Analysis of Strategy of Culture Development in Krakow 2010–2014 as an example of public Policy implementation

The article omits the role of the Krakow Festival Office in the Krakow cultural system. Krakow Festival Office is the institution which organizational profile and a kind of proposed cultural events is quite different from the traditional cultural institutions that have been characterized so far. Krakow Festival Office implements projects that are far broader and far more expensive than other institutions. It is difficult not to notice that Krakow Festival Office is privileged when considering international cultural projects in the Strategy of Culture Development in Krakow. Theatres and exhibition institutions have some chances for growth considering the statements in the Strategy. However the situation of libraries and cultural houses ma get worse. The strength of cultural institutions lies also in the strength of cultural houses and libraries. It seems though that the authors of the Strategy neglect the role of institutions mentioned above in the social capital building. Reading the Strategy of Culture Development in Cracow one may have justifies doubts whether the interests of the local citizens are sufficiently taken care of. It seems that the Strategy centrates more on promotional marketing for the Krakow brand and  ess on the cultural needs of Krakow’s citizens. Both directions of cultural policy do not exclude each other. The proper research on the needs of Krakow’s citizens is missing. Thus it is difficult to rationalize the spending on culture in Krakow including the need of Krakow’s citizens as well as the investment in the promotion of culture in Krakow in the international area

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces clinical symptoms, but do not change frontal alpha asymmetry in people with major depression disorder

Objectives. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has demonstrated to be successful in the reduction of relapse rates in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD). Little is known if MBCT is effective for treating individuals with current MDD episode and about underlying psychophysiological mechanisms of symptoms reduction. The aim of the present study was to assess effects of MBCT on depressed individuals in terms of reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms and to evaluate if this therapeutic improvement would be reflected on neurophysiological level by shift in frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Participants. We studied 20 individuals with current MDD. Design. Participants were randomly assigned either to waiting list or 8-week MBCT. Before and after the treatment we have assessed depression, anxiety, and FAA in resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) – an indicator of approach vs. withdrawal-related response dispositions and a vulnerability factor of MDD. Results. In line with previous findings, reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms, but no change in mean values of FAA in MBCT group was found. Conclusions. These results provide a support for the beneficial effects of MBCT in current MDD treatment, however, they do not support the hypothesis on alpha asymmetry change as a neural correlate of MDD improvement