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Matija Murko and comparative literature
No full textPričujoča monografija oziroma posebna številka revije Primerjalna književnost je rezultat triletnega raziskovalnega projekta Na poti k zgodovini primerjalne književnosti v luči globalizacije: Matija Murko in njegovi mednarodni sodelavci (J6-4620), ki je od leta 2022 do leta 2025 potekal na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani ob finančni podpori Javne agencije za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije (ARIS). Namen zbranih prispevkov je raziskati bogato komparativistično zapuščino Matije Murka (1861–1952), ki je v času svojega življenja veljal za enega največjih slavistov, po smrti pa je njegova prepoznavnost presegla okvire slavistike in je dosegel svetovno slavo na širšem literarnovednem področju ter v številnih drugih humanističnih vedah. Murko se je rodil v vasi Derstelja v okolici Ptuja slovensko govorečim staršem. Sklop odpirata prispevka Toneta Smoleja in Blaža Zabela, ki poskušata celostno zajeti Murkov doprinos h komparativistiki. Smolej obravnava njegovo zgodnje raziskovalno obdobje, v katerem prepozna predfrancoske začetke slovenske komparativistike, Zabel pa prek raziskovanja Murkovega vpliva na ameriško komparativistiko pokaže, da so najodmevnejšo mednarodno recepcijo dosegle Murkove folkloristične raziskave južnoslovanske epike. Nato si prispevki sledijo zgodovinsko in tematsko, s čimer želimo Murkovo akademsko komparativistično pot zajeti čim bolj celostno. Petra Kramberger in Irena Samide raziščeta Murkovo zgodnje germanistično raziskovanje, ki se mu je posvečal v času študija na Dunaju. Alen Širca obravnava njegove pionirske raziskave dalmatinsko-dubrovniške literature iz graškega obdobja. Murkovo slavistično formacijo metodološko osvetlita prispevka Andraža Ježa in Blaža Gselmana. Sledijo članki, posvečeni Murkovemu praškemu obdobju: Varja Balžalorsky Antić obravnava Murkovo doslej neraziskano sodelovanje s francoskimi slavisti, Miloš Zelenka njegov prispevek k razvoju praškega strukturalizma, ene najvplivnejših smeri v komparativistiki in literarni vedi, Alenka Jensterle Doležal pa skozi primerjavo s sočasno literarno vedo izpostavlja njegov doprinos h kulturnim študijam. Sledita prispevek Jasmine Talam in Irene Miholić, ki preuči Murkovo zgodnje in povojno raziskovanje južnoslovanske ustne epike, ter prispevek Sylve Fischerove, ki izpostavi povezave med njegovimi folklorističnimi raziskavami in češko slavistiko. Sklop zaključi prispevek Nine Petek, ki se posveča doslej povsem spregledanemu področju Murkovega zanimanja za indoevropsko lingvistiko in literarno izročilo. Zbrani prispevki tako celostno zaobjamejo različna področja, ki jih je Murko zaznamoval s svojimi komparativističnimi raziskavami: od germanistike, slavistike, filologije in etnologije do preučevanja literarnih vplivov, kulturnih študij in ustnega slovstva.This special issue of the journal Primerjalna književnost (Comparative Literature) is the result of a three-year research project Towards a History of Comparative Literature in a Global Perspective: Matija Murko and His International Collaborators (J6-4620), conducted from 2022 to 2025 at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, with financial support from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS). The aim of the collected contributions is to explore the rich comparative legacy of Matija Murko (1861–1952), who during his lifetime was regarded as one of the foremost Slavic scholars, and whose renown, after his death, extended far beyond this discipline, earning him global recognition in the broader field of literary studies and in numerous other branches of the humanities. The volume opens with two contributions, by Tone Smolej and Blaž Zabel, which offer a comprehensive account of Murko’s contribution to comparative literature. Smolej discusses Murko’s early research period, identifying pre-French beginnings of Slovenian comparative literature, while Zabel, through his investigation of Murko’s influence on American comparative literature, demonstrates that Murko’s folkloristic studies of South Slavic epic poetry had the most significant international reception. Then the articles are organized historically and thematically, aiming to present Murko’s academic trajectory in comparative literature as comprehensively as possible. Petra Kramberger and Irena Samide examine Murko’s early work in Germanic studies, which he pursued during his time in Vienna. Alen Širca explores his pioneering studies of Dubrovnik literature from his period in Graz. Murko’s formation as a Slavist is methodologically illuminated by Andraž Jež and Blaž Gselman. Then the articles address Murko’s Prague period: Varja Balžalorsky Antić sheds light on Murko’s previously unexplored collaboration with French Slavic scholars, Miloš Zelenka discusses his contribution to the development of Prague structuralism, one of the most influential schools in comparative literature and literary theory, and Alenka Jensterle Doležal, through a comparison with contemporary literary studies, highlights his contribution to cultural studies. The contribution by Jasmina Talam and Irena Miholić examines Murko’s early and post-war research on South Slavic oral poetry, while Sylva Fischerová’s article emphasizes the connections between his folklore studies and Czech Slavic studies. The monograph concludes with Nina Petek’s contribution, which addresses a hitherto completely overlooked aspect of Murko’s work, his reception of Indo-European linguistics and literature. Together, these contributions offer a comprehensive overview of the various fields Murko helped shape through his comparative research: from Germanic and Slavic studies, philology, ethnology, to cultural studies, the study of literary influences, and of oral literature
Subjective well-being of mothers during their emerging adult children’s separation-individuation
No full textV srednji odraslosti se s subjektivnim blagostanjem (SB) oseb med več drugimi značilnostmi povezujejo njihove demografske in osebnostne značilnosti ter kakovost odnosa z otroki, ki se osamosvajajo ali so se že osamosvojili. Vendar učinki vidikov psihološkega osamosvajanja mladih v odnosu do staršev, kot ga ocenjujejo mladi sami oziroma njihovi starši, na SB še niso bili dokumentirani. V pričujoči študiji smo zato poleg demografskih in osebnostnih značilnosti mam preučevali prispevek petih vidikov psihološkega osamosvajanja mladih k trem dimenzijam SB mam po Keyesovem modelu. V raziskavi je sodelovalo je 259 parov mam in njihovih otrok na prehodu v odraslost. Poleg demografskih podatkov so mame posredovale samoocene osebnostnih lastnosti pri NEO petfaktorskem inventarju 30 in SB pri kratki obliki Kontinuuma mentalnega zdravja ter poročale o psihološkem osamosvajanju svojega otroka pri Testu osamosvajanja na prehodu v odraslost (TOPO-K, priredba za oceno mam). Otroci pa so poročali o svojih demografskih značilnostih in vidikih psihološkega osamosvajanja pri TOPO-K. V hierarhične regresijske modele napovedi dimenzij SB mam smo vključili demografske in osebnostne značilnosti mam ter vidike psihološkega osamosvajanja. V tretjem koraku smo ločeno upoštevali samoocene otrok in ocene mam. Samoocena vidikov psihološkega osamosvajanja mladih je prirastno napovedovala čustveno blagostanje mam (predvsem višje zanašanje nase), mamine ocene osamosvajanja njihovih otrok pa vse tri dimenzije SB. Višje čustveno in psihološko blagostanje je prirastno napovedovala zaznana povezanost mam z otroki, višje socialno blagostanje pa otrokovo zanašanje nase. Povezanost z otrokom na prehodu v odraslost in zanašanje otrok nase, ki sta ključna za uspešno izpeljan proces psihološkega osamosvajanja, sta značilno in prirastno prispevala k SB mam, preko demografskih in osebnostnih značilnosti, kar ima pomembne nasledke za psihološko prakso.In middle adulthood, individuals‘ subjective well-being (SWB) is associated with various factors, including demographic and personality characteristics, as well as the quality of their relationship with children who are in the process of gaining independence or have already attained it. However, the effects of different aspects of emerging adults‘ psychological separation-individuation in relation to their parents on parental SWB have not yet been documented. In this study, we examined the contribution of five aspects of emerging adults‘ separation-individuation –assessed both by the emerging adults themselves and by their parents– to three dimensions of mothers’ SWB, as defined by Keyes’ model, while also considering mothers’ demographic and personality characteristics. The study included 259 mother-child dyads, with mid-aged mothers and their emerging adult children. Mothers provided demographic information, self-assessed personality traits using the NEO-FFI-30, and reported their SWB via the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form. They also evaluated their child’s separation-individuation using the short form of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA-S, adapted for maternal report). Emerging adults reported their own demographic characteristics and assessed aspects of their separation-individuation using the ITEA-S. Hierarchical regression models were employed to predict mothers\u27 SWB dimensions, with demographic characteristics, personality traits, and aspects of separation-individuation in relation to mother. In the final step, the ITEA-S self- and maternal ratings were analyzed separately. Emerging adults\u27 self-reported individuation (particularily higher self-reliance) uniquely predicted greater emotional well-being in their mothers. In contrast, maternal assessments of their children’s individuation yielded a significant increament across all three dimensions of SWB. Higher perceived connectedness with their children was associated with higher levels of mothers\u27 emotional and psychological well-being, while perceived children’s self-reliance uniquely predicted higher social well-being. The findings highlight the critical role of mother-child connectedness and emerging adults’ self-reliance—two key aspects of a successfully navigated process of separation-individuation—in contributing to mothers’ SWB beyond demographic and personality factors. These results have important implications for psychological practice
Grounded theory in developmental psychology research
No full textV članku predstavljava dognanja večletnega dela z uporabo utemeljene teorije, ene od metod kvalitativnega razvojnopsihološkega raziskovanja. Utemeljena teorija je kot kvalitativna raziskovalna metoda relativno določena in hkrati nedorečena, saj po eni strani vključuje stroga vodila glede zbiranja podatkov, preverjanja njihove nasičenosti, pravil kodiranja in oblikovanja kategorij na različnih ravneh abstraktnosti, po drugi strani pa je zaradi kvalitativne narave podatkov velik del raziskovalnih odločitev prepuščenih raziskovalcu, ki mora svoje odločitve tekom raziskovalnega dela pregledno dokumentirati in o njih ustrezno poročati. Dileme in dognanja uporabe utemeljene teorije kot raziskovalne metode predstavljava na primeru večletnega raziskovanja vprašanja YouTuberjev kot identifikacijskega modela pri otrocih in mladostnikih, v katerem sva podatke zbirala, kodne strukture pa preverjala s pomočjo intervjujev in fokusnih skupin z otroci, mladostniki in starši. Ugotovitve prinašajo vrsto vsebinskih in metodoloških vpogledov v dileme razvojnopsihološkega raziskovanja s pomočjo utemeljene teorije in odpirajo praktična vprašanja njene nadaljnje uporabe, tudi v kontekstu razvoja novih analitičnih pripomočkov in razvoja modelov umetne inteligence.The article presents findings from several years of research using grounded theory, a method of qualitative research in developmental psychology. As a qualitative method, grounded theory procedures are both defined and undefined. On the one hand, grounded theory involves strict guidelines for data collection, checking for data saturation, coding rules and the creation of categories at different levels of abstraction. On the other hand, a significant part of the decision making is left to the researchers, who are required to transparently document and report their research process. This article presents the challenges of using grounded theory as a research method in developmental psychology. We illustrate its procedures by a research project on YouTubers as an identification model in children and adolescents. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups with children, adolescents and parents. The findings provide a number of methodological insights into the challenges of grounded theory research in developmental psychology, and highlight practical considerations for its further application, including the development of new analytical tools using AI learning models
Učinkovitost zaplat golih tal za poljskega škrjanca pri ohranjanju ptic kmetijske krajine v JV Sloveniji
No full textDevelopment of a chatbot for disease diagnosis
No full textS staranjem prebivalstva prihaja do upokojevanja kvalificiranega zdravstvenega osebja na primarni ravni, kar posledično vodi do preobremenjenosti preostalega kadra. Naše magistrsko delo je bilo usmerjeno v zmanjšanje obiskov nenujnih pacientov v javnih zdravstvenih zavodih. Ustvarili smo klepetalnik ZdravBOT, ki omogoča okvirno diagnozo 24 bolezenskih stanj na podlagi uporabnikove klinične slike.
Zaradi težke dostopnosti medicinskih podatkovnih zbirk smo se odločili prevesti eno od javno dostopnih angleški zbirk v slovenski jezik. Dobljeno podatkovno zbirko, ki je vsebovala okoli 88 tisoč stavkov, smo uporabili za učenje svojega modela BERT, ki je temeljil na modelu SloBERT. Ustvarjeni model smo nato uporabili v klepetalniku Rasa, ki je skozi pogovor od uporabnika zbral vse potrebne informacije ter poskušal najti okvirno diagnozo, ki bi imela dovolj veliko stopnjo zaupanja. Iskanje diagnoze je temeljilo na algoritmu kosinusne podobnosti med klinično sliko pacienta in znanimi boleznimi. Za grafični vmesnik smo ustvarili mobilno aplikacijo Android, ki se je povezovala na prej omenjeni klepetalnik Rasa.
Rezultati učenja modela BERT so pokazali, da samo prevedene podatkovne zbirke morda niso dovolj, saj je pri učenju modela prišlo do prileganja podatkom. Ne glede na prej omenjene težave je naš model BERT uspešno prepoznal v povprečju od en do dva simptoma iz uporabnikovega uvodnega sporočila. Med testiranjem smo opravili 87 diagnoz, od katerih jih je bilo 62 % pravilnih. Največkrat smo se zmotili pri diagnosticiranju skupin bolezni, ki so imele veliko sorodnih simptomov, kar je bilo najpogosteje pri pljučnih in infekcijskih boleznih. Prav tako smo opazili, da algoritem kosinusne podobnosti ni najbolj optimalen način iskanja ujemanja bolezenskih stanj, saj zaradi različnega števila simptomov preferira bolezni z manjšim številom le-teh.Due to our society aging, there is an increase of healthcare personnel who are retiring, which in turn leads to additional workload for the remaining staff. Our master’s thesis was aimed at reducing non-emergency patient walk ins in public health facilities. Thus, we have created a chatbot named ZdraBOT, which can provide a rough diagnosis for 24 diseases based on the user’s current symptoms.
Since medical databases are not publicly available especially in uncommon languages like Slovene, we decided to translate one of the publicly available English collections into Slovenian language. The resulting dataset which contained 88 thousand sentences, was used to train our BERT model, which was based on the SloBERT model. We then used the created model inside Rasa client, which gathered all the necessary information from the user, whit which we then tried to find an approximate diagnosis with a sufficiently large level of confidence. The diagnosis was made using the cosine similarity algorithm between the user’s symptoms and the 24 known diseases. For the user interface, we created an Android application which connected to the previously mentioned Rasa client.
What we found during the BERT training phase is that the translated dataset alone might not be enough, as the model seemed too overfit to the data provided. Regardless of the aforementioned issues, our BERT model was able to on average identify one to two symptoms form the user’s messages. During testing we made 87 diagnoses, of which 62 % were correct. In most cases the incorrect diagnosis was chosen because many of the symptoms were overlapping for diseases in the same group. This was most obvious for pulmonary and infectious diseases. We also noticed that the cosine similarity algorithm is not the best option for matching diseases whit the user’s symptoms, because due to the different number of symptoms, it favours diseases with a smaller number of symptoms
Socio-politični pomen družbeno angažirane glasbe v postjugoslovanskem prostoru
No full textThis thesis examines the socio-political significance of socially engaged music in contemporary Croatia, situating it within the wider post-Yugoslav context. It explores how such music articulates political critique and social reflection in post-conflict and post-socialist societies marked by the transition from socialism to capitalism. The study covers the period from 1995 to the present, a time defined by profound political, economic, and cultural transformation. The research draws on social movement theory, identity construction, and socio-political transformation frameworks, adopting a constructivist epistemological approach to analyse how these concepts intersect within socially engaged music. The thesis conceptualizes socially engaged music as a genre shaped by post-war disillusionment with political elites and expanding over time to address a wide range of socio-political and cultural issues. Methodologically, the study combines qualitative content analysis of 80 songs by 11 musicians with 29 semi-structured interviews, seven with musicians, 21 with audience members, and one with a record label representative. The analysis identifies three dominant thematic areas: critique of institutional corruptionnegotiations of identity, gender, and power in the space between tradition and transitionand critique of neoliberal individualism and consumer culture. Musicians describe their work as reflexive, advocacy-oriented, or contextually embedded, and the findings reveal a generational shift from direct critique to irony, satire, and humour. Audiences engage with socially engaged music primarily through intellectual reflection rather than activism, valuing its vocabulary for expressing shared frustrations. The research also highlights the role of socially engaged musicians in rebuilding cultural ties across post-Yugoslav borders through cross-regional collaboration, festivals, and digital platforms. While socially engaged music’s transformative potential is context-dependent, the findings show that it serves as a subtle yet meaningful cultural infrastructure for social reflection and connection. The thesis contributes to understanding how music mediates post-conflict cultural negotiation, offering insight into its capacity to foster solidarity, dialogue, and critical engagement.Pričujoča disertacija preučuje družbenopolitični pomen družbeno angažirane glasbe na Hrvaškem in jo umešča v širši postjugoslovanski kontekst. Osredotoča se na to, kako tovrstna glasba izraža politično kritiko in družbeno refleksijo v postsocialističnih in postkonfliktnih družbah, ki so zaznamovane s prehodom iz socializma v kapitalizem. Raziskava zajema obdobje od leta 1995 do danes, ki ga zaznamujejo izrazite politične, gospodarske in kulturne spremembe. Teoretski okvir temelji na teoriji družbenih gibanj, konceptualizacijah identitete ter raziskovanju procesov družbenopolitične transformacije. Disertacija s konstruktivističnim pristopom analizira preplet teh konceptov v kontekstu družbeno angažirane glasbe, ki jo opredeli kot žanr , oblikovan iz povojnega razočaranja nad političnimi elitami in razširjenega na širok nabor družbenih in kulturnih tem. Metodološki del združuje kvalitativno analizo besedil 80 pesmi 11 glasbenikov ter 29 polstrukturiranih intervjujev, sedem z glasbeniki, enaindvajset z občinstvom in enega s predstavnikom glasbene založbe. Analiza razkrije tri osrednje tematske sklope: kritiko institucionalne korupcijevprašanja identitete, spola in moči v prostoru med tradicijo in tranzicijoter kritiko neoliberalnega individualizma in potrošniške kulture. Glasbeniki svoje delo razumejo kot refleksivno, zagovorniško ali kontekstualno umeščeno, pri čemer se kaže generacijski premik od neposredne kritike k ironiji, satiri in humorju. Občinstvo družbeni angažma najpogosteje dojema kot intelektualno refleksijo, ne kot neposredno aktivističnost. Raziskava poudarja tudi vlogo družbeno angažiranih glasbenikov pri ponovni vzpostavitvi kulturnih vezi v postjugoslovanskem prostoru prek regionalnega sodelovanja, festivalov in digitalnih platform. Čeprav je transformativni potencial družbeno angažirane glasbe odvisen od konteksta, ugotovitve kažejo, da deluje kot pomembna, subtilna kulturna infrastruktura, ki spodbuja družbeno refleksijo in povezovanje. Disertacija tako prispeva k razumevanju, kako glasba posreduje kulturna pogajanja v postkonfliktnih družbah ter omogoča solidarnost, dialog in kritično angažiranost
Systems thinking in the role of fostering technological and engineering literacy
No full textThis study examined whether the systems thinking approach integrating information and communication technology (ICT) and digital tools (hereafter referred to as the STICT approach) improves technological and engineering literacy (TEL) and related outcomes for pre-service preschool teachers. Although there is an expectation for preschool teachers to develop TEL, evidence-based models that systematically combine systems thinking with digital tools and ICT support remain scarce. Using a quasi-experimental design (n = 44one-semester experiment), the experimental group explicitly integrated systems thinking and digital tools, while the comparison control group followed the traditional approach to teaching design, technology, and engineering (DTE) contentboth groups focused on making products for preschoolers. The outcomes included multidimensional literacy, attitudes towards DTE, self-reported systems thinking, aspects of engagement, and focus group reflection. The analyses (ANCOVA/MANCOVA, regression/PLS, multi-group tests, thematic analysis) revealed notable results, including a higher post-test literacy for the experimental group and a lower perceived difficulty with technology. Both groups improved in the self-assessment of systems thinking, with no differences between them. The qualitative findings supported the educational value of the approach. In this pilot classroom experiment (n = 44), findings are consistent with an advantage of the STICT approach on the TEL composite and with lower perceived difficulty of technology, whereas self-assessed systems thinking improved similarly in both groups. Given the small sample and multiple outcomes, estimates carry considerable uncertainty and should be read as preliminary. We theorise that TEL gains arise primarily from systems thinking processes applied during design/evaluation, with ICT functioning as a cognitive-and-motivational scaffold that makes relations/feedback explicit and reduces perceived difficultyself-assessed systems thinking improved in both groups
Guardianship for Adults: a Violation of Rights in the Name of Care?
No full textSlovenska zakonodaja je v nasprotju s Konvencijo o pravicah ljudi z ovirami (v nadaljevanju: Konvencija), ki jo je Republika Slovenija ratificirala leta 2008. Po njenem 12. členu bi morali namreč ljudem z ovirami priznavati pravno (poslovno) sposobnost enako kot vsem ostalim. V Sloveniji namesto tega ocenijo, da posamezniki niso sposobni sprejemati odločitev in jim pravico do samostojnega odločanja o njihovem življenju iz skrbi odvzamejo. Takšno početje uveljavljajo s postavljanjem ljudi pod skrbništvo. Znotraj tega ukrepa namesto posameznika o določenih (ali o vseh) področjih njegovega življenja odloča nekdo drug. Institut skrbništva za odrasle osebe je diskriminatoren do ljudi z ovirami, zato ga je nujno povsem ukiniti in nadomestiti z odločanjem s podporo, kar narekuje tudi Konvencija.
V magistrskem delu raziskujem prvoosebne izkušnje ljudi, ki so ali so bili postavljeni pod kakršnokoli obliko skrbništva za odrasle osebe. Osredotočam se predvsem na to, v kakšnih okoliščinah so ljudje živeli v času postavitve skrbnika, kaj je navedeno kot razlog za odreditev tega ukrepa, kako sogovorniki vrednotijo institut skrbništva na podlagi lastne izkušnje, kako ocenjujejo svojo zmožnost odločanja in kakšne podpore bi si želeli pri odločanju, če bi jo lahko prejemali izven skrbništva in jo izbrali sami.
Na podlagi intervjujev z ljudmi z izkušnjo skrbništva, branja nekaterih njihovih sodnih sklepov o postavitvi skrbnika in pogovorov s strokovnima delavkama sem prišla do bogate palete rezultatov. Najpomembnejši sklepi moje raziskave so, da so si bile življenjske okoliščine ljudi pred postavitvijo pod skrbništvo podobne v tem, da sogovorniki niso prejeli dovolj podpore v kompleksnih življenjskih situacijahda noben sogovornik ne ve, zakaj je postavljen pod skrbništvoda zaradi mnogih razočaranj, nasilja, zlorab in nespoštovanja želja noben od sogovornikov ni zadovoljen s skrbništvom ter da zmorejo vsi sogovorniki sprejemati vsakodnevne odločitve in ne bi potrebovali skrbništva, če bi se lahko ob dilemah pri odločanju obrnili na osebe, ki jim zaupajo. Pripovedi sogovornikov o odnosu s svojimi skrbniki so potrdile, da sistem skrbništva krši celo vrsto pravic ljudi z ovirami, ker imajo, tako kot vsi, kdaj težave pri sprejemanju določenih odločitev.
S temi izsledki raziskava pomembno dopolnjuje sicer precej prazen prostor raziskovanja skrbništva in daje glas ljudem, ki so navadno preslišani.Slovenian legislation is in conflict with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter: the Concention), which the Republic of Slovenia ratified in 2008. According to Article 12 of the Convention, persons with disabilities should be recognized as having legal capacity on an equal basis with others. In Slovenia, however, individuals are assessed as incapable of making decisions, and out of concern, they are deprived of the right to decide independently about their own lives. This practice is carried out through the imposition of guardianship. Within this measure, another person makes decisions on behalf of the individual in certain (or in all) areas of their life. The institution of guardianship for adults is discriminatory towards persons with disabilities and must therefore be completely abolished and replaced with supported decision-making, as also mandated by the Convention.
In my Master\u27s thesis, I examine the first-hand experiences of people who are or have been placed under any form of adult guardianship. I focus primarily on the circumstances in which people lived at the time of being assigned a guardian, the reasons stated for imposing this measure, how participants evaluate the institution of guardianship based on their own experience, how they assess their ability to make decisions, and what kinds of support they would wish to receive in decision-making if it were available outside the framework of guardianship and chosen by themselves.
Based on interviews with people with experience of guardianship, the review of some of their court orders on guardianship, and discussions with two professionals, I arrived at a rich set of findings. The most important conclusions of my research are that the life circumstances of people prior to being placed under guardianship were similar in that they had not received sufficient support in complex life situationsthat none of the participants know why they were placed under guardianshipthat due to repeated experiences of disappointment, violence, abuse, and disregard for their wishes, none of them are satisfied with guardianshipthat all participants are capable of making everyday decisions and would not require guardianship if, when facing dilemmas, they could turn to people they trust. Participants’ accounts of their relationships with their guardians further confirmed that guardianship violates a wide range of the rights of persons with disabilities, since like everyone else, they may at times face difficulties in making certain decisions.
With these findings, my research makes an important contribution to the otherwise scarce body of studies on guardianship and amplifies the voices of people who are usually unheard
Understanding water management and cathode performance in LT-PEMFCs via EIS and DRT diagnostics
No full textLow-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (LT-PEMFCs) are key to sustainable energy technologies, but their performance is highly dependent on cathode operating conditions and membrane hydration. This study employs Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and the Distribution of Relaxation Times (DRT) to analyze the effects of cathode stoichiometry, temperature, cathode feed composition, and hydration levels on key electrochemical processes. The findings highlight the impact of operational parameters on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics, proton transport, and mass transport resistance. DRT analysis identifies flooding and membrane drying as dominant performance-limiting phenomena. Pure oxygen feed mitigates mass transport limitations, while variations in air stoichiometry and temperature influence charge transfer resistance and proton conductivity. This study enhances understanding of LT-PEMFC behavior under diverse conditions and provides insights for optimizing performance and durability. The results provide diagnostic features and fundamental insights that can guide the development of future diagnostic frameworks for improved fuel cell control, enhanced water management strategies, and long-term operational stability
Navigating the aftermath
No full textPurpose – The paper adopts a holistic approach to studying the scale and scope of organisational change resulting from the COVID-19 crisis within the Slovenian public administration. It aims to go beyond the relatively narrow research focus of existing literature, which is confined to short-term responses to the crisis affecting specific organisational aspects of public administration.
Design/methodology/approach – Theoretically underpinned by Nograšek and Vintar’s (2014) upgrade of Leavitt’s diamond model, the paper employs a multi-case study design to explore the long-term implications of COVID-19-induced changes within the Slovenian public administration.
Findings – The findings reveal an uneven impact of the COVID-19 crisis across Slovenian state administration organisations in terms of the scale and scope of changes, noting that the two key long-term changes – telework and new digital communication channels – have not become equivalent alternatives to traditional work and communication methods. Moreover, the paper identifies changes within the element “people” as the primary disruptors of organisational equilibrium, triggering a ripple effect of changes within other organisational elements.
Originality/value – The paper debunks the myth about the “radical” impact of COVID-19 by concluding that long-term changes have not altered the essence of (Slovenian) public organisations, characterised as traditional public administration. Theoretically, it demonstrates the need for a new adaptation of Leavitt’s diamond model to explain organisational changes in turbulent/crisis times