The murderer as writer, storyteller and protagonist : the case of Krystian Bala

This paper presents the results of the semiotic analysis in which the story of Krystian Bala, a Polish author who was convicted of murder, is studied in detail. The presented case study focuses on the interactions between real and fictional worlds, in particular, on the possibility of amalgamation of a real author’s and a fictional storyteller’s roles. Furthermore, the double-dimensional analysis of reality and fiction is complemented and broadened by an in-depth examination of how this story has inspired other authors. By discussing real events and texts of culture based on them, this paper aims at presenting the process in which the writer who had turned to be the murderer became the protagonist of artistic creations of others, and, in consequence, a part of a broader socio-cultural phenomenon

You Can Knock on the Doors and Windows of the University, but Nobody Will Care: How Universities Benefit from Network Silence around Gender-Based Violence

This paper exposes the role of universities in creating silence around gender-based violence in higher education, drawing on narratives from 39 qualitative interviews with victims/survivors and bystanders about reporting incidents and experiences. In this paper, we extend concept of ‘network silence’ around sexual harassment to other forms of gender-based violence. Our research applies three components of the theoretical model of network silence, namely, self-silencing by victims/survivors, silencing, and not hearing by others, and analyses their contextual manifestations through the reporting experiences of victims/survivors and bystanders. This helps to identify the traits of the informal organisational structures and power dynamics, gendered attitudes, actors, and factors which facilitate silencing. The intersectional approach in our analysis of organisational contextual traits contributes to the research on inequality regimes in universities. The findings suggest that universities are making limited efforts to address silence around gender-based violence. We conclude that shared beliefs among the leadership about the reputation and prestige of the university facilitate the endurance of silence in universities. Our findings indicate reasons why universities fail to create spaces that are safe from gender-based violence

Crime in Kraków in 2016-2017 : a spatial analysis

Celem artykułu jest zaprezentowanie ogólnych tendencji w przestrzennym zróżnicowaniu przestępczości w Krakowie w latach 2016-2017. Zostały one zrekonstruowane na podstawie przeprowadzonej z wykorzystaniem cyfrowej mapy zagrożeń analizy rozmieszczenia przestrzennego badanych zdarzeń oraz analizy nagromadzenia hot spot. Przestrzenna charakterystyka przestępczości sporządzona została w odniesieniu do ogółu przestępstw oraz do wybranych kategorii przestępstw. Analizy uzupełniono o wpływ zmiennej czasu - uwzględniono kategorie: roku popełnienia przestępstwa, pory roku i pory dnia

Cultural Untranslatability on the Example of Vladimir Sorokin’s novel “Day of the Oprichnik”

Praca magisterska została poświęcona problematyce nieprzekładalności kulturowej. Jej głównym celem jest zbadanie, w jaki sposób elementy kulturowe pojawiające się w powieści Władimira Sorokina „Dzień oprycznika” (2006) zostały oddane w tłumaczeniach. Szczegółowej analizie poddano przekład Agnieszki Lubomiry Piotrowskiej na język polski i przekład Jamey Gambrell na język angielski. W rozdziale pierwszym, stanowiącym ramę teoretyczną pracy, zaprezentowano zagadnienia dotyczące nieprzekładalności kulturowej. W rozdziale drugim szczegółowo scharakteryzowano „Dzień oprycznika”, z uwzględnieniem jego intertekstualności oraz stylistyczno-językowej złożoności. W rozdziałach trzecim i czwartym została zaprezentowana analiza porównawcza przekładów angielskiego oraz polskiego, skoncentrowana na tych nacechowanych kulturowo elementach powieści, które odnoszą się do jej głównych tematów – opryczniny oraz religii prawosławnej.This master’s thesis is focused on the issue of cultural untranslatability. Its main goal is to study how cultural elements which appear in Vladimir Sorokin’s novel “Day of the Oprichnik” (2006) were translated by Agnieszka Lubomira Piotrowska into Polish and by Jamey Gambrell into English. The first chapter, which constitutes the theoretical framework of this thesis, presents relevant topics related to cultural untranslatability. In the second chapter, “Day of the Oprichnik” is being analysed in detail, taking into account its intertextuality as well as stylistic and linguistic complexity. Two last chapters present the in-depth comparative analysis of English and Polish translations that is concentrated on these cultural aspects of the novel which are related to its main themes — the oprichnina and Eastern Orthodoxy

Coordination tools : examples of effective actions aiming at improving safety

In-depth interviews provided information about the practical aspect of coordinating actions aiming at ensuring safety. Actions aiming at preventing local dangers are harmonised in Polish districts in many different ways, yet coordinating functions are not always fulfilled by the safety and order committees or by the district programmes. The research material was used in order to reconstruct three types of the most common coordination tools that are used by the districts. The first type includes these institutions that explicitly assumed responsibility for harmonising actions aiming at ensuring (broadly defined) safety within a given area. This group includes, but is not limited to, Police, municipal police, social welfare centres, as well as the mayor's safety commissioner, which function as coordinating entities. The second coordination type consists in harmonising actions aiming at ensuring safety by non-governmental organisations operating within the districts. Local governments are eager to cooperate with foundations and associations and they consider such cooperation to be of particular importance; a tendency to shape coordination in such a way seems to be one of the most significant ones. The last type of coordination tools include safety programmes other than the programme referred to in the Act on the local government at the district level, which are of strategic significance for harmonising actions taken by individual institutions tasked with preventing dangers. These types of coordination tools are an example of certain tendencies that can be found in many Polish districts, irrespective of their size or location. This typology is not an exhaustive one and its elements do not function within a social vacuum, as the described instruments for harmonising actions aiming at ensuring safety are not disjunctive. They may be used together with other solutions that complement a given form of coordination. The diversity of solutions proves that it is not possible to refer to only one, appropriate procedure in the context of local actions aiming at ensuring safety. Each of the suggested coordination tools may be extremely effective and novel, as well as allow for an immediate reaction to current problems. It is very important that these instruments be appropriately prepared, i.e. it is necessary to determine its operating rules, identify objectives and priorities, set a timetable for implementing individual actions and provide for appropriate financing sources. The described examples of individual types of coordination tools shall be considered good practices. Not only do they increase overall effectiveness of actions, but they also promote the engagement of local communities in activities aiming at improving safety and make citizens, representatives of local authorities, services, inspections, guards and other institutions tasked with fighting dangers think that local safety is their common concern and that it can really be influenced by them

The image of Grigori Rasputin in modern culture

Podstawowy cel naukowy pracy stanowi zrekonstruowanie, w oparciu o wybrane filmy oraz utwory literackie nawiązujące do Rasputina, sposobów przedstawiania tej postaci historycznej przez współczesnych twórców. Pierwszy rozdział poświęcony został szczegółowemu omówieniu mitu Grigorija Jefimowicza. Problem ten opracowano w oparciu o różnorodną literaturę naukową dotyczącą owej postaci historycznej. W rozdziale drugim skoncentrowano się na sposobie przedstawiania Rasputina w kinematografii. Punkt wyjścia dla rozważań stanowią pierwsze poświęcone mużykowi filmy, które zaczęły powstawać już w roku 1917. W kolejnych podrozdziałach przeanalizowane zostają cztery zachodnie i dwie rosyjskie produkcje ukazujące losy Grigorija Jefimowicza oraz przykłady obrazów, w których pojawiają się, często dość swobodne, nawiązania do tej postaci.W ostatnim rozdziale opisany zostaje wizerunek Grigorija Jefimowicza w szeroko pojętej literaturze pięknej. Większość rozważań poświęcono sposobom przedstawiania Rasputina w prozie – przeanalizowano tu cztery utwory, napisane przez autorów wywodzących się z zachodniego kręgu kulturowego oraz trzy pozycje rosyjskojęzyczne, w których główną rolę odgrywa syberyjski chłop, a także opisano wybrane książki nawiązujące do losów tej postaci historycznej. Omawiane utwory prozaiczne należą do różnych gatunków (powieści, opowiadania) oraz nurtów literackich (m.in. proza historyczna, sensacyjna, fantastyczna). W zakończeniu pracy podjęto próbę przedstawienia wniosków dotyczących tego, w jaki sposób jest kreowany i czym się charakteryzuje wizerunek Rasputina we współczesnej kulturze.The main scientific goal of this thesis is to capture and show the image of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, which is widespread in modern culture. The research material contains films and literature, which arisen during the 20th century and at the beginning of 21st century.The first chapter has biographical character. In this part not only the life of Rasputin was described, but also the specific way of showing this man in scientific literature, which turns out to be full of gossips and inaccuracies. This enables to prove that specific myth about Rasputin exists and is duplicated in many historical books and works of art, especially in films and novels. In the second chapter some films about Rasputin are analyzed and described in details. Among them occur mostly historical dramas, where Grigori Yefimovich plays a main role. The author also bring some examples of artworks, which only loosely refer to Rasputin’s story e.g. cartoon or fantasy film. The last part of thesis describes the image of Grigori Yefimovich in literature, mostly in works of prose. Chosen books represent different styles and genres and were written in Russia, Western Europe and North America, what allows making some important conclusions about universal portrayal of Rasputin in modern culture. Despite of books it is also shown how this character inspires song writers and graphics, who decide to write lyrics and draw comics about him