Epoch. - Tbilisi - 2001 - N 1 - 118 p. - in Georgian, Russian, and English.
G. Nizharadze. Political Behavior in Georgia. The article discusses stereotypes of political behavior in the context of Georgian culture. Two aspects of Georgian culture: "individualism-collectivism" and "power distance" are examined. The main topics, discussed from this perspective, are the existing ways of making career, the influence of soviet heritage on political behavior, relation between corruption and religious tradition in Georgia. Special analyses are devoted to the links between political behaviour, the political system of modern Georgia and Shevardnadze's political course.
R. Sakvarelidze. Georgia 2001: Psychological War and Security. For the end of this year Georgia once again reached frontier of civic tension and chaos. The necessity to stabilise the ongoing processes is evident for everybody, however we are still lucking deep political analyses and diagnostics of the situation. The author is arguing, that the recent political crises is caused by mistakes of government and by "psychological war", carried on by Russia.
G. Tevzadze. Sociology of Social Changes. For the basis of the research of social changes, author constructs methodology, named by him as Social-biographic: The social world according to contemporary descriptions, divides into sub- or mini-universes, with own attitudes and hierarchy of the values and social positions. Author argues, that all sociological [or, social theory] descriptions given by the different authors are adequate to the reality with one excuse: Authors describes social world and its parts from the point of view of an observer, received in their concrete social groups and environments. Thus, the most appropriate way to describe social universe, is to proceed from the books and texts, by superficial view contradictory to each other and try to construct the system of the social reality, where all used points [authors, books] are right. Only in this case we'll get the picture of diversity as inner characterization of our social universe.
The author considers the "social institutions" for the starting point for the description of the social reality; as the notion of "social institution" is quite general not to identify with "human being", or "agent" (and that possibility of identifying is the argument, based on which author neglects to use notion of "social system", or "system"), and quite concrete to identify with the notion of the "social world".
Having analysed different authors, such as Durkheim, Gehlen, Malinowski, Douglas, Berger and others, the author comes to the conclusion that the wide stream of literature on social institution provides us by three types of perception of social institutions, i.e. the three types of approaches to the social reality. According to that the author constructs the "universal typology of social institutions" [Two new notions emerges in this text according to the institutional theory: micro, macro and meso institutions, institutional complexes].
After long theoretical judgments and practical implications [Chapters and sub-chapters: "Types of Social Institutions", "Institutional Complexes", "Changing of Institutional Complexes as History", "Against Probable Accusation in Euro-Centrismus", "Institutional Changes (Differentiation and re-differentiation, re-institutionalization)", "Institutionalization (Parameters of Meso-dominance, Individual as an agency)", "Macro-meso and meso-macro institutional complexes in contemporary social systems"], the article ends with the conclusion, that any social change of any social environment, beside the readiness of their agents, changes only by the help of an impulse received from outside. This impulse in different cases is different and depends on character, content and structure of the concrete social system.
L. Tsuladze. The Question of Autonomy in the Modern Georgia. As our data analysis shows, contemporary Georgian youth has become more active and independent than it used to be. The young people's parents also approve and encourage their independent activity. It is well evidenced by the modern child rearing values. If in the past the main purpose of upbringing was the transmission of traditional values, nowadays its main purpose is the development of independence and initiative in the youth and its adaptation to the quickly changing standards of the current life.
Our respondents claim that today old knowledge and experience are not enough, that is why the young people's opinion has become so important and older ones appreciate it more and more. Moreover, not only the young people, but also their parents and grandparents think that today, in spite of political, economic and social difficulties, the youth can be absolutely independent.
A. Akhvlediani. International Economic System after September 11: Possible Changes. The influence of politics on international economic relations and the political management of the world economy, interdependence and the economic regionalization of the countries give us the idea about the strong influence of the events of September 11 on the international economic and political order.
What has been changed after September 11? How the triumph of the liberalism has been expressed in the world economy before this date and what are the threats (if any) of the fight against the terrorism (the military attacks against Afghanistan) concerning the international economic system?
For these issues to analyze we are discussing the following current and possible future developments in the world economy:
For exploration of the possible impacts and influence of the events of September 11 on the world economy, we are in need to study, what will be affected particularly by these events:
From our point of view, now there is only possible to make some long-run forecasting for the regime-changes in the world economic system. First two, from the issues mentioned above will be very much affected by the September 11' events, which will strengthen the process of the regional economic integrations.
As we think economic regionalization does not cause the fight for regional hegemonic power. All the regions will be represented by one dominant state (we would like to emphasize that the process of regionalization is more prone to political polarization based on economic strength and wealth, rather then economic globalization), thus the new international economic order will be a system of multilateral management. But after the economic regionalization, the more even distribution of power among the regions will require the active participation of several states. However multilateral management is difficult. Throughout history, agreement amount sovereign powers in the absence of world government have proved to be a difficult and often impossible task. Several factors, however, will enhance the possible success of multilateral economic management. The basic consensus among the powerful will be an important factor. Multilateral management will be facilitated by a variety of formal and informal methods of multilateral decision making developed over the last decades. The increased role of international organizations is too much important.
So, the future world economy will be represented by minimum three regional blocks (informal or formal), the future international economic relations - by seeking new competitive (but not comparative) advantages in the world economy, and the future international relations - by the fights against terrorism and for the security of the international system as a whole.
I. Areshidze. On the Fiddler in the Burning Rome. In the previous three-part work I consider those misunderstandings and mistakes characteristic to the perception of the Western civilization, the definition and statements concerning it in Samuel P. Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order". Part one deal with Huntington's definition of civilizations in general, and of Western civilization, in particular; Huntington's policy prescriptions to the West in light of his predicted clash; and difficulties associated with his definition and policy recommendations. Part two is an explication of an alternative understanding of the Western civilization derived from the thought of Leo Strauss, a German-born American political philosopher who founded on the world's most prominent schools of political science (the Straussian school) at the University of Chicago in 1950's and 1960's. Part three is an analysis of the challenges that the Straussian understanding of the West poses to Huntington's argument. My overall goal is to explain how Strauss's "theological-philosophic" understanding of the West is more complete, thoughtful and meaningful than Huntington's Weberian, view and show how this alternative understanding impacts Huntington's policy recommendations.
Z. Davitashvili. The Historical Geography of the Georgian Ethnos (By L. Gumilev's Hypothesis). According to the hypothesis of Gumilev ethnos (ethnic group) is not social but natural (biological-geographical) phenomenon. Its essence is defined by stereotype of behavior, which is determined by a special phenomenon of biosphere, - geobiochemical energy and is called by Gumilev as passionarity. The characteristics of the passionars are to strive for achievement of ideals and goals at any price (even life) without material recompense. The number of passionars is high in young ethnos and therefore such ethnos is strong and active. At this time it takes place its territorial expansion and population increase, as well as political, economic and cultural heyday. Then a decrease of passionars begins, which is a pre-condition of the degradation of ethnos; - its territory is being diminished, political and economic weakening and cultural and moral decline is obvious. Ethnos loses the ability of resistance and after empting from passionarity ceases the existence. The duration of the history of ethnos from birth to death is about 1200-1500 years.
On the base of above mentioned hypothesis is investigated the historical geography of the Georgian ethnos. It is established that since IV millennium B.C. four different Georgian ethnoses have been changed. First of them was Protokartvelian ethnos which ended its existence at the end of III millennium B.C. and was changed by Archaeokartvelian super ethnos. This super ethnos was formed by two ethnoses - Iberokolkhians and Svans and existed until VIII-VII centuries B.C. In VII century B.C. Paleokartvelian (ancient Georgian) super ethnos was emerged with Kartian (Iberian), Zanian (Kolkhian) and Svanian ethnoses. In VII century A.D. after Arabian conquest ancient Georgian super ethnoses ceased existence and middle Georgian (Mesokartvelian) super ethnos was formed. On the base of this super ethnos Georgian nation (as well as Georgian kingdom) was emerged, but united Georgian ethnos was not arisen and medieval Georgians stayed as super ethnos.
Only in second half of XIX century the new Georgian (Neokartvelian) ethnos began to form and contemporary Georgian nation and Georgian state are its appearance.
I. Mchedlishvili. Digital Image and Eidos-ical Representation. In the modern world visual perception has been becoming more and more important. During all XX of century the feature of visual influence was more brightly shown in a cinematograph. In new reality visual opportunities of cinema spread over frameworks of the cinematograph and occupied the special place in everyday activity of mankind.
With development of digital technology again urgent there is a question on essence of cinema. Alongside with the basic means of expressiveness - photo, "the digital image" now occupies the special place, and frequently replaces the previous one. For an explanation and understanding of such situations it is necessary to reexamine a problem of the relation of a photo to the reality; it is necessary to find vision, which will result in conformity of, or, in uniting by the single beginning, photo and digital images.
It is necessary to search for origins again in the antique - Greek thinking, in particular, in Pythagoras-Platonic model of vision. Platonic "visual body", as well as, Pythagorean "visual numbers" and Democritus "eidola" are such transitive, subject - objective characteristics, bearing in, mental formations, eidosical images, which are identical by definition to objects of a virtual reality. On the other hand, the antique - Greek model of vision is incorporated in a basis of the mechanism of reflection of the objective reality, or Photos. Thus, it is possible to declare, that the photo image, which it is accepted to consider as the basic means of cinema representation, as a matter of fact is based on the same imagined - virtual concept vision of the world, as a digital image.
G. Tsuladze, N. Kopaleishvili. Demographic Situation in Georgia (1990-2000). In this article it is discussed and analyzed the demographic situation in Georgia in 1990-2000.
It deals with the questions of fertility, mortality and life expectancy, population reproduction, marriages and divorces, etc.
The problem of liability of the data is especially important.
Epoch. - Tbilisi - 2002 - N 2 - in Georgian, Russian, and English.
G. Tevzadze. The Question Story (The last story of the 20th century). The main theme of the essay is the phenomenological analysis of the world essay contest question "liberating the future from the past? Liberating the past from the future?" posed in Weimar in 1998.
The essay begins with a two-page literary mystification, understanding of which is left to the reader's shrewdness. The reader starts to suspect that the processes of our environment can be described as happenings taking place in the plot-time.
Then the author builds up a fantastic construction, from which the reader learns, that the process (i.e. liberating the future from the past and liberating the past from the future) proceeding from the contest question was realized in the seventeenth century, and the corresponding theoretical study of the purpose proceeding from the question (i.e. liberating the future from the past and liberating the past from the future) was carried out in the first half of the twentieth century.
It is known that the question itself was put in the spring of 1998 and turned into the world question by means of informational and university networks.
The author analyses this unusual state of affairs and comes to the conclusion that all the possible answers to this question have actually already been given. All the hypothetical or already existing answers rotate in the socio-politico-philosophical-economic plane, where either the models of future are elaborated or liberating the past from the future is denied.
The self-evidence of the answer to the contest question (its socio-politico-philosophical-economic nature) makes the author think that the answer i.e. the way out from the closed circle of our environment should be the elaboration of the ethics, which does not proceed from any existing socio-politico-economic-philosophical model-theories; moreover - it will be directed towards the abolition of these model-theories (existing or hypothetical), but not by means of their annihilation.
At the end of the essay the reader can see a naive attempt of elaborating such ethics.
Y. Kachkachishvili. Anthony Gidden's Structuration Theory and Georgian Reality. This essay draws from Anthony Gidden's Structuration Theory; namely, the two concepts of "Social Praxis" and "Duality of Structure" (the main tools for overcoming the dichotomy Actor/Social Structure) are used to analyze Georgian Society from the 1980s until the time of this writing. This period could be divided into two sub-periods: the first sub-period is characterized by positive subjectivity attempting to replace totalitarian structural demands. By the end of 1990s, we move into the second sub-period, where positive subjectivity is transformed into a negative arbitrariness that claims to ignore the structural demands designed by conventional democratic mechanisms.
The solution should be found in Gidden's reconciliation of subject and structure where their independence is not absolute but relative: structures are creatures of subjective activity; however subjects should follow structural demands in order to maintain social order.
D. Charkviani, N. Sarjveladze. Self-Esteem, Value Orientation, Ethnical Stereotype and Social Adaptation Process in Crisis Situation. The relationships of social-demographic characteristics with self-esteem, values orientation, ethnical stereotype and social adaptation process were investigated for representative sample of 550 internallydisplased persons in Georgia. Social-demographic characteristics were not significantly related to some measures of self-esteem and value orientation. These variables, concrete, regional belonging, were found to relate significantly to ratings of ethnical stereotypes. Implications of the methodology and results of the study for diagnosing and changing of social adaptation process in crisis situations are discussed.
E. Maruashvili, G. Tsuladze. Sex Ratio at Birth in Georgia. Sex ratio at birth is the ratio of the number of boys and girls among live-births. At present it is determined that the sex ratio at birth makes up 105-106 boys per 100 girls. This ratio is differed according to the countries but it seldom exceeds 107 and it is also seldom less than 104. Since 1994 the normal sex ratio at birth available in Georgia has broken. By 2000 in Georgia 118 boys per 100 girls were born what is considered to be sufficiently significant deviation. Moreover, obtained appropriateness of the sex at birth ratio and between the age of the mother and the order birth has been broken in Georgia. For explanation of the deviation of the sex ratio at birth two hypotheses are used: 1) The registration of the girls compared with boys is less because of different causes under conditions of general imperfect registration of live-births in Georgia; 2) Influence of sex early diagnostics. The boys are given more preference as compared with girls; the pregnancy in the case of the girl is settled by artificial abort.
L. Tsuladze. Individualism Tendencies in Collectivist Societies. Modern collectivist societies are undergoing significant changes in direction if Individualism. This fact - is well - evidenced by the examples of modern Chinese, Indian and Turkish Societies. Our Research, conducted in Tbilisi, describes the same processes which take place in Georgia.
It turns out that nowadays the power of traditions is weakened and the degree of autonomy is increased, which has an impact on family structure and socialization goals: The traditional extended family is changed with modern nuclear family, which, according to the scientists, is less conservative and authoritarian. And if in the past the main goal of socialization was the defense and transmission of traditional values, today its main purpose is the development of autonomy and initiative in the youth and their adaptation to the changing living conditions and the demands of the modern life.
Nevertheless, our everyday life shows that there is still strong emotional interdependence between Georgian parents and their children, even when they are grown-up.
That is why, in our opinion, the modern Georgian Family is a good example of emotionally depended family (from contemporary Turkish scientist's - C. Kagitcibasi's family typology), which is a synthesis of collectivist and individualist orientations, as it is based on both interdependence and autonomy: Socialization values continue to stress family and group loyalties but individual loyalties emerge too, so "old", "traditional" values are made to fit in with "new" valued aspirations and achievements.
Collectivist and individualist orientations, as it is based on both inter dependence and autonomy: Socialization values continues to stress family and group loyalties but individual loyalties emerge too, so "old", "traditional" values are made to fit in with "new" valued aspirations and achievements.
L. Tsuladze. Socialization in Traditional and Modern Societies. Socialization is a universal process through which culture is transmitted from generation to generation. Although there are a large number of similarities in the ways in which parents socialize their children across cultures and in the effects of this socialization on child development, socialization goals and methods are dependent on the concrete socio-cultural environment and the demands of the concrete epoch.
In the past the extended family, which had a hierarchical and authoritarian structure in order to operate in a smooth manner, stressed obedience and respect for authority, even if it prevented the development of autonomy and initiative in its members.
Today, by influencing living conditions under which individuals operate modernization with its social and economic change is having a major impact on the family structure and socialization values. Nowadays, child's autonomy is no longer perceived as a threat to the family and the modern nuclear family develops independence and self-direction in its members.
Not only socialization goals, but also its methods are changing. If in the past negative sanction were considered more effective than the positive ones while raising children, parents often used physical punishment and seldom expressed their feelings, seldom approved or caressed their children, today this traditional distance between parents and their children and often physical punishment are disapproved. Positive sanction is considered more effective while raising children than the negative ones and a parent is considered not a strict authority, but his/her child's friend and counselor. It means that socialization methods have become less authoritarian and more democratic.
These facts are also well-evident by the results of the concrete sociological research, conducted by us in Tbilisi, in March-April, 1999.
Epoch. - Tbilisi - 2003 - N 3 - in Georgian, Russian, and English.
V. Zhubitidze. Noe Zhordania on Despotism. The article shows Noe Zhordania's political views on despotism, its forms, principles, and the social politics of the despots and on those reasons which cause the fall of despotism.
M. Muskhelishvili. Democracy as Communism: Methodological Limitations in Democratization Studies and Democratization Policies. Both democratization studies and democratization policies (i.e. international assistance to democracy building worldwide) are dominated by institutional approach. This means that the definition of democratic regime as well as policies of democracy building are based on (broadly saying, Schumpeterian) set of institutions, which includes free and fair elections, political rights and civil liberties, etc.
However, as empirical evidence shows, real normative, functional and behavioral meaning of these institutions depends on a social context, in which they are applied. Formally similar, in essence they are different. That means that calling them the same names is misleading and fosters ideological thinking. Several observations (case studies) are applied to illustrate the point.
First is a discursive comparative analysis of symbolic representation of political systems of Turkey and US respectively. These are Ataturk's mausoleum in Ankara and Lincoln's memorial in Washington. Both political systems formally are liberal constitutional democracies, but sources of legitimation for them are different. Turkish state is legitimated ideologically, that causes gap between state and society, filled with corruption and rights violations.
Second example considers civil society building in Georgia from the rational choice perspective and Olson's taxonomy of exclusive and inclusive public goods. The analyses shows, those civil society institutions, which were expected to support open inclusive civil actions in post soviet space, tend to transform in Georgia into the exclusive, avant-gardism, politically instrumentalized organizations, acting strategically.
Explaining consequences of one-sided approach to democratization in the post soviet space, which makes democratization policies quazi-communist in their character, the author emphasizes, that rule of law, has two sources to create legitimate order. Paradigmatic democratization tends to ignore one of them and to base itself only on another, thus strengthening creation of ideological state and pushing society in shadow.
The paper proposes alternative policies of democratization, which are supported by the comparative discourse analyses of 13 post communist states by J.Dryzek, L.Holmes. The alternative policies should promote not simply an institutions, but institutions together with their meaning for society. So, instead of institutional building we built a discursive fields, and instead of one institutional definition of democracy - several competing understanding of it, as they exist in a given society. For Georgia there should be three competing discourses, all of them are necessary to create really open-ended processes of legitimate institutions building.
T. Berekashvili. Socio-Economic Life Conditions and Social Attitudes of Georgian Population. The article is based on sociological survey conducted in 2001 year in 8 post soviet countries in frames of Copernicus project "Life Style, Life conditions and Health". The survey questionnaire addressed vides range of variables, such as health, tobacco and alcohol consumption, social capital, political attitudes, etc.
The article presents results on a relatively narrow range of issues: economic conditions and attitudes towards socio-economic situation in post soviet states in comparison to each other.
G. Tsuladze, N. Maglaperidze, N. Kopaleishvili, T. Kutateladze. Mortality and Life Expectancy in Georgia (1960-2000). This work mainly discusses mortality and its related points. Analysis of existing material has shown that registration of deaths in Georgia from 1960 to 2000 was both incomplete and imperfect. A revised possibility of the number of deaths and mortality is accordingly calculated.
This has shed new light on the evolution of life expectancy. For instance, the authors concluded that, from 1960 to 1989, life expectancy was rising and that from 1990 to 2000, in spite of some alteration, it turned out to be the same level as in 1989.
In the present stage of epidemiological transition in Georgia it is possible that neoplasm and circulatory system disease might cause mortality growth in higher age brackets.
L. Tsuladze. Adolescents in Changeable Society. In the contemporary conditions individualist attitudes among the Georgian youth have considerably increased that is well-evidenced by the sociological research conducted by us in Tbilisi. Both our respondent youth and their parents think that a young person must independently make an important decision (choice of a profession, marriage) and then persuade the parents that his/her choice is right. A young person, who reaches the age of 16, starts work and gets married must live apart from his/her parents. So it is not surprising that according to our respondents, today the main goal of socialization is the development of autonomy and initiative in the adolescents and their adaptation to the changing living conditions, while in the past its goal was the defense and transmission of traditional values and norms.
Thus, the respondents claim that old knowledge and experience are insufficient in the contemporary changing conditions, that are why not only the youth learns from the elders, but they also take into consideration the youth's opinion. There are a quite considerable number of those who think that today the youth is able to be absolutely independent.
Such changes are caused by three main reasons: the increase of modernization tendencies, the institution of the western model of family and the expansion of market orientation.
This paper considers a problem of adequate reflection in journalism, which by the author, represents all main aspects of modern Media Performance. The author singles out two of them: adequate reflection of factual reality and adequate reflection of ideas, opinions and assessments expressed by the sources and authors of media production.
To achieve the general adequacy of the disseminated information, journalists must use scientific methods during the investigation of the factual reality and the modern scientific knowledge to assess it.
The Adequacy Principle includes and is realized through three interacted aspects: factual, evaluative and methodical. The knowledge of each, by author's statement, will help practitioners and student journalists to perceive modern mass communication problems in the mediated society and improve their educational standards.
I. Iakobashvili. Foundation of Synodal Office in Georgia: Project, Worked out by the Bishop Dositheos Concerning Church Affairs Management (materials for history of alteration of the governmental structure of the Georgian Orthodox Church in 19th century). Right away the joining of Georgia to the Russian Empire, the highest military and civil authority had immediately changed and the reins of government passed to the Russian functionaries - particularly, the military powers - to the Commander-in-Chief of the troops, while the local administration - to the "Highest Government of Georgia"- i.e. to the Russian officials again. In contradistinction to the immediate change of civil authority by the Russian administrative structures, replacement of Orthodox Church powers wasn't of the momentaneous and radical disposition, i.e. the inculcation of the Russian Empire's form of government of the Georgian Orthodox Church had been accomplished by several important, appreciable principal stages.
One significant stage among the Russian Empire's "Synod form of government" upon the Georgian Orthodox Church was establishing of the "Georgian-Imeretian Synod Kantora (i.e. "Office")". Exarch of Georgia, being at the Georgian Orthodox Church, officially being depended to the Holy Synod, which took seat in Petersburg.
"Synod form of government" of the Georgian Orthodox Church was established in 1811. It actually daily, step-by-step, as a result of petty changes at first sight, was constantly improving itself but after the 1917's "February Revolution of Russia" and establishing of Katholikos' rule in Georgia, removed.
K. Chichinadze. Several Considerations on the origin of the Armenians, Jews and Arabs. The article presents the hypothesis on the relation of the Armenians, Jews and Arabs. The existence of a periodical disease, which is characteristic to the representatives of these nations and the genetic nature of this disease, gives us an opportunity to present this consideration. It is proved in the article that the appearance of a periodical disease doesn't have an adaptation load.
I. Mchedlishvili. Perspective - from Revival up to the Digital Image. The habitual film-photo images, last years, almost are completely superseded by the digital ones. In this connection, there is a requirement for discussion mutual relation of a new type of the image with traditional representational means.
The method of the central perspective, which underlies film-photo images, is expression personal-immanent positions of the Revival human and occurs through antique model of vision. But aspiration of visual display of the world has arisen in the Middle Ages ("Theory of image").
Caused by these three factors the development of representation, basically in the painting, before occurrence of a photo had dual character. Eidos-ical images, corporal representations of the imagined forms, ideas (dot, line, beam …) underlying of Platonic model of vision (and in general, Antique attitude to the world), determined dual, subjective-objective character of perspective figure.
The photo, having undertaken objective function, not only has released painting from bifurcation, but also has formed as an independent kind of the image. The cinematograph has developed photographic objectivity in the temporary attitude - sequence of "impressed reality" creates a picture of changes and movement …
The new, digital kind of the image combines both film-photo and picturesque opportunities - here in one spatial structure can be united the pictures of "impressed reality" occurring at different times, and also outside of temporary original virtual images…
Thus, the digital image covers all representational culture, and as in case of a photo, the antique mental prototype of harmony should define its essence and specificity.