SOUTHERN SHAOLIN DRAGON FIST: EVOLVING FIGHTING SKILLS AND METHODOLOGY FROM THE MYTHICAL TO ACTUAL REALITY

Chinese Kung Fu has a long history, dating back to ancient times of China. Shaolin tradition is very connected to Chan Buddhism, its philosophy and way of living. Early ancestors of Shaolin Temple did many observations on nature and developed some Wushu forms imitating animals (leopard, praying mantis, tiger, eagle, snake, Etc.) Although their most animal forms are based on real, physically available animals they did not hesitate to create forms on mythical creatures as well, such as dragon. The dragon form studied in this article is considered as a part of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu. However, there are many dragon forms in the North and South and it is better to realize this plurality while conducting research. This form is a sample of these various forms, even styles are named after the mythical animal of dragon. The form is comprehensively explained with enough visuals and this is an easy to follow instructional narration for each level of martial arts practitioners.  Article visualizations

SWOT ANALYSIS AND SECURITY MANAGEMENT

SWOT analysis is an analytical method used in management to understand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. It has been used widely since 1960s. Conventional management literature has references to SWOT frequently. However, in security management this method is not used sufficiently. In this article we will have an opportunity to discuss details of SWOT and its applicability to security management field as well. Security managers can benefit from SWOT besides other analytical methods and tools. Internal and external aspects of companies and organizations are evolving very fast. SWOT may provide us a chance to see the potential tendencies in internal and external levels.  Article visualizations

SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Education is a dynamic social process with its two main components: teaching and learning. As a field of study in social sciences education science / pedagogy has a truly interdisciplinary basis. In this article we will discuss socio-psychological aspects of teaching and learning. As human beings we are all social actors: educational managers, teachers, students, parents, etc. All people have their own social responsibilities and tasks in educational activities. When we analyze and understand comprehensively this social reality it will be much more successful to establish effective strategies and apply them in society. Of course, as individuals, social groups and societies we are facing psychological interactions as well. These are very connected to people’s being social actors. This is why it is more proper to take a “socio-psychological” level of analysis for profoundly understanding educational processes. In this scientific discussion we will refer to Marx’s concepts related to education, theories in sociology of education and educational psychology. Our academic purpose is contributing to the progressive literature in education studies as broadening the discussion.  Article visualizations

Sociology of Security in the Insecure World

Security and risk related problems have been important challenges always, however become highly critical since the beginning of 21st Century. The industry of security has grown in relation with the increasing level of threats. Cybercrimes, conflicts, terrorism, organized crimes, etc. are problems both for governments and private companies. In public sector security field has required a professionalized administration, for private sector security management has become a leading and growing field for the future of companies and their investments. The improving mechanisms of security in global, regional and local levels have created important changes as well on societal and individual levels. Today, all societies are more or less, in this way or that way, influenced by changing security paradigms and new progresses in this sector. Sociology, as the discipline researching and analyzing societies in general sense, cannot undervalue what is happening with security field in terms of being a “social institution”. This paper will provide the core concepts and methodological approaches towards establishing sociology of security further as a more progressed sub-discipline of sociology. We will have also the opportunity to focus and analyze examples from different parts of the World such as Europe, Asia and Africa

Social Media and OPSEC / An Analysis through Sociology of Security

When virtual social relations and online interactions have increased in our age media also had a transformation. Social media is a phenomenon which came with wide usage of internet by modern society and individuals. On the one hand it has created opportunities for a more democratic way of communication, participation and dialogue between members of different socio-cultural groups, communities, friends and family members, colleagues, Etc.; on the other hand this new version of media has caused criminal risks, security gaps and vulnerabilities to contemporary threats varied from fraud to cyber-attacks, terrorism, identity theft, ransomwares and so on. Even “old types” of crimes in real life can begin from social media and virtual reality. All these problems are related to several subdisciplines of sociology: sociology of communication, sociology of crime, sociology of security are among them. In this paper we will analyze the topic though sociology of security’s prism. Also, we will discuss what can be the functionality of OPSEC as a measure, which has military background and widely used later on by civilian sectors including corporate security as well

OPSEC Model and Applications

OPSEC (Operations Security) model was developed during the Vietnam War era as a part of military strategies to protect critical information, analyzing vulnerabilities and threats, assessing risks and applying proper countermeasures. 5 steps OPSEC model have been functional for US Army’s operational security and used by other NATO members as well. When threats have spread widely in 21 st Century OPSEC began to be used and applied in a more general context of security world. Today even in cyber security this model serves practically for protection of critical data and information. In this paper we are going to proceed in two levels: on the one hand we will explain the OPSEC principles, steps and conceptual aspects through the main sources of this field; on the other hand we will discuss applications of the model in real world (military, politics, industry, etc.) via some explanatory examples and its potential usages for securing modern life and societies. Our approach will be based on an interdisciplinary view with references to sociology, security studies and management