Volume 21 (2015): Issue 1 (December 2015)

Early observations show that the introduction of e-learning to the rural areas of the EU has brought fewer advantages than had initially been expected. The results of the international research – interpreted by the means of the sociological theory of diffusion – indicate that the economic profitability does not have much influence on the pace of disseminating of that innovation; since, the rural inhabitants – both those following the e-learning courses as well as those who have not yet done so – largely feel that that type of education has the variety of advantages including the lowering of its costs. It seems that its social profitability has the crucial influence on the poor dissemination of this new form of teaching and learning. E-learning has not yet found its niche in the value systems or educational experiences of the Europe’s rural populations, since – rather like the other forms of education – it does not automatically improve the capability of coping with the current day-today problems. The better adaptation to the needs of the rural inhabitants through the perception of various types of the deficits hindering the usage of this type of education is intended by the so-called innovative e-learning, implementing new and generally innovative solutions to the pedagogical, technological and organisational fields, which overcome existing limitations through the greater flexibility of the ways of the potential participants’ accessing e-learning proposals as well as the greater adaptation to the individual needs.

This paper presents the questionnaire results of the research on implications of the effects of Slovenia’s accession to the European Union (EU) on structural changes in agricultural holdings (AHs) in the case of Škofjeloška hilly-mountain rural areas. The effects are studied based on the analysis of income diversification of AHs three years before the Slovenian accession to the EU in 2000 and six years after the Slovenian accession to the EU in 2010. Strategies of AHs on the basis of the questionnaire were analysed in early 2011. Income diversification of AHs with non-agricultural employment and off-farm incomes is necessary for survival for the majority of AHs. There are observed differences in structural changes in the AHs between areas with different natural conditions for agricultural production, and particularly in the extent and in the direction of structural changes by socioeconomic types of AHs. Structural changes inhibit non-economic objectives of AHs, while non-agricultural employment has a two-way influence.

Rural families and households make a basic framework for understanding the rural way of life. This relation is especially interesting under the recent and difficult post-socialist transition in places such as Serbia. Previous research has shown that the transition and its benefits are not distributed equally. This has induced social and economic disparities, at the expense of the social attractiveness of rural areas. These disparities have influenced characteristics of Serbian rural families and households, their survival strategies and their roles in the reproduction of the rural way of life. We started research with three assumptions: a) depopulation of Serbian rural areas continues under the post-socialist transition, b) transitional risks produce partial retraditionalization of Serbian rural family relationships, and c) characteristics of Serbian regions affect characteristics of rural families and households.

The analysis confirmed rural depopulation. In the decade 2002–2011, there was the most significant decline ever in the number of Serbian rural families. This signified the negative impact of transition on rural areas. Besides this, the research confirmed that contemporary Serbian rural families and households still have some traditional features (multiple generations, relics of the role of head of the traditional rural family) which enable them to cope with transitional risks. A third finding proved that characteristics of Serbian rural families and households depend on regional characteristics. Within the regions that are more socially attractive and where the risks of social exclusion are lower, retraditionalization of rural families is less noticeable. It can be concluded that contemporary Serbian rural families and households survive throughout transition periods depending on their characteristics, but also characteristics of their social environment. Stronger social magnetism of a region is manifested in stronger rural social vitality. That is reflected in stronger modernization of rural families and households.

The coppersmiths’ uniqueness as a Roma clan is given by their traditional crafting legacy, as they themselves acknowledge. They are one of the more conservative Roma clans. Encouraged by their previous nomadic lifestyle, it hasn’t allowed them to blend with other clans or populations. Mixed marriages are forbidden and marriages with members of other Roma clans are rare. The aim of this study is to identify the elements that define the ethnic identity of the coppersmiths clan, to analyse the features that make out the coppersmiths’ customary identity, and to measure the self-segregation tendencies within the coppersmiths ethnic group. The main research methods were: bibliographic documentation, direct observation, field inquiries (structured interviews), and digital mapping. The research concluded the following: the coppersmiths are one of the extreme conservative clans, which have maintained their customary identity. The tendency of self-segregation is a direct consequence of their resistance towards anything modern, and the members of the coppersmiths clan believe that acting like the majority of society will only lead to the loss of their own identity. The consequences are mostly negative, e.g. poor school enrolment, marrying at an early age, an absence from modern socio-economic activities, etc.

The purpose of the study is to focus on the understanding of sense of place through the conceptualisation of regional identity. The theory of institutionalisation of regions, by geographers Chojnicki and Paasi, gives us a useful framework for understanding how regions and regional identity emerge, continually reproduce and, thus, transform in and through the practice of individuals and institutions at a variety of spatial levels. The submitted paper creates a compact mosaic of the selected theoretical approaches and chosen concepts of new regional, cultural and behavioural geography, which can be used in regional identity researches. The central purpose of the paper is to enrich and explain the possibilities of utilisation of behavioural techniques in the formation of regional identity and the identity of the area. The aim of the study is to identify the level of respondents’ patriotism towards the selected hierarchical and residential regions of Slovakia.

The overall purpose of this study is to find out how to facilitate the integration of Roma people into society with the help of settlement and regional development. This is examined in the context of a specific project during which the site has been liquidated. The question arises as to what extent the implementation of the programme reached its target. The essay examines the implications of the programme for further development on the settlement concerned. The programme illustrates the importance of a complex approach, and the importance of interacting factors during the convergence of disadvantaged groups. This synergetic interaction is evaluated because it is extremely important with regard to the long-term sustainability and success of the programme. However, with the change of housing conditions, the immediate environment is also changing and one has to adapt to the new environment, which in many cases can lead to conflicts as well.

The primary function of the rural resort is to renovate and put into function existing, old, abandoned buildings/constructions, giving them a new purpose for tourism services. At the same time, construction of new buildings/structures, which can distort the authentic rural environment, is reduced. This paper intends to identify and analyse the elements of the tourism market in the Republic of Croatia which affect the process of revitalisation of the historic settlements through tourism products and services, while these elements are maintained, and popularise traditional culture and create an additional source of income in the countryside. The aim is to explore the place and role of rural resorts to enhance the distribution of tourism products and services, and the relevance of the application/use of tourist valorisation potentials of rural areas in the continuous efforts of improving tourism in the Republic of Croatia. The above is presented through a marketing policy and destination and space management, with a focus on limiting administrative, organisational and financial factors that influence the prosperity growth and substantial investment cycles in this segment in the Republic of Croatia.

Conflicts related to the implementation of the Natura 2000 network can be found in Poland and other European countries. The general causes of those conflicts are known. Some of them lie in the habitat directive itself, and others are related to the transposition of the directive into national environmental law and management systems. The designation of Natura 2000 sites in Poland involved strong protests on a local level, mainly due to the lack of consultations with the stakeholders, or at least with the local governments. In those days, the common argument against the implementation of Natura 2000 was one of severe restrictions on the conduct of economic activities and infrastructure development. Eight years after the official implementation of Natura 2000 in Poland, we would like to state the research question as follows: “Is Natura 2000 a constraint on local development?”

The paper presents the results of the research on the conflicts related to the Natura 2000 sites in Poland, and a perception of the Natura 2000 impact on the local economy, local community, and local citizens’ own situation, based on the questionnaire surveys conducted at the meetings, where management plans of the Natura 2000 sites were discussed.

It appears that despite many cases of conflicts related to economical activities, new investments or infrastructure identified in municipalities with Natura 2000 sites in Poland, local stakeholders do not consider Natura 2000 only to be a restraint, but also an opportunity.