Electronic Library of Scientific Literature
Volume 7 / No. 2 / 1997
Mojmír Benža
Institute of Ethnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences,
Jakubovo nám. 12, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia
The issue of the rights and the status of persons belonging to ethnic
minorities together with the upholding of fundamental human rights and
freedoms has become a measure for evaluating the level of democracy within
countries, particularly those undergoing post-communist transformation.
Many countries feel that in this question there is a different approach
to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to the countries of
Western Europe. They call for a comparison of the existing ethnic minority
rights in individual countries in order to obtain a real image of their
status in all European countries. Our attempt at a comparative study of
the rights and the status of persons belonging to ethnic minorities was
stimulated by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. The study
was called an attempt because, although with a broader view, it does not
offer an exhaustive answer to the basic question: what is the status of
the rights and the position of ethnic minorities in European countries
like.
pp. 101-112
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Ján Šulavík
Department of Social and Biological Communication,
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 842 06 Bratislava,
Slovakia
The article describes one of the forms of mental reaction to the presence
of death in the life of man, which can be denoted as the state of "not
thinking about death". This simple status is widespread among people.
It is often the cause of careless, irresponsible conduct and therefore
the challenges of the professional group which could generally be named
"rescuers" are directed against such behaviour. These are the
people whose job is to rescue other people from burning houses, drowning
in rivers, crashed cars, seeking people under avalanches and ruins, protecting,
guarding and reviving them.
pp. 113-118
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Ján Azud
Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations, Matej Bel
University, Banská Bystrica
Institute of State and Law, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19,
813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia
The author studies the issue of the relationship between domestic and
international law from the perspective of the legal regulation of the Constitution
of the Slovak republic, with particular emphasis on the problem of international
treaties in the legal order of the SR. This problem is new for the SR from
three points of view: 1. the short existence of the SR as a subject of
international law, 2. the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic,
3. the collapse of the bipolar world and efforts of the SR to accede to
the group of democratic countries functioning on the basis of the rule
of law. After analysis, it appears that the Constitution of the SR is based,
although not with full consistency, on a dualistic conception. Particular
attention is directed towards art. 125, letter e of the Constitution of
the SR, concerning the issue of the relationships of international treaties
and international law. Art. 11 of the Constitution of the SR establishes
the primacy of international treaties on human rights and basic freedoms
over legislation if they secure a greater extent of rights and freedoms,
which, however, is only a partial regulation. The author proposes to express
the conception and principles of the foreign policy of the SR as well as
the relationship between domestic and international law generally in the
Constitution of the SR. He also proposes to establish the possibility of
the delegation of part of the execution of sovereignty to international
bodies in connection with the accession of the SR to the EU.
pp. 119-133
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Ján Horecký
Marianska 15, 900 31 Stupava, Slovakia
The term is defined as a linguistic sign which represents a designate,
denoting together a concept and referring to a reference object. In the
content part of this sign, the onomasiological basis and onomasiological
mark are delimited. The designate as an element of idea, in which extension
corresponds with the onomasiological basis of the content and intension
corresponds with the onomasiological mark of the content, corresponds with
the content as a linguistic element. These relations can be expressed in
a bracket notation: [(content - form) - designate] -> concept, object.
pp. 134-140
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Klára Buzássyová and Slavomír Ondrejoviè
¼udovít Štúr Linguistics Institute, Slovak Academy
of Sciences,
Panská 26, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia
The aim of this study is to correlate knowledge from the areas of history,
art history, and sociology, with related linguistic knowledge and so contribute
to understanding of the relations ethnicity - culture - language. The authors
would also like to contribute to the understanding of the processes currently
taking place in several multinational states, which have also had an impact
on the relations between the Slovaks and the Czechs.
pp. 141-158
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Milan Podrimavský
Institute of Historical Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences,
Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia
The article deals with the basic characteristics of one of the chief
functions of the Slovak National Party (SNS) between 1871 and 1914 as a
political subject representing the national emancipatory interests of the
Slovaks in the old Kingdom of Hungary (Uhorsko). Those interests were based
on the principle of national sovereignty and expressed demands for political
and state-legal recognition of national identity in terms of the principles
of the equality of nations.
pp. 159-166
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Eva Krekovièová
Institute of Ethnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences,
Jakubovo nám. 12, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia
The picture of the Jew in Slovak folklore is reconstructed by the author
on the basis of songs, proverbs and sayings and folk narratives. The negative
attitudes of the Slovak population towards the Jews prevail in the reflection
and the tendency towards ambivalence is also met. The Jews are primarily
perceived as "strange", the number of signs not being large:
religion, ethnonym, language, social status and occupation, love relations
between Jewish boys and non-Jewish girls (Jew - a seducer). The objections
are primarily of moral-ethical character. The ethnic dimension of the image
is just a device for demonstrating religious and social barriers. However,
through moral-ethical objections, ethnic distinctive features were also
indirectly demonstrated there. Particular forms of anti-Semitism have not
been recorded in Slovak folklore. Most attributes of the Jew in Slovak
folklore has deeper European (Central European) roots.
pp. 167-183
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Lucia Pawliková
Department of Ethnology, Faculty of Arts of Comenius University,
Gondova 2, 818 01 Bratislava, Slovakia
In past few decades, that is after the Second Vatican Council the traditional
role of the Roman Catholic Church in many Latin American countries has
changed very considerably. Latin America originated the controversial "Theology
of Liberation", which requires the involvement of the Church in the
politics and sometimes uses Marxist rhetoric. The Catholic Church lost
its previous unanimity and the progressive hierarchy and clergy in some
countries began to promote new trends within it. This involved pastoral
and social activities, the proliferation of so-called "church base
communities" and a critical stand or even resistance against the military
regimes. But nowadays the Catholic Church is still facing the challenge
of finding its new role and mission in contemporary Latin America.
pp. 184-193
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