The paper deals with powerlessness as one of the possible meanings of alienation, and presents Neal’s Powerlessness Scale as a means for measuring this concept. The aim of this research is to find out if it is possible to adopt the Neal’s research technique, developed in the context of the American culture in the late 1950s, to empirical sociological research in the Czech Republic. This issue is important because there is at present no standard attitudinal instrument for measuring a persons’ perception of their power to exert influence over socio-political events. An initial test of the reliability and internal and external validity of Neal’s scale is undertaken using a non-representative sample of the Czech population. Results of this quantitative analysis suggest that a subset of nine items from the original twelve item scale is the most reliable and valid measure of a person’s sense of control over the socio-political events within the Czech cultural milieu. Importantly, the process of data collection reveals several problematic features of Neal’s powerlessness scale, and it is recommended that certain alterations before its further use in the Czech context., Marie Traxlerová, Ladislav Rabušic., 4 tabulky, Obsahuje bibliografii, and Anglické resumé
This study has two key aims. First, it explores the two main methods used in the Czech Republic to operationalize the concept of party identification. Second this study demonstrates the merits of both methods; and on the basis of this research proposes one of these party identification measures for use in future studies. This study builds on the classical conceptualization of party identification developed by the Michigan School, but also utilizes (1) reformulations proposed by the Revisionist School; (2) Macropartisanship theory; (3) the Social Identity approach; and (4) experience of using the party identification measure in Europe. Using the Czech Election Study of 2002 this research shows that estimates of partisanship are influenced by how the survey question is formulated. Thereafter, the relationship between the two main variants used in the Czech Republic is presented. This work reveals that use of a (prior) vote intention item leads to an ‘over estimation’ of partisanship when compared to the other partisan measure. Comparing estimates from the Czech Election Studies of 1996, 2002 and 2006 this article reveals that there is no simple association between party identification and voter turnout. In fact, it is better to think of party identification as having two components: (a) probability to vote; and (b) probability to support a party that elicits a sense of identity from voters., Lukáš Linek., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Solar activity has important effect on terrestrial environment in which human population lives. Long-term and short-term periodicities in solar activity had influence on secular climate changes, little ice ages and climatic optima. The article summarizes briefly the results and methods of historical climatology. The text resumes the methods of research of the solar activity variation over the last 1500 years, through physical methods as well as through preserved written sources. The basic mechanisms of the effects of solar activity on terrestrial environment and human population are explained as well as the predictions of the upcoming solar activity. This may indicate that we are currently at the beginning of another long-term solar minimum., Kateřina Podolská., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Náboženství zůstává významným společenským fenoménem, „silou, která působí na jiné síly“, a to i ve společnosti české, která bývá občas označována za jednu z nejateističtějších na světě. Předpovědi vyplývající ze striktně pojaté teorie sekularizace se nenaplnily, a my tak můžeme vidět aktivitu tradičních církví i vznik nových náboženských směrů a společností, stejně jako přetrvávající a v některých oblastech dokonce sílící vliv náboženství v politice a veřejném životě jako celku. Z toho samozřejmě vyplývá potřeba tyto jevy sociologicky zachytit. Existuje mnoho metod a přístupů, my se však budeme zabývat pouze kvantitativními sociologickými výzkumy náboženství. V tomto textu se autor věnuje pouze náboženskému chování, a to ještě v redukci, kdy bude náboženské chováním studovat skrze návštěvnost bohoslužeb. Cílem tohoto článku je ukázat nesamozřejmost a komplikovanost spojenou s tímto tématem – jak na konceptuální úrovni, tak i na úrovni měření. V článku jsou využívána především data z výzkumných sérií European social survey (ESS), ISSP a European social survey (EVS)., This article deals with problems of religiosity research in sociology. First I c oncentrate on more general topics connected with religiosity research as is cross-country validity of survey instruments or relationship of theoretical concepts and empirical indicators in sociological surveys. Another part is about attending religious ceremonies which is one of the most significant (statistically as well as substantially) indicators in religiosity research. But despite the fact that it is behavi - oral indicator, so seemingly easy for measuring, its reliability became object of disputes in sociology of religion. I p resent data on church attendance taken from most important international survey series in sociology – ISSP, EVS and ESS. Results among these surveys are varying but despite this they are robust enough for interpretation and making cautious conclu - sions. Some possibilities for modifications of “attendance questions” based on experiences from General social survey are suggested., and Martin Vávra.