Croatian Accession to the European Union: Economic and Legal Challenges

The labour market has the most important role in determining the standard of living of citizens of the Republic of Croatia, but this labour market is characterised more by the aim of preserving existing employment than of creating new jobs. Unemployment is a burning topic, irrespective of the considerable differences in data about employment or unemployment in various official sources. The paper will detail EU activities connected with employment, analyse the labour market and measures for reducing unemployment in the Republic of Croatia, and propose some ways in which the labour market might be improved.employment, unemployment, labour relations, labour market,Republic of Croatia, EU

Nadrealizam i moda

Nadrealizam, avangardni pokret koji se uspostavlja kao samostalni pravac u umjetnosti i modi karakterizira se negacijom prethodnog, oslobađanjem od tradicionalnog, automatizmom, fascinacijom snovima i iracionalnim, šokiranjem te provokacijom. Prethodi mu dadaizam s kojim dijeli avangardno uvjerenje da umjetnost treba imati utjecaja na život, mijenjati stavove i potaknuti na reakciju. Oba pokreta djelovala su putem javnih publikacija i događanja uspostavljajući vezu između umjetnosti i svakodnevnog života. Umjetnost i moda imaju veliki utjecaj na društvo danas te su postale dvije gotovo ne djeljive prakse. Najbolji primjer je Salvador Dalí koji se dotiče svih vrsta umjetnosti tako i mode. Prvi pravi primjer brisanja granica između mode i umjetnosti je Elsa Schiaparelli koja ruši granice nekonvencionalnog dizajna. Oboje su cijenili ironije i šokiranja što je rezultiralo njihovom suradnjom u mnogim dizajnerskim projektima povezujući slikarstvo i dizajn na novom nivou. Radi boljeg shvaćanja razvoja mode kroz povijest, u središnjem dijelu rada bit će ukratko opisane modne teorije. Posebno poglavlje posvećeno je objašnjenju razlike pojmova mode i stila. Modni dizajn Else povezan s nadrealističkom umjetnošću pokazuje da i odjeća može biti platno koje služi za prenošenje poruke i ideja, ali i sredstvo identifikacije. Glavne karakteristike Schiaparelli-inog rada bile su inovativnost, istraživanje odnosa tijela i odjeće, fetišizam i provokacija. Osim biografije o dizajnerici, bit će opisan njen rad i utjecaj na društvo

Obesity and Eating Disorders: Perceptions of Dieting Behaviours

Current public health discourse conceptualizes obesity as an illness, and weight loss and/or weight control are then by definition the treatment. Socio-economic status, experiences of social stigma and prejudicial medical care, a history of dieting attempts, and stress have been shown to moderate the relationship between higher weights and poor health. Additionally, weight loss practices in and of themselves are harmful to physical and psychological health. The risks of body dissatisfaction and the pursuit of weight loss are well demonstrated in developing eating pathology. This study investigated if perceptions of dieting behaviour of a hypothetical target are influenced by the target’s body weight, participant belief in weight controllability, and being presented with different health messages regarding body weight. 402 female university students completed this (2 x 2 x 2) experimental study in which they were randomly assigned to receive one of two weight and health messages (weight based model of health vs. Health at Every Size), and randomly assigned to receive one of four scenarios depicting a hypothetical person ‘Jody.’ Jody was depicted as either normal weight or obese, and as either dieting or not dieting and participants completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of Jody and her attitudes and behaviours. Participants also completed a demographic questionnaire, the Antifat Attitudes Test, the Social Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Restraint Scale. Results demonstrated that the lack of dieting behaviour in thinner Jody was almost universally seen as unhealthy, but if she was heavier there was much more variance in the perceptions of her health and her lack of weight control behaviours. Qualitative responses demonstrated that obese Jody’s dieting behaviour would be seen by participants as an eating disorder if she was thinner, and that her weight concern and pursuit of weight loss was positive, but her methods were too extreme. Participants would view her dieting behaviour differently based on her body size, with dieting being seen as negative or unhealthy if she were normal weight or thin, but if she were overweight or obese a lack of restrictive dieting is negative and unhealthy. Belief in weight controllability and prejudicial attitudes about body weight were related to perceiving the lack of dieting behaviours as risky regardless of Jody’s body size, and antifat attitudes were related to perceiving Jody as a person more negatively (unattractive, lazy, stupid) when she was obese. Those who were presented with the weight based model of health message were more likely to perceive non-restrictive behaviours as negative (regardless of Jody’s body weight). Results also suggest that participants were more likely to perceive obese Jody as Black, and as living in poverty, with participants more likely to perceive normal weight Jody as having a higher socioeconomic status. Although it was hypothesized that the dieting behaviours of obese Jody would be perceived as healthy, the key finding was actually in regard to perceptions of her lack of dieting. When Jody was not dieting and normal weight she was seen as healthy and praised for her positive behaviours, but when her BMI was obese and she was not dieting, there was considerable uncertainty as to her health, solely based on her body weight. This study also demonstrates the enigmatic notion of an ‘ideal’ or ‘in between’ in terms of body image and pursuit of weight loss. Too much body hatred was seen as negative, but too much body love was also regarded as negative. There is a paradoxical belief that somehow a person can love their body, but at the same time should still try to change it

Body Weight, Sexual History, and Rape: Attitudes of Future Health Care Providers

This study examines victim blaming for body weight and victim blaming for rape. This study aims to bring these two research strands together to examine victim blaming attitudes towards overweight rape victims. Weight stigma and victim blaming are significant problems in health care, so a sample of future health care providers were recruited to examine their attitudes towards rape victims depending on weight and sexual history. Hypothetical patient files were presented, followed by a questionnaire assessing victim blaming attitudes. Results indicated that sexual history still has a strong influence on victim blaming (more so for men than women), and that patient weight did not influence participants\u27 attitudes towards patients. A three-way interaction was found which indicated that sexual history did not influence attitudes towards overweight patients, but that men and women had opposite reactions to normal weight patients. Limitations, future directions, and implications of this research are discussed

Aktualni revitalizacijski i gentrifikacijski procesi na primjeru Zagreba

Osnovni cilj ovog rada je istraživanje socijalnih dimenzija urbane transformacije u Zagrebu i njene specifične podteme: urbana obnova, urbana revitalizacija, rekonstrukcija i uređenje, ali i procesi proizišli iz njih, kao što je proces gentrifikacije ili “oplemenjivanja” (“dotjerivanja”) urbanoga prostora. Navedene procese često karakterizira brojnost aktera koji u njima sudjeluju i na njih utječu čineći ih prihvatljivima ili neprihvatljivima, ovisno o odnosima među uključenim stranama. Osnovni predmet istraživanja odnosi se na procese uređenja i revitalizacije središta gradova, odnosno, središnjeg dijela grada Zagreba kroz aktualne procese urbane obnove i gentrifikacije. Slučaj uređenja centra Zagreba detaljno se analizira na primjeru planirane gradnje multifunkcionalnog centra na Preradovićevom ili Cvjetnom trgu (projekt Cvjetni prolaz). Navedeni procesi često su neovisni ili tek djelomično ovisni jedni o drugima. Osiromašenje ili pauperizacija prisutni su u gradovima neovisno o navedenim procesima jer prvenstveno ovise o protoku vremena i starenju urbane strukture. Međutim, svi ovi procesi imaju i nešto zajedničko – mogu se događati u središtu grada i tada posebno dolaze u fokus interesa različitih aktera koji zatim u njima sudjeluju i na njih djeluju. Također se može reći da su spomenuti procesi specifični za njegov postsocijalistički i tranzicijski kontekst društvene zbilje. (IN ENGLISH: This paper mainly looks at the social dimensions of urban transformation in Zagreb and its specific sub-themes : urban renewal, urban revitalisation and reconstruction and the issuing processes such as gentrification or “ennoblement” (“embellishment”) of urban space. These processes are often characterised by a large number of actors who take part in them, have influence on them and make them acceptable or unacceptable depending on their own complex interrelations. The basic subject of the research is urban renewal and revitalisation of town centres, especially the centre of Zagreb through the ongoing processes of urban renewal and gentrification. Detailed analysis is presented of the planned construction of the multifunctional centre in Petar Preradović or Flower Square (the Flower Passage project). The mentioned processes are often independent or only partially depend on each other. Pauperisation is present in towns regardless of these processes because it depends primarily on the passage of time and the ageing of the urban structure. But the processes have something in common: they can happen in the city centre and get into the focus of interest of different actors who then take part in them and influence them. They are also specific for the post-socialist and transitional social context.

Kvaliteta stanovanja u mreži naselja Hrvatske

Rad je tematski povezan sa znanstveno– istraživačkim projektom Instituta za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu pod naslovom Sociološki aspekti mreže naselja u kontekstu tranzicije, koji je realiziran u periodu od 2002. do 2005. godine. U sklopu toga provedeno je terensko istraživanje 2004. godine, a dio dobivenih podataka iz njega bit će tema ovoga rada. Navedeni se projekt odnosio na sociološko istraživanje mreže naselja u cijeloj Hrvatskoj, s veličinom uzorka od ukupno 154 naselja različitog tipa. Mreža naselja je sustav urbanih i ruralnih naselja koji zajedno čine prostornu i funkcionalnu cjelinu. Predmet istraživanja rada jest ispitati kvalitetu života u mreži naselja, i to preko elemenata stanovanja, opremljenosti kućanstava, te opremljenosti neposredne okoline ili susjedstva u naseljima. Iz dobivenih rezultata istraživanja utvrdila se postojeća kvaliteta stanovanja u naseljima, te primarna i sekundarna razina opremljenosti kućanstava u mreži naselja. Očekivano, rezultati su najbolji za najveće gradove, naročito za Zagreb, a najlošiji za seoska naselja. Općenito se potvrdila postojeća hijerarhijska struktura ispitivane mreže naselja, sa Zagrebom na vrhu. Međutim, u detaljnoj analizi zamijetili smo da je situacija ipak znatno kompleksnija. Često su podaci bolji za makroregionalne i regionalne centre nego za Zagreb, a za seoska su naselja bolja nego za gradska, ali to ovisi o ispitivanom kriteriju ili elementu kvalitete života odnosno stanovanja. (IN ENGLISH: This paper is topically related to the research project of the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb "Sociological aspects of the settlements network in the context of transition" (2002 - 2005). In 2004 a field research was carried out as a part of it, and same of its resu Its will be the theme of this paper. The said project referred to the sociological research of the settlements network of the whole Croatia with a sample of 154 settlements of different types. The settlements network is a system of urban and rural settlements that make together a spatial and functional whole. The subject matter of the research is to examine the quality of life in the settlements network, using as parameters the dwelling and the quality of equipment of the households, the immediate surrounding ar neighborhood. The obtained resuIts served to ascertain the existing quality of living in the settlements and a primary and secondary level of the quality of equipment of the bousebolds in the settlements network. As expected, the resu Its showed the best quality in the biggest cities, especially Zagreb, and the worse in srna!! villages. In general, the existing hierarchic structure of the network with Zagreb on top was confirmed. However, by using a detailed analysis, it can be seen that the situation is much more complex. The resuIts for macro-regional and regional centers are often better tha n for Zagreb, and for rural settlements than for urban, but it depends on the examined criterion ar the element of quality of living, dwelling respectively.