Annales Scientia Politica

5

Authors: Irina Ostapets

The article reviews the freedom of oeuvre issue in the teaching of M. Heidegger, in particular according to his understanding of notions of tradition, free thinking, creative digestion, just and false, et cetera. Subjects of analysis include the philosopher’s approach to definition of being and matter, subjectivity and objectivity, and their relation with freedom of oeuvre.

11

Authors: Roman Novotný – Viera Ivanková

The aim of this article is to give an overview of global environmental problems, outline the ways in which countries and people have tried to solve them and present some of the most important aspects of global environmental policy as part of its development. The influence that international relations scholars and global environmental policy scientists can have on policy-makers is also solved, with a primary focus on diffuse influence. Political and scientific measures and international regimes that have tried to solve certain environmental problems or tried to find a compromise between these measures are also mentioned.

13

Authors: Jussi P. Laine

Recognising the close interrelationships between social change and paradigm shifts, this article contributes to an interpretation of conceptual change in the study of borders. While borders continue to have considerable relevance today, we need to revisit them in light of their constantly changing historical, political, and social contexts, grasping their shifting and undetermined nature in space and time. The article underlines the multilevel complexity of borders – from the geopolitical to the level of social practice and cultural production at and across the border at different levels and, thus, not only along the dividing lines of nation-state sovereignties. It seeks to make a constructive contribution to debate within border studies by encouraging a productive understanding of the processual, de-territorialised, and dispersed nature of borders and their ensuring regimes in the era of globalisation and transnational flows, as well as showcasing border research as an interdisciplinary field with its own academic standing. Adopting the borderscapes concept as a central organising element, this article advocates for a relational approach to borders which takes into account complementary perspectives that consider the interaction between political visions and everyday sociocultural practices, as well as social representations and artistic imaginaries.

16

Authors: Hana Voltrová

The aim of this paper is to compare the attitude of Australia and Canada to Commonwealth Realms and (British) monarchy. Commonwealth Realms is unofficial group consisting of 16 states which share Queen Elisabeth II. as their Head of State. Even though it is very difficult to identify the exact attitudes of citizens and politicians to this political arrangement in the countries mentioned above, it is possible to observe at least some tendencies. The question of republicanism is very closely related to this topic, therefore, it is included as a part of the analysis in the presented text.

4

Authors: Ondrej Marchevský

Not all borderlines are alike. Report from the international workshop in Kirkenes (Norway)

12

Authors: Vladislav Dudinský - Vladimír Dančišin - Martin Lačný

In the circumstances of existing tendencies towards integration within uniting Europe, it is necessary to surmount mental stereotypes, which, from the historical point of view, have perceived borders and border zones as the areas of potential conflict, battlefield or buffer-zone, where all more significant investments are exposed to possible risk. Surpassing this legacy of the past is relevant also in the case of the Slovak-Ukrainian border zone, which though having a real potential is stigmatized by the phenomenon of periphery and border zone. The realized research, which is the subject of the study, assesses a current state of cross-border cooperation between the Slovak Republic and Ukraine and exposes its positives and at the same time also deficiencies, which are reflected by its participants.

20

Authors: Hela Melkusová

Within the removing barriers and improving the neighboring relationships of the Slovak Republic and Ukraine, the research of crossing the borders was carried out. This research was focused on border points Vyšné Nemecké and Ubľa. Data for this research was collected from August 2016 to October 2016. The findings were related to the travelling aim, demographic data, time limits for crossing the Slovak-Ukrainian border, satisfaction with border guards and customs officers, as well as to the state of border crossing points Vyšné Nemecké and Ubľa. Passengers suggested the ways and the means how to accelerate border procedures that would shorten waiting time and would improve the work of border guards and custom officers. The work and activity of Slovak border guards and customs officers was positively assessed. On the other hand, the job of Ukrainian border guards and customs officers was more criticized when comparing to Slovakia. Concrete suggestions for improvement of this activity are made at the end of the study.