Search

After the 2015 release of Peter Wohlleben’s book The Secret Life of Trees, which soon became a best-seller, books on nature and trees swamped the German book market. This paper is an attempt to answer the question why a forester’s book met such positive reactions from the readership. This paper focuses on the symbolic and semantic traits of the tree, as well as its meaning in the cultural memory of the German people that Wohlleben relies on in his way of depicting trees. Taking into consideration the aim of the paper, the semiotic and cultural-historical methods have been implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Republic of Serbia, education reforms have been implemented since 2000 with the aim of harmonizing this important field of society with the so-called European Education Area. The whole range of changes lawfully adopted and applied in practice at all levels of institutionalized education is mainly directed towards the standardization and unification of "domestic" education with the educational paradigms of a neoliberal society. Maintaining the continuity of cultural development and the formation of cultural identity are important issues for overall social development, and they are not given proper attention in the education strategy. In addition to that, the institutional preparation of future teachers does not sufficiently focus on this issue. In this paper we consider: (1) the normative framework that regulates the field of primary education and the formation of cultural identity in the Republic of Serbia, (2) the factors influencing the process of training future teachers for the formation of cultural identity and (3) the teachers’ competencies as a support to the formation of the cultural identity of younger school-age children. The importance of the harmonization of the basic guidelines of the normative framework regulating primary education and the formation of cultural identity with the basic intentions of preparing future teachers is emphasized. Especially from the perspective of the role of teachers in the process of establishing and preserving the cultural identity of generations reaching compulsory primary education in the context of intergenerational transmission of culture, cultural patterns and values. At the same time, the paper emphasizes the insufficient presence of content in the education of future teachers that would adequately prepare them for understanding the complex problem of forming a cultural identity. The authors point out the importance of the groundedness of future teachers’ preparation in terms of their academic knowledge of society, history and culture. The aim of the paper is to emphasize the importance of developing teachers’ competencies necessary for understanding identity issues and forming a cultural identity. The paper employs the descriptive-analytical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents an analysis of several attempts to sustain the idea of unity in science and in knowledge. The authors of the text argue that through the preservation of unity, the link between science and philosophy is strengthened – which is, in modernity, significantly weakened. Philosophical research was undertaken with the aim of further strengthening pluralism, both in science and in methodology, which is reflected in the philosophies of science by Kuhn and Feyerabend. It is also noted that the concept of unity is rather relevant, for it is via unity that modern science maintains its link with the traditional metaphysics, in addition to the many reasons which are listed in the paper. The weakening of the unity in knowledge and the sciences is, in fact, the weakening of the rest of philosophy in sciences. The crisis of the scientific unity reflects the crisis in philosophy. This research firstly contemplates the forms of the reduction of pluralism in the very knowledge, whereas the second chapter deals with the similar attempts related to the unity in science. The final part of the research represents the author’s perspective, as an answer to the question of why unity is that relevant, as well as the manner in which the lack of it would affect science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the right of a database manufacturer which is the exclusive right that authorizes its holder to prohibit or permit another to use a particular database, i.e. the collection of regulated and systematized data, copyright works or other materials that are available electronically or otherwise. However, the database can be a collection in terms of the copyright of the collection, so it also represents the content of the analysis in this paper. The subject of comparative analysis are the provisions of the current regulations in the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia, and determining their compliance with the Directive 96/9/EC on the legal protection of databases. The analysis used a historical legal and normative legal method. Based on the analysis, the authors point out that the adopted solutions for the protection of databases in the EU greatly influenced the adoption of the corresponding regulations in the Republic of Serbia, concluding that the regulations governing this area in the Republic of Serbia are almost completely aligned with the EU regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we deal with the role and importance of communication in increasing the efficiency of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes. Although communication is ubiquitous, it is often not accessed systematically and its role and place in the functioning of the organization is ignored. Based on the analysis and research in the paper, it is shown that through a systemic approach to communication in the work of one state body, there has been greater efficiency. Communication is analyzed in procedures and methods of peaceful settlement of labor disputes, arbitration and mediation, as well as with users of services of Agency, primarily the civil society. It also points to the basic indicators of the contribution of the improved communicator to the number of procedures and statistical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Тhe protection of human rights is one of primary goals of police work in democratic societies. However, no society is immune to the various forms of illegal police work. Some of them, like police torture, are the hardest forms of illegal police activity and the inhuman treatment of citizens as well. The paper focuses on the aspects that appear to be essential, so the paper considers the most important aspects of the phenomenon of "police torture" - the basic meanings, causes, ways and consequences of its manifestation. Our goal is to remove certain doubts in the interpretation of this phenomenon, but also to increase the interest in investigating the appearance of torture in the police. Such a scientific study has not been conducted so far, so there is a need for further comprehensive investigations of the "police torture" phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was developed with the motivation to design a contemporary approach to the teaching process, as well as to improve and modernize the existing theories and practices, and it is in the function of the necessary reforms of the entire educational system. Generally speaking, the paper is devoted to the methodical concept of the newly proposed model of teaching, which was created within the modification and methodical adaptation of the G. Mayer’s former cybernetic model of learning in individualized teaching. Based on the scientific didactic knowledge, an innovative methodological model was constructed – a multimedia teaching strategy, based on the integration of individualization models in educational software. In this paper, certain key segments and implications are presented, as well as the methodical procedure for the preparation and realization of the multimedia strategy that was mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal heterogeneity, as a global paradigm, represents a strong leverage of the initiative for the development and research of an individual’s and groups’ intercultural sensitivity. In the last few decades, interculturality, intercultural competencies and intercultural sensitivity have been the topic of many researches in various fields. Students’ intercultural sensitivity is the focus of this paper and it is seen through the prism of socio-demographic determinants. The results of the research which was done on the sample of 452 students from four universities in Serbia are shown in the methodological part of the paper. The instrument used was the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale – ISS. The goal of the research is to determine the degree of the development of the students’ intercultural sensitivity in relation to certain socio-demographic variables. Results have shown that the students from the State University of Novi Pazar are estimated to have the highest level of intercultural sensitivity in certain dimensions of the scale. The average number of household members, was identified as a variable with a negative correlation on the students’ intercultural sensitivity. The conclusion points out to the necessity of change in the approach to the development of the students’ intercultural sensitivity approach, which is reflected in the research in that it should point to adequate work approaches that enrich their experience and influence the changes in social and educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting elementary school is an important step on the education ladder of every child, and the result of adequate school readiness is reflected in the child's feeling of belonging to the school community and the motivation for accomplishing school success. Bearing in mind, on the one hand, different individual characteristics of every child, and, on the other, new and different experiences when starting school, there is a tendency to reexamine the factors shaping (and influencing) the child's readiness for school. Starting from a brief retrospect of the approaches that review the phenomenon of school readiness, the essence of this paper consists of an interactive approach which, beside the importance of individual children's characteristics, also emphasizes the significance of conditions in the microsystem of the development environments in which the child spends their time, as well as their synergistic actions. In this manner, while following the contemporary construction of the term “school readiness,” the focus of this paper is set on the review of the hallmarks in family and institution (pre-school and school) context, as well as in the community context, and the possibility of a joint action of the development environments through examples of good practice in our educational context. Although each of these mentioned microsystem environments individually contributes to children's school readiness, it can be concluded that the best effects are accomplished through their interaction which leads to the continuity of influence and the maximum of reaching children's potentials in new education environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has acquired a status of a global issue in the second half of the 20th century, nowadays becoming more and more prominent. The negative effects of climate change as manifested through natural disasters are noticeable the most in forest stands and forest ecosystems. This study covers the period from 2008 to 2017, and the data included was collected from official statistical reports. The data on the following categories was collected: average annual air temperature, average annual precipitation, average annual relative air humidity, the number of disaster events, such as insect activity, plant diseases, wildfires, or climate and geological disasters, causing damage in state forests, and the scope of such damage. The aim of this paper is to analyze the said data and to use the results to determine the influence of observed climatic elements on the incidence of damage, the scope of damage, and the damage per one disaster event in Serbian state forests. This paper is significant because it represents a pioneering attempt to synthesize the influence of temperature, precipitation, and humidity on the incidence and scope of damage in state forests resulting from insect activity, plant diseases, geophysical events, and wildfires in Serbia (excluding the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija). A non-linear dependence of the influence of climate factors on damage incidence and scope has been determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive migrations during the last years of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st century are an important part of modern societies which are becoming multicultural. While information, ideas and people cross countries' borders all the time, and term "nation" is becoming outdated in new communication universe, the foundations of identity are becoming weak, unstable and subject to change. In crisis, media reporting about groups which are not culturally close to the native population significantly influences the public opinion creating, since direct contacts with such groups are limited and rare. Besides, the question arises to what extent such reporting is subject to the ethical codes. In this paper, media reporting about recent European migrant and refugee crisis was analyzed. The paper is primarily focused on media representation of migrants and refugees which was analyzed through several aspects: frequency of texts about migrants and refugees, the analysis of genres, titles, visual presentation, respect of journalistic ethics as well as examination of rhetorical, stylistic and manipulative means that were used. All texts about migrant and refugee crisis published over a period of two weeks on three informative web-portals - "Blic", "Kurir" and "Politika" were analyzed. The first analyzed week was from June 1st to September 7th, 2015, while the second week was from March 1st to March 7th, 2017. The goal of this comparative analysis of media texts was to determine possible differences in the way migrants and refugees are portrayed in media texts. The main goal was to determine diferences between three informative portals in terms of emphasis certain aspects of migrant and refugee crisis as well as in terms of emphasis certain characteristics of this social group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading habits can be described as continuous lifelong need for gaining new knowledge, and are perceived by individuals as both a necessity as well as a source of satisfaction. The main reason for the stance that reading is both, a necessity and a source of satisfaction can be found in the fact that reading enables enhancement of personal development, as well as the advancement of the society as a whole. As there is a trend of reading crisis established by certain authors and taking into account the fact that developments in the field of technology have an impact on the alterations on means of reading, the reading habits are the subject of this paper, from the perspective of the students themselves as well as to their frequencies of reading books, newspapers, magazines, and the innovations in the reading process (the use of electronic vs. printed formats). After presenting the results of the secondary research, the results of the empirical research will be presented, in particularly as to the descriptive and comparative statistics on the reading habits amongst university students in the Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted on a sample of 1,148 examinees during the months of May and June 2018. The results of the empirical research have shown relatively high percentage of students who like to read (over 60% of students read frequently), and that students prefer to opt for printed books, and digital forms of newspapers and magazines. The results of this paper have shown the lowest frequency of reading books amongst the students in the sphere of technical and technological sciences as well as in the field of arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes certain important aspects of the procedural position of persons with mental disabilities in the procedures for deprivation of legal capacity. Regardless of the normative framework, both international and national, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which largely protects the rights of this sensitive group of people, a significant number of cases before the European Court of Human Rights and decisions in which Contracting States are declared responsible indicate that there is a problem of their procedural position. They are principally conditioned by applying (or not applying) the procedural safeguards provided by Article 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, or the right to a fair trial. Namely, the special features of persons with mental disabilities also cause the particularities in the application of the right to a fair trial in the court procedures in which these persons are involved. Therefore, we could talk about formulated specific standards that essentially elaborate one of the key concepts of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - "reasonable adaptation", as well as a direct link to the need for a specific application of the already mentioned Article 6 of the European Convention. The standards that follow from the application of Article 6 are numerous and the analysis of all from the aspect of protecting the rights of persons with mental disabilities is not possible in the paper of this volume, and therefore, special attention was given to the right of these persons to initiate and conduct the procedures for deprivation of legal capacity, personal participation and representation in that procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Self-Determination Theory, teachers who, through their behavior, provide support for the autonomy of a student are encouraging their better academic achievements. Within this theory, academic regulation is defined as the ability to regulate one's own behavior focused on learning at school. Intrinsic motivation has the greatest importance in schoolwork, and it represents one of the three qualitative types of academic regulation. The aim of the paper is to determine the quality of academic regulation in students who are being educated according to an adjusted program within inclusive schooling, as well as determining the correlation of intrinsic motivation with high support for student autonomy given by class teachers. Research was conducted on a sample of 123 students who attended classes with the adjusted program, age eight to ten and eleven months. Raven's progressive matrices confirm a lower level of intellectual functioning of students from the sample who attend classes according to the adjusted program. Sample was comprised of 48 class teachers. In gathering of the data, Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire and The Problems in Schools Questionnaire were used. The results of the research imply dominance of academically identified regulation. The correlation of intrinsic motivation and the high support of student autonomy is confirmed. The high support of autonomy by teachers explains 28.1% of the variance of student intrinsic motivation. The paper considers practical implications of the conducted research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the most general sense, service-learning is a pedagogic method that combines formal instruction with the corresponding service activity in the community, where the students gain further understanding of the course content, as well as an enhanced sense of civic responsibility, through direct application of what they study in appropriate social contexts. In this paper we describe the application of the service-learning concept in EFL teaching at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš. The elective course Grammar in EFL Teaching provides a framework for the cooperation between the teachers and students at the Department of English and those at other departments. The students at the English Department got the chance to gain additional experience through tutoring the students from the other departments, as well as to evaluate this experience reflectively. The paper provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis, based on structured questionnaires, evaluation protocols and interviews, which examine the attitudes of all stakeholders in this type of teaching practice. The results indicate that both the direct participants (the students of English and those from other departments) and the indirect participants (the English teachers at varous departments whose students participated in this activity) confimed the usefulness of and justification for this kind of pedagogic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the work is developing the interest of primary school students for performance of traditional songs. Traditional songs have the content of extraordinary value in music, moral and aesthetic education of students. They are undoubtedly an important factor in national education and a rich source of wisdom and knowledge for the younger generations. For this reason, it is necessary to encourage and develop students' interest in these subjects in teaching, as well as for their performance in everyday life. The development of interest in traditional songs among students in the area of Kosovo and Metohija today is of special educational significance and importance, because their performance contributes to the strengthening of the sense of national identity and the development of patriotism. The paper presents the results of the research which aims to determine how many students in the eighth grade are interested in performing traditional songs outside of school. The survey covered 534 elementary school students on the territory of Central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija. The results of the survey point out that most students are not interested enough in performing traditional songs outside of school, and that they do not remember sufficiently enough the songs they learned during their eight-year schooling. Given that traditional folk songs are an important factor in upbringing, it is necessary to ensure the durability of pupils’ interest in them. The correct selection of folk songs, their revision and comprehensive introduction to the teaching of music culture and correlation with other subjects will contribute to the greater interest of students for these contents, and develop the need for their performance also out of school practice. The paper presents relevant ethnomusicological literature suitable for the selection and introduction of traditional songs. During the research, the descriptive method and method of theoretical analysis were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since early childbirth, religion has an important function in the life of every human being. Depending on culture, religious norms and values differently are interpreted and deeply embedded into the members of one society through a process of socialization. The way people practice their religion is changing through history. The way individuals relate to and practice a religion changes over the course of time. New technologies have influenced on the appearance of new media - the communication channels, which has also affected the very form of the religious message, that is, how it will be designed, communicated and interpreted. Religion was important for acquiring literacy among the South Slavs. Its word was conveyed verbally as well as throughout printed books, magazines and publication. By the further development of technologies or creating electronic media, the religious message has been received a form adapted to the modern communication channels. It can be said in a revolutionary manner that the internet as the last medium changed the way of understanding or perception of religious learning. At the same time, some new issues have been opened, starting from the most banal, will the Internet itself ever serve as a source of the sacred or spiritual, till to the nuances where the inevitability of religious internet existence (Internet-based religion) should not be prejudged, but it is already trying to find the answer to the question of how to maximize the use of internet connectivity for the ever-defined function of religion. The Internet has profoundly shaped our world and has changed our lives. The global trend of a parallel life in the internet (or using the internet) did not bypass our country. Thus, the institutions of the Serbian Orthodox Church took up their place. Despite the existence of official websites, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and others, they are considered as an equally nice place for online religious life in Serbia and they are engaged in religious practices. This paper will be an attempt to define a style that will provide a description of the manner in which the Serbian Orthodox Church through the history has adapted its messages to new channels of communication and what form the church word had at the very beginnings of religious self-awareness, its development over time and what is its form in the era of "online self-awareness". Through such a view, the aim of this paper is to show what is the function or role of the Serbian Orthodox Church as an important agent of the information and communication system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of the article analyzes the specificities of the normative control of the law, i.e. the procedure of assessing the constitutionality and legality of the law in the Republic of Serbia, with the aim of detecting historical and legal preconditions of the effective functioning of the rule of law. The historical perspective of the development of the constitutional judiciary in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia, as well as the analysis of the experiences of various systems of control of constitutionality and legality, open the contextual, scientific-historical and pragmatic dimensions of understanding. The specificity of the system of normative control is reflected in its triplicity, meaning that three institutes are known that characterize different procedural possibilities (to initiate the process of assessing the constitutionality and legality of general acts). The paper is written in order to point out the dichotomy of the proposal and initiative of the procedure of the assessment of constitutionality and legality, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the ex officio procedure. Furthermore, the author wanted to point out the essential and procedural differences between the proposal, the initiative and the constitutional complaint, especially analyzing the purpose of retaining the institute of the initiative in the light of the existence of the constitutional complaint and the fact that the initiative does not imply the automation of the initiation of proceedings. The dilemma that the article opens concerns the possibility that in the case of abolishing the initiative as an institution accessible to all, is it possible to preserve the democratic culture and the participation of citizens, furthermore is it possible to abolish the fundamental institutional values and freedoms of a legal state and the rule of law? The paper opens other issues of importance for the establishment of an effective constitutional architecture that concern: the width of the circle of authorized proposers of normative control before the Constitutional Court; the dual role of the constitutional judiciary: on the one hand protection of the Constitution, constitutionality and legality, on the other hand effective protection of human and minority rights and freedoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the experiences of parents of deaf and hard of hearing children related to the decision-making process about the cochlear implant, as well as their satisfaction with the outcomes of cochlear implantation. The research was carried out on the sample of 77 examinees of both sexes whose children are rehabilitated at “Children’s House” at the Clinical Hospital Centre in Belgrade, as well at schools for deaf and hard of hearing children in Kragujevac, Subotica and Niš. The questionnaire entitled Children with Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives was used for the purpose of the research. The results of the research indicate that parents had moderate difficulties in the process of deciding on cochlear implantation and that they were relatively satisfied with the outcome of the implantation. The age of children and the age at which the cochlear implantation has been performed are not related to the process of deciding on cochlear implantation, although this variable correlates with the contentment with the outcome of the implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in penal policy which is a part of the neoliberal paradigm have political significance and social consequences within and outside prison communities. The prison population is growing despite the fall and stagnation of the crime rate in developed countries which creates a paradox mirrored in the politics of the neoliberal regulation. It is connected to the “new penology” which unlike the “old” penology sees the prison community as a statistical collective which entails a particular risk for the realization of the set governing goals. Since there is a shift from “hard” to “soft” power within prison communities, this paper discusses the disciplinary effects of this process. It showcases the effects of various projects which have introduced philosophy into prison environments as a way to encourage individual identity growth and inspire the return of practices of rehabilitation as a psychological, moral and social recovery of an individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the efforts of the Governorship, and especially Jovan Ristic’s efforts during the four-year mandate, to gather a large number of Liberals around him using various means. Most of the Liberals accepted the regime of the Governorship hoping that it would soften the political-bureaucratic regime by introducing certain reforms. The second governor, Jovan Ristic, together with the first one, Blaznavac, gathered political supporters around him using all levers of power, not even excluding the liberals of St. Andrea’s assembly, even though they had never seen him as their political ally. Despite the fact that he stood with an enemy of the liberals, Ilija Garasanin, Ristic managed to impose himself as their leader. This statesman started the reign with the movement of liberals, although he did not believe in the ideas of liberalism himself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the current role of school in preparing students for life in a socially and culturally diverse world, this paper points out the need to change the paradigm towards an open constructivist curriculum and new learning strategies in the implementation of the concept of interculturality in the school context. Special attention has been devoted to developing intercultural competences of both students and teachers starting from the changes in the school culture, constructivist, contextual and integrated approach in viewing multicultural contents and activities. The paper presents two examples of the implementation of this concept which were created within the second component of the project entitled “The Support to Human Capital Development and Research - General Education and Human Capital Development - Razvionica” in schools in Serbia. The summary provides an outline of the pedagogical measures for supporting intercultural education, including the role of developing the school culture in that process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the period in time when a poetic character, bearing the title “ethnic Serb” as if it were his own personal name, was introduced into epic and lyric poetry of the South Slavs, and the cause of his vast representation in epic and lyric poetry in the area of today’s Macedonia, North Greece and West Bulgaria in the 19th century. The paper indicates towards a continued use of the ethnic Serb as an anthroponym in today’s West Macedonia between the 15th and 19th centuries and the popularity of poems about an eponymous hero in the same area. A hypothesis was therefore introduced claiming that before the 18th century he was a hero of the local folklore of this area, with poems describing him expanding to other regions over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basis of researching quality of services in tourism is identifying the combination of elements of services which can provide competitive advantage in the tourism market. Regardless of the quality of the resources they have and thanks to which they have certain comparative advantages, military-tourist institutions in the Republic of Serbia are not properly incorporated in the tourist offer of the country. The paper presents the analysis of the quality of service of military-tourist institutions in Serbia based on the combination of LODGSERV model and regression analysis. The choice of this model comes from the fact that it is the basis for evaluating the quality of services in tourism, and that the obtained information will be comparable and significant for making decisions on improving the quality of services of the observed institutions. The aim of the paper is to identify the elements of service that can significantly contribute to the improvement of the competitive position of military-tourist institutions, on the entire tourist stage, in order to develop them, as well as to develop the destinations on which they are located. The specificity of the combination of the LODGSERV model and the regression analysis has contributed to the separation of service elements that are critical to improving quality, but also to certain segments of these elements, in order for the introduced changes to give much more faster results. On the other side, by using cluster analysis, it is possible to identify the groups of service customers towards which the hotels should be oriented, or for which the hotels should especially adjust the offer. This tool combination can be a base for business decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses contractual liability, or, more precisely, the obligation to compensate damage, due to (partial or complete) failure to perform, that is, due to nonconformity or delay in performance. Using the dogmatic and comparative method, the authors examine the starting points and features of the legal regime governing the circumstances and events that prevent the debtor from performing the contract, that is, that render performance impossible or exceedingly difficult. Comparing the solutions in various national legislations, the authors conclude that the comparative law does not provide a singular position on the circumstances that relieve the debtor from contractual liability. Taking the analysis a step further, the paper explores the reasons behind these differences in legal systems, where the authors find that these are the consequence of the concept of contractual liability applied in the given legal systems. Two main systems are identified: subjective contractual liability, which is based on the debtors' assumed fault, and objective liability, in which fault is not legally relevant. Having explored the legal frameworks of national legislations, the authors conclude that subjective contractual liability is prevalent in the countries of the European continental system, while objective liability is characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon systems, with certain deviances. From the standpoint of the debtor, opting for subjective contractual liability is more favourable, since the debtor knows, as soon as the contract is breached, that no damages are owned to the creditor if the breach was caused by circumstances the debtor could not have prevented. Conversely, the objective liability system is more beneficial for the creditor, since the debtor's fault, in principle, does not affect the creditor's right to claim damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject matter of this paper is taking a comprehensive overview of the Brussels negotiations by means of content analysis of the documents undersigned in Brussels in the framework of talks held between Belgrade and Prishtina, with special attention given to the energy aspects of the negotiations, in contests of energy security of the Republic of Serbia.The first part of the paper defines the essence of energy security as well as the concept of energy security of the Republic of Serbia. The second part looks into the process of technical and political negotiations itself, taking stock of the entire course of negotiations undertaken in Brussels, while also focusing on individual areas covered by the Dialogue. The third part of the paper examines the energy aspect of the negotiations, starting from the Brussels Agreement (The First Agreement on Principals Governing the Normalization of relations) and through to the rest of the documents on which Belgrade and Prishtina have agreed. The closing considerations take stock of the overall significance of the "energy" links between Central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija, the importance of the negotiations, the effects of the undersigned documents, not only in terms of energy security, but also from the point of view of the economic, political and overall security of the Republic Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper the basic forms of organizational justice are analyzed and it highlights the importance of implementation of the concept of organizational justice in the conditions when the company implemented a radical change such as size reduction (downsizing). The starting assumption of the paper is that the attitudes of the remaining employees regarding the level of organizational justice demonstrated by the mangement depend on the assessment of the reasons for downsizing, procedures that have been implemented and the treatment of the personnel that have become redundant. The importance of their attitude stems from the fact that they can significantly affect their behavior and performances in the post transformational period, and consequently significantly affect the efficiency of the whole process. In order to check the above mentioned assumption, the survey was conducted in one unit of the local government in the Republic of Serbia that reduced the number of the employees. The research methodology, in addition to the case study, includes desk research of the relevant literature of downsizing and organizational justice, in-depth interview as an assisting tool for collecting the primary data as well as secondary data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to present the regulation of insolvency of banks and other financial institutions in some West Balkans countries (Serbia, Montenegro and FYROM) candidates for the EU membership and its development under the influence of the EU regulations. This question has become particularly interesting since the onset of the world financial crisis of 2008. Banks and financial institutions from the EU countries are among major players in financial markets. The crisis has shown that the models that have previously existed were not sufficient and did not enable an adequate level of cooperation between member states, in order to minimize the spreading of negative effects of individual insolvencies and problems of individual financial institutions across the EU and all over the world. Therefore, changes were needed in the regulations, and indeed, certain changes have been made. This paper tries to see and evaluate the enlargement of the EU which is currently not on top of the EU political and economic agenda, the candidate countries are in the process of adjusting their legislation and practices in order to be better prepared for negotiating with the EU, but also in order to make their respective economic conditions and markets more harmonized with the EU countries, therefore making them more attractive to potential foreign investors. We shall attempt to give a brief analysis of how several West Balkans EU candidate countries have reacted to the described changes in the EU regulations regarding financial institutions and handling their financial difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Budgeting is an efficient management tool by which future financial performances of an enterprise are projected ie. enterprises’ expectations are expressed in the formal - quantitative terms. A paper illustrates the role and importance of budgeting as a management instrument and how companies can improve their business using budgeting. Simultaneously with the usе of budgeting in the company, the occurrence of a specific behavior of managers and employees is observed in practice, which is caused by the budgeting process. The paper examines how budgeting affects the behavior and interpersonal relationships within the company ie. it explores the behavioural aspects of budgeting. The paper attempts to identify the nature and effects of behavioral aspects of enterprise budgeting in order to eliminate dysfunctional behavior or at least to reduce it to an acceptable level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the paper was to examine the effect of conspicuous consumption on the perception and attitudes of young people in Novi Sad and Niš (Serbia). The paper presents the results of the experimental empirical research, aimed to investigate the role of this phenomenon in social interaction and the perception of youth. Experiment has been preceded by extensive non-experimental study with the aim to investigate the attitude of youth towards luxury goods, especially clothes. The experiment tested whether and how logos of expensive brands on the clothes affect the perception of the person wearing them. The results confirmed the existence of significant differences in thirteen of the fifteen selected features. The aim was to indicate the presence and role of conspicuous consumption in the contemporary context, as well as to point out its influence in the social interaction and perception of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the relationship between social stratification and musical taste in present-day Serbia. Following a discussion about Bourdieu’s conceptualization of taste and contemporary theoretical approaches that rehabilitate Bourdieusian heritage, the presence of homology between social positions and musical tastes is tested in Serbian society. On the basis of collected qualitative material via interview, the author examines whether music serves as a symbolic mean that is used by the interviewees to place themselves in certain social groups by drawing symbolic boundaries between them and other social groups that are associated with other musical tastes. The analysis showed that there are differences in musical tastes among respondents based on their position on the stratification scale, manifested in choices and ways of listening to music, as well as that mechanisms of classification are hidden in speech about musical tastesу. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 2000s, estimates indicated the presence of over a million pieces of firearms and a large amount of ammunition in the possession of Serbian citizens. At the same time, the demographics of domestic violence pointed to the consequences of the misuse of firearms in the context of family and partner violence. A large number of women’s killings (annually between 30 and 40) also raised the issue of possession of (non) legal weapons, as well as the adequate response of institutions in preventing fatal outbreaks. On the basis of the fact that Serbia passed the Law on Weapons and Ammunition in 2015, in 2013 it ratified the Istanbul Convention and adopted the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence in 2016, and the statistics on the death by murder of women in the context of domestic violence, the analytical approach in the paper focuses on seeking the answer to the question: whether the existing legislative framework provides for the protection of victims of violence against the misuse of firearms? The findings of study indicate the need to enhance the coherence of the legislative response to the risks posed by the presence of firearms in the family context, as well as establishing stronger links between the legislative framework for the control of firearms and the laws governing the response to domestic violence and partner violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of initial education, the professional affirmation of beginners, extensive work experience, favourable professional climate, work motivation and continuous professional development are the prerequisites for successful work of today’s teachers. Initial teacher education is the main requirement for ensuring teacher’s professional competence in teaching, however, their professional self-actualization can only be achieved by means of continuous and lifelong development of professional competences, both through individual and institutional professional development. The paper discusses the formal, institutionalised professional development of teachers in the field of music pedagogy through content analysis of accredited programmes for professional development of teachers. Our aim is to analyze the scope of music pedagogy content in accredited programmes for professional development of teachers and identify teacher participation in those programmes. In that regard, the subject of our study are accredited programmes represented in the catalogues of programmes for continuous professional development of teachers, preschool teachers and technical associates, issued by the Institute for the Improvement of Education, as well as in the Professional Development Database of the Centre for Professional Development of Education Professionals. The research is based on the implementation of a descriptive method. The sample comprises 9 official catalogues, published between 2006 and 2018. Research results show that in this period, the total selection of teacher education programmes gradually increased, but the inclusion and participation of teachers in the programmes dedicated to professional development in the field of music pedagogy has been limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kun's The Structure of the Scientific Revolutions triggered the avalanche of criticism and represents the most conducive and most critical work of the sixties, until the eighties of the twentieth century, in which the problems of understanding scientific knowledge are discussed. The development of science was understood as a gradual process during which the stages of normal science and scientific revolutions were being shifted. Boldly, by introducing new concepts in the history of philosophy of science, he has encountered many opponents, but also gained many followers. In this paper, we tried to present Kun's understanding of the progress in science and criticism of his greatest opponents, with a reference to the scientific revolutions in social sciences. We also tried to answer the question of whether the scientific revolutions have been depleted and what is happening with the objectivity of science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research on the use of computers and the Internet in teaching and learning at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation. The sample consisted of 198 students of different departments and levels of study. The aim of the research was to determine to what extent teachers and students use computers and the Internet in teaching and learning. Specific objective was to determine the differences in the use of computers and the Internet depending on the year of study. The results show that the highest percentage of respondents (98 %) use the computer, and all the respondents use the Internet. Computers and the Internet are used extensively for entertainment. There is a need for the faculty to make its information resources more available to students. There are differences in the way computers and the Internet are used, as well as the students’ interaction with teachers and colleagues, depending on the year of study. It is recommended to direct students to a higher level of interaction and collaborative work in the performance of study tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the educational process caused by different social changes require teachers to continue to reassess their role in the educational and teaching processes. According with that, literature increasingly discusses the essence of teachers' roles, their methods in the teaching process, and as well as the degree of achievement of the professional role of teachers as one of the key factors in the quality education process. Different approaches of the authors, insisting on a clear differentiation of teacher's roles, different criteria for differentiation, includes a large number of divisions and classifications of teachers' roles in pedagogical literature. These often include a great number of teaching roles. In this paper, based on the analysis of the different categorisations of teachers' roles and didactic theories, the emphasis is placed on the essence of the teaching role seen in the context of the processes and work of teachers in the educational process, whose quality is reflected in the degree of student achievement. In this regard, what is pointed out here is the significance of the teacher's role in planning and preparing classes, motivating students, developing their interest in learning the content, as well as in the realization of quality communication and interaction between teachers and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a very turbulent environment where various challenges are more and more present, companies often apply different strategies in order to harmonize their business with new and often unfavorable conditions. One of the possible strategies of companies is the downsizing strategy. Downsizing, as an organizational strategy, usually involves a reorganization that can be implemented in different ways, but in which the resulting outcome often causes a reduced number of employees. Research around the world has highlighted the various effects of this strategy on the performance of organizations. On the one hand, cost are reduced as it strives to increase profitability and productivity. On the other hand, various problems often arise in the form of attitudes and behavior of employees, reflected in the changed quality of service that is provided, employee satisfaction, their loyalty and willingness to leave the company. The aim of this paper is to explore the relation between the application of different approaches to the downsizing strategy in organizations and the perceived service quality. The survey was carried out on a sample of 160 companies in Serbia, based on the data collected during the Cranet project, from 2015 to 2016. The methodology used during the research included research of the available literature and results of previous studies, as well as the application of statistical techniques for data analysis, factor analysis, Spearman's correlation and hierarchical linear regression. The results of the research indicate that there is a negative link between the observed variables, that is, the implementation of the downsizing in certain forms is associated with a lower level of the perceived quality of service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the concept of the individual occurring in personal dating ads published in Serbian and German print and electronic media. The research is based upon existing studies of dominant values, but takes into account the fulfillment of an individual's expectations vis-à-vis her/his potential partner as well. The values, as abstract categories, represent the basis for the very process of creating an ad by its author, while at the same time they are indicators of the dominant social attitudes. By applying the method of contrastive, content and statistical analysis, culture-based similarities and differences, as well as the typical concepts of men and women have been determined. The results of the study show that there occur, in fact, certain differences in the concept of the individual in Serbian and German ads. These originate from different values and orientations of the two societies. On the other hand, some discrepancies are sex-related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of this paper address the problem of education which in its transformation, when small countries are concerned, means openness towards the uncritical acceptance of Anglo-Saxon educational and cultural norms. Western society, with its economic supremacy and political aspirations, has managed to include contemporaries into the process of transformation, which among other things involves uniformity of education and culture. This enables it to maintain that supremacy. The authors emphasize the difference between internationalization and globalization of education. Special attention is given to the Bologna process in terms of the neoliberal integration strategy which essentially involves the neglect of national identity. They criticize the ongoing commercialization of education and in this sense the marginalization of science in society, which further leads to decadence. Ethical goals are being neglected on account of abstract individualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of classical ballet increased in France in the 16th century. Therefore, the majority of ballet terms that are in use today all around the world come from the French language. In this paper, we analyse classical ballet terms of French origin used as part of the professional language of those who practice classical ballet and communicate in the Serbian language in written and oral form. The empirical material was excerped from several ballet books. This research is based on the analysis of the professional literature in Serbian, as well as on interviews with ballet dancers from Serbia. The aim of the study is to analyse the potential irregularities and inconsistencies in the oral and written use of the observed terms in the Serbian language. Furthermore, we will propose the normative use of the chosen ballet terms, in accordance with the features of the Serbian language, which will be useful for ballet dancers, as well as for ballet critics and journalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is based on the results of an extensive empirical study of the cultural participation of the urban, suburban and rural population of the City of Niš, carried out in 2015, using a combined questionnaire on a sample of 800 respondents. The research results presented here refer only to the aspect of cultural consumption, with the aim of presenting the empirical findings and indicating whether, and to what extent, the place of residence of the participants, in correlation with the remaining socio-demographic features (age, gender, level of education, profession, satisfaction with one’s financial status), influence their cultural consumption, determining the frequency, forms and limitations of this consumption. The research approach is primarily founded in sociology, and is methodologically quantitatively focused on and developed within the theory of the class-cultural homology of Pierre Bourdieu. The research results indicate that young people who live in urban settlements, with a higher education background and favorable economic means, more often than others participate in cultural consumption, and are more frequently than others involved in acquiring additional artistic, intellectual and/or technical knowledge or skills in their leisure time. One half of all the respondents included in the study, mostly the middleaged (40–54 years of age), point out the lack of money (an objective obstacle), while one-fourth of all the surveyed respondents, especially the oldest members of village societies (over the age of 55), point out the lack of interest (a subjective obstacle) as the main limitation to their own cultural consumption. The results mostly indicate an average frequency and very limited extent of cultural consumption of all the respondents included in the research to residential inequality and the social predispositions of cultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most capitalist countries, business ethics is considered the precondition for long term advancement, growth, development and the maintenance of the high profitability of the organization, which is not the case with post-communist countries. Ethically oriented organizations are considered attractive for investors, employees, managers and other interested stakeholders. Unfortunately, in Serbia, a post-communist country, business ethics is considered to be of second rate significance in most cases. More precisely, organizations insist on legal business based on the code of ethics, but also include all other kinds of improvisation. The main goal of this paper is to show the moderating influence of ownership on the relationship between the ethical climate and unethical behavior in Serbia. The research encompasses 924 respondents from four domestic enterprises and foreign owned enterprises. The results of this research show that the ownership of the enterprise influences the relationship between the ethical climate and unethical behavior. We conclude that foreign owned enterprises pay more attention to the ethical behavior and create better ethical climate for the organizations. The main implication of this research is that one of the ways for better business performance of organizations in Serbia, especially if they want to enter foreign markets, is to accept moral values and the ethical behavior which exists in market economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally speaking, Europeanization is defined as “a process in which states adopt EU rules”. As Serbia is getting closer to the EU, this process is gaining on the momentum, but running far from smoothly. Formal endeavors aimed at the change of the social status of the LGBT persons in Serbia are a case in point, as they are linked to the idea of Europeanization. In accordance with the EU conditions, a number of laws aimed at fighting discrimination of LGBTs were passed, programs with the same goal were implemented, and several Pride Parades took place without major incidents (as Belgrade was “besieged” by heavy police forces). At the same time, high state officials publicly manifest their reluctance toward non-heterosexuals, with the police practicing indirect resistance toward organizing the Pride. The LGBT affirming actions were characterized by short time-span and superficiality, and this is what makes this case a paradigmatic one of the Serbian Government‟s attitude to Europeanization: the formal obligations (as imposed) are fulfilled, while simultaneously enormous (informal) efforts are undertaken in order that no changes occur in society. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the aforementioned. Attempts to diffuse EU rules and regulations seem to be of no avail if local adaptation, interpretation and appropriation of these norms and resistance which they spawn, is not taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents data on the politics of romanization of the population in the south of the province of Dalmatia (east Herzegovina) using historical sources. After the Roman invasion of Illyria and the introduction of education to the province of Dalmatia at the beginning of the 1st century AD, the Romans built a system of fortresses on important strategic points, followed by road construction, settlement construction, populating the area with veterans and the Italic people, giving civil rights and establishing a tradition of worshipping Roman gods. This was the time of not just territorial, but ethnic and infrastructural changes as well. According to the epigraph statues, the territory of today’s east Herzegovina was inhabited by the locals, as well as Roman citizens (cives Romani) during this period in history. The influence of the Italic people was considerable because the introduction and importance of the Roman culture and civilization, as well as the Roman lifestyle, were helped mostly by the Italic people who inhabited urban areas. They brought with themselves every single achievement of the Roman civilization, which influenced the locals in various ways. Epigraph statues, various archeological records and oral sources shed light, to a certain degree, on the different influences on the territory of east Herzegovina. East Herzegovina covers the area spreading from the left banks of the Neretva River in the west to the right banks of the Trebišnjica River in the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observed as a communicational and cultural phenomenon produced by the media, the dialogue as a means of mediation gets a manipulative form. Contrary to genuine dialogue as a communication model that advocates tolerance, the postmodern media dialogue ranges from the concept of unity to an irreconcilable rivalry, from resolving problems to highlighting differences, and often becomes a monologized dialogue. The paper examines the significance of dialogue and monologue, starting from various aspects of dialogue, through the possibility of its survival from the point of view of communion or potential conflict, to the interaction as the illusion of a dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-first century, the century of technology, has brought a lot of novelties, but also challenges and problems for everyone living and working in this century. The dynamic changes of the modern society affect everyone, especially the young. That is why it is necessary to make certain changes concerning the place and role of education in the development of an individual in order to avoid any antagonism between the student and school that could have serious consequences. Choosing the adequate learning materials, organizing them didactically and methodologically in textbooks, along with a well thought out teaching process are the actions supposed not only to increase the quantity of knowledge, but also focus on the emotional, social and moral education of young people. A good literary work offers many possibilities for this. By starting from Ingarden’s assertion that there are two different phases of reading a literary text (While-Reading Stage; Post-Reading Stage), this paper emphasizes that a more detailed interpretation of the literary hero is very important for the development of emotional sensitivity, and moral and social responsibility starting from an early age. A literary hero can be analyzed from different perspectives. The analysis of the reading books for the third grade of primary school published in Serbia will help us find out if these books insist only on the literary heroes’ actions, behavior and qualities, or if they also insist on the descriptions, speech, feelings and moods, as well as on the connection with the students’ experience. The emphasis is on the linguistic and methodological apparatus which serve as valuable guidelines to the teachers to help the students interpret and understand the literary work. The results obtained indicate that the authors of the reading books mainly focus the students’ attention to the characters’ actions, behavior and characteristics, while they focus less on the description of the characters’ looks, feelings and moods, and the least attention is paid to what the characters are saying, as well as to the need to take specific actions and help others, where the teacher's responsibility is to use appropriate methodological approaches to ensure proper motivation for a more productive analysis of the character, in order to prompt self-reflection, and the adoption of positive values and socially responsible behavior in students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the importance and representation of the content of patriotic education in elementary school teaching of music culture and the attitude of students towards it. Patriotic education in teaching of music culture is realized by familiarizing students with the musical contents that contribute to the development of patriotism, such as traditional, spiritual and patriotic songs, as well as works of national art music. This form of education today has great meaning and significance, especially in the region of Kosovo and Metohija where, due to the specific conditions of life of Serbian people, it is necessary to pay more attention to developing a sense of state and national belonging and patriotism. The paper presents the results of the research which was aimed at determining the opinion of the 8th grade students from the territory of central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija about the importance and representation of the content of patriotic education in elementary school teaching of music culture. The starting assumption of the study was that 8th grade students from the territory of central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija have a developed awareness about the importance of the content of patriotic education and the need for its greater representation in elementary school teaching of music culture, which was partly confirmed by the research. The results of the research indicate the necessity for greater representation of patriotic education in elementary school teaching of music culture. The study was conducted using descriptive methods and the methods of theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Text, both literary and non-literary, is a valuable source of information in teaching, but also an important factor of spiritual formation and strong stimulus for reading satisfaction of a young human being. Numerous researches (PISA, PIRLS, ALL) warn us that young people today have underdeveloped reading skills, underdeveloped skill to understand and not sufficiently developed skill of independent working on a text in order to discover important details in it. Text is the reading material which is meant to be read because of enjoying literature as an art, or it is some kind of help in gaining knowledge, formation of concepts of certain phenomena and processes. Texts typology refers to these two types  literary and non-literary texts. However, both types have more functions in the teaching of language and literature. This paper offers a review of text typology in scientific and professional literature and language teaching methodology. Typical divisions were marked off and a review of research in the country and abroad was also given. The aim of the paper is systematization of the types of texts according to their functions in the teaching of language and literature. The division includes primer texts, reading book texts, lingual-methodical, informative, scientific, instructional, preschool, meaningfulcorrective and non-linear texts. All types of texts are considered from the aspect of promoting teaching language and literature in lower primary school grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foreign trade of the Serbian economy is characterized by a large deficit and unfavourable structure. The importance of the agrarian sector in total trade is reflected in the constant positive trade balance and increasing participation, particularly in export. The aim of the paper is to analyze the basic characteristics of foreign trade of Serbia, as well as to point out the importance of the agrarian sector in the period 2005- 2014. In the first part of the paper are analyzed trends of export, import, and the level of openness of Serbian economy. In the following part the structure of export and import is discussed, and the concentration index presented, or the Herfindahl-Hirschmann index, as well as the diversification index which indicates the difference between the structure of Serbian export and import and the international average. In addition to these indicators, the revealed comparative advantage index was calculated. The analysis of foreign trade of Serbian overall economy indicates a significant presence of agricultural and food products in its structure, particularly in export, and confirms that the agrarian sector is one of few sectors with a constant surplus. Determined indicators show that the comparative advantage in the overall economy trade of Serbia with the world is achieved in primary products and products of lower processing phase, of which a significant part is from the agrarian sector. Therefore, in the final part of the paper the participation of the agrarian sector in the total foreign trade of Serbia is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer tourist destinations attract touristS for various attractions and developed product content. This paper focuses on how various attraction factors are important for tourists. The most used model for analysis of the attraction factors is the Ritchie Crouch model, that defines several attractions categories. The paper stars with a modified Ritchie Crouch model with basic attraction factors in the focus within summer destinations. These factors have been taken into consideration having in mind the specifics of summer destinations and their products. The research methodology is based on the AHP model Analytic Hierarchy Process)). In this model, each interviewee compares different alternatives, and in this case assesses the value of individual attraction factors for the decision making process about a summer destination. On the basis of the results, three segments have been identified, followed by testing the significance of the differences between attraction factors among the defined segments. After this, a hypothesis has been tested that there is a bigger difference among the segments defined according to attraction factors preferences than among the traditionally defined segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]