- Katedra Studiów Politycznych
Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie
ul. Wiśniowa 41
02520 Warszawa
Katarzyna Górak-Sosnowska
Warsaw School of Economics, Dean's Office of Master's Studies, Department Member
- Warsaw School of Economics, Institute of Political Studies, Faculty Memberadd
PurposeThe aim of the paper is to theoretically and empirically explore the issue of well-being (WB) of female administrative employees who work on managerial positions at higher education institutions... more
PurposeThe aim of the paper is to theoretically and empirically explore the issue of well-being (WB) of female administrative employees who work on managerial positions at higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on both literature studies and explorative empirical research conducted in Poland with the use of snowball sampling. It adopted a questionnaire authored by Parker and Hyett and covered 121 respondents.FindingsLiterature studies show that invisibility of work, low level of empowerment, increased stress, workload and expectations, reduced resources, high level of anxiety, fatigue and low level of vitality negatively impact the WB of HEIs’ administrative staff. The presented research provides insight into the internal structure of the administrative staff’s WB. Both the main construct (i.e. employees’ WB) and its subconstructs are on moderate level. Respondents’ age and tasks performed are correlated only with the subconstruct of WB i...
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The notion of ‘happy dean's office’ (DO) seems to be at best an oxymoron as these units are usually understaffed, overworked and perceived at the very bottom of university hierarchy. Contrary to these beliefs the article aims to... more
The notion of ‘happy dean's office’ (DO) seems to be at best an oxymoron as these units are usually understaffed, overworked and perceived at the very bottom of university hierarchy. Contrary to these beliefs the article aims to identify and analyse DOs which could be labelled as ‘happy’, i.e. units which are good places to work in, according to their staff, and/or are valued high by their students. Happiness is treated symbolically rather than a psychological state of human being and refers to a workplace which provides its employees with satisfaction and well-being, and at the same time is perceived as efficient and effective. Our source material are 16 individual in-depth interviews with managers of DOs at Polish HEIs and 3 focus groups. In most cases we visited the DOs and so could also use some participant observation. These and other DOs at the same HEI share the same legal environment, infrastructure and are situated in the same manner in HEIs structure. What makes them different, and so might influence their level of happiness, are: (1) management style, (2) organisational culture, and (3) students. In our research we focus on the first two aspects, the last one, due to lacking data, is skipped. Basing on our research and practical experience – as one of us has been managing a DO for almost 20 years and the other has been serving as a vice-dean for six years – we want to provide recommendations on how a DO can be turned into a good place to work.
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There is an old Polish saying, “każda pliszka swój ogonek chwali”1 meaning that everyone emphasizes their good points. Being a representative of a country of approx imately 40 thousand Muslims (for around 38 million citizens) puts the... more
There is an old Polish saying, “każda pliszka swój ogonek chwali”1 meaning that everyone emphasizes their good points. Being a representative of a country of approx imately 40 thousand Muslims (for around 38 million citizens) puts the author in a dif ficult position. The European academia may not be expected to pay equal attention to Muslims in Poland as in France, UK or Germany. Almost all countries of the old EU have either bigger Muslim populations or a larger proportion of Muslims in the society (usually both). On the other hand, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Albania have a far high er percentage of Muslims in the population, and they also seem to be on the periphery of the European discourse on Islam. This chapter aims to discuss why Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is absent or represented marginally in the European debate about Islam and Muslims. It starts with a brief presentation of the ethnic structure of CEE countries and its impact on perception of Others, in particular M...
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Management of students’ affairs constitutes one of the key elements of the educational process, even though neglected and often treated as a minor issue. In all Polish higher education institutions (HEIs) the units charged with this... more
Management of students’ affairs constitutes one of the key elements of the educational process, even though neglected and often treated as a minor issue. In all Polish higher education institutions (HEIs) the units charged with this administrative task are dean’s offices (in Polish, dziekanaty). The pace of work of dean’s offices is related to the schedule of the academic year. While resources are constant throughout the year, the workload differs significantly and peaks around October, when not only the new semester begins but also many students defend their theses and need to receive their award certificates. Work at dean’s office is therefore often demanding with many tasks cumulated in the same very short period of time and repeatable, that is, as many times as the number of students, which can be from 350 to over 700 per employee. This chapter examines innovative ways of managing students’ affairs at selected Polish HEIs. These innovations can be either top-down, that is, provi...
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The article presents the concept of maslaha, i.e. public good, as well as its historical evolution and scope of application in law and politics. Throughout the centuries the scope and definition of maslaha has been changing, thus it... more
The article presents the concept of maslaha, i.e. public good, as well as its historical evolution and scope of application in law and politics. Throughout the centuries the scope and definition of maslaha has been changing, thus it became both a tool used in the Islamic law, Shariah, as well as a philosophical concept. Due to its essence – its reference to the public good – it was now and again used in politics to legitimise the deeds of the rulers, sometimes flavoured with religion, sometimes based on national reasoning. All these pieces are presented in the following article.
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The paper analyses the Islamophobic and anti-refugee narratives in Poland through the lens of two different modes of patriotism. These two types of patriotism reflect a great division within Polish society – i.e. between openness and... more
The paper analyses the Islamophobic and anti-refugee narratives in Poland through the lens of two different modes of patriotism. These two types of patriotism reflect a great division within Polish society – i.e. between openness and aspiration towards EU and closeness and pride from Polish history. Islamophobic and anti-refugee discourse are powerful tools used in contemporary political discourse by the ruling party, yet they exemplify only one of many layers of the division. The paper starts with setting the framework for Islamophobic discourse in Poland, namely lacking post-colonial reflection and cultural homogeneity. It uses the concept of social imaginary to analyse conflicting discourses on Muslims and refugees on three different examples: use of Polish history for as a source of integration vs. defence against allegations; welcoming refugees as European obligation vs. obligation of EU towards Poland, and endorsing multiculturalism vs. Poland as antemurale christianitatis.
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Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wizerunków kobiet sukcesu w świecie arabskim oraz ukazanie różnorodności sposobów osiągania przez nie sukcesu. Istotnym wątkiem jest także odbiór społeczny takich kobiet. W opracowaniu pojęcie sukcesu ma... more
Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wizerunków kobiet sukcesu w świecie arabskim oraz ukazanie różnorodności sposobów osiągania przez nie sukcesu. Istotnym wątkiem jest także odbiór społeczny takich kobiet. W opracowaniu pojęcie sukcesu ma wymiar zobiektywizowany i wynika przede wszystkim z miejsca zajmowanego przez kobiety w hierarchii społecznej, zwłaszcza w polityce oraz w biznesie (w tym show-biznesie). Problematyka kobiet sukcesu w świecie arabskim (i szerzej: muzułmańskim) nie była jak dotychczas przedmiotem badań i analiz, tym trudniej jest więc mówić o kształtowanych wizerunkach. Niniejsze opracowanie ma zatem charakter wstępnego studium, a podstawę badawczą stanowią sylwetki dwunastu kobiet. (fragment tekstu)
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The article discusses issues concerning sensitive topics in diverse social research, primarily connected with sensitive field research. The authors first analyse issues concerning sensitive topics and then move on to discuss examples of... more
The article discusses issues concerning sensitive topics in diverse social research, primarily connected with sensitive field research. The authors first analyse issues concerning sensitive topics and then move on to discuss examples of socially sensitive research in difficult research-related situations and areas. They also focus on the complex situation of a social researcher conducting research in sensitive, socially, culturally and politically diverse contexts, including in the context of education.
The article critically engages in teaching intercultural education in Poland—a country that is to a great extent homogenous in ethnic or religious terms. It starts with a brief overview of the complicated nature of intercultural... more
The article critically engages in teaching intercultural education in Poland—a country that is to a great extent homogenous in ethnic or religious terms. It starts with a brief overview of the complicated nature of intercultural education, followed by a case study of how intercultural education is studied and researched in Poland in a top academic journal dedicated to intercultural education. Quantitative content analysis shows that intercultural education is generally approached and unrelated to the local Polish context. The only exception is the borderland type of intercultural education. This leads to a conclusion that teaching intercultural education without a context—i.e. real-life experiences—proves to be a challenge in monocultural schools.
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Artykuł omawia cztery programy deradykalizacji dżihadystów realizowane w państwach zamieszkałych w większości przez muzułmanów: w Arabii Saudyjskiej, Egipcie, Indonezji i Jemenie. W każdym państwie specyfika programu deradykalizacyjnego... more
Artykuł omawia cztery programy deradykalizacji dżihadystów realizowane w państwach zamieszkałych w większości przez muzułmanów: w Arabii Saudyjskiej, Egipcie, Indonezji i Jemenie. W każdym państwie specyfika programu deradykalizacyjnego jest odmienna: w Jemenie nacisk kładziony jest przede wszystkim na debatę teologiczną, w Arabii Saudyjskiej oferowany jest kompleksowy program wsparcia psychologicznego i finansowego dla dżihadystów, w Egipcie proces deradykalizacji miał odgórny i w dużej mierze polityczny charakter, a zasadzał się na liderach dwóch organizacji islamistycznych, zaś w Indonezji komponent religijny w programie w zasadzie nie występuje. Artykuł analizuje dopasowane do specyfiki kulturowej i możliwości ekonomicznych sposoby deradykalizacji, wskazując na słabe i mocne strony poszczególnych programów.
Today the European Union (EU) is challenged by the developments beyond its eastern and southern borders, incl. a series of conflicts that have been erupting in different spots of the Middle East and North Africa since the end of 2010,... more
Today the European Union (EU) is challenged by the developments beyond its eastern and southern borders, incl. a series of conflicts that have been erupting in different spots of the Middle East and North Africa since the end of 2010, i.e. the so called Arab Spring and the Russia-Ukraine war that started in 2014. The EU's relations with both regions used to be framed by the European Neighbourhood Policy. The objective of this paper is to examine the implications of the geopolitical changes that have taken place in the EU's imminent neighbourhood over the past few years for that complex policy
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Die Terroranschlage vom 11. September lenkten die Weltaufmerksamkeit nicht nur auf globale Sicherheitspolitik, sondern auch auf den Islam. Es tauchten Fragen auf, die man vorher nie stellte, weil es weder Interesse noch Ursache gab. Im... more
Die Terroranschlage vom 11. September lenkten die Weltaufmerksamkeit nicht nur auf globale Sicherheitspolitik, sondern auch auf den Islam. Es tauchten Fragen auf, die man vorher nie stellte, weil es weder Interesse noch Ursache gab. Im Mittelpunkt stand die Frage, was die Moslems denken, und genauer: was denken sie uber uns? Zu Hilfe eilten internationale, vor allem amerikanische Forschungszentren, die sich mit Meinungsforschungen beschaftigten. Das Forschungsgebiet war noch neu und das Forschungsziel hehr, notwendig und Aufsehen erregend. Bis heute sind dutzende internationale Umfragen entstanden, die die islamische Welt sorgfaltig untersuchen. Alle bieten ihre Antworten zu den die Welt umtreibenden Fragen, die sich auf den Islam und seine Anhanger beziehen. Tatsachlich eroffnen die Meinungsforschungen neue Perspektiven. Moslems werden namlich befragt und ihre Antworte statistisch ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse sollten mit einem hohen Wahrscheinlichkeitsgrad zeigen, was die Moslems fu...
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A short glimpse on the Southern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is enough to understand that several contingen- cies beset the prospect of intra-regional cooperation in the Southern Mediter- ranean (SEM).... more
A short glimpse on the Southern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is enough to understand that several contingen- cies beset the prospect of intra-regional cooperation in the Southern Mediter- ranean (SEM). Historically-determined challenges to cooperation prevail over the opportunities that exist, while the legacy of the Arab Spring and the emer- gence of ISIS, efficiently obscure any hopes for collaboration. The objective of this paper is to explore this issue.
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Dean’s Offices are administrative units of a wide scope of tasks with particular focus on managing students affairs. Their work is regulated by ordinary law, as well as internal normative acts developed at their respective HEIs. In our... more
Dean’s Offices are administrative units of a wide scope of tasks with particular focus on managing students affairs. Their work is regulated by ordinary law, as well as internal normative acts developed at their respective HEIs. In our article we analyse the role of the Dean’s Offices in creating such acts in regard to a) their inclusion in this process; b) their ability to initiate such process; c) a wider framework of legal knowledge that they have access to. Our source material are 15 structured interviews with heads of Dean’s Offices at public and non -public HEIs. Our results indicate that the inclusion of Dean’s Offices in developing internal normative acts varies and seems to be an indication of HEI’s dominating organisational culture. In case of role -oriented cultures, there might be some channels that enable the Dean’s Offices to participate in developing the regulation. However, it depends on the power relations between the Dean’s Offices and central administration of the...
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In the paper the author challenges the stereotypical image of Islamic culture as being repressive and hostile to consumerism. Using variety of examples, the author describes the multifold process of consumer culture formation in the... more
In the paper the author challenges the stereotypical image of Islamic culture as being repressive and hostile to consumerism. Using variety of examples, the author describes the multifold process of consumer culture formation in the Islamic world. Modern Islamic consumer culture is not homogenous. On the one hand, it is shaped by pressures of aggressively marketed global popular culture of Western provenance and reactions (o! en escalating into resistance) to that infl uence by the recipients, but on the other, it is deeply embedded in the traditional values of the local communities. Islam is associated with religious orthodoxy and considered as a juxtaposition of modernity with all its founding elements. One of them is consumer culture, which, due to its materialistic character, focus on individualism and relationship with o! en not too much sophisticated and morally unambiguous mass culture, seems to contradict any religious rules. Apparently this view was well founded, especially...
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This article explores the conversion processes of Polish women of Catholic background to Islam. Data from participant observation of mosque-based, women-only weekend gatherings for converts and in-depth interviews with 29 Polish female... more
This article explores the conversion processes of Polish women of Catholic background to Islam. Data from participant observation of mosque-based, women-only weekend gatherings for converts and in-depth interviews with 29 Polish female converts to Islam are presented to illustrate the dialectic between the persistence and transformation of religious habitus. Our analysis demonstrates that in the conversion process, Catholic habitus remains pervasive, and shapes converts’ engagement with the new religion; however, some elements of it become reflexive and change. We make a case for extending the discussion on habitus transformation by drawing attention to what we term a “translation” of religious beliefs and practices. Women in our study translate the system of Islamic practices and beliefs into a specific Catholic logic that is more intelligible to them and, in the process, recognize some of the power dynamics inherent in the religious field.
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Eastern European Studies, and 15 moreGender Studies, Reflexivity, Religious Conversion, Islamic Studies, Women and Gender Issues in Islam, History of Roman Catholicism, Habitus, Pierre Bourdieu, Islam, Dialectic, Poland, Catholic Church, Participant Observation, Anthropology of Religion, and Sociology religion
Management of students’ affairs is a significant process supporting teaching at every higher education institution. Units responsible for this administrative task (mostly referred to asdean’s offices) not only monitor, verify, and... more
Management of students’ affairs is a significant process supporting teaching at every higher education institution. Units responsible for this administrative task (mostly referred to asdean’s offices) not only monitor, verify, and document the educational process of each student, but also regulate some crucial aspects of formal teacher-student relations. While all dean’s offices serve the same purpose – i.e. provide administrative support to the teaching process – and work within a similar legal framework, they manage students’ affairs in different ways. The aim of the article is to explore and analyse these differences. Basing on 26 individual in-depth interviews and visits to dean’s offices in Polish HEIs the paper analyses the organisation of work and selected core processes which are conducted at these units: processing students’ applications, removing from students’ lists, organising thesis defences, and organising examination schedules.
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Unofficial marriage (Arabic nikah ‘urfi, zawag ‘urfi) is an innovation used primarily in Egypt. In view of the high cost of marriage, ‘urfi’s role is instrumental in religiously legitimising a relationship. At the same time it is a step... more
Unofficial marriage (Arabic nikah ‘urfi, zawag ‘urfi) is an innovation used primarily in Egypt. In view of the high cost of marriage, ‘urfi’s role is instrumental in religiously legitimising a relationship. At the same time it is a step to enter the true, i.e. official, marriage. The ‘urfi institution has been applied over the last few years to relationships between Western female tourists and local men within so-called sex tourism or romance. The article analyses ways of understanding and perception of ‘urfi marriage by Western female tourists. The source material consists of the women’s online posts on forums devoted to intimate touristic contacts between European women and Arabs. Several types of the narrative can be specified, such as the partner’s sexual potential, urfi as the tool of discrediting Western women engaged in the model, legitimacy for having sex, or impure intentions of habib (‘lover’). Family affairs are of minimal importance in the discourse, which emphasises ins...
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The paper presents the strategies of Middle East and North African countries in coping with COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of spring/summer 2020. It offers a categorisation of strategies basing on the available assets the countries... more
The paper presents the strategies of Middle East and North African countries in coping with COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of spring/summer 2020. It offers a categorisation of strategies basing on the available assets the countries have and political situation. According to this categorisation there are countries in which the pandemic is one more burden to bear that makes the current political or economic situation even worse (countries torn by war or serious internal social conflicts); countries that cope with the pandemic as good as it gets – taking their institutional capacities (Egypt and Morocco); the too rich to fail category of GCC countries, and two possible success stories (by that time Jordan and Tunisia).
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This paper is a non-conventional academic paper based on a live discussion organized by the Polish expert on Saudi women’s issues, Professor Anna Odrowaz-Coates (2015, 2016), which took place in The Maria Grzegorzewska University in... more
This paper is a non-conventional academic paper based on a live discussion organized by the Polish expert on Saudi women’s issues, Professor Anna Odrowaz-Coates (2015, 2016), which took place in The Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw, in June 2018. Two participating experts are known for their conflicting points of view on issues of security and integration of Muslims in Europe. In this exchange of viewpoints, they focussed on the issue of conversion to Islam in Poland and the UK, drawing upon multiple field research experiences they encountered. The main points of reference deal with the conversion of British prisoners whilst in prison and that of Polish women of diverse backgrounds. The impact of new media on the formation of public opinion, dissemination of faith and radicalization is also considered. The expert debate makes a significant contribution towards the socio-cultural and political discussion on culture clash versus coherence, integration and stability in a Europe...
Research Interests: Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Terrorism, Religion and Politics, Political Violence and Terrorism, and 11 morePolitics, Political Extremism/Radicalism/Populism, Islam in Europe, Radicalization, Faith, Islam, Religious Extremism, European converts to Islam, Terrorism and Political Violence, Viewpoints, and Islam In Europe
Branding caliphate. ISIS, Al‑Baghdadi and the new era of global jihadism In Summer 2014 Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al‑Sham declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. By referring to the marketing... more
Branding caliphate. ISIS, Al‑Baghdadi and the new era of global jihadism In Summer 2014 Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al‑Sham declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. By referring to the marketing technique of branding the author analyzes how the caliphate is created in the public space. In this case branding recalls the classical techniques used by Islamists (takfir, fighting bida’), but also means such things as using new information technologies and sophisticated forms of violence. The marking success of caliphate is the bigger that it is innovative, is an Utopia that became real and supports negative Western stereotypes about Islam.
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The article aims to explore and analyze online activity of Polish female converts to Islam, especially, on forums. Since the number of Muslims in Poland is marginal, Internet forums provide the converts with a sense of a virtual... more
The article aims to explore and analyze online activity of Polish female converts to Islam, especially, on forums. Since the number of Muslims in Poland is marginal, Internet forums provide the converts with a sense of a virtual Polishummaas well as information about Islam. At the same time, most of these forums are closed or hidden from the outside world and often only accessible through a network of contacts from the real world. In other words, forum members know each other in person. That is why ideological divisions (mostly between Salafīs and more liberal Muslimas) are visible also in the virtual world. This makes many converts unambiguous when it comes to their sense of belonging to the virtualumma: on one side, the virtualummais their link to other Muslims but, on the other side, they feel misunderstood or even excluded due to the ideological differences within it.
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... Rabat, a nie Ar-Ribat). Jako formę przymiotnikową rzeczownika islam przyjęto za Słownikiem języka polskiego: muzułmański, a nie islamski. ... praw obywatelskich lub kwestii bezpieczeństwa, które stanowią istotny problem w wielu... more
... Rabat, a nie Ar-Ribat). Jako formę przymiotnikową rzeczownika islam przyjęto za Słownikiem języka polskiego: muzułmański, a nie islamski. ... praw obywatelskich lub kwestii bezpieczeństwa, które stanowią istotny problem w wielu regionach rozwijających się6. ...
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... Wiele jednak dzieli kobiety od uznania ich za peł-noprawnych partnerów w biznesie z powodu aktyw-ności środowisk konserwatywnych, dla których rola kobiety ogranicza się do sfery prywatnej. ... Page 7. 7 wisko mężczyźni (Seikaly 1994,... more
... Wiele jednak dzieli kobiety od uznania ich za peł-noprawnych partnerów w biznesie z powodu aktyw-ności środowisk konserwatywnych, dla których rola kobiety ogranicza się do sfery prywatnej. ... Page 7. 7 wisko mężczyźni (Seikaly 1994, s. 423). ...
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At the first glance Polish intolerance of Muslims—expressed in a variety of quantitative and qualitative studies—seems to be puzzling for two reasons. Firstly, Poland has a six century long tradition of peaceful coexistence with Tatars,... more
At the first glance Polish intolerance of Muslims—expressed in a variety of quantitative and qualitative studies—seems to be puzzling for two reasons. Firstly, Poland has a six century long tradition of peaceful coexistence with Tatars, indigenous Polish Muslims, thus Poles should be used to the Muslim Other. Secondly, the number of Muslims in Poland is marginal (approximately 0.1%), which makes them hardly visible in the public sphere. Based on four hypotheses constructed on two factors (the number of Muslims and the wider regional and European context) the article hopes to provide some preliminary explanations.
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The book is divided into three thematic parts: international security and policy of world’s super powers towards the MENA region; issues of democracy and civic society and dimensions of social and economic growth. They cannot, of course,... more
The book is divided into three thematic parts: international security and policy of world’s super powers towards the MENA region; issues of democracy and civic society and dimensions of social and economic growth. They cannot, of course, be seen as a comprehensive studies but rather serve as inspiration for further academic inquiry. It can be of interest to students or to anyone interested in the MENA region. Part one comprises of articles devoted to policies of the U.S. and Russian towards
MENA region, as well as issues vital to international security as Pakistan-Iran relations or foreign policy of Turkey, which had by 2010 emerged as a local super power. It also analyzes American-Qatar relations as well as the influence of Washington’s foreign policy on the stabilization of Egyptian autocracy. Part one includes additionally the issue
as relevant to maintaining international equilibrium as migration of Christian caused by military conflict in Iraq, which after the Arab Spring became a regional problem.
Part two is devoted to issues of democratization and development of civil society, related to deficit of democracy. It includes articles dedicated to an analysis of Kingdom
of Jordan’s political system, which has successfully incorporated elements of political pluralism into traditionally undemocratic rule of Hashemite dynasty, and well as perspective of democratization in Egypt, the most populous country of the region, to which the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2012 brought a difficult transition. Problems of civil society were also addressed in context of non-Arab countries of MENA region – Iran and Turkey. The last part is dedicated to the complex subject of socio-economic growth of the MENA region. Articles touch upon issues as current as relevant problems as changes in ownership structure in relation to Arab online media outlets and changes in patterns of youth behavior. Both chapters are particularly valuable because they adopt a comparative approach towards the subject. The last article of the book, a text on dilemma of
Egypt’s economic growth, which for years progressed on the expense of large part of society and contributed to the explosion of public discontents, sheds light on the process characteristic not only for the country itself.
The book would not have been possible without the generous support shown throughout the whole process of organization of this conference of Professor Andrzej Mania (Vice-Rector of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Bogdan Szlachta and Professor Andrzej Dudek (Deans of Faculty of International and Political Studies of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Adam W. Jelonek, Professor Leszek Korporowicz, Professor Krzysztof Kościelniak, Professor Jerzy Zdanowski, Dr Łukasz Fyderek, Dr Hayssam Obeidat, Dr Ewa Trojnar, Dr Joanna Wardęga and Agnieszka Mielczarska (Faculty of the Institute of the Middle and Far East of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Maria Kapiszewska (Vice-Rector of the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University), Professor Hieronim Kubiak, Professor Tadeusz Paleczny, Professor Adam Bieniek, Professor Soli Sahvar and Dr Ido Zelkovitz from the University of Haifa, students and PhD students of the Institute of the Middle and Far East and the Institute of Political Science and International Relations of the Jagiellonian University, Wojciech Wiśniewski and the Academic Circle of Students of International Relations JU (KSSM UJ), Gabriela Hurkot, Jan Kirschenbaum, Katarzyna Gorgoń, Michał Moroz and Ewa Pacułt for support during the whole editorial process. At the end I must also record my deepest gratitude for Karolina Rak and Michał Lipa, friends of many years, excellent editors and the best conference coordinators. Without them and the authors of all articles preparing this publication would not have been realized.
MENA region, as well as issues vital to international security as Pakistan-Iran relations or foreign policy of Turkey, which had by 2010 emerged as a local super power. It also analyzes American-Qatar relations as well as the influence of Washington’s foreign policy on the stabilization of Egyptian autocracy. Part one includes additionally the issue
as relevant to maintaining international equilibrium as migration of Christian caused by military conflict in Iraq, which after the Arab Spring became a regional problem.
Part two is devoted to issues of democratization and development of civil society, related to deficit of democracy. It includes articles dedicated to an analysis of Kingdom
of Jordan’s political system, which has successfully incorporated elements of political pluralism into traditionally undemocratic rule of Hashemite dynasty, and well as perspective of democratization in Egypt, the most populous country of the region, to which the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2012 brought a difficult transition. Problems of civil society were also addressed in context of non-Arab countries of MENA region – Iran and Turkey. The last part is dedicated to the complex subject of socio-economic growth of the MENA region. Articles touch upon issues as current as relevant problems as changes in ownership structure in relation to Arab online media outlets and changes in patterns of youth behavior. Both chapters are particularly valuable because they adopt a comparative approach towards the subject. The last article of the book, a text on dilemma of
Egypt’s economic growth, which for years progressed on the expense of large part of society and contributed to the explosion of public discontents, sheds light on the process characteristic not only for the country itself.
The book would not have been possible without the generous support shown throughout the whole process of organization of this conference of Professor Andrzej Mania (Vice-Rector of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Bogdan Szlachta and Professor Andrzej Dudek (Deans of Faculty of International and Political Studies of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Adam W. Jelonek, Professor Leszek Korporowicz, Professor Krzysztof Kościelniak, Professor Jerzy Zdanowski, Dr Łukasz Fyderek, Dr Hayssam Obeidat, Dr Ewa Trojnar, Dr Joanna Wardęga and Agnieszka Mielczarska (Faculty of the Institute of the Middle and Far East of the Jagiellonian University), Professor Maria Kapiszewska (Vice-Rector of the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University), Professor Hieronim Kubiak, Professor Tadeusz Paleczny, Professor Adam Bieniek, Professor Soli Sahvar and Dr Ido Zelkovitz from the University of Haifa, students and PhD students of the Institute of the Middle and Far East and the Institute of Political Science and International Relations of the Jagiellonian University, Wojciech Wiśniewski and the Academic Circle of Students of International Relations JU (KSSM UJ), Gabriela Hurkot, Jan Kirschenbaum, Katarzyna Gorgoń, Michał Moroz and Ewa Pacułt for support during the whole editorial process. At the end I must also record my deepest gratitude for Karolina Rak and Michał Lipa, friends of many years, excellent editors and the best conference coordinators. Without them and the authors of all articles preparing this publication would not have been realized.