies technique enables the authors the identification of a number of factors and in-depth analysis of researched topics for each city. Theoretical bases complement to the research findings of other authors and adds their findings." Doc. dr Bojana Filej, the Alma Mater Europaea – European Center, Maribor, Slovenia "The publication, in my humble opinion, can be dedicated primarily to researchers of social gerontology topics, primarily students from the humanities and social sciences. Given the systematic increase in the number of people from abroad studying in Poland (including the Erasmus program) this book can also be used as teaching material to courses on subjects such as: geragogics, social gerontology, social pedagogy and sociology ." Prof. dr hab. Jan Maciejewski, the University of Wrocław, Poland

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Wer oder was sind wir? Diese Frage wurde schon oft gestellt und fordert eine klare Antwort, die auf eine Identität abzielt - sei es eine personelle oder eine gesellschaftliche. Doch die Frage selbst ist falsch gestellt: Nicht das »wer« oder »was« sollte im Vordergrund stehen, sondern die Art und Weise, also die Frage »Wie verhalten wir uns zueinander?«. Paul Helfritzsch untersucht daher, wie das unterschiedliche Verhalten miteinander, gegeneinander und besonders füreinander nicht als Problem, sondern als Ursprung jeder möglichen Solidarität gesehen werden kann. Wir sind zugleich nicht ganz wir selbst und nicht ganz fremd, wir sind Andere unter Anderen.

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Das Museumserlebnis ergibt sich nicht nur aus dem Konzept einer Ausstellung, auch das Publikum bringt hohe Handlungs- und Gestaltungskompetenzen mit, die bisher kaum beachtet wurden. Mit ihrer umfassenden Untersuchung des Tribal Museums in Bhopal liefert Ina Roß eine erste Studie zur Wirkmächtigkeit von Museumsbesucher*innen. Sie gibt detaillierte Einsichten in eine nicht-westliche Kulturinstitution, die sich als dynamischer sozialer Raum erweist, dessen Nutzung vom Publikum eigeninitiativ und alltagsorientiert mitbestimmt wird. Diese neue Form postkolonialer Museumsproduktion zwischen Institution, Source Community und Publikum bietet Inspiration für Museen weltweit.

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Der Band widmet sich dem Potential kreativen Ausdrucks, das die Auseinandersetzung mit städtischer Architektur mittels zeitgenössischer (digitaler) Technologien bietet, und dem gesellschaftlichen Kontext neoliberaler Bereicherungsökonomie und Stadtpolitik, der dieses Potential aufgrund der kommerzialisierten Präsentation von Architektur zu unterminieren droht. Neben wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzungen werden ästhetische Interventionen im Medium der Fotografie, Malerei und Musik vollzogen.; The volume is dedicated to the potential of creative expression offered by the engagement with urban architecture by means of contemporary (digital) technologies, and to the social context of neoliberal enrichment economics and urban politics that threatens to undermine this potential due to the commercialized presentation of architecture. In addition to scientific discussions, aesthetic interventions are carried out in the medium of photography, painting and music.

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The book examines the transformation of the life-world in the context of the rapidly changing Estonian society. The authors pose three main questions to be discussed throughout the book: What has happened in the Estonian society during the last decade? How to describe the present society? Who shapes the social developments and in which direction? The authors formulate three main theses: (1) the great transformation occurring on the macro level is reflected in the life-world as changes in the temporal and spatial dimensions and the multiplicity of individuals’ social identifications in the context of new opportunities. This brings about social and cultural fragmentation of the society and a clear differentiation and polarisation of mental structures; (2) the inherently conflictual nature of transformation is expressed in socially differentiating self-positioning, dependent on the resources individuals possess for coping with changes, and leading to the re-stratification of the society (re-structuration); (3) the acceleration of social and personal time and the opening of social space, on one hand, and social stratification, on the other hand, perform as mutual amplifiers. The authors conclude that the first wave of transitional controversies between more and less capitalised social groups is receding due to increasing general welfare. At the same time, global technological and cultural changes, migration crises, and increasing violence and terrorism have brought about new controversies and challenges in Estonian society.

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Investigating Human Interaction through Mathematical Analysis offers a new and unique approach to social intragroup interaction by using mathematics and psychophysics to create a mathematical model based on social psychological theories. It draws on the work of Dr. Stanley Milgram, Dr. Bibb Latane, and Dr. Bernd Schmitt to develop an algebraic expression and applies it to quantitatively model and explain various independent social psychology experiments taken from refereed journals involving basic social systems with underlying queue-like structures. It is then argued that the social queue as a resource system, containing common-pool resources, meets the eight design principles necessary to support stability within the queue. Making this link provides a means to advance to more complex social systems. It is envisioned that if basic social systems as presented can be modeled, then, with further development, more complex social systems may eventually be modeled for the purpose of identifying and validating social structures that might eventually support stable governments in our common environment called Earth. This is a fascinating reading for academics and advanced students interested in political theory, detection theory, social psychology, organizational behavior, psychophysics, and applied mathematics in the social and information sciences. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

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"Kapitał społeczny ludzi starych na przykładzie mieszkańców miasta Białystok" to książka oparta na analizach teoretycznych i empirycznych, która przedstawia problem diagnozowania i używania kapitału społecznego ludzi starych w procesach rozwoju lokalnego i regionalnego. Kwestia ta jest istotna ze względu na zagrożenia i wyzwania związane z procesem szybkiego starzenia się społeczeństwa polskiego na początku XXI wieku. Opracowanie stanowi próbę sformułowania odpowiedzi na pytania: jaki jest stan kapitału społecznego ludzi starych mieszkających w Białymstoku, jakim ulega przemianom i jakie jest jego zróżnicowanie? Ludzie starzy są tu postrzegani jako kategoria społeczna, czyli zbiór osób podobnych do siebie pod względem społecznie istotnych cech (takich jak wiek, posiadane role społeczne i świadomość korzystania ze świadczeń społecznych), którzy są świadomi tego podobieństwa i swojej odrębności od innych. Przyjmuje się ponadto, iż osoby takie przekroczyły 60. rok życia. Zakłada się też, że w zasobach ludzkich skumulowany jest kapitał ludzki, społeczny i kulturowy. Kapitał społeczny jest tu ujmowany szeroko jako potencjał współdziałania osadzony w powiązaniach międzyludzkich i normach społecznych, który może przynosić korzyści osobom, grupom i społeczeństwom. W części teoretycznej przedstawiono informacje o starości jako etapie w życiu jednostki, wyjaśniono pojęcie ludzi starych, omówiono społeczne teorie starzenia się, historyczne czynniki oddziaływające na położenie kategorii społecznej ludzi starych, zmiany ich miejsca w społeczeństwie polskim w trakcie transformacji ustrojowej i na początku XXI wieku, możliwe konsekwencje wzrostu długości życia w warunkach demokracji i kapitalizmu oraz charakterystykę problemu starzenia się ludności Białegostoku jako miasta pogranicza. Zaprezentowano też różnorodne koncepcje kapitału społecznego, sfery jego oddziaływania na rozwój społeczno-gospodarczy, jego stan w Polsce oraz wytyczne do strategicznego budowania jego zasobów. Przybliżono również wybrane informacje o aktywności ludzi starych w życiu publicznym, społecznym i gospodarczym jako kluczowych cechach ich kapitału społecznego. Porządkując różne stanowiska teoretyczne, wyniki badań i dane statystyczne, dążono do powiązania wielu rozproszonych źródeł w przekonaniu, iż jest to istotne w celu określenia i zagospodarowania zasobów kapitału społecznego seniorów, jak również niwelacji opóźnienia polskiej socjologii w zakresie badań nad ludźmi starymi. Pomimo, iż za podstawową perspektywę teoretyczną publikacji uznana została koncepcja kapitału P. Bourdieu, autor bierze również pod uwagę propozycje badawcze J.S. Colemana, R.D. Putnama, F. Fukuyamy, A. Giddensa, P. Sztompki i A. Sadowskiego. Drugi rozdział zawiera określenie ram metodologicznych badań przeprowadzonych na potrzeby tej publikacji. Omówiono przyjęte założenia badawcze oraz przybliżono sposób i przebieg realizacji badań. Przede wszystkim zdecydowano się na korzystanie z metody jakościowej i zastosowanie techniki wywiadu swobodnego ukierunkowanego. Uznano, iż podmiotowy kontakt z ludźmi starymi umożliwi dokładniejsze rozpoznanie kontekstu, w którym znajdują się zasoby ich kapitału społecznego. Jest to ważne, gdyż przenoszenie na rodzimy grunt opracowanych za granicą interpretacji działań ludzi starych i rozwiązań aktywizujących, może okazać się nieskuteczne lub wywołać negatywne efekty zewnętrzne. Ponadto w literaturze przedmiotu zwraca się uwagę na niedostatek badań gerontologicznych zgodnych z paradygmatem interpretatywnym. Badaniu poddano 26 respondentów w wieku od 60 do 89 lat żyjących w mieście Białystok związanych z jedną z dwóch różnych instytucji: Domem Pomocy Społecznej i Uniwersytetem Trzeciego Wieku. Poprzez porównywanie osób znajdujących się na dwóch biegunach aktywności społecznej możliwe było dostrzeżenie podobieństw i różnic w ich wyposażeniu kapitałowym, a zarazem w osiągniętych w ciągu życia pozycjach w strukturze klasowej i zasobach służących pomyślnej starości6. W trzecim rozdziale przedstawiona została część wyników analiz empirycznych. Przybliżono tu sposób, w jaki ludzie starzy myślą o podobnych sobie przodkach i osobach współczesnych, a także czynniki, w zależności od których zmienia się ich pozycja społeczna w mieście oraz problemy społeczne, jakie uznają za najważniejsze dla ludzi starych. Analizie poddano opinie o ich czasie wolnym, szansach i barierach aktywności ekonomicznej. Wyróżniono typy kapitału społecznego ludzi starych w zależności od instytucji, z którymi są związani oraz podejścia do postrzegania i wykorzystywania zróżnicowania wewnętrznego seniorów. Omówiono wizerunek seniorów w środkach masowego przekazu. Publikacja nie zawiera ścisłego zakończenia. W ostatnim rozdziale wskazano jedynie na główne wnioski płynące z badań oraz na potencjalne dalsze kierunki analiz. Uzupełnienie tego podejścia stanowią zamieszczone w aneksie zestawienia oddolnych technik budowania kapitału społecznego oraz podstawowych cech Miast Przyjaznych Starszemu Wiekowi. Z opracowania tego z pewnością będą mogli skorzystać nie tylko naukowcy zajmujący się tematyką ludzi starych, ale i pracownicy socjalni, politycy, pracodawcy, przedstawiciele mediów i organizacji pozarządowych oraz obywatele Białegostoku i innych miast. ** "Social Capital of Old People on the Example of Bialystok Residents" is a book based on theoretical and empirical study, which presents an issue of diagnosing and using of old people social capital in the local and regional development processes. This issue is significant because of the threats and challenges associated with process of rapid ageing of Polish society at the beginning of 21st century. Publication, in particular, is an attempt to give answers to the following questions: what is the state of old people social capital in Bialystok, what transformations it undergoes and how is it differentiated? In this study old people are viewed as a social category, which is a set of people similar to each other in terms of socially significant features (such as age, possessed social roles and awareness of received social benefits), who are aware of these similarities and differences between each other. Moreover, it is assumed, that such persons exceeded the 60 years of age. It is also assumed that human, social and cultural capital is accumulated in the human resources. Social capital is recognized here broadly as a potential for collaboration embedded in interpersonal relationships and social norms that may benefit individuals, groups and societies. The book consists of three chapters. The first, which is the theoretical part of work, includes information about: old age as a stage of individual life and explanation of the old people notion. It discusses social theories of ageing, historical factors affecting on the social position of old people category, changes in their place in Polish society during the system transformation and in the early 21st century. It describes the possible consequences of increased life expectancy for democracy and capitalism - including the concepts of society for all ages, silver economy. It also features ageing population issue, as well as social policy towards the elderly and old age in Bialystok as the borderland city. A variety of social capital concepts were presented; the spheres of its influence on socio-economic development, its status in Poland and guidelines for strategic building of its resources. Selected information on the activity of old people in public, social and economic life as key features of their social capital was brought closer. Putting various theoretical positions, results of research and statistical data in order was aimed to link many dispersed sources considering that it is relevant to identify and develop seniors' social capital resources, as well as leveling the delay of Polish sociology research on the elderly. Fundamental theoretical perspective of publication is the concept of capital according to P. Bourdieu. However, the proposals of J.S. Coleman, R.D. Putnam, F. Fukuyama, A. Giddens, P. Sztompka and A. Sadowski were also used. The second chapter contains a methodological framework for the purposes of study. Research assumptions, method and course of implementation of studies were discussed. The study is based on the qualitative method and the application of in-depth interview techniques. It was considered that the personal contact with old people will be more accurate than other research techniques to identify the context in which they social capital resources can be found. It is important because the transfer of developed abroad activating solutions and interpretations of old people actions may be ineffective or have negative external effects in the Polish context. Moreover, in the Polish science literature attention is paid to scarcity of gerontological research in accordance with the interpretive paradigm. Study involved 26 respondents aged 60 to 89 years living in Bialystok associated with one of two different institutions: nursing home for the elderly and University of the Third Age. By comparing the persons on two extremes of social activity it was possible to see similarities and differences in their capital equipment, and also in achievements of the life positions in the class structure and resources aimed at successful ageing. The third chapter presents the empirical analysis of the research results. This part outlines the way in which old people think about their ancestors and contemporary people. It also shows factors according to changes in their social position in the city, social issues which they consider most important for old people, their opinions about leisure time, opportunities and barriers of economic activity and types of old people social capital depending on the institution with which they are associated. Approach to the perception and use of internal disparities of seniors were also discussed. The analysis additionally contains the evaluation of senior citizens image in the polish mass media. This publication does not contain a strict ending. It only identifies the main conclusions of the research and potential directions of future analysis. Above all, older people could improve their position not by demanding increases in social benefits from which major parts are often taken away by their family members, but by highlighting their human, social and cultural capital. It is necessary to create favorable conditions for social and professional life of old people and their cooperation with members of local communities. Important role in this regard is played by institutions implementing three tasks: stimulating senior citizens' desire to satisfy previously unrealized needs; creating relationships between them so that they can solve their own problems and work for the others; and providing legal, social and vocational guidance. Stimulating cooperation between existing public, commercial and non-governmental sector organizations may serve to achieve these goals. The dissemination of bottom-up techniques of social capital building and checklist of essential features of Age-friendly Cities may also be important.

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This open access book critically examines discussions on digitalisation and individual opportunities for socio-economic advancement. Contrary to the prevailing narratives of “digital empowerment” and opportunities for every individual, this book argues that digitalisation massively curtails social advancement opportunities, consolidating existing social relations. From a spatial perspective, Scheffer demonstrates how socially disadvantaged groups are faced with reproducing mechanisms as part of a new data economy. Surprisingly, the more intensively digital services are used, the more this happens. Building on Löw´s sociology of space and Bourdieu´s concept of habitus, this book shows how practices of social exclusion are transferred to the digital present in an innovative way. The image of “mirrored” spaces describes a new mechanism that explains social exclusion in the age of digitalisation. This book is an essential resource for researchers and students interested in socio-economic inequalities, processes of digitalisation, and digital geographies.

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This edited volume assembles contributions of leading scholars in the fields of statistical methods and applications in the social sciences. Multivariate scaling methods for categorical data, in particular correspondence analysis, are used to extract the most important dimensions from complex data tables and to visualize relationships in the data. The volume treats recent statistical developments, methodological considerations, and empirical applications. A special emphasis is placed on multiple aspects of space and their sociological significance: the reconstruction of “social spaces” with statistical methods, illustrations of spatial relations involving proximity, distance and inequality, and concrete interactions in urban neighbourhoods. The edited volume is meant to honour the lifetime achievements of Prof. Jörg Blasius (Chair of Sociology/ Empirical Research Methods, Bonn).

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Der „Sozialraum“ hat Konjunktur. In einer Vielzahl von Politik- und Professionsfeldern wird auf „soziale Räume“ oder „lokale Gemeinschaften“ rekurriert. Die „Aktivierung“ von „endogenen Potenzialen“, „sozialem Kapital“, „Eigenverantwortung“, „Selbststeuerung“ oder „Selbsthilfe“ im nahräumigen Kontext ist mit der Verheißung verbunden, grundlegende Integrations-, Verteilungs- und Steuerungsprobleme fortgeschritten liberaler Gesellschaften bearbeiten zu können. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die ambivalente Rolle von Sozialraumpolitiken im gegenwärtigen gesellschaftlichen Transformationsgeschehen und diskutiert Möglichkeiten, wie raumaffine Professionen und Bewegungen fragwürdigen politisch- programmatischen Anrufungen widerstehen können.

Der „Sozialraum“ hat Konjunktur. In einer Vielzahl von Politik- und Professionsfeldern wird auf „soziale Räume“ oder „lokale Gemeinschaften“ rekurriert. Die „Aktivierung“ von „endogenen Potenzialen“, „sozialem Kapital“, „Eigenverantwortung“, „Selbststeuerung“ oder „Selbsthilfe“ im nahräumigen Kontext ist mit der Verheißung verbunden, grundlegende Integrations-, Verteilungs- und Steuerungsprobleme fortgeschritten liberaler Gesellschaften bearbeiten zu können. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die ambivalente Rolle von Sozialraumpolitiken im gegenwärtigen gesellschaftlichen Transformationsgeschehen und diskutiert Möglichkeiten, wie raumaffine Professionen und Bewegungen fragwürdigen politisch- programmatischen Anrufungen widerstehen können.

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This collective monograph offers a reflexive review of the transformations in Estonian society, particularly by using the lens of social morphogenetic analysis developed by Margaret Archer and her co-workers. Based on empirical data from the 5-wave representative survey “Me. The World. The Media”, research synthesised in this book focuses on the outcomes of complex changes after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of the independent state of Estonia. In almost three decades, the authors have had a chance to observe and analyse the so-called “historical experiment” that took place in the North-Eastern part of Europe – political and economic transition, technological transformation, and digitalisation. The analysis covers the main topics of people’s life-worlds (socio-economic conditions, civic and political participation, culture, media, environment, consumption, lifestyles, time use, identities, etc.) and attitudes towards a rapidly changing society (perceived risks and benefits). The book aims to re-conceptualise the main results of the empirical studies from the last two decades by synthesising different theoretical perspectives on social change and transformation.

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Zur Unterstützung älterer Menschen im Alltag werden Freiwillige im Rahmen sozialräumlich organisierter Hilfe vermittelt. Doch wie werden diese Hilfebeziehungen gestaltet? Welche Rolle spielen biografische Erfahrungen, situative Dynamiken und interaktive Aushandlungsprozesse? Marlene Jänsch hat Hilfesuchende und Hilfebietende in gemeinsamen Interviews befragt, wie sie Hilfe erfolgreich organisieren. Ihr Buch leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag zum Sozialraumdiskurs der Sozialen Arbeit im Kontext solidarischer Hilfebeziehungen sowie des Alter(n)s.; In order to support elderly in their everyday lives, volunteers are deployed as part of socio-spatially organised assistance. But how are these support relationships organised? What role do biographical experiences, situational dynamics and interactive negotiation processes play? Marlene Jänsch conducted interviews with those seeking and offering help to find out how they successfully organise solidary help. Her book makes an important contribution to the social space discourse of social work in the context of solidary helping relationships and ageing.

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Where will we live? Where will we be when we work or relax? Who or what will decide about this? What possibilities will urban agglomerations offer for everyday spatial practice? What significance will local differences hold? How will we distribute ourselves on a damaged planet, and where will what be available to whom? This anthology is an invitation to abandon familiar ways of looking at things and to take a new look at what a choice of location in the city of the future might look like. Different actors were invited to explore seven concepts of apparent consistency in essays, interviews or artistic contributions: Freedom, Fear, Chaos, Tolerance, Prestige, Permanence and Fake. The book does not provide a linear narrative but invites the reader to cross-read and reread.

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This book critically examines and analyses the active role played by youth-led social movements in pushing for change and promoting peacebuilding in Africa, and their long-term impacts on society. Africa’s history is characterised by youth movements. The continent’s youth populations played pivotal roles in the campaign against colonialism and, ever since independence, Africa’s youth have been at the center of social mobilisation. Most recently, social media has contributed significantly to a further rise in youth-led social movements. However, the impact of youth voices is often marginalised by patriarchal and gerontocratic approaches to governance, denying them the place, voice, and recognition that they deserve. Drawing on empirical evidence from across the continent, this book analyses the drivers and long-term impacts of youth-led social movements on politics in African societies, especially in the area of peacebuilding. The book draws attention to the innovative ways in which young people continue to seek to re-engineer social space and challenge contexts that deny them their voice, place, recognition and identity. This book will be of interest to researchers across the fields of social movement studies, youth studies, peace and conflict studies, history, political sciences, social justice, and African studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license

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